Aug 12, 2019 15:44:50 GMT
Biggles
Normal Violet
Posts: 165
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Post by Biggles on Sept 4, 2021 15:32:15 GMT
No more chicks hatching now. It looks like Mum has kind of given up on them. She's eating more and feeding the chicks there are rather than sitting on the eggs. Although she does push the eggs underneath her when she is in the nest box (and the chicks, though this is increasingly difficult due to their size and hers). She sometimes puts a wing over the chicks. They're well fed and getting livelier, although they tend to splat in a heap together I assume to keep warm. Any more chicks could easily get squashed if they're a lot smaller, so it may be no bad thing. So question time! When do I say the eggs aren't going to hatch if the last one was laid on 18th August? I'm guessing around the 10th September. Second question: How do I remove the eggs assuming they aren't going to hatch? One by one? Should I leave one in there? Should I candle them and check first? And important question for later: How do I discourage Mum from starting laying again? She looks so tired, I really don't want a second set for her sake. Thanks.
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Post by tweetiepiesmom on Sept 4, 2021 15:54:35 GMT
Using the rule of thumb that budgie eggs typically hatch in 18 days and giving them a few extra days for "late bloomers", Sept 10 sounds right. What I've read other people doing is they wait for mom to go out and then remove unhatched eggs all at once. I've also read that to discourage more egg laying, once the current chicks are out of the nest, remove the nest and don't provide any other place that she might use as a nest. In the case where she lays again, it seems people do one of two things: they just remove the egg or they boil the egg and give it back to her to sit on. She'll abandon it when it doesn't hatch and hopefully discourage more laying. Hopefully people with first hand knowledge will reply and give you the benefit of their experience. I'm really enjoying watching the babies grow and seeing how great you and mom are with them. Marianne Marlow a thought just occurred to me when Biggles said that mom was spreading her wing to keep the babies warm. Do you think that may be what is the issue with Penny's wing - she habitually was spreading it to keep her babies warm?
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Post by Marianne Marlow on Sept 4, 2021 16:16:11 GMT
tweetiepiesmom I am not sure Penny was allowed to raise her chicks. I think the breeder hand fed them to get tame babies for sale.
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Aug 12, 2019 15:44:50 GMT
Biggles
Normal Violet
Posts: 165
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Post by Biggles on Sept 4, 2021 19:22:02 GMT
That's a very bad picture with her wing spread over the chicks. The eggs are under her, but her wriggly chicks don't fit, so she put her wing over them. The chicks seem to have a favoured egg which they all flop over in a heap. It's obviously comfortable!
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Post by tweetiepiesmom on Sept 4, 2021 20:05:09 GMT
I'm not surprised that they like to flop over one of the eggs. I've read posts where many people will provide a small stuffed toy for the babies to cuddle up to. They are so cute. Are they keeping everybody awake at night?
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Aug 12, 2019 15:44:50 GMT
Biggles
Normal Violet
Posts: 165
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Post by Biggles on Sept 4, 2021 22:17:09 GMT
I'm not surprised that they like to flop over one of the eggs. I've read posts where many people will provide a small stuffed toy for the babies to cuddle up to. They are so cute. Are they keeping everybody awake at night? Only my son. They're in his bedroom. He thinks it's terribly cute, but whether he still will next week when he has to get up for school is another matter.
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Post by skysmum on Sept 5, 2021 20:54:05 GMT
Just gorgeous When you remove the eggs you could put a couple of fake eggs in for the chicks. Once your sure the other eggs are no good you should start to clean the box and this is the point to put some soft wood shavings in, the box will become very messy an need cleaning regularly as the chicks grow. Timing for removing the box is tricky because she could start laying again before the last chick has left the nest, this you will have to play by ear and if she starts laying replace the eggs with fake ones until the last chick has fledged. Watch Dad with any male chicks, he could attack them if they want to go in for another round, i had this happen, you may have to remove him, fingers crossed all will go smoothly but just something to be aware of.
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Aug 12, 2019 15:44:50 GMT
Biggles
Normal Violet
Posts: 165
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Post by Biggles on Sept 5, 2021 21:22:07 GMT
Thank you for your help. I've got some wood shavings ready, and I've bought a tiny dustpan and brush to brush it quickly. I think I'll give them another couple of days then do a clean as it's beginning to look a bit messy. Little feathers and they're getting very lively with lots of flapping wings. Very cute!
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Post by skysmum on Sept 5, 2021 21:28:19 GMT
I just thought, watch their little feet, when you clean out check to make sure poop isn't building up around them and clean any poop off.
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Post by tweetiepiesmom on Sept 5, 2021 22:37:43 GMT
Tiny pin feathers coming in! Your babies are growing up!
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Post by Morgan on Sept 5, 2021 23:15:20 GMT
tweetiepiesmom I am not sure Penny was allowed to raise her chicks. I think the breeder hand fed them to get tame babies for sale. Most “hand-raised” babies are taken at three weeks old because they don’t usually need supplemental heat then. They usually fledge at four weeks and wean between six to eight weeks, but hand raised babies can take longer to wean. Sometimes they are pulled at two weeks if the breeder thinks it will make them more tame, but there isn’t much evidence of that. And some breeders call co-parented chicks “hand-raised” because it’s even less work and they can still get more money for them. This is where the chicks stay with mom and dad the whole time, but are handled often and are fed by hand, as well as by the parents. Few breeders incubate and raise the babies themselves from day one because it is a TON of work! New babies need to be fed every two hours except eight hours overnight, but they should be checked on once overnight as well. Most breeders don’t go this route because it isn’t really cost/time effective.
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Aug 12, 2019 15:44:50 GMT
Biggles
Normal Violet
Posts: 165
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Post by Biggles on Sept 6, 2021 15:01:48 GMT
Two of them are clearly getting lots of feathers. The eldest seems very sleepy today, but that might be just when I saw them. They've also (can you see on the photo) got blue on their wings. My son was worried that they've bruised them, but I think it must be normal as it's uniform across both sides. The second biggest budgie (it seems to be the one that makes the most fuss about being fed!) has these sort of swellings just behind the back wings. They pop in and out. Is that normal? I said to my son that as far as I knew budgies didn't get hernias? Again it's the same both sides so I'm guessing normal? Thanks for all the answers.
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Post by tweetiepiesmom on Sept 6, 2021 16:01:56 GMT
I think the feathers may be developing their colors. I would tend to also think that any changes that are symmetric shouldn't be worrisome and maybe the members experienced with raising chicks can confirm this.
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Aug 12, 2019 15:44:50 GMT
Biggles
Normal Violet
Posts: 165
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Post by Biggles on Sept 6, 2021 17:49:34 GMT
We've just cleaned the cage out. (or rather I cleaned the cage and nest box while my son sat with the chicks and cooed over them). It looks much better and their feet are all clean.
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Post by skysmum on Sept 6, 2021 21:19:57 GMT
The blue is as you say the feathers coming through, all looks ok, the one at the back with the swellings is obviously taking in too much air when he's being fed, it's air in the crop, some people gently squeeze this out but you have to be careful, any fluid that comes with it could aspirate them so unless it gets very large and wont go down on its own i would leave well alone. Glad you got on ok with the cleaning and your son got to get close to them
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