Here is the story, can anyone help.

 

I have a pair of Bloue Yellow Faces, lovely big English Budgies. I brought them off a good breeder as young birds last year.

 

1st Round, had 5 eggs and 4 hatched. Babies were doing very well all nice sizes, one was a yellow face the other 3 were blues.

 

Once the babies come out of the nest both Adult birds attacked the young and when i noticed only 2 were alive who immediately transferred to another cage, they are both doing wonderful.

 

2nd Clutch - 6 Eggs, 5 Hatch, 2 died on our 43 degree day a few weeks ago.

I was scared parents would do the same thing, I was ready this time to take the Female away as soon as i saw first sign of babies out of nest. As you see they are wonderful parents who fed them and looked after them very well.

 

Checked birds this morning all three babies were out of nest (2 Yellowface and 1 x Blue) 1 was dead on floor was again attacked one had a little scab on its head. I was so angry, i looked at both adult birds and they both had blood on their faces, they were both in on it.

 

I again immediately moved babies out of the cage and into another one.

 

What do I do with this pair?? They are really nice birds but attack their babies.

 

Should I Sell them, should I try them with new partners, SHould I sell only 1 or do I try them again?

 

They are beautiful birds but I suppose hard decisions need to be made.

 

Any advice appreciated.

 

Thanks

It would seem that since this is obviously repeat behaviour, you have something to worry about.

Is the breeding happening in breeder cages ? How big is the cage ?

Sometimes this behaviour can happen more when the breeder cage is too small. Sometimes its when the chicks keep going back into the nest while the parents are trying for another round. Sometimes it begins with just one very needy chick begging from its mother at a time when she is hormonal again and trying for the next round of chicks.

If it were me...and I have had similar types of situations....I would not breed either of these two again. :fear

What Kaz has said is good advice, as I think it is always good not to breed from birds with problems. That being said if they are really special birds I would pair up a feeder at the same time & foster the eggs or young chicks, then when you breed with those young if you have the same problems I would forget about that line.

I also believe that chicks that have been attacked/pecked/plucked by their parents will then do the same to their own chicks when they mature and breed.

The solution to the parents attacking the chicks once they leave the nest is sometimes solved by putting a safe place for the chicks to go on the bottom of the breeding cage . I use an 8 x 4 piece of ply raised by putting 4 inch nails in each corner, this gives the chicks a place to go away from the parents and the parents feel less threatened by ïntruders"they feel may stop their next nest . This system works most of the time but if the parents are predisposed to attack chicks on the floor a close watch must be kept and the young removed at the first sign of any intolerance . Try the safe house it may solve your problem without the need to remove chicks from the parents too early , but if there is any doubt err on the safe side and remove the chicks.

 

Bubbles.

I don't beleive that to be the case at all **Liv**

It's not a trait genetically inherited... it's Nurture not nature... the actions of the birds are created by the birds themselves, if they wish to go down for another round and they see the babies are in the way of this happening they will attack... If they were in a large aviary on their own with a huge amount of space for the chicks to be away from the mother without interfering with the nesting box/mother i'm sure they would be fine... But the chicks will not turn out to be agressive breeders necessarily just because the parents were... That is in my experience of breeding birds which attack and their offspring

I also believe that chicks that have been attacked/pecked/plucked by their parents will then do the same to their own chicks when they mature and breed.

I have not found this to be true in breeding thousands of chicks with hundreds of hens. Its a situation bu situation thing and not an inherited condition.

Well good news the 2 Chicks survived the night and are eating.

 

The two adults are really great birds. Yes I have cage bred these birds, the cage is normal size. I have never had any problems before like this even 10 years ago when i was breeding.

 

If i decided to give the pair another clutch could I take out the mother once the birds are big enough and leave the dad in their to feed them.

 

As I said earlier both parents had the blood stains but would rather keep them.

One needs to be carefull with chicks leaving the nest. I have had occasions when the hen will attack but thankfully I have been there & immediatly remove the hen & let the cock bird raise the young.

I have recently been removing the nest box as soon as the youngest is covered in feathers. I find the Hen is less aggressive & even helps in the feeding of the chicks in the breeding cage.

Well good news the 2 Chicks survived the night and are eating.

 

The two adults are really great birds. Yes I have cage bred these birds, the cage is normal size. I have never had any problems before like this even 10 years ago when i was breeding.

 

If i decided to give the pair another clutch could I take out the mother once the birds are big enough and leave the dad in their to feed them.

 

As I said earlier both parents had the blood stains but would rather keep them.

I would rest the parents for a good while and make a decision once they are fresh and healthy again. It has been said in show breeding circles right now that a lot of birds are acting diferently this year. An anxiety to get chicks out of the way and the next round proceeded with. A lot of attacks happening due to this change. They are saying we have seasonal issues up ahead that is causing these kinds of changes and that the birds anticipate change of conditions ahead. Could be something in it. Who knows ?

Edited January 29, 200817 yr by KAZ