Help

[Welshsha]

Hi all
Be grateful for some help and support, I have two stunning kakarikis and they have had 5 stunning babies nearly 7 weeks old.
The mother has been plucking the babies feathers, and the mum and dad are plucking each others feathers out, they have plenty of water clean cage, plenty of veg and egg food etc, plenty of toys, it distressing to see them with missing feathers.
We are not sure if we have made the right decision to separate parents from babies, babies are drinking water and eating food.
Parents wont separate from each other they cry for each other...
What are we doing wrong
Been trying to get hold of the guy we bought birds off but he has avoided our calls... please help

 

[dianaT]

we have a few members with Kaks I am sure they will be along with advice @DizzyBlue @Yellowchickenparrot @Michael Reynolds anyone one else please.

 

[Welshsha]

we have a few members with Kaks I am sure they will be along with advice @DizzyBlue @Yellowchickenparrot @Michael Reynolds anyone one else please.

Thanku for your reply I am pulling my own hair out

 

[Michael Reynolds]

I wish I could provide an answer. this may there first set of chicks and like many new parent birds they are still learning how to care properly. how old are the chicks?

 

[Michael Reynolds]

sorry they are seven weeks, are both parents plucking the chicks or is it just the male?

 

[Welshsha]

7 weeks old, bless them they have feathers plucked and caught caroline doing it not long ago, we have put the babies in the big cage and mum and dad is other cage.
The mother and father are close but plucking each other in nasty little fights.
I know it's hard looking after 5 babies and they have done a good job until now.

 

[plumsmum]

Have a good look around there cages/aviary/nest boxes are they clean, is there any sign of anything that could be upsetting them? Mice/Rats, mites etc? If indoors are there any other pets that could be causing stress? If you try and sit and watch quietly something may become obvious

 

[Welshsha]

sorry they are seven weeks, are both parents plucking the chicks or is it just the male?

The mother is plucking the chicks

 

[Welshsha]

Have a good look around there cages/aviary/nest boxes are they clean, is there any sign of anything that could be upsetting them? Mice/Rats, mites etc? If indoors are there any other pets that could be causing stress? If you try and sit and watch quietly something may become obvious

They are indoor birds, didn't plan on them breeding it happened. Nest box is gone, I cleaned that regularly.
I have cats but they are not allowed in room they have there own bedroom.
They have plenty of food veg fruit treats, toys...

 

[Michael Reynolds]

Hello and welcome, sorry for the questions, do they chew the feathers they pluck, this could be a sign that they need calcium

 

[Michael Reynolds]

you can try anti plucking spray, this will give a nasty taste if a bird try's to pluck another.

 

[DizzyBlue]

Hi and welcome to the forum
How much room do they have? That's a lot of birdies if its a small area.
Stress can cause problems and when the parents want the youngsters to clear off and do their own thing as the parents want to pair up again that can cause issues too.
I have a family group too both parents and their off spring and some times …. seriously you think world war three had broken out when they started being fully weaned there was yelling at each other dad got annoyed at kids and shouted warnings and then mum nipped dad and then the kids start ….. they have all settled down now which is great but mine are in a large aviary with only a few other birds.
My aviary is 10ft by 12ft with 8 cockatiels, 4 budgies and the kak family …. (5 hooligans!)

 

[DizzyBlue]

At 7 weeks they have only just fully weaned then ...
Hen bird may feel a tad stressed with just having the chicks taken off her and so be trying to recharge her batteries and the cock bird may wish to breed straight away again. Don't split them up they are a bonded proven pair and their relationship will settle down. Try giving them some egg biscuit and dark green veggies like kale and broccoli some sweet potato as well.
The youngsters you need to split hen birds from cock birds you don't want the blood related youngsters pairing up and mating which they will do if they are in an isolated group like they are normally they would not pair with their own siblings but in the absence of others to mix with ….
To stop any further clutches of eggs hatching if you don't wish them to breed simple … you get a pencil and each egg that is laid you make a tiny pencil line on it and hold the egg gently in your hand and shake it as violently as you can when its just been laid or within a couple of days, Doing that means the egg will not develop inside and will basically be duff egg. Leave any eggs with the hen to sit until she realises that actually these are not going to hatch and she will stop being broody. The pencil mark is so you know which eggs are new and which you have already sorted.
Its the kindest way to ensure that you don't end up with more chicks and the parents don't run themselves into the ground rearing all the time but does allow them to go through the motions of being broody etc.
Mine bred at Christmas had a chick hatch outside -8 degrees in the aviary … they are all crackers!! Second batch was easter time. Since then have not allowed any breeding I just shake the eggs.

 

[Welshsha]

Hi and welcome to the forum
How much room do they have? That's a lot of birdies if its a small area.
Stress can cause problems and when the parents want the youngsters to clear off and do their own thing as the parents want to pair up again that can cause issues too.
I have a family group too both parents and their off spring and some times …. seriously you think world war three had broken out when they started being fully weaned there was yelling at each other dad got annoyed at kids and shouted warnings and then mum nipped dad and then the kids start ….. they have all settled down now which is great but mine are in a large aviary with only a few other birds.
My aviary is 10ft by 12ft with 8 cockatiels, 4 budgies and the kak family …. (5 hooligans!)

Our cage is a out 5ft by 4ft, when it was just the pair we wanted them to have alot of space, for when we are at work, but they do have run of room .
I get the mum will feel ragged and feeding and caring may take its toll but I am so worried a out amount of feathers she has lost, hubby checked for mites nothing. She is being plan nasty with all chicks and her partner
But they follow each other everywhere and feeding still feeding babies thru cage. CNt risk them balding the chicks.
I WILL NOT LET THEM have any more babies.
I love my birds... they are lil poops mind all day they been mouthing off at me.

 

[Welshsha]

Hello and welcome, sorry for the questions, do they chew the feathers they pluck, this could be a sign that they need calcium

I'm.off to pet shop.in morning to get some, they have multi vitamins daily.
Problem with the parents they come to us ot us to them.
But babies will come to us , of which the parents kick off out.

 

[Welshsha]

I'm.off to pet shop.in morning to get some, they have multi vitamins daily.
Problem with the parents they come to us ot us to them.
But babies will come to us , of which the parents kick off out.

No she plucks and drops them

 

[DizzyBlue]

Are they fully opened feathers she's doing that too or are they still quill feathers in their sheath?
My hen who is the mother can be lets just say …. errr .... more feisty than the males if anybody is putting everybody in their place and getting bossy it will by her in my aviary would say with the youngsters being only 7 weeks the maternal instinct is still very strong in the parents even though they are ready to make them have their own space
I wouldn't worry too much and do keep letting the parents offer to feed if the parents thought they were totally independent they would just halt feeding them.

 

[DizzyBlue]

The parent birds to my lot moulted really hard and looked really scruffy just after weaning time took them a good 8 weeks after finishing rearing to look smart again.

 

[Yellowchickenparrot]

I don't have much experience with babies, but my kaks plucked themselves when they were trying to make a nest. Good luck and all good advice.

 

[Welshsha]

Thanku all for your advice, I am so glad I found u guys. we let the parents back in this morning , the noise they made was like a riot kicked off in my house, i have again cleaned there cage, sprayed them with the a anti plucking spray may i add it's in my mouth right now urghhh , new toys more drinking tubs, put a big tub of water in for parents to have there bath, added more treats and kale broccoli sweet potato, they live better than me,
I feel a failure as of the feathers missing,
Person I bought parents offmessaged me late last night complimented me on how well I have done , but still looking at the babies and parents feathers missing still makes me feel terrible.
but both parents are very good with the babies.
Babies are showing own personality now.... refusing to go back into cage, but are all now foraging for food like there parents.
I'm not sure if there is anything else I can do?
I do love my birds but no more babies... been stressful these last few days .
But thanku all for yr help