Once the chicks are able to eat on their own, how soon can I return mom and dad budgie to the flock. Also, should I separate mom and dad, so they will not want to breed again.. They will not be provided with a nesting box, when they return. Thank you for answering my first question.
Hi Linda,
As soon as the chicks are eating on their own and no longer being fed by the parents, you can separate them. You actually have to separate them of the parents tend to get aggressive with the chicks. This is nature’s way of preventing inbreeding – in the wild the parent would chase the chicks away or leave the chicks. The parents can return to the flocks, but watch the hen closely for any signs of trying to nest. If she settles in a corner or in a food cup, rearrange things in the cage to discourage this, and replace food bowls with smaller cups she can’t get into. It’s best to fins separate homes for the chicks, or separate them by sex so that they do not try to breed with each other. I’ll give you a list of changes you can make to discourage egg laying. Congratulations on the chicks!
You need to do all of these things to discourage egg laying. Keep in mind that to lay eggs, she needs longer daylight, warmer weather, abundant food, and a quiet, private environment. Your goal is to reverse these conditions. This is a general list that can apply to one bird or several.
Limit her light to 8-10 hours by covering the cage early each evening
Do not give her anything to use as a nest – no bird huts or tents, no box, bowl, etc. If she decides to sit in a food bowl, remove it and replace with smaller cups.
Do not give her anything to shred such as paper or cardboard.
Rearrange the toys in the cage frequently.
Move the cage to a different place in the room. Move the cage about once a week, or whenever she shows signs of nesting – settling on the cage floor for example.
If she is let out of the cage, do not let her get in any dark cozy places and don’t give her free roam.
When you handle her, limit any petting to her head and neck – do not pet her on the body.
If there is no metal floor grate, then do not use any bedding or paper in the cage tray – leave it bare and clean it daily.
Thank you for asking Lafeber,
Brenda
