# I lost all 3 chicks



## calex89 (Oct 28, 2010)

I decided to let cappy and nibs look after the babies after seeing them be brilliant parent for the first 2 weeks. Then one died (he was tiny). Then a few days later another died in my hands when I was checking them  I knew he was weak but as I picked him up he took his last breath. Then there was 1 left, he was very big and strong until a few days ago then I found him dead in the nest box this morning.
I don't know what happened. They were so good with the chicks every minute of every day for 2 weeks. Then it just stopped?
I couldn't even pull any of the chicks and hand rear them because I work 10 hours a day and I'm at college on my only 2 days off.
This was there first ever clutch. They actually only mated 6 times properly and I ended up with 3 chicks! I'm just so sad. It happened so suddenly. I even took days off because I was so upset. Sorry for the long essay of a post. I needed to get it off my chest and hopefully get some sort of closure?


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## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

So sorry to hear of your loss.  It's tough when you lose one. I really do not know what could have happened. Did the babies have any marks on them, from maybe the parents plucking them or hurting them??


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

What ever happened with the parasite situation you posted about? Did you have them evaluated by a vet?


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

(((HUGS))) it is so hard to lose them.

What you might consider doing is to take the bodies to a vet to have a necropsy done. Try to give as much as possible, such as type of nestbox, bedding, age of the chicks, their positions in the nestbox when you found them, and info you can.

If it is disease related tha the parents are carrying, *or* more commonly it could be a stress induced yeast and/or bacterial problem the parents passed to the chicks while feeding.

Some other causes.... they may have strayed from the clutch while pooping, couldn't get back, chilled and died.

Were the crops empty or full when found?

Were their beak free from a build-up of food?

If you are unsure of he cause of death a necropsy will give yo some answers.


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## calex89 (Oct 28, 2010)

No they didn't have any marks on them but I did notice that the biggest one had a completely bald head? when they decided they didn't want one, they would stop feeding them then trample on them  I thought they were doing so well. I've heard that cockatiels can be quite bad parents but I just can't get my head around how badly it went. I fed them brown rice, pasta, dark green leafy veg and cereal every morning and night and they fed it to the babies. But they just gave up


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

*I fed them brown rice, pasta, dark green leafy veg and cereal every morning and night and they fed it to the babies. But they just gave up *
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Is this all you fed??....there is not enough of a balance of nutrients in this, and would lead to malnutrition. If you also gave them seed and pellets, then they would round out the diet.


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## calex89 (Oct 28, 2010)

Yes nibs and cappy both got rid of parasites. They got shots and the vet said we would deal with the babies when they get older. The crops were empty when I found all 3. The nest box is quite big, they used to both sit in there comfortably with the babies underneath them so I don't think they could stray. When i got in last night I noticed cappy or nibs didn't sit with the baby until I turned out the light. Meaning they probably just left him like they did the others  
When I found him this morning he was all curled up. They were always clean of food because cappy would feed and nibs would clean them. They nested in wood shavings and the chicks were between 2 and 3 weeks when they died.


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## calex89 (Oct 28, 2010)

No they had their normal seed bowl and seed bars in their cage. They were eating SO much!


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

*so I don't think they could stray.* 
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How chicks 'strays' in the nest is simple. When they poop they back up as far as they can, ususally right up to the side walls of the nestbox, and when done they go back to the clutch. If the bedding is uneven, or is lower at the edges, then this makes it harder for the baby to get back to the clutch for warmth. It doesn't take long for them to chill and die when they are under 10 days old in age. Always try to arrange the bedding into a bowl shape, so that the edges are the highest points.

*NOTE:* Just an FYI...When you find a chick in the nest that is cold and looks like it is dead, *never* assumed it is dead. *Always* warm the baby up. If it is still alive the warmth/heat will revive it. I had a hen I called 'Twice dead' because I found he chilled and dea looking twice.

It sounds like you had a variety of food for the parents.


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## calex89 (Oct 28, 2010)

This is what I did. I read up on setting up the nest box but after 2 weeks they just gave up feeding them and keeping them warm. I know that they were dead for definate  I had to take them out and check on them and they were lifeless, not breathing and pale in colour. It was the most upsetting thing I have ever done. Cappy has had a stressful life and nibs was only just going through his hormonal stage when he started mating with cappy so he's so young to have babies. Maybe they just wasn't ready?


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## calex89 (Oct 28, 2010)

I also found the babies sort of buried? They had literally flattened them then burried them  I had trouble finding the last one!


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

*I had to take them out and check on them and they were lifeless, not breathing and pale in colour.*
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That is exactly how they look when they are incapacitated from chilling. You can not see any chest movement. I learned this by accident. One winter (our winters are very mild) and the temps got cold at night. Something spooked several pairs off the net during the night. As I did my nestbox checks I was finding death babies right and left. I had a pile (about 6) little ones in m hand and all of a sudden I felt a twitch...it scared me. i went inside, started up the heating pad and wrapped the bodies in a towel and warmed them up. It took 10 minutes to tell if they were dead or alive. I revived 3 of them. I thought inhorror of all the ones I *thought* I lost from chilling in the past.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

*They had literally flattened them then burried them*
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The pix below (click for a larger view) shows and explains what they did.


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## rainfeather (Jan 26, 2012)

I'm sorry for your tragic loss. This must be tough to handle


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## leeisme (Feb 4, 2011)

So sorry for the loss of your chicks


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

I'm sorry you lost the babies. How old are the parents? Not going the distance on baby care can be a problem with any first-time parents, but it's especially a problem with immature birds.


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## RexiesMuM (Sep 7, 2011)

So sorry you lost all your chicks , its such a hard thing to go through . It sounds like you were doing everything right ,Srtiels has some great advice there and im glad i stumbled upon this post since i have babies hatching


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## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Oh no im so sorry


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

I'm so sorry.


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## calex89 (Oct 28, 2010)

Cappy has just turned 2 years and Nibs is only 8 months. But this is the first time cappy has ever laid an egg or shown any interest in nesting at all. 
I thought I would let them try it out naturally because I work full time and im also a full time student. I never have a whole day off but I have my 4 hours a day with the birds. Not enough time to feed the babies every 2 hours. After the first week of them being brilliant I thought I could leave them to it. And they did really well! Then on the 3rd week they both just gave up


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

Cappy is old enough to breed but Nibs is immature, and that is probably the reason that he didn't do his share of the feeding duties after a while. The male plays an important role in caring for the babies, and if Cappy followed his lead that would put the babies in serious danger.


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