Hi Everyone,

I haven't been on here for a couple of weeks, but thought that I would send in some photo's of our second clutch of Budgies. They are a couple of weeks old now and they are looking really nice. One thing though, the mother is a really messy feeder, and covers the chicks beaks in food every day. We didn't think too much of it a first but it has made the eldest chick's beak grow funny, oddly shaped... We clean them every day now, but will this chick's beak grow alright or will he have to have special food as he gets older? I'm just worried that he won't be able to crack the seed properly. Oh and By The Way, they both look to be cinnamons like their mum.

Thanks

Sandy (Josh's mum)

Here's the chick...

He/she has the sky blue on the top half of his/her crop area as well but white from there down and under the belly.

 

This is the second chick.

 

 

This is mum and dad. Dad's the pied and mum is the skyblue cinnamon further up the perch.

 

Hi Sandy, once you have our first chick with an undershot beak as you have, you will be a little more conscientious about checking on all aspects of babies in the nest on a daily basis. This occurs when a build up of food stays in the top beak. It creates heat in there and stops the beak growing properly. In twice daily checks of chicks in nestboxes I always check for a build up of food in their beaks. I carry a toothpick or a spare feather and quickly remove the food in the top beak, so we dont have an issue. Since we are breeding the birds, it becomes our problem to do this as part of checking nestboxes.

I wrote about this in our FAQ article on

Care of Baby budgies in the Nest

 

http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/faqs/i...&artlang=en

I know its hard to try and remember to think about everything and to check all things, especially when we often just focus on the pretty feather development. But the disappointment of having a chick with "beak issues" then becomes our motivation for the future.

 

Now that you have a chick like this, you have chick that you will have to keep. It will require regular beak trimming for life. It will be the bottom beak that will grow at a faster rate than normal. It must be trimmed about every 2 weeks so that it can eat properly.

Hi Sandy, once you have our first chick with an undershot beak as you have, you will be a little more conscientious about checking on all aspects of babies in the nest on a daily basis. This occurs when a build up of food stays in the top beak. It creates heat in there and stops the beak growing properly. In twice daily checks of chicks in nestboxes I always check for a build up of food in their beaks. I carry a toothpick or a spare feather and quickly remove the food in the top beak, so we dont have an issue. Since we are breeding the birds, it becomes our problem to do this as part of checking nestboxes.

I wrote about this in our FAQ article on

Care of Baby budgies in the Nest

 

http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/faqs/i...&artlang=en

I know its hard to try and remember to think about everything and to check all things, especially when we often just focus on the pretty feather development. But the disappointment of having a chick with "beak issues" then becomes our motivation for the future.

 

Now that you have a chick like this, you have chick that you will have to keep. It will require regular beak trimming for life. It will be the bottom beak that will grow at a faster rate than normal. It must be trimmed about every 2 weeks so that it can eat properly.

 

 

Hi Kaz,

Thanks for the info. After the first clutch, my sons were going on about how they could do it... I didn't need to go and check the babies, they were old enough to look after them.... you know.... So I gave them the chance to show me that they could. I went in after the first week and found the chick like that... So since then I go in twice a day to check on them and keep them clean. I asked Josh about the food on the beak, and he said that he'd seen it but didn't think it was a problem! Well, let me say that he now KNOWS it was a problem!

Will this chick require softer foods or will seed be okay for him? Also, how do we keep his beak trimmed? What do we use?

Thanks

Sandy

Hi Sandy, once you have our first chick with an undershot beak as you have, you will be a little more conscientious about checking on all aspects of babies in the nest on a daily basis. This occurs when a build up of food stays in the top beak. It creates heat in there and stops the beak growing properly. In twice daily checks of chicks in nestboxes I always check for a build up of food in their beaks. I carry a toothpick or a spare feather and quickly remove the food in the top beak, so we dont have an issue. Since we are breeding the birds, it becomes our problem to do this as part of checking nestboxes.

I wrote about this in our FAQ article on

Care of Baby budgies in the Nest

 

http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/faqs/i...&artlang=en

I know its hard to try and remember to think about everything and to check all things, especially when we often just focus on the pretty feather development. But the disappointment of having a chick with "beak issues" then becomes our motivation for the future.

 

Now that you have a chick like this, you have chick that you will have to keep. It will require regular beak trimming for life. It will be the bottom beak that will grow at a faster rate than normal. It must be trimmed about every 2 weeks so that it can eat properly.

 

 

Hi Kaz,

Thanks for the info. After the first clutch, my sons were going on about how they could do it... I didn't need to go and check the babies, they were old enough to look after them.... you know.... So I gave them the chance to show me that they could. I went in after the first week and found the chick like that... So since then I go in twice a day to check on them and keep them clean. I asked Josh about the food on the beak, and he said that he'd seen it but didn't think it was a problem! Well, let me say that he now KNOWS it was a problem!

Will this chick require softer foods or will seed be okay for him? Also, how do we keep his beak trimmed? What do we use?

Thanks

Sandy

Yeah....it's the hidden food inside the top beak that is the problem. You only have to miss seeing it for a few days and the problem has happened already. I have an outstanding show type chick and I missed the beak check for a few days when I had a huge workload...so now I, too, have a chick with a beak issue.

They can eat anything as long as their beak is trimmed properly at all times. The bottom beak grows really fast. You can see the new growth which helps you know where to cut. I use nail clippers or sharp scissors. BUT I do know what I am doing now with these things. If you are worried, get the vet to show you how or him to do it. Perhaps another bird fancier who is experienced and lives nearby ? You will have to consider him/her a pet to keep. But what a pretty one to keep

Yeah....it's the hidden food inside the top beak that is the problem. You only have to miss seeing it for a few days and the problem has happened already. I have an outstanding show type chick and I missed the beak check for a few days when I had a huge workload...so now I, too, have a chick with a beak issue.

They can eat anything as long as their beak is trimmed properly at all times. The bottom beak grows really fast. You can see the new growth which helps you know where to cut. I use nail clippers or sharp scissors. BUT I do know what I am doing now with these things. If you are worried, get the vet to show you how or him to do it. Perhaps another bird fancier who is experienced and lives nearby ? You will have to consider him/her a pet to keep. But what a pretty one to keep

 

 

Hi Kaz,

Yeah, I knew he'd be a keeper when I saw his beak. But I don't mind. I think he's going to be a beauty no matter what his beak looks like... (Laughing out loud)

I'll have to get the vet to show me how to do it... Do they learn to just sit there and take it or do they put up a fuss each time you do it????

I was going to take him from the nest and hand raise him the rest of the way, as I thought it would make handling him later on that much easier. But I didn't want to take him too early as the second chick hadn't feathered up and I didn't want it to get cold from missing out on body heat.

Mum is still in there with them, but I wasn't sure. How easy/hard would it be to start hand raising now? Or should I just wait?

Sandy

I would let the parents raise the baby but handle him/her as much as you can. Beak cutting, once you learn how is quickly over and done with. No different to cutting a fingernail. The quicker and less fuss and there should be no problems. The budgie will get used to it. Its down to how you hold them and how quickly you do it so they dont get stressed....and cuddle time as well.

very beautiful budgie

Oh By the way,

My Yellow Head pair have just had their second clutch start to hatch. She laid 9 eggs and so far 4 have hatched. My question is, how many is too many babies? And what should I do if they all hatch?

And while I'm asking questions. What is a good pen to use to mark the eggs as they are laid... graphite pencil, biro, marker????

Thanks

Sandy

Hi Birdluv,

These chicks have come out really nice colors. It's a shame what happened to the first chicks beak, but we now have a lovely pet! :-)

I'll send in some pics when they are fully feathered.

Sandy

Edited November 13, 200717 yr by josh

Hi Everyone,

Well, the chicks are finally fully feathered, so I took some photo's and thought that I'd send them in. The first one is of the chick who had the problem beak. I think it may be growing out without any real problems, what do you all think??? I am going to have this one as a pet anyway as he/she is very quiet and gentle. Hopefully I will get another clutch from this pair as they have produced 2 really lovely babies.

Talk again soon

Sandy

 

 

And the second chick from the clutch.

 

The beak looks normal...brilliant What a beautiful chick too Well both beautiful really

HI Kaz,Yeah I know!!! I'm so pleased that it seems to be growing out. The only part that isn't normal is the tip of top mandable. Would you say it's a boy or a girl? Or is it too early???I can't wait till he/she leaves the nest, so I can bring it inside. It's so friendly already, yet it's sibling is just like it's mother. She's not nasty, but you can't get within cooey of her, and this chick looks to be the same nature. Sandy

Just a quick question..... Is cinnamon dominant? If one of the parents is cinnamon, does that mean that all offspring will be cinnamon too, or can some come out black like the other parent? Does that make sense???

Edited November 24, 200717 yr by josh

they look great.

l'm not good at telling what they are, when they are this young. l'll leave that to the experts

Sandy, Cinnamon is sex linked, to get Cinnamons from that pair means the cock must be split for Cinnamon or the hen mated with another bird that is Cinnamon or split.

 

A Cinnamon hen mated to a non Cinnamon [normal] bird will only produce split Cinnamon cocks that are not visual Cinnamons, but carry it, her hens will be Normal.

 

A Cinnamon cock mated with a Normal will produce only Cinnamon hens & split Cinnamon cocks.

 

A split for Cinnamon cock [doesn’t show it visually] will produce some Cinnamon hens & normal hens & split Cinnamon cocks & Normal cocks.

 

So your parents must have the Cinnamon carried by both the cock & hen & the young can be of either sex. That is the only way you can get Visual Cinnamon cocks.

Sandy great looking birds I'm glad the beak turned out better than expected.

Sandy, Cinnamon is sex linked, to get Cinnamons from that pair means the cock must be split for Cinnamon or the hen mated with another bird that is Cinnamon or split.A Cinnamon hen mated to a non Cinnamon [normal] bird will only produce split Cinnamon cocks that are not visual Cinnamons, but carry it, her hens will be Normal.A Cinnamon cock mated with a Normal will produce only Cinnamon hens & split Cinnamon cocks.A split for Cinnamon cock [doesn't show it visually] will produce some Cinnamon hens & normal hens & split Cinnamon cocks & Normal cocks.So your parents must have the Cinnamon carried by both the cock & hen & the young can be of either sex. That is the only way you can get Visual Cinnamon cocks.

Hi Norm,Thanks for that, I'll have to write it down. Well mum is definitely cinnamon, and dad is the only pied cock bird I've got in the avairy, and I don't have any cinnamon cock birds at all, so having the cinnamon pied baby must mean that dad is split for cinnamon???? Is that right??? The younger chick is exactly like mum, but baby's blue is more uniform all over, mum is more like a clearbody. So if the pied turns out to be a cock bird, will his cere be blue?? I think the younger chick is female as it bites like a banshee!!! hehehehe The older chick doesn't even try to bite.Thanks for you help.Sandy

Sandy great looking birds I'm glad the beak turned out better than expected.

Thanks Nerwen,You and me both!! :(Laughing out loud): He is such a beautiful little baby, really friendly. I was holding him on my finger today in the avairy, as he came out for the first time this morning, and the cere is quite blue looking, which I thought was strange for a baby so young. Sandy