# Fledging advise



## j-9 (Mar 12, 2010)

My babies are getting fully feathered quickly so I know it's just around the corner....Quick questions so I can be prepared.....They are in an Aviary, the box is about 4 foot up from the ground which is a combo of pea gravel and concrete pavers. Will they get hurt when they jump out? Secondly...the wire caging does not start for about 1 foot up....will they know to jump up to the wire sides to climb around? Two ladders are there for my poor flyers.....Can they actaully fly at this point? My main concern is the bottom is not sealed and ants (red) have come in before for seed......if I make a platform will they jump up to it? Do they stay on the ground once they leave the box or will they go back in the box? Should I put them back in? or on a perch? Will they roost at night up high like the others if not????? I know I have a bazillion questions....I'm scared for the next step....they have been so safe and well taken care of thus far I hate to think of the dangers outside their safe little box....What do you do in an Aviary setting?


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## nwoodrow (Feb 13, 2011)

okay, most chicks until they leave the nest box havent really learned to fly, they will most likely peak out of the box for a while, but as to what they do to get out of the box hun i cant really say as i hand feed all my babes, i just know that until i put them in the fledgling cage they dont know how to fly, my friends breed in a cage and until the babes figure out how to get around they spend most of thier time on the bottom of the cage calling for mom and dad to come down and feed them. i do hope more experienced aviary breeders come on and are able to answer these questions for you hun.


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## j-9 (Mar 12, 2010)

I can cut some bamboo and make a ladder from the floor to their box......that may ease them out and back in.....I too hope someone that has experience chimes in ...they are siting at just under three weeks now (oldest ones) Maybe some of my little extra cages I can sit on the floor and it would allow them to climb up and get themselves off the ground...I just don't want them stuck on the ground. Thanks for the support...I really appreciate it


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

For the first couple days you're probably going to have to put them back in the box yourself, they aren't that coordinated so all the climbing and such won't make much sense to them. But dad will come out and feed them and show them the ropes and where the food and water is and such since that's his job and once they start to get the hang of it they'll get better.


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## Eileen (Mar 11, 2011)

I just went through this with my baby. On Friday of last week, he fell out of his nest box, so I put him in a container on the bottom of his cage. It was basically a brownie pan with shavings in it. It worked well, because he could climb in and out of it. He was 3.5 weeks old at this point. By that following wednesday, not only was he climbing and perching, but he flew for the first time. He still likes to sleep in the brownie pan. He is 4.5 weeks now. He has flown a couple of times since then.

I probably should mention that my baby was doing a lot of flapping of his wings in his cage, so he does a pretty good job of scattering his shavings everywhere.


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## j-9 (Mar 12, 2010)

All the other birds in the Aviary are very interested in them....Sugar shared their box to lay an egg, Sweetpea another Male sneaks in and feeds them, and I even caught one of the female parakeets feeding them......so They will probably gets lots of attention when they make the trek out....everyone is waiting....my fear is them getting bit by a few ants before I get to them or the 3 foot flight down hurting them....I'll make a wire platform and place it under box....I'll just rise it an inch or so off the ground.....maybe I'm just worrying for nothing....The birds run around on the ground all the time.....ahhhhhh


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## j-9 (Mar 12, 2010)

Two jumpers yesterday......I let them stay on the ground a little while....Pedro (dad) is already setting up house in another box, but was on the ground on and off with them...but Sweetpea (lutino male) is the one mating with Misty(caught twice)???? Misty still going in at night, and Sweetpea (not dad) has been feeding them the last two days?????


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Guess he took over daddy duties...its usually a male that shows them the ropes so this works too. Is their Dad setting up house with a different hen?


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## j-9 (Mar 12, 2010)

No same Hen, but like I said....she was mating with Sweetpea (the other one) I bet he's the real dad....crazy! No matter who the daddy is these babies are gorgeous
In the last picture...that is Pedro (the main dad)....so he is taking on his outside duties, but Sweetpea is doing, in-box duties????? So that little scratch he is doing....is that the way he gets them to fly...I noticed him doing it consistantly...must be a point to it


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

No that's him picking at the pin feathers to open them up.


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## j-9 (Mar 12, 2010)

I'm learning so much thanks! Really appreciate you guys


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