hi everybody,

I'm sure you've heard this so many times, but I'm at a loss of what to do.

Firstly, a bit about me, I've got many many animals, lots of birds, Budgies, cockatiel, peachface, canaries, doves, quails, cockatoo, galah, lorikeet & finches.

 

I have four budgies, two females and two males. They started to pair up so we decided to put in two nesting boxes. One of the females laid some eggs, approx about 6 weeks ago, she had four babies, some died while quite small, and one got quite big, and had spikey feathers, but it died as well. She now has four babies, one has small spikey feathers, the other looks a little younger, and the other two are quite small. I found the fifth one dead today, it was very small.

We used to have breeding budgies in our aviary, so we thought it would be quite nice to have some babies, but it's turned out to be heartbreaking. With one baby already passing away, i'm scared of the fate of the others. I have finished uni for the year, and with only exams to study for, i'm wondering if it would be better for the babies to be taken from the nest so i can raise them?

I understand that this can be quite time consuming, but i would do anything to assist these babies.

 

Just wondering if anyone has any ideas on what I should do, I'm worried about the other babies, and not sure what would be best for them, kind regards, Jen.

Edited November 7, 200816 yr by Neat

If you are colony breeding it could be the other female who is attacking your babies and killing them. Add another 2 nest boxes because you need 2 nest box for each hen.

Do you see the other hen going in and out of the nest box?

Do you have just budgies in the aviary or are your peachfaces in their as well?

What do the babies look like when you find them dead? White? Are they bleeding?

 

If all the different species are in the same aviary it could be the peachfaces hurting your babies because peachface and budgie should not be mixed.

Edited November 7, 200816 yr by Neat

Hi and WELCOME! There are many people here who will offer you fantastic advice.

Mods correct me if I am wrong:

I believe people will tell you that its better to let the adults raise the children if possible. In order to determine if its safe for them to stay with the folks, we need to find out why they may be dying. Could you get us pictures of the aviary etc and tell us what you do for them every day.

Dont spare the details.

Edited November 7, 200816 yr by Neat

hi guys,

wow talk about quick service!!

 

The budgies have their own cage, no peachfaces in there

The babies that had past away just looked like they were sleeping, no peck marks or anything, they had previously been very vocal, and appeared quite *active* but they then passed away.

The other mother does not enter the nest, they seem to have divide the cage up themselves with an invisible barrier, and stay on their own sides! The father sits on the entry to the nest box and feeds the mum. The mum is in the nest box most of the time and rarely leaves.

I will go take a photo of the cage and post it :party0011:

Hi

 

Once you post a picture of your setup we will have more idea of what could be the problem. Are both nest boxes the same height? Same size? If the hen with babies has the best nest box and the other hen wants to lay, she could kill the babies and empty the nest for herself. This happens alot in colony breeding, it happened to me quite a few times.

How often do you change their food and water?

What do you feed them (include brand names)?

 

Do you worm them? Do you mite and lice them?

Do rodents have access to the avairy?

Edited November 7, 200816 yr by jwancia

 

this is the cage, I don't think it's the other female, as she spends all her time in the nest and does not go into the other side of the cage.

 

They get fresh food and water everyday, Trill is the normal brand, they also get cuttlefish.

I have not wormed them or treated for lice, they are in a enclosed verandah, with no mice.

Hi Jen and welcome. I'm sorry it's under these circumstances. Breeding does have its downfalls. It is kind of like finding a needle in a hay stack at this point... but hopefully with some photo and more information... we can find some answers. Although it's hard to know... I'll give a few suggestions/ideas...

 

* Make sure they have access to a fresh daily serving of veggies and hardboiled egg- all blended up small. It takes a lot to breed budgies and feed all of those hungry mouths... maybe they are going hungry and starving? Also... do you know if the parents have raised babies before? Some mothers just have no idea how to do it... maybe she doesn't know she has to feed them all!?!?

 

* Even though you say the other pair doesn't go into the nest box, can you be 100% sure??? You could move the pair that are NOT breeding into another cage, just until Mum and Dad finishes raising the babies... NEVER move a breeding pair and their babies.

 

(Just saw the photo of your cage... I personally wouldn't keep both pairs in there while one is breeding. The size is fine for four budgies.... but not while breeding. I'd try and do what I suggested above)

 

Good luck and please let us know how you go... we'll try to help you and your babies out. maesie xo

Edited November 7, 200816 yr by maesie

Do you feed vegetables and soft food? Their is not much room in the cage for 4 breeding budgies but I could be wrong. Are all budgies over 1 year old? That cage would be more suitable for one breeding pair, you could move thepair who are not breeding so the other pair can get on with it. Do you know that the babies were being fed properly? did you check their crops?

Edited November 7, 200816 yr by pearce

I was orginally thinking a bacterial infection of some sort... But im stumped. Do they get fruits and vegies? Any supplements? What do you use on the bottom of the cage? Does anyone smoke outside?Diet may be an issue if all you are feeding them is trill. "Supermarket" brand seed is usually very poor quality.Pass. LolIm sure the mods will be able to help you.

 

(the only problem with so many people here to help is we all post at the same time and end up repeating things... or looking like an idiot )

Edited November 7, 200816 yr by jwancia

You have been given some good advice and help already.

I would like to ask if you had both the parents for awhile before breeding them ?

Or did you buy any new ones to put in there to breed with just before you began breeding ?

Did you check the chicks twice daily to check that they had food in their crops while there were chicks in the nestboxes ?

And as Pearce asked...are they over 12 months of age but under 4 yrs ?

This article may helps you http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/faqs/i...&artlang=en

Edited November 7, 200816 yr by KAZ

Trill is one of the brands, but mostly my parents buy bulk bags from the bird shop.

They regularly get thistle and bits of apple, i will definately give them so mashed up egg

 

My brother and i smoke on the balcony, but it is a large balcony with shadecloth around the sides, so i wasn't sure if this could effect the babies? I will stop smoking there if this is the case.

 

Is there anyway to view all the replies at the same time? so as to not have to click on each individual one?

To fix the post problem im sure you can go to the top of this thread and click on the options tab underneath the add reply button. Then somthing will pop up and go down to where it says display modes: then click switch to standard. It would be best if you did not smoke near the birds but I'm not 100% sure it does harm to them, keep in mind budgies are very small so their lungs are also very small. Trill is one of the best supermarket brands you can get so you can keep using that if you want.

Edited November 7, 200816 yr by pearce

Thanks for everyone for all the help

 

The babies crops are very full, she is a very attentive mother, and feeds them *constantly*. I'm not sure if i'll be able to take the other two budgies out of the cage, as I said, we've got so many birds, so i'm not exactly sure where i can put them!!

 

Do you guys think i should hand raise them? It seems such a shame for them to just pass away :happy-dancing:

You have been given some good advice and help already.

I would like to ask if you had both the parents for awhile before breeding them ?

Or did you buy any new ones to put in there to breed with just before you began breeding ?

Did you check the chicks twice daily to check that they had food in their crops while there were chicks in the nestboxes ?

And as Pearce asked...are they over 12 months of age but under 4 yrs ?

This article may helps you http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/faqs/i...&artlang=en

You missed a couple of my questions :happy-dancing:

Oh I also wanted to mention that we've had the budgies for over a year, they were young when we got them, so maybe about two years old.

Oh I also wanted to mention that we've had the budgies for over a year, they were young when we got them, so maybe about two years old.

They seem to be carrying an illness for them to be dying like that. To be sure a vet could run tests. If carrying an illness then pulling them out to handfeed will probably still result in a loss or two. You need answers and it seems it would have to be a sickness of some kind....or as Pearce said maybe the cigarette smoke ?

 

How positive are you that mice cannot get into the cage or go through their food or water ?

Edited November 7, 200816 yr by KAZ

Oh I also wanted to mention that we've had the budgies for over a year, they were young when we got them, so maybe about two years old.

They seem to be carrying an illness for them to be dying like that. To be sure a vet could run tests. If carrying an illness then pulling them out to handfeed will probably still result in a loss or two. You need answers and it seems it would have to be a sickness of some kind....or as Pearce said maybe the cigarette smoke ?

 

How positive are you that mice cannot get into the cage or go through their food or water ?

 

Run tests on the babies or the parents?

 

I'm 100% sure that mice cannot get to them, it's an enclosed verandah, and i have three cats,and three terriers, so they'd definately let me know if there was something to chase ;P

you are being given great advice already so i'd just like to add an idea on separating the pairs.

 

Divide your cage in two (one on top of the other) by adding a solid floor half way down the cage. You cage already has 6 doors so it wouldn't cause any issues, leave the breeders in the top and put the other two in the bottom half. :happy-dancing:

You may have to wait until between breeding to change the cage though

Solipsist - Hey & Welcome -

 

I have sent you a PM :happy-dancing:

 

Hi everybody!

 

I have good news! The babies are doing very well. The little one, I will call him "Pi" (after Piscine Patel, a story about a man that lives in a boat with a tiger! they support eachother, and help eachother live, so I think it fits )

 

I checked on Pi this morning, still alive! I chickened out (pardon the pun!) on putting him in a separate place, so I decided to leave him in the nest, and take him out to feed him, hoping that when he gets stronger he will start telling his mum he wants some tucker!

 

I think this was a good plan, today I went to the bird shop and bought some passwells rearing mix, and some 'Ornithon' vitamin and mineral mix. I sprinkled some on some spinach, and mum gobbled it up like it was going out of style!

I set myself up to give Pi his first passwell's feed, I put mum on poo patrol, and she cleaned the others feet and checked beaks while I fed Pi.

Surprise!! He had spinach in his crop!! I almost cried and did a little dance. The first time I took him out he was lifeless, but everytime i take him out, he squaks a little louder, and does his little wobble head dance and wanders around my hand.

 

I have no way convinced myself that he will make it, but I have hope, and I think that counts for a lot. This may sound silly, but my fish, Mr Tickles got sick once, floating upside down, almost dead, I took him out and told him "I will look after you, you will feel better, I will try for you, we can do this together". It was like a little spiritual connection, and he made it. I talk to baby Pi in the same way, "I will try for you".

 

So, now the moment you have all been waiting for....the photos!!

 

This is Pi, my dear little friend

 

These are the babies in the "holding pen" while my mum is on poo patrol

 

Got cuteness?

 

This is one of the larger babies. Is this crop too big? It looks massive to me

 

I also just wanted to send a shout out to "Neat" she has helped me so much, messaged me til 11p.m last night! and was very patient with all my questions, cannot thank Neat and all of you enough.

Edited November 10, 200816 yr by Solipsist

You are more then welcome mate ... Anytime

 

Pi looks like there is a little cut on his head? Is that new?

Crop looks good ... YAY that mum is feeding him WHOOO HOOOOO

That older baby looks like a GUTS that is massive crop :hap: well fed chick. Are the others

full like that one too?

 

I am not 100% sure with feeding the parent Multi Vits? I think if I remember correctly ( at times that can be rather hard :yes:)

 

Congrats on the effort mate! It's hard sometimes with heartache and tears but once they are feathered up and flying around it make it all wroth while ... Ejoy mate ...

 

**** Question for the others to answer ..... Giving feeding parents Multi Vitiams is that okay or not ... I am going with not as they can OD the chicks on the intact? But I am not one to answer that one...

You are more then welcome mate ... Anytime

 

Pi looks like there is a little cut on his head? Is that new?

Crop looks good ... YAY :hap: that mum is feeding him WHOOO HOOOOO

That older baby looks like a GUTS that is massive crop :hap: well fed chick. Are the others

full like that one too?

 

I am not 100% sure with feeding the parent Multi Vits? I think if I remember correctly ( at times that can be rather hard )

 

Congrats on the effort mate! It's hard sometimes with heartache and tears but once they are feathered up and flying around it make it all wroth while ... Ejoy mate ...

 

**** Question for the others to answer ..... Giving feeding parents Multi Vitiams is that okay or not ... I am going with not as they can OD the chicks on the intact? But I am not one to answer that one...

 

Hi Neat!

I'm glad to say that's not a cut....it's poop! i've sinced cleaned him up, looks much more handsome now!!

 

Hmmmm, damn I thought someone suggested vitamins for the adults because of the death of the previous babies, hmmm I'll stop doing that til some replies.

What else do you give the parents for extra food? I've given them spinach and carrot, there's some thistle in the backyard as well.

They gobble it up, but just not sure if there is a limit on how much is enough?

Are they like labrodors, and just keep eating and eating? :feedbirds:

 

I just gave him his elevan a.m feed, I feel really mean as I didn't wake up earlier (i'm on medication that makes it hard to wake up). But his crop had a little bit of food in it, so I hope that's from her!!

 

Yeah, they certainly are guts' !!! The others are well fed, I think Pi is just a little to quiet to join the party, but he's getting stronger everyday