Hi. I'm a new member today and have a problem. I have an experieced pair, (produced 8 chicks last year). But with this years first clutch of 3 chicks (oldest being 4 weeks old) the parents have started to pull out the chicks feathers, and have actually killed the eldest and mutilated it. we have removed the other 2 and put them with a foster mother which has 2 chicks about the same age. My questions are

1 Does anyone know why they should start doing this?

2 Have we done the right thing by moving the chicks (they seem okay at the moment)? :glare: thanks

yes you have done the right thing as for why possibly want to start to breed to soon and where attempting to remove the chicks as they were good parents try them again ensuring that you have foster parents ready to take any chicks if it happens again and if it does then i wouldnt breed them again as they can get in the habbit of doing this

Bet that was hard a baby just ready to leave the nest and fly into the world and the parents go nuts. Hath has answered as I was going to, but since he has taught me a lot about breeding that's no suprise to me (just the fact that I remembered the right answer, (Laughing out loud))

Bet that was hard a baby just ready to leave the nest and fly into the world and the parents go nuts.  Hath has answered as I was going to, but since he has taught me a lot about breeding that's no suprise to me (just the fact that I remembered the right answer, (Laughing out loud))

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

yes it was very. the chicks seem settled with their foster mum just hope she can cope with 4 she's only had 2 chicks at a time before.

thanks

If you think she is a good and relaxed mum she should cope. I nearlly had the same thing but my hen didn't kill any of her young she just plucked the down first then the feathers so I removed the young and fostered them out as well and there all fine, but I am not sure if I am going to breed her again.

 

I agree with Hath about making sure that you have a hen ready to be a foster mum.

 

good luck

Hi, there. I'm new to this board, but I guess you can say I'm a novice breeder. I don't know much, but from my knowledge, feather plucking is a completely separate thing from chick attacks. I've asked my avian vet, other fellow breeders, authors, etc. and nobody knows for sure why parents suddenly attack their chicks. I've gotten answers from nutritional deficiency (VERY unlikely) to boredom to too much human interferance (i.e. checking on the nest box too much). Most people tend to agree with the latter. I tend to agree as well, because my *fabulous* hen took amazing care of her first clutch. She has very strong maternal instincts and so I let her be. The second clutch, I took the wrong advice and interfered too much. She killed all nine chicks. No chicks survived and the blood was on my hands (<---metaphor).

 

Feather plucking, however, is completely different. Once again, nobody knows for sure why the parents pluck their young, but nutritional deficiency seems to be the most likely answer. From about 20-24 days, the parent (cock or hen) starts to pluck the chicks feathers, beginning at the back of the head or neck and working its way down to the base of the tail. It will not pluck out flight feathers, but does pluck breast feathers in extreme cases. Unless you are exhibiting your English budgies, this should not pose a problem because this habitual mutilation is gone once the chicks leave the nest. Thankfully, there are sprays that deter this habit, so all is not lost. Terribly sorry about your loss...

i believe that feather plucking is bordem if you put some millet or a piece of soft wood in the box for the hen to chew this often stops the problem

Feather plucking, however, is completely different. Once again, nobody knows for sure why the parents pluck their young, but nutritional deficiency seems to be the most likely answer.

 

There is a school of thought that says mild plucking on back at 6-8 weeks is to get the chicks to leave the nest so parents can use it again. They have re-cycled and are ready to go again.

 

However what I am proposing is quite different from out and out patricide as reported here.

thanks for your help. the chicks are doing great with their foster mom,we havnt decided wether to try them again yet. but if we do i think we'l make sure we have a foster available (just in case) :mellow: