'Tiel question for srtiels

[RavenclawPrefect]

I have 3 chicks that I pulled for handfeeding when they were 2 weeks old. They are doing awesome, in a cage, playing with food, perching, whistling...everything they should be doing. They are on an 8 hour schedule of feeding.

This morning, when I was feeding them, Dad flew over to the cage and went inside. He actually was feeding the chicks! I was surprised because Mom has shown no interest in them and until today, neither had Mist. He only fed one of them and very briefly but he was feeding the chick.

They are caged apart but should I make sure to keep Dad away or is there any harm in him still lending a wing? The chicks are 31 days and 28 days old now.

 

[srtiels]

It is fine to let the Daddy bird help out. In fact you might even consider leaving him in with them as a helper when you handfeed. He will teach them to eat on their own and assist you in weaning them. Males are always the maternal parents in a pair. By the time the babies are ready to fledged the females are just glad they are gone.

 

[RavenclawPrefect]

Good info to know! I have crumbles, cheerios and millet in with them...they mainly want to just sleep in the bowl. I will let Mist help out and show them how to eat. They are doing really well...I didn't want to do anything to set them back.

 

[srtiels]

Ah...Daddy bird will be happy with the arrangement.

I once had a male that would pine away and stop eating when I took the babies. I had to handfeed him to get him to eat. My vet told me to let him keep a baby to wean out in the future. At the time I was weaning out some of his babies and he got out flew over to the cage, lifted up the door, and flapped his wings to get the baby to fly away with him.

 

[RavenclawPrefect]

I was kinda surprised by Mist. He was a dedicated egg cracker so I was not expecting him to be such a good dad but he has been a fantastic dad.

I am sure the babies will be happy to see him too.

 

[srtiels]

That is GREAT! Daddy birds love babies...so when reunited they will all be happy.

 

[Sharpie]

Budgie dads are the same way!

 

[srtiels]

Ah...what a sweet pix! What a good Daddy bird

 

[tammie]

Daddy birds are the best!! I would let him feed some, not all the time though. And if he would hang out with the fids and show them how to eat, drink and play it would be an added bonus!

 

[RavenclawPrefect]

Here is a picture of Mist coming to help out. He fed the two younger chicks but the older chick was just not interested. He seemed pretty pleased to see them.

 

[southernbirds]

So very sweet and it looks like the guy birds are "good providers". Nice to see.

 

[srtiels]

Grat pix!...thanks for sharing. Your Mist would have looked exactly like the baby that is right below his beak when he was a baby. He looks like he was pearled at one time. My Daddy bird would also eat from the syringe and then go off and feed the babies. One time I had the syringe on the counter...he flew over and tried to fly away with it...LOL

 

[RavenclawPrefect]

I never saw Mist before his first molt so no idea if he was pearled as a chick but it would make sense since we know he is split to pearl (or these babies would not be pearled)

I am not a breeder by any shot but I find the genetics involved here really interesting and can see why it is so important to know when you have babies.

 

[srtiels]

How is Daddy bird and the babies doing

 

[RavenclawPrefect]

They are doing fantastic! All three of the chicks are flying and doing very well. I have seen all of them playing with the food in their dish (pellets, seed, millet, cheerios and I put out some fresh veggies too) Mist, Dad, still likes to come over and preen them, hang out with them and feed them. When the babies see me, they tend to ignore him at that point.

Probably next week, I am going to bring them all in to be DNA tested because I want to know so we can finalize names. Fatty will NOT be stuck being called Fatty. Midnight is pretty neutral but I think Dimitri is a girl Here is a better picture of the entire family.

This was taken a few days ago, Fatty was 34 days old, Dimitri and Midnight were 31 days old.

Mist: Here, let me fix those feathers for you.
Fatty: Dad! You're embarassing me!
Dimitri/Midnight: Cheese!
Equinox: Hold still, let him fix your feathers, dear.

 

[waterfaller1]

Wow..Equinox is gorgeous! What great pics.

 

[srtiels]

Waht a BEAUTIFUL family!!! I love your captions...it fits their faces