Cockatiel fell out of breeding box..

[jtequida]

Hi,
This morning I found the oldest of my cockatiel babies on the bottom of my cage instead of in the nesting box. He is about a month old. Doesn't have all his feathers yet but has a lot. The fall was about 15 inches. I picked him up and held him for a while and then put him back in the box. He seemed okay. Should I be worried, should I put him back in the box? He's too young to be by himself? The parents are still taking care of them. I intend to let them wean them and I will just hold them a lot to get them tame and used to people.

I have a short perch inside the box that goes from the outside to the inside for the parents to sit on in. Should I remove it?

I saw somewhere that you can put Millet sprigs in with the babies. At what age should I consider doing that?

Also, I noticed the best box is not filling up with so much baby bird poop now. Is that normal for it to slow down as they get older?

Thank you so much for any advice! New baby cockatiel mum!

 

[Emma&pico]

Hi @Zara might be help you

 

[Zara]

Firstly, any unfeathered chicks that fall out of the nest box is not common if the box is adequate, if it is a smaller box, that could explain the fall.
Yes, put him back in the box if the parent(s) are caring for him. If the parents push him out, he needs to be moved to a brooder.

I have a short perch inside the box that goes from the outside to the inside for the parents to sit on in. Should I remove it?

Do you have a picture?

Also, I noticed the best box is not filling up with so much baby bird poop now. Is that normal for it to slow down as they get older?

No. Poops appear more and more until they fledge. Once they are fully feathered, they will be going out of the box for poops.

 

[jtequida]

a

So here's the inside and outside of the box. It is made to specifications I found on the Internet for cockatiel size box.
Yesterday I came home and the baby was sitting on a rope ladder that was hung across the cage. Just hanging out!

 

[jtequida]

Firstly, any unfeathered chicks that fall out of the nest box is not common if the box is adequate, if it is a smaller box, that could explain the fall.
Yes, put him back in the box if the parent(s) are caring for him. If the parents push him out, he needs to be moved to a brooder.


Do you have a picture?


No. Poops appear more and more until they fledge. Once they are fully feathered, they will be going out of the box for poops.

Here he is again, trying to escape! He wants out all the time now!

 

[jtequida]

Oops ..

 

[Zara]

Yes, I was going to say, there's no way they accidentally fell out of there. They are at the exploring age getting ready to fledge.

 

[jtequida]

Yes, I was going to say, there's no way they accidentally fell out of there. They are at the exploring age getting ready to fledge.

Thank you Zara! I have another question. Someone had mentioned about the mother plucking baby feathers. I saw the mother pecking a lot at the babies. I was worried she was being really mean to them. I can't tell if this baby has had his feathers plugged or is it normal feather growth? Can you tell? Thank you! I'm really worried

 

[Zara]

It seems very likely. The wing featheres are very advanced but the back has bare patches.
@Tiel Feathers

 

[jtequida]

It seems very likely. The wing featheres are very advanced but the back has bare patches.
@Tiel Feathers

So, OMG! I ended up moving the female into another cage last night because it was getting bad. Just now I looked in the new cage she's in and there's an egg on the floor!I guess this would explain everything! I suppose she wanted them out so she could start over! Can I just take the eggs as I'm not in a position to do this again right now because I have travel plans coming up when the babies would be sure and a friend is watching my birds! Ugh I don't know what to do, I feel really bad. I hadn't seen them mating at all

 

[WillowQ]

That was my guess- that she was plucking the babies because of an urge to have a second clutch.

Perhaps you could replace the eggs with dummy eggs as she lays them and let her sit on the dummies? Or you could addle the eggs, if you are unable to do a second breeding cycle.

 

[Zara]

Ugh I don't know what to do, I feel really bad.

Don't feel bad, it's ok.
Just take the egg, give it a quick boil, once it has cooled, return it to where it was. A dummy egg is a much quicker switch if you have some, but boiling eggs is a solution everyone can use