Hi everyone- my oldest baby is now 41/2 weeks old and just like I've been saying all along he is a fast developer- he is completely fledged- even spending the last 2 nights out of the nest...my question is wether or not he is old enough to move to a new cage. In the past (because I don't breed on purpose ) I have let the babies stay in the parents large cage. However, my parents, both being rescues are not as friendly as I would like. I want these babies to be more human oriented and not take after mom and dad like the last ones did. I want to move them asap because some are already starting with the anti-handling.

The oldest is eating on his own, sleeping outside the nest, he even took his first bath, he doesn't get around the greatest but he manages...what do you think? can I move him?

Thank you Kristi

Usually the best thing is to move them once they have been eating on their own for about a week to 10 days. I think if you continue to handle them while dad is still doing some feeding, they should remain pretty tame. Even if you think they are taking after the parents (being a little flighty or jumpy) if you have them all in another cage by 5 1/2 or 6 weeks of age and can move the cage to a different location, they will tame down again very quickly. If you can manage it, I would wait. I don't remember so well as it has been a very long time since mine were babies, but I think I moved mine to a different cage somewhere about 5 1/2 weeks, and they stopped eating (but had been eating on their own some) so I had to move them back in with dad so he could feed some more. Plus the screaming between babies and dad was SO annoying. I don't remember all the details, just that I had to put them back in for a little longer because they quit eating. I'd hate for you to have that happen too.

thank you, that's odd that they stopped eating, I wouldn't have even thought to woory about that.

even my youngest ones wiil eat out of the dish on the bottom of the cage when they manage to "fly" aka fall out of the nest. Good heads up- he's the sweetest out of them all so I'll leave him just in case, I'll have to watch close I havn't seen dad feed him at all in the last few days.

 

PS mom is still feeding too, not much but I was suprised by this last time she quit when they were 3 weeks old...is it that odd or does it happen often enough?

 

Kristi

I think it happens more frequently if there are still young babies in the nest. I think Skittles quit most feeding at around the three week mark too, but still fed the youngest ones. So if the youngest was three weeks, (thinks out loud) the oldest was close to 2 weeks older than that. She would feed the littler ones, just not the older ones. Rainbow fed Sky until she was 16 weeks (little beggar)! Then things got odd. I won't go there, LOL.

(Laughing out loud)- thank you rainbow