# Parent raised chick fledging...



## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

This is my first time letting Gibbs and Hetty raise their chick and now baby is 25 days old. He is nearly totally feathered and really mobile but has yet to climb out of the box. You can see his little head looking out the hole and it's so darn cute! lol  He's nearly as big as they are now. 

When I pulled chicks in the past, they were in a cage at around 4 weeks old. But being that mom and dad are still feeding, do you think I could take the nest box out and place him on the bottom of the cage so he can explore more and start to sample food on his own? Or should I actually wait until I see him find his way out of the nest box? What do you guys do? He is showing signs of foraging.. or rather testing things with his beak when he's out and about with us. And then there's my question of how do you get mom and dad to NOT poo on baby when he is out and about with no nest box? Again, with pulling them prior.. didn't have this issue. Just kept thinking last night of this little guy getting pooed on constantly. 

Thoughts anyone? Also, any other tips or things I should be prepared for different from raising pulled chicks? Thanks guys!


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

Keep the nest box up until he leaves on his own. It won't be long now, my chicks usually look out the door for 3 or 4 days before they fledge.

If it isn't causing problems, you can leave the nestbox up for a few days after he fledges. Fledglings are very clumsy at first, and it's hard for them to manage in the big world. It's nice to be able to put the baby in the box to rest every now and then, especially at night. Some parent birds are confused by fledglings and can't figure out at first how to feed a baby that isn't in the box. If this happens, you can put the baby in the box periodically so the parents can feed it.

I've never had a problem with the parent birds pooping on the baby after it fledges. If the cage is big enough for the number of birds in it, there might be occasional bombing incidents but it won't happen very often.


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## Szafije (Jun 8, 2011)

Same here 
I have 5 babies, so while 3 of them are coming out of the nest (4th tried too), the 5th is too little....
I have a breeding cage, I am not sure it will be big enough for all 7 birds...when should I move them in a different cage? (oldest is 1 month old today)
Or with 5 babies when should I remove the nest box???? I saw the parents were feeding the 3 biggest ones when they left the nest, also they went back to the nest by themselves after a while, now all babies are in the box.


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## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

Well see this is what is all new to me. In the past, I fed the babies, but this time round.. mom and dad are. There is only 1 here. But still. This is a very eye opening experience trying to learn both sides of it. You have to allow for different dynamics and I must admit, it was hard for me after enjoying hand feeding to sit through this. lol But, it is still fascinating and a very good learning tool. After seeing mom and dad raise this one though, and know I can still play a part in his/her everyday life... I honestly think that this is the way I will go from now on unless there are issues. I am not saying it was easier in anyway.. because I am still there checking and still hands on. But I see a difference in Gibbs and Hetty and little one is still part of our lives. Before with hand feeding, yes, I was the one responsible for them all of the time.. but I still feel that way in making sure everything is going well. And .. Baby G.. Callen.. is quite accustomed to hands and being handled and loved regardless.


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## Szafije (Jun 8, 2011)

Yes I know and I am sure it is difficult, I never hand fed babies so I do not know the other side  It is a great experience that is for sure!!! I am really enjoying it.
The babies are still hissing at me if I open the nest box and put my hand in it, but when they are out, they are sweet and curious and love when I stroke their heads.
I guess maybe I cannot take the nest box off till all of them are coming out regularly and then I can also move them in the other cage leaving the door open so the parents can feed them???
So when you gave them seeds first, did they have seedy poops because the did not hull the seeds in the beginning?


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## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

When I pulled my previous chicks there was a change in their poo. This can be expected thinking about what they are changing to.  But the way I understand it.. is the mom and dad change the consistency of what they are feeding the babies based on their ages. This is one reason why there can be an issue with a large clutch. Older baby needs a different consistency.. newer baby needs another. This could very well be the way of the parents trying to wean the babies onto their diet that they would get if no longer fed by mom and dad. But, seeings how this is my first venture on it .. I am not sure of that 100%. It makes sense though. Perhaps others can chime in that have experience. 

It would just make sense to me that what they are feeding would be a bit more total seed.. and baby would have to digest it. But, baby should be figuring out how to digest it. Again, that's where my comment comes in about change in diet.


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## Szafije (Jun 8, 2011)

Remember I experienced seedy poops earlier and the vet said what you did. I was just wondering if now it happens because they are trying the seeds without hulling them or it is the same issue with the parents feeding them...hard to be a grandma human


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