# Advice needed on nest box cleaning and transferring chicks



## ramsabi (Feb 5, 2010)

Pakshi and Khushi, our female and male tiels now have a brood of 3 chicks. The nest box is a cardboard box with a layer of shredded paper. It is now a week since the first chick hatched. We have absolutely no experience in handling chicks.I have a few questions and will be very grateful for answers and also for any other advice that will give the best chances of survival to these chicks.

1. What is the best way to handle and remove the chicks from the nest box to clean the box? The objective is to cause no or minimum trauma to
the chicks.

2. Are there better layers than shredded paper and what are they? Is a layer required at all?

3. Can I transfer the chicks to an open plastic tray now rather than continue to keep them in the cardboard box?

4. Two eggs still remain unhatched. It is now about 26 days since the first egg was laid. Do I remove the eggs or continue to keep them in the nest box? If I continue to keep them how do Ihandle them when I clean the nest box? if I can transfer the chicks to an open plastic tray can I transfer the eggs also?

I know these are a lot of questions and may also be stupid but please put that down to ignorance and the anxiety to do the best thing for these babies


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Can you post some pix of your setup of where the chicks are?

Why do you want to move them?

Take care with shreded paper or the chicks being on a flat surface because if they can not get a good grip with their toes. It is at these younger ages that splyed leg occurs. This is seen by the legs sliding out from the body, instead of in the normal standing position. The leg bones are rapidly growing, and soft when young, and if splayed leg starts the leg bones can harden in this position which makes it harder to correct.

Can you get pine shavings/bedding and put under them...at least 2-3" in depth in the bottom of the box. IF you do move them to plastic, it would be very impotant to have plenty of bedding under the chicks because a plastic surface is difficult for young chicks to stand on.

In regards with doing any changes with the nestbox it is also dependant on how the parent birds react to you messing around with things. If you rarely check the box, and they are not used to your interference they may abandon the chicks if the changes are made.

As to the other eggs you need to candle (hold up and shine a light into the blunt end) the eggs to see if they are still alive or not. Many times the chicks that are already hatched will use the unhatched eggs to lean against. In doing this they keep the eggs warm, and it is also a small source of heat for them when the parents are out of the box.


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## ramsabi (Feb 5, 2010)

srtiels, thanks for your reply.

I do not have any complicate set up. It is a cardboard box, 1 foot wide, 1.5 foot tall and 1.5 foot long. It has a hole large enough for the parents to enter. I have cut a flap at the back-end to have a look at the chicks.

I do not WANT to move them. But I am sure the nest box needs to be cleaned doesn't it? And I would have to move them to clean it out. Can I get advice on how to handle the chicks?
Also I was wondering if they need to be in the open now rather than inside a dark box. That is why I asked about the plastic tray. Is this OK?

Thank u for the explanation about the legs. Pine shavings will not be available in Muscat. Are there alternatives?

The parents are completely OK with me. I check the box regularly and they have no issues.

I will try to candle the remaining eggs. If they are not alive do I remove them?

Thanks again.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

How about using soft dried grass or hay in the nestbox?

Cleaning the nestbox is a breeders preference. Some do it daily, and I presonally will not clean out the nestbox at all until the chicks are 3 weeks old.

Under normal circumstances if the chicks are healthy the bedding should *not* appear wet or soggy. If the nestbox is getting wet excessively it could be a sign of a problem such as the chicks having a slight yeast and/or bacterial problem, or the parents feeding excessive amounts of fluids.

If your preference is to change the bedding all you have to do is pick up the chicks and place them in a small container until you fix their box. 

I see no need for a plastic box just for the need of more light. The chicks are going to feel more secure in the darkness inside the box. The nestbox opening lets in enough lighting for visibility.

As to the remaining eggs, if infertile they are sterile inside, and that greatly lessens risks of bacteria if one gets broken. I ususally leave infertile eggs in the box for the chicks to lean/huddle against. If the eggs are DIS (which means 'dead in shell', meaning the embryo died early) then remove them.


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## ramsabi (Feb 5, 2010)

Thanks Susanne. I will look for soft dried grass or hay.

How do I pick up the chicks? I mean is there any specific way to hold them?


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Use one hand to cup under their chest, and the other hand to place over their back so that they are gently held between the palms of your hands.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

Wild cockatiels don't clean the nest at all, so an unclean nestbox is OK. Personally I like to change the bedding at least every other day after the oldest chick is about a week old, because they poop a LOT and it gets nasty in there.

When I change the bedding, step one is to put the parents in another cage so they're less alarmed about what I'm doing. Then I take the chicks out one at a time (one hand under the chick and one hand over) and put them in a bowl lined with paper towels. With very young chicks I cover the top of the bowl. Then I scoop out the old litter and put in new, put the chicks back, and put the parents back.


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