I was in the breeding room and accidently left the window open (after talking out it) and was checking my eggs in one nest box and brand new first ever chick, and the **** flew out!! :'(

 

What should I do?? Should I give her another mate immediately? I have 2 spare cocks in the aviary. Or would the **** hurt the other's chicks?

 

Please give me some ideas, this is my first breeding season and I don't really know what to do in this situation! I realise the hen feeds the chicks for the 1st 2 weeks or so by herself often, but doesn't the **** feed her so she can feed the chicks?? :fear

 

Thanks in advance!

Nicole

dont put another **** in as she could attack it she should be fine to bring up the chicks on her own if not foster the chicks out if you can

Thanks Hath, I'm having trouble as it is with having to get rid of eggs! :-( I have a breeder a couple of hours away who is helping me with questions etc, and because I am breeding exhibition budgerigars I've ben told they can't have more than 4-5 chicks. Well I had 4 pairs laying and 29 eggs eventually... so it's not been fun. One I was sure was clear so I took it and checked and it was, thank goodness, but ther others look alright, and I was too scared to take them out in case they had chicks in them and I killed them!!

 

I didn't want to let them all hatch and then pick the 4 strongest because I do not want to be having to kill the cute little nestlings! Plus if I did that, with a nest of 8 eggs, they could get squashed and oh dear what a mission it is!!!

 

So what about if I want her to have a 2nd round, would I have to wait until all the chicks are weaned and then give her a new mate?

 

Thanks again for your help!!!!!

yes you would have to wait till the chicks were removed, i personally would remove her to a stock cage for a week before introducing a new male

 

they can have more than 4 or 5 chicks in a nest it is just that 4 is the recomended number to get the hen to feed properly and to get the best out of the chicks,if this was there first round i would have left them with all the eggs as some wont hatch and some chicks will die

AAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!

 

Oh my goodness, he came back!!!!!

 

I thought he never would and that he'd get eaten by a hawk or something!!!!!!

 

So here I am, sitting outside on the veranda reading my book, and I hear a flutter of wings, then another, and I looked up to see what sort of bird it was and WOW it was a blue budgie sitting on the cross-beam above my head!!!!

 

So I called mum to get my net, and got him in the net! I put my hand around him to hang on to him and he didn't even struggle! So I carried him back to the breeding room and reunited him with his mate!

 

Yipppppeeee!! :parrot:

Edited August 30, 200420 yr by Nic G

You are very lucky indeed he returned. I'm glad to hear it. Most budgies fly straight up when they escape and have no idea where they are or how to get back.

I know, it's just amazing, especially after 2 days!!

the power of breeding and having a mate on eggs we have freeflying budgies over here what return to there flights each night and if i remember correctly they allways let them out for the first time when they have bred and there partner is sitting on eggs

do you mean freeflying budgies in england.

wouldn't crows and other birds kill the budgies in england.

are you saying if they are breeding and the hen is sitting on eggs,if i opened the door on my out door aviary the hen would stay in aviary, and **** would fly out and come back again.

rgds.

james.

Edited September 1, 200420 yr by james2701

well i would not recomend it as it is not 100%,but the most famous person to have free flying budgies is the queen she has or had a flock at winsor castle

Nic,congratulations on your birds return,that's brilliant!

 

Hath, would the flock at Windsor castle be the original green buidgies do you know? I had no idea there were some free flying ones there.

i would love just to do that,leave the door open let them fly out and they come back.but to have all of your hens sitting on eggs at the same time would be tricky.so how did they do it,was the hens which wasn't sitting on eggs taken out.

how can i find out more.

i live next to thetford forest they would have a great time.

rgds.

james.

theres a book about it i will try and find the title

that would be great thanks.

rgds.

james.

homing budgerigar by the duke of bedford 1969 although i think it is now illegal to let them fly free

Yes, I have a couple of books that have chapters on free flying budgies, they reckon the budgies come back, but wow, I wouldn't think so! Although my boy did! :-o

 

He's fine, by the way! I don't know what he ate while he was on his 'outing' but obviously nothing bad for him. He was a very tired little bird when he got back though - slept most of the afternoon, but he's totally fine now! His mate was not very impressed with his wandering though! *laughs* They have 4 healthy babies now :-)

Nice to have a happy ending Nic ! :bluebudgie:

 

I don't blame his mate by the way

Edited September 6, 200420 yr by Julie