Expert: Chrys Meatyard - 11/22/2007

Question
Hi Chrys,

After having my parakeets for 5 years, they decided (unexpectedly) to start a family.  They hatched 2 babies 19 days ago.  We have named the babies Merry and Pip. I will refer to them by their names to keep from confusion.

They both hatched the same day.  There were 2 other eggs that did not hatch.  We have had several problems.  Firstly,  the female refused to lay the eggs inside the nest box, and incubated them in the bottom of the cage.  Because of this, when the babies hatched (to my great surprise, I didn't think they were even fertile) they fell through the bars into the bottom tray.  By the time I discovered this, the first baby hatched, (Pip) was very cold, and I thought it was dead.  I put both babies in my hands and as they warmed, I realized they were both alive.  My husband put a shoe box lid in the bottom of the cage and lined it with gravel paper.  I put the babies back in, and the mother immediately sat on them and began taking care of them.  Unfortunately, the daddy bird was not happy about the babies, and began to harass the mother and trying to kill the babies.  We had to remove the dad to a different cage.  All of this happened the day they were hatched.

From then on, all was well, until the babies were 1 week old.  At that time, I noticed that Pip, had a leg that stuck straight out to the side instead of under him.  I did some research online and realized that he had developed splayed leg.  I researched several methods of correcting this problem, and finally decided to use the makeup sponge method.  When Pip was 10 days old I put the splint on his legs, removed him from his mom and began hand feeding.  I of course had to prop him up because of the splint.  I am using a heating pad set on low, covered in rubber shelf liner as a heat source.  He is doing fine, he is eating approx. 4 cc every 3-4 hours, and is not eating through the night (he did the first 2 days because I could only get him to eat about 1 cc at a time, and I had to feed him every 1-2 hours, and also through the night).  I felt like I had another newborn!  According to the directions on the splint, they said to leave it on for 1 week straight, which is what I did.  On Monday, I took the splint off, and the leg is better, but it is not perfect yet, so with A LOT of struggle, my husband and I put a new splint on him.  It was really hard, because he is so much stronger now, and he struggled and bit me, hard enough to actually hurt!!  By the time we finally got it on him, he was very stressed out, and so was I!  I decided then, that I would leave the splint on for 1-2 more weeks, and after taking it off, if the leg is still not perfect, he will have to just adapt to it!  Do you have any more suggestions concerning the splayed leg?  Am I doing the right thing?

OK, now for Merry, I removed him from his mother when he was 17 days old.  I decided to do this, so that he would be as friendly and tame as Pip.  Also, the daddy parakeet was acting very angry and depressed about being separated from the female, and I wanted to get him back in with her ASAP.  The hand feeding has been very challenging because I had to train Merry to eat from a syringe, and it was as though I was back with a newborn again.  He would only take about 1 cc at a time, and then was crying to eat every 1-2 hours.  Then Pip, whose crop was still full, thought he needed to eat too, so then I had BOTH babies making a huge racket! Also, Pip does not seem to like Merry at all!  He sets to squacking whenever they get close to each other.  I have them in the same incubator, but I now have Pip inside a ceramic soup mug lined with rubber shelf liner and unscented kleenex.  It is then set on the heat pad, and the mug gets warm.  This is for 2 reasons, one to keep Merry and Pip separated, yet together, and also, to keep him propped up.  

Merry is also beginning to peck at things in the bottom of the incubator.  When will they begin to wean?  When should I start introducing seed and things to them?

I guess mostly I need a little reassurance that I am doing the right things.  I enjoy taking care of these little birds, but I am worried that I will make mistakes.  I would love to breed birds, but I wish I had training in it!

Sorry this is so long, thank you so much for your help.

Sincerely,
Cheryl

Answer
Hi, Cheryl,

You seem to be doing all the right things!  I'd leave Pip hobbled until you see no further improvement in the splay leg.  After about 3-4 weeks of age, usually no further improvement will occur.  

When baby birds start pecking at things in the bottom of their incubator/cage, this usually means they are about ready to start weaning.  Most of the keets I've bred start to wean at about 3-4 weeks and are completely weaned at about 6 weeks (depending on the individual bird).  You will need to start the weaning process.  However, do not wean the babies to an all-seed diet if you want them to be healthy.  Start out by offering warm, soft foods when you eliminate a handfeeding.  Warm foods work well because the babies are used to warm handfeeding formula.  Foods such as cooked brown rice, cream of wheat (w/o milk and sugar), oatmeal, corn bread, etc., (healthy, nutritional foods).  Read more about weaning/feeding on my website:  www.angelfire.com/falcon/birdinfo/index.html

I've never seen "training" offered for breeding parrots (unless an experienced breeder takes you under their wing so to speak).  It's a matter of learning as much as possible by research first, then owning/living with birds, then when you think you have the knowledge, trying your hand at breeding.  You never know all you need to know about aves.  I've lived with parrots/birds every day for over 18 years and I still learn new things every day.

Chrys