Baby Indian Ring Neck Parrots

[Tinytoez]

Hi all
Our IRNs have had babies, they have been together for 4 years but this is the first time they have laid eggs. We know mum has bred before because she came to us with her son, but her and her husband didnt get on very well until now.
She laid eggs just as the weather went bad again so we didnt think the eggs would survive so didnt bother preparing anything, well 3 days ago mum checked in the box and there were 2 teeny babies, todayI when she checked there was another one and she still has 2 eggs left.
They are all outside and she raised her son without any problems outside, but Im now worrying about her not being able to handle all her babies, if all the eggs hatch, she seems to be doing ok at the moment, but I want to be prepared.
I know I shoudl have asked this before but never thought we would get this far.
Ive seen how to make a simple brooder out of a plastic box and a heat mat, but I cant get hold of any hand feed just incase.

 

[Tinytoez]

And the end of my first message should have read
Any help and ideas would be apreciated

 

[Renae]

The worse that can happen is that one or more can get abandoned, and it will usually be the younger babies because the older babies are larger and stronger so they will be the ones getting fed, if that happens, you pull the older babies so the younger babies will be fed. You need to make sure they are all getting fed, if they aren't, they become weak and can be rejected by the parents. You can buy hand-feeding formula online.

 

[Tinytoez]

Is it possible to feed and put back in the nest, or would we need to pull completley and put in a brooder?

 

[Greycloud]

Hi Tammy! Welcome back! I would keep an eye on the babies crops and make sure they are nice and pink ensuring they are being kept warm. If babies need extra feeding you can attempt to HF and place back in the nest. Many hens will accept the babies back. Others may kill them. Have you hand fed before? Hand feeding newly hatched chicks can be difficult. Formula temp is very important. If kept in a brooder the temp must be kept around 95 degrees to start. Sometimes it is just a waiting game to see what mamma does.

 

[Tinytoez]

Hi Judy.
No Ive never handfed before. Babies are pink and noisy at the moment. I cant seem to get any formula in our shops, they used to sell it but not any more. I hate the waiting game, but I know mumma hen isnt a novice even if we are. Im still in shock they have actually hatched!

 

[65sunnyday]

Welcome back, Tammy! I would go out TODAY to the library for a book on raising baby parrots, & a book on handfeeding, if you can find one. If you can buy one on Amazon, then do that, rush order. READ them. If the breeders you bought your other birds from are available (& willing), take advantage of them for advise & emergencies. Also, maybe for a small fee, a BREEDER will handfeed for you. It's so tragically easy to make an error w/handfeeding. And maybe it's moot, & Mommy will feed them all! Just make sure she has lots of warm food to eat, as what you will feed her is what the chicks will be fed. I would make sure she gets warm mash, chopped up hardboiled egg, w/ finely mashed eggshell, etc. Please check the various forums hear, & don't hesitate to ask any questions you may have. Just a reminder to make sure the brooder isn't too warm (or cold!) for the babies. Put a thermometer in there, & don't set a baby ON the pad! A fluffy towel w/paper tower is ideal. Remember babies need to grip w/their feet in the nestbox. You've got a lot to learn in a very short time, & those babies will be depending on you!

ETA: If the shops don't have hand feeding formula, then GET SOME SOMEPLACE ELSE! Internet, next day delivery. If/when those babies need you, it will be immediate. They can't wait a week to be fed & fed safely.

 

[Tinytoez]

We got the mum from a friend who was too old to look after her so not exactly a breeder. Im reading as much as I can, Im also trying to find out where I can get stuff to make this brooder. Ive just called a local pet shop and they said they do heat lamps and heat mats for reptiles but Im not sure if these are the same as Ive heard that reptile heaters heat the tank furnature so wouldnt work!

 

[Greycloud]

You can use a large rubber made container or a 10 gal fish tank. Go to a pharmacy store and buy a heating pad that does not shut off after a certain time and place it UNDER 1/2 the tank. I used a screen for the top and placed a towel over it leaving about an inch open. This kept the temp just right. You can use Care Fresh bedding or towels.
Kathie at MySafeBirdStore - DISCOUNTED Bird Products - Safe & Healthy from a Bird Free Environment. Best prices on the 'net. Same day shipping. ships internationally. You can order handfeeding formula from her.

 

[Tinytoez]

Baby Lovebird Brooder Set-up - YouTube

I want to make this one but Im still trying to find the bits I need to buy, Im having problems, I cant even get a heat pad that doesnt turn off after 90 mins.

 

[merlinsmom13]

Watch out for heat lamps, there was a thread here about fumes that are burned off when they are 1st used. Good luck!

 

[Tinytoez]

Ive decided against a heat lamp as it will take a while to order the correct bulb and I need this sorted ASAP.
Not having uch luck TBH, I found one already made on Ebay but it had a huge orange bulb on the inside of the box theres no way Im risking that.

 

[Sadieladie1994]

Are sugar gliders very popular there? Suggies need to be in a warm environment so you may be able to find some supplies at a store for them. If you have a portable heater you can set that up in a small room and raise the temp in that room which also makes a difference. In that case I place towels in the bin and sit it on newspaper which is a good insulater. You can make a handfeeding formula and I have found those on some small bird breeder sites. Wish you the best. Mom and Dad sound like there are doing fine so far so keep the parents well fed.

 

[65sunnyday]

Tammy, where in England do you live (Which city?) Maybe there is someone nearby you on AA that could help.

 

[Tinytoez]

Im in Kent, Im not sure if anyone does live round this area.

 

[cosmolove]

The reptile heating pad you saw that the store should work. I do not believe they shut off and most of them are made to stick to the underside of the aquarium.

 

[65sunnyday]

Hello again, Tammy--I've contacted another member on AA who lives in England, & hopefully she'll be able to direct you to a business or vendor near you where you can obtain the supplies you need. Are these birds all in an outside aviary? I don't know much about IRNs, except that they have some 'UN-parrot-like' behaviors, ie they don't mate for life, the females are the dominate partner & will sometimes kill the partner they mated with. Is it possible to move out the dad &/or other birds so she can be alone w/her babies? Ahh, I don't really know if that's the best thing to do. You need to find someone who knows about IRNs to advise you. I'm so glad that you are doing everything you can for these parents & their babies. If something unexpected happens, I'd suggest posting in the 911 Emergency forum, or the forum for IRNs & other keets, I think it's called. I wish I could offer you more help than I have. Good luck to you & your babies, I hope everything works out. Keep us updated.

 

[Tinytoez]

Thankyou April, Helen has Pm'd me.
At the moment everything is going great, Dad is feeding Mum and then Mum is feeding the kids, so Im reluctant to take Dad out and mess up the system, but I will if I need to.
And I may possibly post in another part of the forum too if I need to.

 

[65sunnyday]

Wow, good job, Tammy! Lots of updates, please--esp when the other eggs hatch!

 

[Tinytoez]

It looks unlikely that the other 2 eggs will hatch now as one has been moved out the way and theres not much action with the other, but I think triplets is good as its a nice number for mum to care for, so Im not worried.
My mum has just checked on them, all 3 doing well, and in her words "one is a big bruiser", and she was suprised how big it is, so Im now going to keep a close eye out to make sure Bruiser doesnt live up to his name too much.
Ive got a nice size plastic box with air holes and a lid now and a heat pad just incase, but the longer this goes on the less likely its looking that we will need to help. I cant wait for them to get big enough to come out of the box on little adventures so we can start taming them.