Hi,
I’m sure you realize that these are all things that should be in place before you let your birds breed. Most likely the last chick died because of the parent’s diet. Seeds are not going to offer the nutrition the parents or the chicks need. You can’t change their diet now, but you can add to it. These chicks may or may not survive. Whatever happens, the nest box must be removed as soon as they leave the nest, or if they don’t make it. Please do not allow this pair to breed again for at least 6 months, and then only if you have changed them to a nutritious diet. If you let a pair breed over and over without resting them, the female is very likely to die from the stress on her body of laying too many eggs and then trying to care for chicks. The problem is in the wild, they nest one time a year, and then the season changes so they stop. In captivity, if you don’t intervene, they will literally keep breeding until it kills them.
OK – for the diet, you need to offer them a pelleted food because it is nutritionally balanced. We also make a balanced diet that contains whole seeds, but it is balanced like a pellet. It is not the same as feeding loose seeds. You can offer dark lettuce, spinach and other dark leafy greens. Try chopping them up or offering whole leaves. The same with veggies, but generally they want the veggies chopped. Also cook an egg with the shell washed, crushed and cooked with the egg, chop it all up and offer some daily. Put the food where you always put it. Don’t change things in the cage or they may abandon the chicks. You may need to replenish the fresh food several times a day. Hey need a lot of food available or they won’t feed the chicks. Here is a link with more information.
Bird Food Guide
Thank you for asking Lafeber,
Brenda
