Help with ten day old baby lovebird

[Debbie1104]

Hi I need a little help. I have a ten day old baby lovebird( only one hatched out of five). Unfortunately it was not born in a nesting box as mum bird did not take to it. I wondered if I’d be able to put the baby back into the nesting box as it’s getting bigger and it’s on the bottom of the cage and trying to stand and mum is still sitting in it keeping it warm. Will she accept this and still look after the baby? Any advise is appreciated as I’m a first time breeder Thanks Debbie

 

[Debbie1104]

Hi need some help. I have a ten day old baby lovebird ( only one from five eggs). It was born outside of a nest box, on the bottom of its cage. Mum has been looking after it and feeding it but it is now getting bigger and trying to stand up. Would I be able to put it back into the nest box so it can stay warm. Will mum still feed and look after it if I do. I’d appreciate any advice as I’m a first time breeder Thanks Debbie

 

[Debbie1104]

Hi I need some advise. I have a ten week old baby lovebird. Mum and dad have been feeding and looking after it and it’s thriving the only problem I have is that it was not born in a nest box and it’s now getting bigger and trying to move around a lot. Mum is still sitting on it to keep it warm. I wanted to put a nesting box in and move the baby into it so it can keep warm as it has no other babies to keep warm with. Only one egg hatched from five. Is this advisable, will it upset mum. I appreciate any advice as I’m a first time breeder Thanks Debbie

 

[sunnysmom]

@Zara ?

 

[Ripshod]

Welcome to the Avenue. I'll summon a good member for this
@Zara

 

[Zara]

Hello Debbie ,
I have merged all three threads so we don´t miss any info while reading and to contain responses..

Normally, you would be ok to add a nest box if a chick hatched on the floor while there was no nest box available for the hen to lay in however you said;

it was not born in a nesting box as mum bird did not take to it

So don´t put the baby in there as she has rejected that box and moving the chick in there could mean she abandons it.
I would recommend getting paper towels folded up so it makes a sort of cushion, putting it under the chick. Make sure paper is avail for your hen to shred. Put the cage in a corner or next to a wall so there is no draught and be sure your room where the cage is is warm.
If your hen has been tending to the chick until now, she will carry on doing so on the cage floor.

For next time, try a new box. Sounds like yours was maybe too small, too narrow, too low. Try other types of boxes until you find on she takes to. Make sure there is enough room for two adult birds to sit in and move around inside.

 

[Zara]

I would recommend getting paper towels folded up so it makes a sort of cushion,

To be clear, Paper towels=kitchen roll, Kitchen paper, the soft absorbant stuff that is textured.
It is important you don´t use normal paper, or other smooth surface etc as the chick needs to be able to grip the floor to avoid it getting splayed legs.
You will need to change the nest as it gets dirty, every couple of days at first then every day.

 

[Debbie1104]

Thanks for the advice. I have put sawdust on the bottom of the cage is this ok for the baby and mum is still putting it under her wing. How long will she do this for. When will it stand by itself.

 

[Debbie1104]

And will the chick be able to grip the bottom of the cage as it’s plastic

 

[Zara]

I have put sawdust on the bottom of the cage is this ok

You mean like hamster bedding/wood shavings?
Yes thats, good. Just make sure the chick is not putting it´s feet on the cage floor under the shavings. They will push them out the way.
Do you have a picture?

 

[Debbie1104]

The mother has pushed the sawdust to make a hole where she lays with baby. There is no sawdust in this part.what shall I do

 

[Debbie1104]

Here’s a photo taken two days ago

 

[Zara]

Ah I see. Yes, this is what happens when the shavings are too shallow. It is very important to fix this.
Line the cage floor with kitchen roll/paper towel, then put shavings on top. Then put some sheets of paper in the cage for the hen to shred, she will add to the shavings and make a nest.

mum is still putting it under her wing. How long will she do this for

She will do this until the chick is feathered. As the feathers are growing in, she will sit next to the chick as popposed to on top.

When will it stand by itself.

I recently compiled a playlist on my youtube account showing day by day peach faced lovebird growth if you want to have a look how the chicks grow.

 

[Debbie1104]

Ok thanks I’ve run out of kitchen towel so just added more sawdust for now and will sort out over the weekend

 

[Zara]

Use toilet tissue to line that whole part of the cage (a few layers). The chick needs some grip and the wood shavings will move again.
Splayed legs can handicap your bird for life, so it´s really important we do all we can to try minimize the risks of it happening.

edit; Have a look at this article. there is a section about the bedding and splayed legs and some tips and ideas. The whole article is about cockatiels, but they are so similar in terms of bedding, nesting etc. It will be helpful info not only now but in the future too.

Candling Eggs

CANDLING COCKATIEL EGGS By Susanne Russo and intro by Carolyn Haldar

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