Hen Distracted From Chicks

[isaac-c 0]

Gday all,

 

Untill recently two of my breeding birds were going fine, hatching their first chick on Sunday. However, as of today, when the second chick hatched the hen has become extremely dominant, not allowing the male in the nesting box, or even near her. Each time she goes out to feed she is constantly worried about where he is. I'm worried the chicks are going to suffer from this!?

 

Any suggestions on what to do?

 

I put a small food ball in the nesting box itself, hopeful that the hen will get enough food to feed the chicks.

 

Isaac

[**KAZ** 0]

Is the hen in a breeder cage or in an aviary ? If she is in a breeder cage and not amongst others in the aviary and IF you think this behaviour will continue....she CAN raise her chicks alone. As long as there isnt too many chicks and as long as she is provided with constant good fresh food and soft food.

 

 

 

and By the way....WELCOME to the forum

Edited October 29, 2007 by KAZ

[isaac-c 0]

Thanks!

 

Yes, they are in a breeding cabinet. At the moment its looking like 4 chicks - 2 hatched and 2eggs left. Do you think that is too many? I'm hopeful things will settle down soon, because before today everything has been fine, but i guess removing the male is an option.

 

Fingers crossed!

Isaac

Edited November 1, 2007 by Daz

[**KAZ** 0]

If she is a first time Mum she may be a little paranoid. But it also has been known for hens to attack their partners, so watch out for that. Put some spray millet in her nest box to makes things a little easier for her and also make sure both parents have some soft food or soaked seed to help feed the babies. A hen can manage 4 chicks in a breeder cabinet on her own if she has to. No more. If there are to be more maybe you could foster those ones to another nest ?

Edited October 29, 2007 by KAZ

[isaac-c 0]

gday all,

 

Well, I removed the male on Tuesday and things seem to be going fine at the moment - there are now 3 chicks with another due very soon. Just one thing I was wondering though, should I consider putting the male back in the breeding cabinet now that they've been separated for a few days? or is best just to leave the hen to raise them on her own??

[**KAZ** 0]

At this stage I would NOT put the male back in. She would have become a little territorial by now and protective of her young and may well attack him. ( I have heard of hens killing their partners under similar situations ) Leave it as it is would be best now. Just spoil the hen with lots of good food readily available to her and no more stresses. Make up some soft food, soaked seed and some eggfood, to help her feed chicks.

[isaac-c 0]

I'm fairly new to the breeding business, so what sort of food is egg food? and is soaked seed just normal seed soaked ovenight?

cheers

[**KAZ** 0]

For soaked seed I mainly use premium wheat and mung beans soaked until softened. But you can just soak budgie seed overnight like you thought. Here is a soft food recipe article one of our members posted awhile back

http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/index....showtopic=15407

 

[isaac-c 0]

Another catastrophe this morning - all had been going well (with 4 chicks hatched and all being fed) except i looked in this morning to find the second youngest chick dead, under the two big ones, and the youngest looking like it had very little left. The two oldest chicks appear to be doing fine, so should i presume its just a case of the mother not being able to feed all mouths?? Or is there something else wrong that anyone else can suggest? Any solutions kindly accepted.

[Norm 0]

The hen should be able to feed that many chicks okay, especially at that early age. No matter what you do some may die, so it may be that something was wrong with that chick & the littlest may still be okay, as sometimes their crop is looking empty, but nothing is wrong. There’s probably nothing you can do, just keep checking on them & if you have further trouble ask again.

[**KAZ** 0]

Norm is so right in what he says. Losses become a part of breeding that we all eventually have to get used to. There is nothing the hen is doing or you are doing that is wrong. Cheer up and please keep updating. We will help all we can

[isaac-c 0]

Well its no more for the youngest chick as well. I guess this is just something that happens. The two oldest big balls of fluff look as though they are doing very well, so i'll have to start getting excited about what colours we're going to be getting. Thanks for the help guys. I might try and post some pics on them soon

[Norm 0]

I’m sorry to hear you lost another one, it seems you have a good eye for the ones that are not doing so well. It may have been something to do with that the hen wasn’t feeding them enough, but as we say some birds die & often you cant explain it. I hope she will raise the others okay, keep us up to date & pictures would be good later.