Five week old babies

[chaz2977]

hi everyone, i currently have two budgie chicks(cookie and splotch) and they are both almost 5 weeks but i just wanted to know when i should be taking them away from the parents to begin weaning and taming.

[Hezz]

You don't need to; let the parents do what they know the best to do. By five weeks the chicks should be almost, if not completely, self sufficient anyway. The male should have been showing them how to crack seed and forage for themselves. They should be weaned by now, not relying on mum for anything, and dad should have already done his bit. Are they still in the box? They should be ready to leave the nest and getting ready to perch for themselves. A tissue box on the floor of the cage in the interim will provide them with a safe bolt-hole until they are prepared to perch for the night.

From now you can start to train them, but hopefully you will have already been handling them frequently so that they are used to you and very little taming needs to be done.

[chaz2977]

both my babies are still in the nest but they are running around the nest like crazy. as my budgies are in an aviary i've noticed that the father is going up to the nest more and is chirping to the oldest chick, i'm not sure if this is his way of trying to get them to leave the nest.

 thanks 

[Hezz]

"Time to leave home, big boy". I'd bet my bottom dollar that that is what Dad is saying.

[clt80]

Oh this brings back happy memories

Once the babies have left the nest they'll be out in the day and want a little shelter at night to sleep in (the nestbox can be removed), I used a tissue box with a hole cut out the side. Once out, they will be starting to eat by themselves and then the parents can be removed.

I'm trying to think how old mine were before they were self sufficient, I think it was around the 7-8 week mark. But you'll know as you'll see them eating by themselves and the parents will be hardly feeding to feed them at all.

Watch mother hen doesn't start craving another clutch and laying eggs.