Could someone please tell me if a cock bird can successfullly raise 2 chicks alone?

 

This is my problem, my hen was sitting on 5 eggs, (2 fertile and 3 clear) The first hatched last Thursday and on Saturday morning I found the hen dead on the cage floor, she had been fine not shown any signs of illness? The cock has been feeding the chick by himself and yesterday the other one hatched and he is trying to feed both of them. I can see some food in their crops but they aren't over full.

 

I had put down 4 breeding pairs but this was the only pair that had any eggs so I can't foster them to another hen.

I am so sorry for your loss :hap:

 

On a brighter note, A male can raise his chicks on his own. Especially that there is only two. Just make sure he has plenty of fresh food and water at all times (babies need to be fed at night too)

 

I would go to your pet store and purchase some hand raring mix too, just to be on the safe side in case your male starts to struggle on his own.

 

Do you have any pictures???

 

All the best =D

Hi Denise,

 

I have never had a cock raise chicks so young. Best of luck with it.

You dont have any choices here but to hope and pray that the Dad raises the chicks then. Unless you have someone with chicks in a nest and you can take these ones over and foster them to another pair raising chicks. You will have to watch constantly and maybe top up any chicks with little or no food until they can scream loudly to be fed and Dad does all the right things. Obviously Dad wont sit on the eggs so you may not have any more hatchings...time will tell.

Also a hen sits with the babies until athe two to three week stage...is Dad sitting in the nest at night ?

Best of luck and keep us up to date :hap:

 

 

This is one of the hardest things about breeding when there are no other birds breeding at the same stage for emergency transfer to a foster nest. Often times the worst case scenario happens and things go "pear shaped" very quickly. Here's hoping your cock bird is up to the task. I would also be doing a phone around to see what foster parents you may be able to make use of in someone else's aviary.

Edited February 18, 200817 yr by KAZ

A cock bird like other have said CAN raise chicks, however ones so young would be a concern because they don't regulate their own body temperatures yet, so unless he's sitting tight on the chicks (which they don't usually) they may become chilled and die....

As others have suggested the best thing to do it to call around and find a friend/someone close by with pairs to foster them to.

Hand raising them yourself is an option, but for chicks so young and with no experience in the matter it can be a very hard thing to do... You have to be able to provide them with the warmth/nutrients they require 24/7 which is a HUGE job....

I hope your cock will do a good job for you, or that you find a foster

Good luck :hap:

Also a hen sits with the babies until athe two to three week stage...is Dad sitting in the nest at night ?

Best of luck and keep us up to date :sad:

 

 

Thanks for all your responses. So far the Dad is doing an excellent job of raising the 2 chicks, he stays in the nest with them most of the day only leaving for food. The older chick seems to be doing better than the youngest one but so far so good.

 

My other question is the youngest chick is going to have red eyes. The hen was a violet opaline cinnamon wing and the cock is a grey green opaline. Does this mean that the cock is split for an ino?

Also a hen sits with the babies until athe two to three week stage...is Dad sitting in the nest at night ?

Best of luck and keep us up to date

 

 

Thanks for all your responses. So far the Dad is doing an excellent job of raising the 2 chicks, he stays in the nest with them most of the day only leaving for food. The older chick seems to be doing better than the youngest one but so far so good.

 

My other question is the youngest chick is going to have red eyes. The hen was a violet opaline cinnamon wing and the cock is a grey green opaline. Does this mean that the cock is split for an ino?

Cinnamon chicks can be hatched out with plum coloured eyes which darken over a few days. Red eyes are ino. Does it look bright scarlet light red or plum colour ?

Is the Hen Cinnamon wing or could it be lacewing

Just an update on the chicks.

Unfortunately the youngest died, the cock kept pushing it out of the nest.

The oldest one is 19 days old but seems very small, has just opened it's eyes in the last few days and only has the fluff feathers. Sometimes it's crop seems so full it looks like it is going to burst. Not sure if it's okay or something wrong with it being so small.

 

 

 

I don't know what's going on with photobucket I have kept reducing the size of these photos, went down to 160 x 120 and they're still coming out to big on here?? sorry.

Photo's are fine and your chick looks very well fed! are you sure it's 19 days old? seems younger ?

Yes it's 19 days, it hatched on Valentine's Day. As I said it seems very small for it's age, didn't seem to grow much at all for the first week and it seems to be doing much better in the last maybe 4 days.

I'm sorry to hear about your youngest. . The older one has a very big crop! Hopefully all will be okay for him/her. Below is a picture of my 18day old chick (from a few years ago) She's the one on top.

 

 

Maybe yours needs some human intervention (if you haven't already?)

So sorry about the chick who didnt make it

 

 

 

14 day old chick is covered in pin feathers etc....

 

 

 

Your chick dose seem under developed for a 19 day old chick... The crop also seems rather large to me too... dad might be over feeding??????? I hope you can get some advice from the others

 

Your photo size issue was simply your computers cache playing tricks with you... your pictures turned out lovely

Edited August 15, 200816 yr by **Liv**

Try checking the crop contents ( feeling with your fingers) to see how solid it is... it may require some liquid added to soften the food and ease the digestion process...

Try checking the crop contents ( feeling with your fingers) to see how solid it is... it may require some liquid added to soften the food and ease the digestion process...

 

 

The crop is soft, it was only half that size this morning but will probably be that big again tonight?

Does it feel really... "grainy" i guess you'd word it as?

Is the dad getting soft food at all Denise to help it feed the chicks with a wetter and softer mixture. Some Dads just go around frantiucally eating up seed and deposit that straight into chicks that require a softer mixture.

Does it feel really... "grainy" i guess you'd word it as?

 

No it feels smooth not grainy

 

 

Is the dad getting soft food at all Denise to help it feed the chicks with a wetter and softer mixture. Some Dads just go around frantiucally eating up seed and deposit that straight into chicks that require a softer mixture.

 

Yes I give him a mix of boiled egg, grated carrot and silverbeet. Also soaked seed every second day.

Is the dad getting soft food at all Denise to help it feed the chicks with a wetter and softer mixture. Some Dads just go around frantiucally eating up seed and deposit that straight into chicks that require a softer mixture.

 

Yes I give him a mix of boiled egg, grated carrot and silverbeet. Also soaked seed every second day.

 

Good stuff

that's good enough for me sounds Soft as anything!

I think the fact that the chick is undeveloped for it’s age is because when it was young it didn’t get enough warmth, probably especially at nights, as others have said mostly cocks won sit with the chick at night. I think it’s amazing that it survived as it has; if the weather had been colder I think you would have had no chance. It may be affected by its conditions & may never be completely normal, but at this stage it should be able to survive if it’s made it this far…good luck.

Wow

 

I am new to budgies and this is an amazing story. I am so sorry the mother died.

 

I am thinking you should call the baby "Valentine"

 

Michelle

Wow

 

I am new to budgies and this is an amazing story. I am so sorry the mother died.

 

I am thinking you should call the baby "Valentine"

 

Michelle

 

 

Thanks Michelle, she was my favourite budgie - very special as my boys gave her to me for Mothers Day last year. We have already named the little chick Valentine, I call it my funny little valentine.

when do the chiicks eyes open?

Around 8 days generally gaura.