eggs

Both of the babies have all of their down, the 1st born looks like its mom and has about 1 1/2 inches of tail feathers and has chest feathers filling in. The 2nd born looks like its dad, and has about 1 inch of tail feathers and has chest feathers filling in.
When can I tell if they are a boy or girl?
When will they try to come out of the nest?
Will they be able to sit up on a perch?
When the female starts to lay more eggs, is it healthy for her to start a new cluch? I mean whould she be hurting herself?
For my other birds should I put a nest in there? And yes I don't mind more babies.
And when should I take them out to hold? And how long?
Thanks 4 replying

 

Hiya sounds like everything is going well.

Until around 4-6months old all baby chicks look like females until they have there first molt.

They usually start leaving the nest at between 4-6 weeks old at this time the male will take over feeding them until they are eating for themselves.

Since they have there feathers coming through you can start holding them now aslong as you make sure your hands are cleaned thoroughly and you dont hold them for too long as mum will get upset.

They will be able to sit on the perch with no problems once they start leaving the nest although they do usually have a few problems getting there balance.

The female will start laying another clutch around 5 weeks after the first chick hatched i usually let my females have 2 clutches then i remove the nest box and allow her to get her body back to normal.
Providing she has plenty of cuttlefish bone and mineral block then she will be ok.

If you are wanting to breed your other pair then placing a nest box in the cage will bring her into breeding condition but this can take a few weeks some females are ready for breeding within a week of the nest box been put in the cage.

Again make sure they have plenty of cuttlefish bone and minerals.

Good luck and hope all goes well.

Mike

 

thanks 4 your help, I am not sure if this is surpose to happen but I saw the mother feeding the baby (1st born), but I have seen the father try to feed him a couple of times. And the 2nd born I am not sure if it was trying to get out of the nest but I placed him in the clean rag on the bottom of the cage that I placed both the babies in and they sleep in it. I have a little cap filled with seed made for babies when they are young. Its been empty 3 times and I am not sure who is eating it.
Since I just put the 2nd born on the bottom of the cage should keep it out of the nest?
Will the babies try to gt back in the nest if I keep it in there?
And where am I surpose to get a new nest? A pet store? I know how big.
thanks again

 

Hi how old are the chicks now?
Its normal for the male ot feed the chicks aswell as this takes the burden of the female.

I usually let the chicks come out of the nest on there own that way i know they are using there wings they dont usually start coming out until they have all there feathers.

They will try getting back in the nest a few times even when there is new eggs in the nest it is best to remove the chicks to another cage when they are eating for themselves.
The seeds you are putting down for the chicks is most likely being eaten by the parents as chicks dont eat much on there own until they are about 8-9weeks old.

As for the new nest you can buy these from any good petstore.

Good luck with the chicks aslo now is the best time to start handling them so they get used to people picking them up.

Mike

 

The first born was born on the 3rd, about 4 weeks old. The second on the 5th, almost 4 weeks old. For the next clutch there will be a new nest that I made with my dad. It's about 7 inches long, and 5 inches wide. The walls about 5 or 4 inches tall. It is sturdy and clean. And I think it is a very good nest so far.
For my other two birds should I breed them after my next clutch? When all the babies are grown.

 

Hi sounds like all is going well.
If you change the next box once the chicks leave the nest chances are she will not lay anymore eggs until next time she in breeding condition but aslong as the nest is put in the same spot as the old one things should be ok.

If you are wanting to breed your other pair providing you have enough space to house them all like an aviary then i dont see why you can not start breeding the others aslong as they are over 12months old.

Its just Basically do what you did for the first ones and let nature take its course.

Good luck and have fun with the new babies who should have started popping there heads out of the nest soon.

Mike

 

I heard that I should take the babies into another cage and room? Is that what I should do? I still see the mom feeding the babies. And when should she start laying more eggs? And when she does have the eggs, should I take the babies out of that cage?
thanks

 

HI i never remove the babies from the cage they are in until i know they are all eating and drinking on there own.
Once they are feeding and drinking on there own i put them in another cage but i never put them in a different room i put the cage next to the one there parents are in.

The hen should start laying again soon that if she is wanting to some hens only lay one clutch and dont lay anymore until she is next in breeding condition.

She may not lay again until the other babies are feeding and drinking in there own and out of the cage as they will keep going back to the nest and this is when you end up with broken eggs.

Dont worry to much let her enjoy this clutch once you see they can eat and drink on there own then remove them if you want to and see how they get on if after 2days they are not eating or drinking place them back in with the parents.

This is why i never take the babies out until they are around 8-12weeks old also when the chicks have left the nest i remove the nestbox until i have moved the chicks this gives her time to build her calcium levels and strength back up as egg laying and raising babies takes alot out of her.

Mike

 

I have seen they eat and drin sometimes, and the youngest flew about 3 feet. They stay on the branches most of the time that I have seen.
I have 1 large cage where all the birds will go when all the babies are full grown, and 2 medium cages. I have the parents and their 2 babies in the large cage. And the 2 other birds are in one of the medium cages. I think in a couple of days I will put the babies in the other medium cage and change the nest to a bigger nest.

 

Hi Aslong as you know for sure they are eating and drinking when they are about 6weeks old you can remove them and put them in a cage of there own.

Mike

 

Bad news

I don't know what happened but I think the 1st born hurt its wings. I saw it on the bottom of the cage. So I picked him up gently and his wings and his head shaked for a few sec. I put it in a shoe box that has a clean rag in there, he always has his feathers puffed, and tryes to sleep even if I am walking and holding him. I put both the babies in a cage and since the 1st one might have fallen I don't have anything to high for it to use its wings. I have 1 very low perch to climb to get to the food, and a ladder touching the ground to get to the water, I also have a rag on the bottom of the cage with a small pile of food. I don't know when this happened but I think early yesterday. I had both the babies in the smaller cage yesterday and they stayed over night. So I don't know if he is doing better because its sleeping. ( I am saying "it" because I don't know if it is a girl or boy) And good advice would be appreciated very much.

 

Hi accidents do happen when the chicks become fledglings and are trying to use there wings whats probably happend is it has tried to fly and lost control and hit the bottom of the cage keep a close on it toom ake sure its still doing well.

All chicks sit fluffed up when they are taken away from there parents as they dont have there body heat to keep them warm and they need to learn to conservate heat.
Keep a close eye on them as the first few weeks are important if your wanting them to be hand tame now is the time to keep handling them and getting them used to been taken out if the cage.

Mike

 

Its been 2 days and its perfectly fine. No shaking when it moves its wings. Also they have been cleaning each other? Is that normal. The 2nd born is definatly not finger trained, so I have to work on that. The nest has been in the big cage, the one with the parents, and no eggs. I have to change the nest so I guess thats good.
I own a parakeet that bites the food dishes and water dishes and make them fall to the bottom of the cage. Is there a way I can teach her not to do that. She is not finger trained and never will be because of her age, she is about 2 years old.

 

Hi glad to hear the little one is doing ok.
Like i Say Some hens lay again shortly after the chicks leave the nest others dont so dont worry to much atleast she is rebuilding her calcium levels while she is not laying eggs.

Most birds bite the dishes i find changing the dishes for the feeders that attach to the outside of the cage are better as they cat get these off.

If your 2year old female is in a cage of her own you can still finger train her it will be a little harder but can still be done age has nothing to do with anything its always harder the older the animal.

Good luck and glad all is going well.

Mike