Hi everyone,

 

I adopted 2 birds from a not so great home. To cut a long long story short .... she had an egg when i got her, which i took from her, but she continued laying on the quarantine cage floor. On advice from another breeder, i put a nesting box in and we now have 4 chicks, with one egg to go and another egg she kicked out this morning. The eldest chick hatched on 8th April and the youngest today (wow what a size difference between those 2!).

 

Anyway, my problem is that i cant get into the nest box to check/clean the chicks feet. I tap on the box and speak to her while i try to pick one up and she attacks me. I feed the parents and wait until she comes in to eat and quietly go to the nest box while she is eating. As soon as she hears the box open she goes straight back in and attacks me! this has never happened to me before, but i think its probably because my other hens all know me and are somewhat tame (they will fly onto me in the aviary and i can hand feed them) whereas to this one i am still a stranger.

 

I would really love some advice about what to do. Should i leave them be, wear some sort of glove so her attacking me doesnt hurt so much, block the entrance so she cant get in or something completely different. I really really want to clean the nest box and the chicks feet, but dont want to do anything that will make her reject them.

 

Thanks for the help in advance

I would, in this case, put on a pair of cotton gloves ( gardening kind )....put your hand in the nestbox palm facing down and back of hand uppermost....put your hand that way under the hen and lift her on the back of your hand. Maybe she will get out at that point and maybe not. If she doesnt...pick her up and put her out with your spare hand. Block the entry hole with anything that will do the job while you tend to the chicks. Daily checking.... TWICE daily is ESSENTIAL once chicks arrive,,,and fear of a hens beak should not deter you. Not tending to or checking babies will allow problems to accellerate........problems such as splayed legs not treated in time, poopy feet that become crippled by not cleaning them, dead chicks that arent removed and will contaminate the nest etc etc.

 

Here is an article of Care of Baby Budgies in the Nest

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

 

Good luck.

Edited April 18, 200817 yr by KAZ

That was a great article Kaz, thank you for posting that for me.

 

This afternoon I had success - it was kinda like a military operation with hubby and me both there! I fed them then hid and hubby stood there, when she came out i guess she thought he was the person feeding them and ate happily away. I snuck back around the corner and although the noise of the nest box opening made her look, she then looked straight at hubby and went back to feeding!!! So i have cleaned their feet - which really didnt need cleaning surprisingly, all the other chicks i have had have been grubby critters! I really want to do the nest box, but i think i will tackle that one tomorrow after our success today. I have 2 nest boxes per breeding cabinet, so rather than take the chicks, clean the box and replace them, i always have the second box ready to go - take the chicks, clean/check them, put them straight back (well okay not straight back - cuddles come first) and then clean the 1st nesting box properly ready for the next day. I worry about having them out for too long in case the hen stresses and have found my nerves and theirs are better this way.

 

I took a couple of pics - though not very good (i was in a rush!)

he/she is the eldest and seems to be getting dark colours coming through

and the second eldest:

who seems more like dad from the yellow

 

I have checked and re-checked their legs and feet - and they are fine - the photo was more me putting them down and clicking - they just didnt get a chance to pose properly!

 

thanks so much Kaz for the information - you are a wonder!

Edited April 18, 200817 yr by Kim6116

Great job !!

Don't forget though, be extremly careful when harassing a hen who is breeding. Although she may seem to be attacking you it can easily be switched towards the chicks if they get in the way of her attacking you. I lost one of my favourite, most desired chicks from an aggrivated hen who took off the back of it's head, trying to get at me when i was checking the nest. Ever since then i'm over careful about how and when we check nest boxes.