MidoriNoTori
New member
- Mar 15, 2022
- 2
- 2
- Parrots
- Yellow Sided CCG (3), CCG (2)
Hello!
I was super excited today when I checked on a cage that has three conures in it to find out one of the females laid an egg (hopefully the first of several)!
The cage has 2 females and 1 male (the male is the brother of one of the two females in the cage). The female that is not his sister is the one that's brooding the egg, so I'm quite certain she laid it.
Before I get into the questions about setting up for the chicks, I wanted to talk about the current nestbox situation. The three of them share a nestbox, should I remove the female that did not lay the egg into a separate cage for the time being? The brother and sister have been together their entire live (they are just under two years old). Is there a significant risk where the mother will bite the other female, or is there a chance they would both raise the chicks together (I doubt this, but maybe someone here might have a solid answer).
Regarding raising the babies, I've made a list of things I need:
A large plastic container/box for playtime/feeding
Lots of towels (without the strands), to act as a carpet for their feet
Heating pad
Heating lamp
An aquarium, this is where they'll spend most of their time with the heating pad+lamp, on a soft towel with some toys and a very slightly 'uneven' floor, with bumps and such (i don't want them to have their feet in the same position the entire time!).
Thermometer, 1 for the formula, 1 for the aquarium
2 feeding syringes
I'll get them some (bird appropriate) plushies too to be able to snuggle against as well as other small toys
First, if theres anything you find in my list that doesn't work, or that **should** be included and isn't, please let me know!
I am only planning on separating the babies from their parents after the forth week, which is when I'll begin handfeeding them.
My questions:
* What sort of lamp should I get, ceramic? Infrared? Or would the heating pad be enough?
* I can't find a guide that describes the appropriate amount of feedings (and how much per feeding) I should be giving GCC as they mature, how much for the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th weeks? (I see 'once every 4 hours' during the day for the first few weeks, and 'once every 6-7 hours' once they get their feathers - but how many millimeters!?) I do understand that the food needs to be mixed and served at specific temperatures, so at least I've got that part covered.
* What food/formula has worked for you (or others that you know)? I am currently looking at buying nutribird 21A, is that appropriate, and is it good for the whole 4-8 week time period until they slowly get accustomed to kibble?
* What are common mistakes that I should be aware of and avoid?
I thank you very much for your time, I want to make sure that this experience goes smoothly and properly for the health and happiness of the soon to be birbs.
I was super excited today when I checked on a cage that has three conures in it to find out one of the females laid an egg (hopefully the first of several)!
The cage has 2 females and 1 male (the male is the brother of one of the two females in the cage). The female that is not his sister is the one that's brooding the egg, so I'm quite certain she laid it.
Before I get into the questions about setting up for the chicks, I wanted to talk about the current nestbox situation. The three of them share a nestbox, should I remove the female that did not lay the egg into a separate cage for the time being? The brother and sister have been together their entire live (they are just under two years old). Is there a significant risk where the mother will bite the other female, or is there a chance they would both raise the chicks together (I doubt this, but maybe someone here might have a solid answer).
Regarding raising the babies, I've made a list of things I need:
A large plastic container/box for playtime/feeding
Lots of towels (without the strands), to act as a carpet for their feet
Heating pad
Heating lamp
An aquarium, this is where they'll spend most of their time with the heating pad+lamp, on a soft towel with some toys and a very slightly 'uneven' floor, with bumps and such (i don't want them to have their feet in the same position the entire time!).
Thermometer, 1 for the formula, 1 for the aquarium
2 feeding syringes
I'll get them some (bird appropriate) plushies too to be able to snuggle against as well as other small toys
First, if theres anything you find in my list that doesn't work, or that **should** be included and isn't, please let me know!
I am only planning on separating the babies from their parents after the forth week, which is when I'll begin handfeeding them.
My questions:
* What sort of lamp should I get, ceramic? Infrared? Or would the heating pad be enough?
* I can't find a guide that describes the appropriate amount of feedings (and how much per feeding) I should be giving GCC as they mature, how much for the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th weeks? (I see 'once every 4 hours' during the day for the first few weeks, and 'once every 6-7 hours' once they get their feathers - but how many millimeters!?) I do understand that the food needs to be mixed and served at specific temperatures, so at least I've got that part covered.
* What food/formula has worked for you (or others that you know)? I am currently looking at buying nutribird 21A, is that appropriate, and is it good for the whole 4-8 week time period until they slowly get accustomed to kibble?
* What are common mistakes that I should be aware of and avoid?
I thank you very much for your time, I want to make sure that this experience goes smoothly and properly for the health and happiness of the soon to be birbs.