First Baby Hatched

[itzjbean]

Sounds like things are going very well!

Bedding -- you don't have to add any more but when you check in on the babies daily, you can move some bedding back under them to help. Your hen will likely move the bedding again but it's pretty important for the chicks right now at a few days old so just keep shifting bedding around when you check on them.

Bath -- my cockatiel hen did this too.... she would dunk herself in the water bowl, completely submerge her bottom half, dry off a bit and then go sit on her eggs. I didn't notice her doing it after the babies were born but you are correct in that humidity is a big favtor in raising chicks, so what she's doing seems like normal instinctual behavior to give the chick's delicate skin some moisture. Just make sure the babies are all still chirping and she should be fine. You can change water a few times a day to keep it clean for them.

As for weaning the babies, yes you will need to start thinking of a small 'starter cage' for the babies once they begin to eat on their own. Some babies will leave the nestbox on their own to begin weaning and trying their parents foods, what I did is I took out the nestbox from inside the cage and made a transition box, a make-shift nestbox with no cover and made of cardboard, 3 inches high, and filled with bedding. It acts as a nestbox for the little ones that still want to sleep in the nest but provides a way for them to transition with their other siblings to sleep on perches.

A starter cage should be big enough to put a couple perches and for the babies to live temporarily as they learn to beat their wings, eat , perch and climb. They should not be separated from their parents until they are fully eating on their own.

Once they are out of the nestbox is when you can start introducing new foods to them.... spray millet, fresh chopped veggies are good to try, soft foods like birdie bread (you can find recipes online, mots babies love it), a good quality seed mix, pellets, really you can offer a huge variety of food for them to try.

Keep the questions coming! You are in the right place for priceless information!

 

[beetory]

Hello everyone!! Happy Sunday.

I just wanted to share these pictures of the babies and share some updates.

We took these last Thursday when I was cleaning out their nest (it was starting to smell bad and sour and I didn't want them to linger in that). I know their crops don't really look full there and it's because they were about thirty minutes away from Darling feeding them but I have been attentive with that and have seen that their crops are full. This morning I saw the first baby has finally opened his eyes!!! I'm so excited and happy ;v; he looked so sooo cute.

While we were changing their bedding once again since it is getting messier faster I checked and their feet are looking very nice, no curled toes, and they can support their weight with their legs under them. Darling is doing amazing, Booger is too, and we can hear the babies cry even when we're on the other side of the house! It's a huge relief.

Darling still had one more egg inside but I candled it to check since the incubation period had been way too long and found it wasn't fertile. There was one tiny dark spot at the very end of the egg and nothing else. No veins, no movement, and it was more than 30 days old so I decided to remove it so Darling can focus on her little ones.

itzjbean did mention we should start handling them at the moment they open their eyes but since all the babies are a few days apart is it okay to wait until all of them have their eyes open? The last baby will be two weeks old on September 6, so it's not that big of a wait.

 

[ChristaNL]

I saw the bathing a lot when it was a dry summer and eggs in the nest...
it's part usual feathercare for mum and part protecting the eggs from dehydrating.


Once the babies are ready they will leave the nest by themselves.
(And still will be cared for by the parents, so no worries about that)

 

[beetory]

Hi everyone,

Things are going well as far as I can tell but I am getting a little bit concerned too. I don't know how babies are supposed to behave but today when I cleared out their nest again I did notice that the eldest baby (two weeks old today) was a bit lethargic compared to the other two. He lifts his head and looks around and stretches but as soon as he's comfortable he kind of lowers his head ands goes back to sleep. I'm only worried because the other two were more active than that baby.

Is this normal? His crop was full and they do chirp a lot but I don't know I'm just worried.

 

[ChristaNL]

Oh...I just saw the pictures -> adorable little dinosaurs aren't they

It the eldest is just having a sleepy day I would not worry: al that growing is hard work and it probably needs his/her rest.

You know you are in big trouble if they can lift their heads by themselves anymore, smell bad, have weird poo, skin discolouration etc. but you describe as this is not a problem at all so (head lifting) and pictures are gorgeous so thats good.


How is that one today?

 

[EllenD]

Can you post a current photo of the oldest one you're talking about? Is he still lethargic, or is he acting normally now? If it was just a one-time thing that didn't continue then it's fine, but if he continues to be lethargic then you might have an issue...

Have you noticed whether or not his crop is emptying between feedings?

 

[beetory]

He isn't as lethargic as he was being but he still doesn't move an awful lot. I brought him out earlier to handle him and take some pictures.

His crop is emptying between feeds from what I have seen.

I just noticed too that his eyes seem to be a translucent dark red? From far away or in photos they look black but upon closer inspection they are translucent and they look a very dark red like the color of wine.

He pooped while I was holding him and it was green and I wouldn't say watery but a single strip with good consistency came out along with clear liquid. Yesterday he pooped as well when he was out and it was the same. Squishy but firm and green with liquid.

I'm becoming really sad... she's taking care of all of them so well I just don't know what's going wrong with him. I saw her feeding him, saw him bobbing his head happily, when he was in my hands he was moving around and lifting his head but after he finds a comfortable place he just rests his head down and shuts his eyes.

Just as a quick mention he is 15 days old so I don't know how he's supposed to act I've never been around baby birds before I got mine fully weaned so I'm just I don't want to interfere at all when maybe I'm just paranoid and anxious for nothing.

 

[beetory]

Bumping this with some extra info. I checked on him this morning while the parents came out to eat and his crop was definitely nearly empty so it is emptying between feeds. I checked on his eyes again and they still looked a bit translucent but darker than they were yesterday more towards black now but still have that dark red tint to them.

He followed my hand when I waved it on either side of his head and stretched and lifted his wings for a few flaps. I placed him back inside and he walked around for a while before settling next to his siblings

 

[itzjbean]

Bumping this with some extra info. I checked on him this morning while the parents came out to eat and his crop was definitely nearly empty so it is emptying between feeds. I checked on his eyes again and they still looked a bit translucent but darker than they were yesterday more towards black now but still have that dark red tint to them.

He followed my hand when I waved it on either side of his head and stretched and lifted his wings for a few flaps. I placed him back inside and he walked around for a while before settling next to his siblings

It's a lot of work being a baby! lol. Sounds like he's doing fine. It could just be a personality thing, he may just be a calmer individual. As long as he is being fed and pooping and growing (are you weighing him?) he should continue to thrive.

 

[Scott]

Wonderful chronology of these beauties! Hoping for continued success into maturity!!

 

[EllenD]

He looks very healthy from his photos, he's nice and pink and not anemic. His eyes are most likely fine, baby bird's eyes change over time, and depending on his mutation he may have red eyes until a certain time period, I don't know about Green Cheek's and their eye changes as they grow, but that isn't at all unusual with other parrot species.

As long as he's still eating several times a day, as long as mom/dad are feeding him and not rejecting him at all, and as long as his crop is emptying normally, and his droppings are normal, then he sounds like he's doing fine. He may just be a more quiet bird than his siblings, that's not unusual.

If you notice that he stops eating, his crop stops emptying, his droppings become runny/watery and stay that way, if he vomits/regurgitates at all, or he turns pale/blue or seems to be having breathing issues, OR if mom suddenly rejects him/stops feeding him/pushes him out of the nest-box, then you need to get him to an Avian Vet. But he appears to be fine right now.

Baby's can suffer from all kinds of issues, and things happen suddenly and without warning. But typically they will show some outward signs that something is wrong, and usually mom/dad know that something is wrong before you are going to know. So just keep a close eye on him and just keep doing what you're doing, I think he's going to be fine...

 

[beetory]

Thank you so much for your advice and words! They have made me settle a lot, I'm known to overthink and get a little bit upset but knowing that other people with experience think he is doing well does wonders for how I feel.

I will continue keeping my eye on them to make sure everything is going well. I'm really hoping they will all become healthy mature babies soon. :heart:

Here's a picture of them from yesterday. Everyone gets to fawn over them while I get stuck with cleaning the nest lol

 

[EllenD]

You're not "overthinking" anything, as raising a clutch of baby birds, whether they are being parent-raised or hand-raised, either way, it's not at all easy. There are literally hundreds of different things that can go wrong, even when the parents are raising/feeding the babies, and that's why it's scary for anyone without hand-raising/feeding experience to take-on what you're doing, because you may have to take-over raising/feeding them at any moment. And even baby birds are very good at hiding signs that anything is wrong with them. That's why I said that the parents are the ones to really watch, as they will know that something is wrong with a baby long before any person will. Unfortunately the parents typically abandon/reject a baby once they know something is wrong with them, so that's your cue to take-over, but at least you'll know that something isn't quite right. But so-far your clutch looks very healthy and it seems like things are going as-planned. But it's always better to be too cautious than not cautious enough when it comes to a clutch of baby birds.

 

[ChristaNL]

What Ellen said.
I do not butt in, because you are doing great!!

(and I agree with waht she has said sofar)


Not bad for a first time parront-parrent

 

[beetory]

Hi everyone!

I haven’t posted in a while but I have been busy with work and coming home exhausted but I always make time for my little ones. They have been doing so well. The parents are keeping the babies well fed and they are so strong and so loud when they are chirping. They are all more active according to how many days old they are. It’s a trip seeing how the youngest one looks compared to them but he is five days younger than the first baby.

I have observed their fluff feathers and know now for a fact that two of them will be regular green cheeks and one of them (the eldest) will be a cinnamon baby. They walk around when we have them outside before they tire out and rest down for their snooze again, they are so funny and do really silly things. But the wildest thing by far to me has been how they are starting to preen their own feathers too!!! I didn’t think that was something they would do as babies and it’s honestly so so sooo cute.

I’m very thankful for all the advice I have received from the experienced members here. They have helped me feel at ease even when some worries have come up. I have been very vigilant to make sure there are no issues. And I feel very blessed because so far the parents are taking care of all of them and haven’t rejected them. I know so many things can go wrong but I believe I have prepared myself for any potential situations and am waiting on the sidelines in case they need me.

I just wanted to share these pictures of them from today during the time I took them out to handle them for a bit. My entire family is always present during this so it’s awesome that we can take care of bonding with all of them at the same time

 

[ChristaNL]

They are flat out adorable.


Can I be a spoilsport and ask what you want to do in the future?
Not about 'where do they go' but more along the lines: are you planning on becomming a breeder - how many clutches will you allow your birds (they just might bump into overdrive after this one - and they are obviously great parrents -> you guys make a good team) etc.etc. - all that 'trying to plan the future-stuff'


Oh bugger--why did I not think of this sooner: you could have send in the eggshells for DNA-testing/ oh well maybe next time ...

 

[beetory]

I don't plan on becoming a breeder. This was honestly a big surprise and I didn't expect the eggs to be fertile at all. If they continue to breed I'm thinking of just freezing or boiling her eggs. I know I won't be able to take care of more birds than the five of them and I can't bring myself to imagine giving away any of their babies by selling them or just letting people adopt them. I'm kind of hesitant because a lot of times people just like the novelty of birds.

There's a family in my church that keeps asking me about the birds and how much I would sell one for and I keep declining their offers because I just don't know if I can trust anyone other than myself and my family with these little ones. Also they have young children in the 4-8 yrs old range.

I know it's very likely Darling will make eggs again and try to hatch them but I don't think we can handle this again haha, we're barely half way through and its a lot of work. They need more maintenance in their cage and food than they did before the babies were hatched. I'm just not sure I'm cut out for it and also I have no training at all on the world of breeding. I know it would probably be a pretty good source of extra income but honestly any babies that come out of them will just feel like our own babies since we've had Booger and Darling for almost 7 years.

I didn't know you could DNA with the eggs! I'll just wait until their feathers are in and pluck a few to send to a lab. I rather that than cutting their nails until some blood comes out.

 

[beetory]

So, crazy thing. I got home from work yesterday and my sisters were so excited telling me the two older babies are starting to peek out of the opening of their nest on their own. It's kind of crazy, I know they will venture out when they are ready for it but is there anything I should be mindful of when they start to do this? Should I place a perch in front of the opening so they have somewhere to stand when they do come outside? What about the placement of the water bowls? They're not deep but they could be deep enough that the babies could get stuck under if they fall inside them.

 

[EllenD]

They'll come out of the nest-box when they're ready to do so, and usually they'll start going out when they first start to wean. Depending on how you have their cage set-up and how high-up the nest-box is off of the floor of the cage will determine whether or not they will start to go in and out on a regular basis before they are fully-fledged. Luckily when they are bred in-captivity you can help them if a baby does happen to fall out of the nest-box, which happens but not on a regular basis. It can go either way, they might stay in the nest-box until they fledge, but typically they do start going in and out as they start to wean. You can put a perch in front of the nest box if you want to, I always had a perch there for the parents, especially the father, often they sit outside and "guard" the nest-box while mom is feeding them or laying on them.

Typically after a baby gets all of it's feathers (sometimes all of the down feathers and only some of the outer feathers) in is about the point when they start to wean, as they no longer need to stay in the nest-box full-time for heat. I always put my nest-boxes at the bottom of the cages, and this did seem to help with the babies weaning easily, as once they figure out that they can go in and out of the nest-box easily they start taking advantage of it. I only allowed a parent-raised clutch sporadically, mostly I pulled the chicks at 2-3 weeks old and hand-raised/fed them in a Brooder; so the few clutches that I did allow the parents to raise/feed over the years did really well with the nest-boxes right off the bottom of the outer breeding-cage/aviary. A lot of people (and pretty-much all of the mass breeders/bird-mills) put their nest-boxes at the very top of the cages/aviary, because this is how it's done in the wild, and in that scenario the babies obviously don't come out until they fledge, so they don't start weaning until they fledge...I didn't do this because obviously there is no danger of predators on the "ground" like there is in the wild, and it really did seem to work well for the babies going in and out of the nest-box as they pleased. A lot of the time they would come out and eat some solid food, and then perch with dad for a while, walk around the cage/aviary and start to learn how to play with the toys (I would always put a bunch of different toys down on the floor of the cage or near the floor of the cage for them), and then they'd go back in the nest box. Obviously they tend to wean a little sooner this way, as they start eating solid food long before they fledge. But either way is fine. You'll see the babies start to poke their heads out of the nest box, usually when mom/dad have both left the box to eat, as they're looking for them. Your babies are still very young, all "fluff" yet, lol, so they're not going to actually come out of the box for a while yet. However, if an accident does happen and one happens to fall out of the nest box, just make sure they're alright and put them back in...I'm assuming that you only have mom and dad in the cage with the babies, and no other adult Green Cheeks in with them, correct? Because that can end in tragedy, it's called "Community Breeding" and it very often ends with babies being killed by one of the other adults, and/or mom/dad also being injured or killed while trying to protect their babies. Other than that, the risks are minimal, but just based on what worked well for me, I would locate the nest-box at the bottom of the cage...this will also prevent an injury to a baby who might accidentally fall out of the box..Like I said, there are no "predators" that require the nest to be up high, and it's just a bit safer for the box to be near the ground...