Hi guys was just wondering if I could get some advice in what to do, our pair have 4 babies in the nest between 2-3 weeks old, today the male got out and took off and now the female is left alone, will she need help feeding the babies ? the male rarely went into the nest box but would feed her every time she came out, any advice would be great, as we would hate to loose any of the babies, I have hand fed Cockatiels before from 2 days old but never fed budgies, I have some hand raring mix I bought when the 1st egg hatched just in case. we have been hoping that maybe the male will hear the others and come back but unfortunately I think he is gone my son was very upset, we have left some celery and seed out on-top of the cage just incase because he is use to being handle and if he comes for a feed we might be able to get him.

anyway any advice on what we should do would be great

 

regards

 

Tinka

Hi guys was just wondering if I could get some advice in what to do, our pair have 4 babies in the nest between 2-3 weeks old, today the male got out and took off and now the female is left alone, will she need help feeding the babies ? the male rarely went into the nest box but would feed her every time she came out, any advice would be great, as we would hate to loose any of the babies, I have hand fed Cockatiels before from 2 days old but never fed budgies, I have some hand raring mix I bought when the 1st egg hatched just in case. we have been hoping that maybe the male will hear the others and come back but unfortunately I think he is gone my son was very upset, we have left some celery and seed out on-top of the cage just incase because he is use to being handle and if he comes for a feed we might be able to get him.

anyway any advice on what we should do would be great

 

regards

 

Tinka

 

 

I think that at that age, the mother can handle feeding them by herself. That would be about the time where she starts to spend less time in the box, anyway, and they will already be learning to eat some seed. Do you do twice daily nest checks? Because you would be able to see whether she was feeding them well, and if not, then you could step in and supplement feed them. (Without removing them)

 

 

Since you are an experienced hand feeder, you could remove them from the nest if you wanted to. But as that is a big commitment, I wouldn't recommend it to a novice, except as a last resort.

 

 

You might find that a baby that is three weeks or older might not want to have anything to do with hand feedings. Those can usually make do with what they can eat on their own plus what they can beg off from their mother and siblings.

 

 

When they are introduced to formula at two weeks old, it usually only takes one day before they recognize the formula as a good thing to eat. Then you will find they gobble it up like piggies.

 

 

 

It would be nice if the father came back. I'm sorry for your loss. Do you have any way to make sure the mother can't get loose, too?

This has happened to me before too father never came back, the mother managed to feed all the offspring and they all made it i would provide a millet spray in the next box thou to assist the mother in her feedings since the chicks where about 4-5 days old at the time

Thanks guys for the advice, yes I have been checking the babies regularly and they all seem to be fed which is a good thing, she has been in and out the box most of today eating and cleaning herself then back into the young I will pop a millet spray in the box also to assist her, the babies haven't started to venture out at all to eat but may nibble on the millet in the box, she appears to be calling for her mate alot when she is out poor thing but im sure she will be okay, and yes we have made sure she cannot get loose it was an accident that led to the male getting out our son 15yr was cleaning the cage and didn't notice he had left the door open

 

Thanks again

 

Tinka

Hi Tinka

 

 

Please read this http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/index.php?showtopic=22446 and use this method...it will help a lot right now.