Ask Lafeber

Zebra finch fledglings

My zebra finches have had 4 chicks, all of which have fledged the nest for the last 4 days and returned to the nest each evening – mum and dad showing them the day. One of the chicks is smaller than the rest, day 1 we found it on the floor and put it back in the nest. Day 2 we picked it up off the floor any put it out with the others. Day 3 it got out by itself and went somewhere else apart from the others. All days the parents fed it and all days I had to put it back in the next myself. Dad seems fine with it, but it asks to be fed more than the others and I’ve seen the mum peck it almost as if irritated (might be me projecting, but I’m sure it resents the small one for being hard work). Today day 4 again all the others have gone to bed, I put it in the nest myself and mum has gone and kicked it out and chased it around the aviary pecking it! I know I shouldn’t mess with the nest, but the other chicks are robust, I’ve seen them eat independently (but all still fed by parents too), I’m not worried about the tiny one. Should I leave it out? It’s still warm out, 14 Celsius lowest tonight, but I don’t like it out alone. I’m worried if I keep messing with it mum will reject it completely. At the moment it’s still being fed so I don’t think it would do better indoors with a heat lamp, as I wouldn’t know how to feed it. Could you advise?

Hi,

As soon as chicks can leave a nest on their own, you need to remove it. So go ahead and take the nest out. A nest is not a bed – birds do not need a nest for anything but laying eggs and raising chicks. While these chicks aren’t weaned, they no longer need access to the nest. What will happen is the parents will want to nest again, so they get impatient with the chicks. If the hen starts laying eggs, they will let the chicks die instead of weaning them. Captive birds do not know when to stop breeding, so you have to stop them by taking their nest away as soon as the chicks leave, or if the eggs failed to hatch, you remove the nest anyway. Once these chicks are weaned, you need to separate them from the parents. Rest the parents for 4-6 months before giving them the nest and letting them breed again. Once the nest is gone, the parents are more likely to be more patient with the youngest chick because they aren’t trying to get rid of the chicks in order to nest again.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda