Hi everyone,

I brought a few birds the other day including a hen sitting on 2 babies the lady told me that one is 4 weeks and the other is 3 weeks when i got them home i put them in an aviary and the mother didnt want to go near them anymore and the dad was no where in sight so i pulled them out and i am hand rearing them she does go in and out but i dont think she is feeding them at all i was wondering if anyone had any extra information that they wanted to throw at me - i have read the hand rearing link but want to know more they are currently in a cage with the mother should i leave her in there? the mother doesnt seem to be eating much either?

Hi everyone,

I brought a few birds the other day including a hen sitting on 2 babies the lady told me that one is 4 weeks and the other is 3 weeks when i got them home i put them in an aviary and the mother didnt want to go near them anymore and the dad was no where in sight so i pulled them out and i am hand rearing them she does go in and out but i dont think she is feeding them at all i was wondering if anyone had any extra information that they wanted to throw at me - i have read the hand rearing link but want to know more they are currently in a cage with the mother should i leave her in there? the mother doesnt seem to be eating much either?

Bad time to be buying and moving a hen and babies. They should not have been disturbed until the chicks had fledged and been weaned. Stress times for the hen by moving her so she may get sick...watch her carefully. Hens should never be put straight in an aviary from the breeding cage or nestbox...they need rest and rejuvenation before aviary stresses. Why did they get sold at the stage they were at ? Its a bit the wrong thing to do

Edited March 20, 200817 yr by KAZ

Plus all new birds need to be quarantine from your existing flock for at least 30 days.

The lady who i brought them off wanted to get rid of them asap i only got them because they came with the breeding cabinets (i took your advice and im starting to breed in cabinets)and if i didnt take them someone was lined up to. i brought a few birds off her and did put them in a seperate avairy . I am hand feeding them at the moment but they hate it and they squawk and carry on so i dont get to feed them a great deal maybe 1 ml if im lucky.Is there any tricks are you supposed to hold their heads back a bit and just rest it on there beak and wait for them to open? i dont want to hurt them. They also have lice REALLY badly and i brought the spray which doesnt seem to be working i dont want to drench them otherwise they will get a chill is there any home remedies?

Sounds like you need to crop feed them - i dont know how to do it, but i am sure some one can help - Its best done by experienced people, and i know many members here who are experienced with it

Hopfully they can help.

Edited March 21, 200817 yr by **Liv**

Crop feeding comes in handy at times like this but its a skill best shown and not talked through. Anyone you know nearby that can teach you ??

Was there any reason why the birds could not be left in the breeding cage they were in with the parents ? Even moving the breeding cage ...babies parents and all would have been a better chance to take and may have kept it all going.

I am sorry you are having this hassle, but its expected when disturbing breeding birds and nests. If I was closer I would help you through...but distance is a killer

Crop feeding comes in handy at times like this but its a skill best shown and not talked through. Anyone you know nearby that can teach you ??

Was there any reason why the birds could not be left in the breeding cage they were in with the parents ? Even moving the breeding cage ...babies parents and all would have been a better chance to take and may have kept it all going.

I am sorry you are having this hassle, but its expected when disturbing breeding birds and nests. If I was closer I would help you through...but distance is a killer

 

 

I have been in contact with neat so i will ask her if she knows how to do it. the birds were in an aviary in a breeding box i brought the aviary off this lady as it is large and came with 4 breeding cabinets and when i got it to my house and put them back in the mother was confused and didnt go in and the other birds were very inquisitive so i thought it was best to bring them in, keep them together and keep an eye on them.I dont think she was feeding them properly as the lady said they are 4 weeks old but one has just its pin feather and the other has just started to get coloured so i think they are really undervelloped plus the amount of mites on them would that have slowed their growth also?What is the difference between crop feeding and normal feeding is that where you stick the food down their throat? i dont think i could do that-how much should they have per feed in mls?

I have been in contact with neat so i will ask her if she knows how to do it. the birds were in an aviary in a breeding box i brought the aviary off this lady as it is large and came with 4 breeding cabinets and when i got it to my house and put them back in the mother was confused and didnt go in and the other birds were very inquisitive so i thought it was best to bring them in, keep them together and keep an eye on them.I dont think she was feeding them properly as the lady said they are 4 weeks old but one has just its pin feather and the other has just started to get coloured so i think they are really undervelloped plus the amount of mites on them would that have slowed their growth also?What is the difference between crop feeding and normal feeding is that where you stick the food down their throat? i dont think i could do that-how much should they have per feed in mls?

 

Crop feeding is with a syringe that has a tube shaped needle on the end ( blunt end )....It is inserted into the budgies beak and down its throat....not an easy thing to describe but easier shown. In feeding this way you can pump the full feed straight into their crop and they are done and no chance they will breathe it down their lungs...unless you push the crop needle down the wrong hole and into its lungs.

Sounds like the lady with the birds didnt know too much, so the ages of the babies may be wrong, and they vary in ages in the nest as they all hatch every two days if all eggs are fertile...more gaps between if some eggs arent fertile.

Is it possible the lady has got confused and mistaken the "mother" bird for another and it isnt actually the mother of these chicks at all ?

 

 

Crop feeding info

 

http://www.birdhealth.com.au/bird/er/erformula.html

 

http://www.vetafarm.com.au/articlescropdos.asp

 

 

another good article for you on feeding babies

 

http://www.southcom.com.au/~birdkeepers/prepared.html

Edited March 21, 200817 yr by KAZ

Is it possible the lady has got confused and mistaken the "mother" bird for another and it isnt actually the mother of these chicks at all ?

 

Ohhh.. Thats horrible

I hope they are going to be okay.

Good luck with Neat :hap:

It is deffinantly her babies we locked her in the box with them for transport she would not leave them i dont think the lady new anything about birds and i dont think she checked on them very regularly either due to their poor condition i hope these babies survive they are so gorgeous they are blue and i think maybe grey aswell very cute any ideas with the mites? i am covered in bites from hand feeding them!!

millet spray in the nest box could help. the babies like to pick at it and will often start eating on their own before they leave the nest

 

Oh and if the babies are bitters then i would say you are right in the lady not checking on them.

Babies that are handled daily normally dont bite as chicks and if they do its not hard.

Edited March 21, 200817 yr by **Liv**

Hey all ..... I am speaking to a few experienced breeders who have crop fed as I haven't yet .... I will also speak to me avian vet tomorrow to re: the invetricm ( Lice stuff) .... Fingers crossed we can do this together

FYI .......

 

Going to treat and foster with my breeders ...

All birds will have to be treated as theyare all in an aviary ( breeders 3 pairs) going to split the chicks finger crossed Mummy's accept them!!!!

Neat your a saint :hap: The chicks sound younger than the breeder has said. If you keep the Parents together in the breeding cage with the chicks and start crop feeding the chicks could get strong enough to demand food from the Parents.

 

It is common to put an old cock in the nursery to help younger chicks get a start. Budgerigars have a tendency to help each other. I have seen older chicks feed younger chicks.

 

All the best.

Neat your a saint :hap: The chicks sound younger than the breeder has said. If you keep the Parents together in the breeding cage with the chicks and start crop feeding the chicks could get strong enough to demand food from the Parents.

 

It is common to put an old cock in the nursery to help younger chicks get a start. Budgerigars have a tendency to help each other. I have seen older chicks feed younger chicks.

 

All the best.

I am charging Batteries for the camera to take pics and post .... Avain Vet booked in for 1pm ..... Missy should be here in 1/2 an hour with the bubs we will get thru this ..... Saint? Well I may seem tough but I have a very soft middle (Laughing out loud) .... Fingers crossed we can do what we can ..... I have a EXTREMLY GOOD AVIAN VET 5 mins from me ( Very Lucky) ....

 

Will update later this arvo

Moderator’s Message to user

Any time you decide to take birds that are mistreated you must make sure that you are prepared yourself to help. It's a bad feeling seeing birds mistreated and you want to help but think about your abilities first.

Neat I am sure you will do well.

Any time you receive birds in this condition think

Worms
Cocidiosis
Megbacteria (AGY)
Malnutrition.

okay Guys .... I am unable to foster these chicks due to the health risk involved for my own breeders .... The Vet trip was very informative ... Crop Feeding wasn't required only spoon feeding.... Ivermic was given to treat Mites, Lice and Scaley face on Birds and Cooplex for the Nestboxes and Cabinets that were recieved ... All in all Missy will Have a great bonding Time with the 2 little bubs .... As she has been hand feeding for 2 days Both the Vet and I adv her that it will get better to keep at it .... I will be checking in on Tuesday .....

Edited March 22, 200817 yr by Daz

Good news thus far! I hope it continues to go well. :budgiedance:

Great news- The bubs fed really well today and the little one had a huge crop im so excited he turned blue in one day he was grey yesterday and now he has a blue belly they seem to be doing well and have a very close bond together its very cute i have got them out of there box and have destroyed all 6 of the boxes they had a huge infestation that i had not seen sooo gross!!!!! there seems to be less on them already its great! Neat helped me out heaps shes a trooper-she sat with me for 1 hour in the vet! Thanks everyone for your positive input i wil keep everyone up to date and will put some photos on when they are fully coloured im guessing they will be cobalt blue?-

Great news- The bubs fed really well today and the little one had a huge crop im so excited he turned blue in one day he was grey yesterday and now he has a blue belly they seem to be doing well and have a very close bond together its very cute i have got them out of there box and have destroyed all 6 of the boxes they had a huge infestation that i had not seen sooo gross!!!!! there seems to be less on them already its great! Neat helped me out heaps shes a trooper-she sat with me for 1 hour in the vet! Thanks everyone for your positive input i wil keep everyone up to date and will put some photos on when they are fully coloured im guessing they will be cobalt blue?-

Very good news I am so glad your handfeeding is going well now...Big pats on the back

You are doing a fantastic job, Keep up the good work and remember nothing is too hard!!!! I am sooo proud HEHEHEHE