Budgie eggs take about 18 days to hatch from the day the female starts sitting on them. After hatching, budgie chicks undergo various growth stages, which is where a budgie chick growth chart comes in handy.
So what is there in our Budgie Chick Growth Chart: A Beginners Guide? The guide includes a budgie chick growth chart showing the different physical changes baby birds experience until they are around eight weeks old. This allows you to track their development from day one as neonates easily. From the chart, you will know when your chicks will grow feathers, start flying, and eat seeds.
The guide will illustrate the chart further and help you understand everything you need to know about the budgie growth chart as a beginner.
Budgie Chick Growth Chart
Below is a growth chart of the budgie chick’s development. The chart looks at the budgies’ growth from week one after hatching to 8 weeks (until they are ready to separate from their parents).
| Number of Weeks | Growth and Development Features |
| Week One | Pink in colorFeatherlessBlind and deafCompletely helpless |
| Week Two | Budgies open their eyesSoft feathers start growingStarts making movementsCan flutter and hop |
| Week Three | Budgie is covered entirely with feathersThe color of the feathers begins to show offWeaning begins through hand-feedingCan eat different solid foods |
| Week Four | Develops flight feathersCan take fresh water, seed mix, cuttlebone, and millet spray |
| Week Five | Budgie chick starts learning to flyCan stand tall and learn to talkReady for finger training |
| Week Six | Fully weanedCan play with older budgiesCan navigate in their cage with easeHas a solid color |
| Week Seven to Eight | Same physical features as in 6 weeksReady to leave the parents |
What Are The Different Budgie Chick Growth Stages
Budgie chicks undergo considerable growth and development stages after being hatched? Below we will discuss the various stages to understand your budgie chick’s growth better.
1. Hatchling stage
This is where the budgie chicks have just been hatched. They are referred to as neonates or newborn budgies. In this stage, the budgies are usually pink in color and with no feathers. The chicks are also born blind and deaf.
In this stage, the chicks depend on their mother to feed them through regurgitation and to keep them warm. The stage may last for 7 to 10 days.
2. Nestling stage
After a week, your budgie chicks enter the nestling stage. This is when their eyes open, and they may start growing soft feathers at around 10 days of age. The chicks may also begin to move around the nest. In this stage, the baby budgies will hold up their heads.
3. Fledgling stage
When your budgie chicks are around 14 days old, they enter the fledgling stage. In this stage, the chicks grow pin feathers. At about three weeks of age, they usually have full feathers. However, your fledgling chicks cannot fly but will only flutter and hop.
4. Weanling stage
This stage starts between the third and fourth week after hatching. Here, the chicks are usually fully feathered. The colors of their feathers also begin to show clearly at this stage.
Weaning also begins in this stage. Therefore, you can start feeding your budgie chicks different seeds, nuts, pellets, and freshwater.
5. Juvenile stage
Once your budgie chicks are over four weeks old, they become juveniles. Simply, the budgies stop being babies since they can feed themselves and fly.
You can start teaching your budgie to say simple words like hello along with finger training at this stage. At approximately 7 to 8 weeks, the baby budgies can be separated from the parents.
At What Age Do Baby Budgies Become Full Size?
Budgie chicks usually reach full maturity at the age of 8 months old. This is when the chicks are entirely ready to be separated from their parents. At this age, budgies usually have already experienced their first molt at around four months.
Also, at eight months of age, your budgies are fully weaned, can talk, and eat the same food as adult parakeets. However, unlike when your budgies are younger, estimating their age when they are full-size can be difficult. You can tell your budgie is eight months or older by looking out for the following signs:
- Brown or light gray iris
- Checking the ID band on the legs
- Tan, the white or brown cere in female budgies
- Violet or bright blue cere in male parakeets
How Do You Hand Feed and Wean Budgie Chicks?
The parents of the budgie chicks should care for and feed them until they are at least 2 weeks old. At around two weeks, you can take over and start hand-feeding the chicks using the budgie formula. You must feed them the formula until about 6 weeks of age.
You simply mix the formula with sterile water following the dosing instructions on the package and based on the chick’s age. Then, you load the milk in a clean needleless syringe and hand-feed the chicks in small portions. Alternatively, you could use an eye dropper.
Here is a short video demonstrating how to hold and hand-feed your budgie chicks’ formula:
At around 3 to 4 weeks, you can begin weaning your budgie chicks while also hand-feeding them the formula. During this time, the chicks can eat foods like
- Millet spray and other seed mixes
- Pellets and nuts
- Vegetables like broccoli, lettuce, and kale
- Fresh fruits
- Cuttlebone
You simply offer them crushed nuts or seeds in a shallow dish. In addition, you must pair the food with clean water. For vegetables and fruits, you must chop them into small pieces or mash them to avoid the risk of choking.
How Much Do Budgie Chicks Eat and How Often?
This depends entirely on the age and size of the budgie chicks. For instance, at two weeks old, your chicks should take about 4 ml of formula per feeding. At this age, you must feed the budgies once every 3 to 4 hours during the day.
Once the birds turn three weeks old, you should give them 4 to 5 ml of food. At four weeks, 6 ml should be enough. During this time, your chicks should eat every 5 hours, based on how fast they take to empty their crop. This means if your budgies take two hours to empty the crop, they must eat after every 2 hours.
When it comes to seeds and pellets, your baby budgie should take around 1.5 to 2 tablespoons daily. You must supplement this with a thumbnail amount of fruits and vegetables.
How Much Should Healthy Budgie Chicks Weigh?
Their weight varies based on the chick’s stage of development and age. For example, a neonate budgie chick can weigh 1 to 2 grams or 0.035 to 0.071 ounces.
At around a week or 10 days, your baby budgies should weigh approximately 17 to 25 grams or 0.6 to 0.88 ounces. Once the chicks have clocked two weeks old, their weight can be anywhere from 0.99 to 1.23 ounces heavy. Meanwhile, the chicks’ weight should be about 1.52 to 1.80 ounces at around one month or four weeks.
FAQs
There is much to learn about the budgie chick growth chart. So, below are frequently asked questions on this topic.
Your budgie chicks will be ready to start cracking and eating different seeds when they are around 4 to 6 weeks old. However, some chicks may need assistance to break the grains. During this time, they can eat at least 1 to 2 tablespoons daily.
At around four weeks old, budgie chicks are usually fully feathered and have flight feathers. And by the 5th week, most budgies can fly. However, you might find the birds a bit clumsy during the first few days when they fly.
The chicks will sleep for up to 20 hours since they are born blind during the first 10 days. But once their eyes open and continue to grow, they can sleep for at least 12 hours per night. During the day, the chicks will sleep for up to 6 hours.
Outro
Budgie chicks pass through different growth stages before they reach adulthood. And from the budgie chick growth chart above, you can see the various changes these birds go through after they are hatched. Their weight also varies depending on the growth stage. The good news? By eight months, budgie chicks will become full-size and fully independent.
