I have a male and a female budgie that had 3 little babies back in early November. This was their first ever batch of babies.

 

They were all so cute and although I wanted to keep them all I knew this was not possible I gave the youngest 2 away and kept the oldest.

 

Before giving the younger 2 away I weaned all 3 of them in a seperate cage next to their parents. (they were about 12 weeks old and the 2 youngest babies had become very destructive, getting dirty, noisy and swinging off each others tail feathers)

 

After taking the youngest 2 to the pet shop I put the oldest baby back in with mum and dad. I found him a few hours later with blood coming from the very top of his head. (enough to stain the feathers)

 

From then up until now his mother will having nothing to do with him and will chase him away if he gets to close to her, his father will let him hang around and sit next to him but you just know he would rather be kissing and talking to the wife.

 

Now I am not sure who is responsible for the pecking on the top of the head but it happens every month to 6 weeks. I come home to him being all bloodied up on the top of his head.

 

 

When he was a baby him and his dad was unseperable and did everything together, you could see he was the apple of his dads eye.

 

His dad is a beautiful bird that allows me to handle him (pick him up and stroke him) his mother will wriggle backwards on her belly to get away from me when I have to pick her up to put her back in her cage.

 

I have owned a few budgies in my time and time and I have never had a female that is as vicious as what she is. She bites and then she will continue to adjust her beak to get more preasure just like a vice. (the middle baby was a female also and from about 10 weeks of age used exactly the same method of biting)

 

Now my concern is for the young fella because he really has no friends in the world and it is affecting him. What should I do?

 

 

 

My thinking is that I will go and get him a friend of his own and put them in a seperate cage together for a week or so before adding them into the main cage, allowing them to bond.

Your Hen sounds completely normal - not vicious

I can not see why at 12 weeks old the parents would harm the baby at all. How big is your cage??? Can you take any pictures of your cage and birds?

 

I have had a baby pecked before, i find its normally done in the nest box or just after fledging, but stops after the baby is weaned. Normally done by a bird that had it done to them as a chick too.

Welcome... it's also done by a hen wanting to nest again, and she wants the little one out of the road!

Good luck with the hen. Just on getting the new budgie for your chick... thats fine but don't forget to quarantine it before putting your chick in the same cage...

Did you put them back into the cage that had the nest box? Mother might feel territorial. hate to say it, but if you did this, the fault is not the birds.

Welcome... it's also done by a hen wanting to nest again, and she wants the little one out of the road!

I agree with Maesie here. Is this the cage the parents bred in ? If so, the little fella is an intruder. Is there a nestbox in the cage ? Even if there isnt ...parents are seeing him as an intruder...after awhile parental bonds go out the window. Also it is a "hen-like" thing to do to attack head and lacerate.

Edited April 12, 200817 yr by KAZ

Thanks everyone for your help and quick replies.

 

It has only happened since they left the breeding cage.

 

The 3 of them spent 3 months in a cage that was 68 cm L x 42 cm W X 42 cm H. (this was the parents original home)

 

I bought them a new cage 3 weeks ago that is aprox 79 cm L x 46 cm W X 90 cm H

 

Will try and get a picture of the cage in real life and no there is not and never was a nest box in either cage. ( I have a seperate cage that lets you pull out the nest box and check on the babies while mum eats)

 

So would it be best to put the parents back into the smaller cage for a fortnight then put the new budgie in with the baby into the main big cage so they can bond, then put the parents back in?

 

Can 4 budiges get along in a cage that size?

 

Do the parents lose that parent baby bond? or is this a case of the female will just reject everyone but her mate?

 

Yeah maesie that may be the case. Dad was real randy around the time of the last attack, he gets this glazed over look in his eye and keeps trying to mount the hen (tryiing to pin her with his foot) and he won't shut up with this continual excited transfixed chatter. She just tries to push him off. Generally he is completely subservient to her and if she does not want to be touched and he gets a nip he backs off but when he gets that glazed look he is like a violent drunk that won't take no for an answer. (or may be it really is a case of "stop it I like it")There is no breeding box in the cage but I did puta nest looking thing that I bought from the pet shop about 6 weeks ago. The hen did everything to destroy this as quick as possible.

 

Thanks!

Edited April 12, 200817 yr by EarthAU

Thanks everyone for your help and quick replies.

 

It has only happened since they left the breeding cage.

 

The 3 of them spent 3 months in a cage that was 68 cm L x 42 cm W X 42 cm H. (this was the parents original home)

 

I bought them a new cage 3 weeks ago that is aprox 79 cm L x 46 cm W X 90 cm H

 

The same as this: http://cgi.ebay.com.au/30-AVIONE-Deluxe-Fl...1QQcmdZViewItem

 

Will try and get a picture of the cage in real life.

 

and no there is not and never was a nest box in either cage. ( I have a seperate cage that lets you pull out the nest box and check on the babies while mum eats)

 

 

 

So would it be best to put the parents back into the smaller cage for a fortnight then put the new budgie in with the baby into the main big cage so they can bond, then put the parents back in?

 

Can 4 budiges get along in a cage that size?

 

Do the parents lose that parent baby bond? or is this a case of the female will just reject everyone but her mate?

 

Thanks!

The cage link will not show up so I cannot comment on the cage.

In most cases YES the parents move on from their babies and lose the bond...especially as they are bonded to each other and may have future breeding in mind......also anything resembling a nest that makes them get that "twinkle in their eye" and think of breeding again.

Losing that bond is also why some parents will mate with their own offspring as they do not recognise that relationship. Hens are more inclined to want to get rid of their chicks...out of sight and mind...they done what they had to do and move on.

 

*** NOTE ALSO head wounds are very susceptible to infection and must be treated carefully.

Edited April 12, 200817 yr by KAZ