Pulled babies today

[lene1949]

On the 21/9/12 I bought a breeding pair of green cheek conures... They hadn't bred for the owners, so she thought she would rehome them... She had only had them for 3 months.

I gave them their nestbox, as they were used to having one, and they had 4 chicks... One of the chicks died between yesterday and today, so I pulled the other 3 for hand feeding...

The two oldest chicks are very big... the little one more the size of Squirt, when I pulled him at 2 weeks old... The parents are a lot bigger than my other green cheeks...

 

[MikeyTN]

Congrats lene, you've got babies!!!!! You'll find out how much of a pain they are once they fledge...lol....I like them before they fledge and after they learn how to eat on their own. During the in between time they can be little monsters. Especially when you have several at a time. With one or two is not too bad but with 3+ they can drive you nuts...lol....

 

[lene1949]

I was so worried, when I reared Squirt, that she would be too cold... At least with 3 they should keep each other warm?

I have no idea what happened to the very tiny one... It just disappeared???

 

[Aims]

When I hand reared Jax (ecky) the breeder recommended that we use a wheat heat bag (one you put in the microwave) to wrap around the plastic tub he slept in and stood it on one too. He was fine so it must of done the trick.

 

[lene1949]

I used a heat source for Squirt as well, but now it's summer here, and there are 3 bubs to keep each other warm...

 

[MikeyTN]

I was so worried, when I reared Squirt, that she would be too cold... At least with 3 they should keep each other warm?

I have no idea what happened to the very tiny one... It just disappeared???

He most likely died because he was the smallest one because smashed underneath as the bigger babies gets all the food. That's why sometimes if they hatch far apart from one another, it's best to remove the oldest one to hand feed to ensure the survival of the younger one that's hatching. Which that is what I'm doing now, somehow the pair really messed up on the laying days and the mother laid her eggs so far apart as the first baby is 13 days apart from the 2nd as the 3rd was 11 days apart from the 2nd. The last one hatched today that's about 3 days apart from the 3rd one. So there's a big difference in age between baby 1 and baby 4. Ensuring the survival of the younger ones, I remove the older one to hand feed by himself. You can make your own incubator. Get a 10g tank and two hang on shop lights and use a 60w bulb in each. As the babies get older I usually remove one of the lights and cover that side with a towel and run just one light instead. That's when they get past two weeks old. They will move back and fourth to and away from the light if they get too warm or too cold. I've been raising chicks this way for many many years....

 

[Aims]

Ensuring the survival of the younger ones, I remove the older one to hand feed by himself. You can make your own incubator. Get a 10g tank and two hang on shop lights and use a 60w bulb in each. As the babies get older I usually remove one of the lights and cover that side with a towel and run just one light instead. That's when they get past two weeks old. They will move back and fourth to and away from the light if they get too warm or too cold. I've been raising chicks this way for many many years....

Thanks for the tips. I have a tank and was wondering what lights to use. have you got any pictures of your tank so I can see it, sometimes seeing it makes it clearer than a description.....I hope that made sense I know what I mean, but My brain and fingers don't seem to be working together.. LOL..

 

[MikeyTN]

Here it is with one of my Cockatiel baby in it right now as you can see he moves himself away from the light to one side where it's covered with a towel.

 

[Aims]

Cool Thank you MikeyTN.

 

[MikeyTN]

Here's one of my babies hatching out tonight, he's out of the egg now by the way.

 

[MikeyTN]

The tank I used is actually for a reptile, gerbil, etc. Cause it has a screen top which is very helpful once the babies gets older. They will be flapping their wings and you'll see the shavings fly everywhere. That keeps everything contained. You MUST remember to clean it out often cause they can get a respiratory infection if you don't. The ammonia gets pretty strong from their feces. Sanitary is the key!!!!