hey i have two 3 week old chicks and i have noticed that their wings are red. The red is almost like a dried up blood, and i have noticed the mother has blood on her. Is that from her attacking then or trying to clean them.

 

Hey Fero,

mothers tend to attack young when they want to lay again, just try peak and watch inside the nest box with her in it and see if see is attacking them bad, thats what I do.

Can you foster the chicks to another nest??

Let other pro's here comment BETTER!!

I think, someone correct me if I am wrong, but it can be due to dehydration? Or is that only in younger chicks? Otherwise, it looks like she may be plucking the wings. This can reatrd feather growth, so watch out. The chicks legs also look to be caked with poop. Try dampening it with a wet cloth and picking it off gently.

 

Around this stage the dad should be taking over most of the feeding, so it would be safe to remove the hen and let the dad do his job. When you remove her, just make sure the chicks are getting fed by dad (full crops).

Mum is plucking them and they arent 3 weeks old either

 

The caked on poop is something you should have been addressing with twice daily nestchecks.

Edited August 17, 201113 yr by **KAZ**

I agree with Kaz and they really don't look like they are 3 weeks either. Your nest must be wet to have that much build up on their legs, to much soaked seed can course wet nest and so can Enteritis. Is the nest smelly?

Clean the legs and give the chicks a rub of Medicated Olive oil. If you haven't got any mix a few drops of Detol into some baby oil and rub it lightly over them.

 

The hen won't like the taste and the detol and oil will sooth the chick.

 

The hen will pluck the chicks for many reasons. Some are not intending to hurt the chick. Some say she does it because she is either playful or board.

 

 

If a hen is in the habit of nibbling on her chick in the nestbox, I provide millet sprays in the nestbox and a block of safe wood to chew. If she gets to the point of severe enough to draw blood I look for another nest to foster chicks to.

Ooooh Daz! I like your tip there, never even thought of it before but seems so obvious. I'll be trying that with any stupid feather plucking hen this season.

 

Millet sprays help but not always and with really stubborn feather pluckers I've resorted to moving chicks and culling the hen. I have a family of clearwings that feather pluck like B*stards!

thx guys on the advice, and straight after the picture i cleaned all the poop of them, the reason for it being like that is cause i dont like to handle the chicks much cause i had a hen that rejected her chicks for some reason, and i would have put the chicks with another hen but ive only got 4 budgies

 

and the chicks have all cleared up now, i sprayed the nest with lice and mite spay

Fero...........read this topic http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/index.php?showtopic=13358

 

and KNOW that you do need to nestcheck twice a day ( morning and night ) once you have chicks in a nest.

You nestchecking is not why your previous mother rejected chicks. A mother too young may not feed her chicks. A mother who is colony breeding can be prevented from feeding her chicks. A sick mother wont feed her chicks.

As a responsible bird owner and breeding, you NEED to be nestchecking to prevent things like dead chicks ion nests, splayed legs, build up of food in the beaks, poop setting on feet etc.

No excuse not to be checking your nests if you are breeding. If you havent learnt this important and vital part of being a breeder you should not be breeding.

Edited August 21, 201113 yr by **KAZ**

ive been cheeking them twice a day now and sometimes even more then twice and ive realized the mother is still plucking them so i move her into another cage. is this what i should do?

ive been cheeking them twice a day now and sometimes even more then twice and ive realized the mother is still plucking them so i move her into another cage. is this what i should do?

 

So who is looking after the chicks ? They arent 3 weeks old Fero.

I wouldn't take the mum away the are to young, I would put the chicks under another hen if you have one with chicks and if not leave the chicks with the mum, most times they only pluck the down and then leave them be, I just had a nest where the mum plucked them stupid and then just stopped, one minute I had these beautiful white fluffy chicks and the next little pink bald little chicks. There was a little blood on the wings but I had NO choice and had to leave them there but the hen stopped and they grew there feathers but they were still bald under the feather for a while.