Nadene

Yes, you can check the chicks, you need to. If the hen is in the box just give it a tap and she will come out and you can get them out. Eventually when you feel comfortable you will need to take the box and chicks out to clean the box. Don't worry about the little ones they will grow Looking forward to seeing the pics

Hahahaha what a wimp......... men!

You have a beautiful little helper there. When i did the extension on my aviary all my kids did was complain about the noise. The judging at the bird show starts at 9am but it takes a while to do it and there will be a bbq lunch. It's at at Picton A H & I Hall, Manangle St, Picton.

It is fine to have one wing clipped, it is better because they can slow themselves down if they fall. Being hand raised he will be tame anyway he just has to get used to you. He is beautiful

If she's white with red eyes she's albino. It will be fun for you to breed with her when it gets warmer

Rochelle, that's how small they are when they hatch. They grow VERY fast, from newly hatched to fully feathered in 4 weeks. Robyn, great variety. I love the pics, keep them coming, the chicks look fantastic

I'm going to say a very young male. The cere looks pink like a boy. He would be around 6 weeks but that's just my guess

You are too There is a member of my budgie club that lives in Thirlmere. If you're interested in seeing some nice birds the club is having its annual budgie show on Sunday 5th of May at Picton. I've only been at the club for 6 months but apparently there were over 200 birds last year from all different clubs. My bird is a opaline, grey spangle.

That's great, I love it That was one cool cubby house, the kids must have loved it. Can't wait to see the progress

I was thinking too that it will be better that the chicks are older because they will be more demanding for feeds rather than newly hatched chicks that are quieter and more likely to be abandoned. Just make sure they are not in a draft from the air con and I would keep the cage covered for a couple of days with a towel, it will help them settle in and not panic and just check on the chicks twice a day unless of course they aren't being fed and you have to do it (hopefully you won't). Did you mean that parents attack their chicks when they are handled? because they don't, you should get the chicks out once a day (briefly) to check their feet and beaks to make sure they are clean. If their feet get covered with poop it will set like concrete and it can cause damage and even loose toes. The nest boxes will also need to be cleaned every few days depending on how quickly they dirty it. If the parents are in the box when you want to check it just give it a light tap and they will usually come out (most of the time). Good luck, I'm sure you will do great

Hi, you have some beautiful birds Lacy is a opaline, grey green. This might sound like a silly question but has Lily's cere ever gone dark brown? I'm only asking because it looks like a resessive pied (have a look to see if it has iris rings in its eyes) with a flesh coloured cere which means it might be a he.

Hi and welcome to the forum. We love pictures on here so we look forward to see your progress

Wow!! That's a good number of chicks Robyn, congratulations. I can't wait to see some pictures

Thank you Robyn and Rochelle. I kicked the eldest (which was the foster chick) out of the box today. It's nearly 5 weeks old and still acting like one of the younger babies, so he has his own house on the bottom of the cage.

I love them, they're soooo cute

I went cheap with my aviary and I use a tarp

More photos My favorite 5 month old YF hen she also helps me check the nest boxes and this is what we were looking at, a full box mum, dad and 4 babies

Welcome to the forum. Sorry about Sunshine but I'm glad you got another budgie because they really are great

If the hen is showing aggression you may have to take them out or other wise there may be injuries or death. At 5 weeks they should be able to feed them selves especially the older 2 and if you put them into a cage together the older ones will help feed the younger ones. I also put the seed and water in shallow dishes for the babies, I find it easier for them to get to.

How long has she been sitting in the eggs because it takes 5-8 days to show fertility from the start of incubation not from when they are laid? If it has been longer then that I would say they are no good and throw them out and let the pair try again

Just an update The father of these chicks was found dead on Wednesday

I have thought about that too Robyn but I know my dogs wouldn't like it. I got home after spending 3 days in hospital with my son and the birds in my quarantine cage that's on the top of their kennel (and has been there for months) had their tails pulled out.

Sorry about your baby Unfortunately these things happen. It could have aspirated and got some food in its lungs. Good luck with the rest

Did he train that dragon himself??? hehehehe I love seeing your pics of him, he's so sweet

Hi Jaffa, welcome to the forum. In general budgies should have longer rather than higher but your cage sounds big so I wouldn't worry, just make sure your perches run front to back so they can fly long ways. Keep the nest box high budgies prefer it , the babies will be fine