Hi Guys

Its been a while since i have been on here.I also posted in the MBC forum.At what age do we take our babies away from their parents? after weaning of course but how long after? and what about the parents do they go into the aviary with the other birds or in to a separate cage?.I would be interested in what you guy's do.I usually put the babies and the parents into an aviary at the same time at about 10 weeks.

I have a kindie cage for the babies in the breeding room ....they stay there until they are ready...some babies go into the aviary at 9-10 weeks if doing very well. Some stay until they are past their first moult. I judge each bird on an individual basis.

Parents who have just finished breeding stay for awhile until they have rebuilt their strength from breeding and have fattened up a bit. Then they go into the aviary.

I also have a kindie cage and bubs will stay there till I see them flying around and looking strong. If one has had a challenged start to life I will wait till it's passed its first moult.

 

I am a bit hesitant about leaving fledged chicks (ie 31/2-4weeks old) in the breeding cabinet when parents are going down for another round 'cause I lost 3 chicks to scalping last year .... and YES they were wonderful looking chicks as well.

 

So I will give the chicks lots of millet in the nest box and within 3-5 days of emerging from it I will pop them into the kindie cage AND if necessary I will crop feed them for a few days but most of the time older chicks will feed the newbies.

 

I should add that I keep the young uns separate from adults in their own separate aviary till they reach the 6 month mark.

Edited February 26, 200916 yr by renee

I also have a kindy cage. I give millet in the nest and i move babies out of the cabinet as soon as they are eating well on their own (4-5 weeks). I have had to crop feed a few who stop eating, but otherwise it works well and helps prevent the aggression that can come from a hen wanting to start a second round. Second round babies stay with the parents a bit longer, i remove the box around 4 weeks instead, and remove the babies at about 5-6 weeks.

At 42 days old my babies go into a large cage by themselves. They stay in their till they look ready or reach their first moult.