Fingers crossed......

[Hezz]

Four more little fluff-bundles!! Yay!

[budgiefriend]

Photos, please, more photos. I love baby buds.

[Learner]

Four baby budgies doing well.

A 5th one didn't make it out of its egg despite all the noise and trying late one night. By morning it was obvious the poor little thing had run out of strength or been trampled by the others I guess it happens.

I've been really busy recently so haven't made it onto the forum - sorry. Gardening and the usual routines.

Any guesses about the colours of the latest 4 chicks?

Also:

Help / advice needed please as this has got to stop. Charlie and Fluffy Grey have produced a new egg today!!
They simply cannot go on like this the place will be over-run and I think Fluffly needs a rest. She has spent absolutely ages in that nest-box.

Enough is enough.

So... 4 chicks not yet out of the nest but looking as if they really soon ought to be and round 3 begun.

What do I do??

• Remove the egg/s
• Remove Charlie and the egg/s
• Wait until the chicks emerge and close off the nest-box to stop incubation

The last option seems particularly cruel so I'm ruling it out but... enough is enough. Fluffy needs a rest despite appearing as if she can carry on. We will be wing-tip to wing-tip at this rate!!


Charlie continues to feed both Fluffy and the chicks... occasionally Fluffy comes out of the nest but she does seem to leave the food gathering to Charlie.

[Hezz]

Remove Fluffy Grey (and egg .... throw it away) and allow Charlie to top up feed the chicks ........ I am pretty sure that is what BB would have advised ....... he had done so at other times, before. Charlie should be teaching the chicks how to feed themselves.

How old are the four chicks? But that is quite irrelevant as I see you have already mentioned that Charlie is feeding the chicks, so that is very, very good. Make sure they have something to try feeding themselves with; I guess that would be millet, being easier to husk.

[Learner]

Thanks Hezz. I simply had not considered that option.

Boy is Fluffy Grey going to be mad! I will have to be very gentle catching her. She usually darts into the nest-box when I approach.

I think I may have a sneaky way of organising the move.

[Hezz]

I hope all goes to plan then. She may well lay another egg but hopefully that would be all. If you pop her back into the aviary, and keep the others in their breeding cage, this should be enough to break her breeding cycle. Are you able to trick her into thinking the days are shorter? That is another thing to try.