A different Hen attacking

[kb9779]

Hi, my birds have had chick's, 6 eggs 5 successfully hatched. All have died over the past few weeks. 2 survived up until today. 1 poor thing was brutally attacked and suffered horrific injury. This one died. I heard commotion in the Avery earlier and went to check and the last baby has a wound to its head. A different hen also has blood around its beak. I presume this is the one who attacked. I have moved baby out and taken mum with it. She also has a few feathers missing from her head but not as bad. The baby is 98% feathered and is able to stand on our finger. Could it be the other hen that is causing the problems with the evidence of blood. Mum hen doesn't have any evidence. Any help on what I can do please

[Marianne Marlow]

This is why a lot of people do not recommend colony breeding, other hens can attack chicks.

I think that people would suggest that you remove the mum and baby and put them in a separate place from the aviary.

skysmum clt80 Hezz yellowfacedviolet

Just tagging some people as I have never had budgies that bred.

[clt80]

Agree with Marianne Marlow this happens with colony breeding.

I'd do as you have done and moved baby and mum to cage so they are safe.

For future breeding maybe you could breed in cages so that babies are safe until they are old enough to join the aviary. I'm sure what you have seen has been very upsetting for you as well as horrific for the babies.

[yellowfacedviolet]

I agree with my colleagues. Colony-breeding is a fraught, high-risk affair that has many times led to the death of birds. Not recommended for this and many other reasons. Remove hen and chick ASAP.