Putting hand-fed babies back in box

[ljms]

I'm currently hand-raising a clutch of GCCs. They're in a TLC 30 Advanced brooder and are doing well.

They're currently on five-hourly feeds starting at 9 am with a 9-hour break overnight.

I'm going to be away from home for the day on Thursday afternoon and I was wondering if the chicks will be OK returning to their box so the mother can feed them while I'm gone? I've heard this is called "co-parenting"?

 

[Shezbug]

@Zara

 

[iamwhoiam]

How long have they been out of the nest box? I co-parented but the babies went back in shortly after I removed them. I personally would not want to return babies to the box have they've been out of it for a few days. Do you know anyone who can help yuou out with this or can you take them with you? I took babies I was handfeeding to work when I knew that I would not get home in a timely manner to feed them. Brought them in their brooder along with a heating pad and then set them up on a shelf behind my desk.

 

[ljms]

How long have they been out of the nest box? I co-parented but the babies went back in shortly after I removed them. I personally would not want to return babies to the box have they've been out of it for a few days. Do you know anyone who can help yuou out with this or can you take them with you? I took babies I was handfeeding to work when I knew that I would not get home in a timely manner to feed them. Brought them in their brooder along with a heating pad and then set them up on a shelf behind my desk.

Thanks for your reply.

They've been out since Monday. I'm not sure I can take them with me. If it's not workable then I'll just have to reschedule.

 

[Zara]

What you are describing is not co-parenting. I think IamwhoIam explained it well above, co-parenting is helping out with feeds but the chicks stay with their parents all the time. I have also co-parented chicks.
Once you remove a chick from the clutch or away from their parents, they should be kept that way and hand reared - you can't trust that the parents will accept the chicks and take care of them.

How old are the chicks? Is there noone else in your home that will be there and can spoon feed them while you are away?