Stealing Babies

[Jacksprat]

Does anybody else experience trauma and guilt for taking a mothers babies? I find it heart wrenching for the first couple of days after pulling my tiels out to hand/raise. The parents hang on the door calling them and sometimes swoop me when I go in!!! Seeing the joy on the new owners faces does help ease the guilt.....and of course the money......but I don't know if I want to keep doing it. One hen in particular got psittacosis just after the last nest, maybe from the stress???

[hillcresttiels]

Hi Jacqui I suppose it's a personal thing too! At the end of a breeding season all cocks and hens except a few
devoted pairs get seperated for the oncoming season and i Know what you mean when you see them hanging off the wire screeching for their mates, :(Id guess it would be the same for missing their young, I try and avoid closeness between pairs! The hen that was ill how long have you had her as it would be interesting to know if the original outbreak was in yours or anothers aviary as most birds carry Psittacosis it's just not revealed until they fall into a stressful situation
goodluck with what ever choice you make cheers

Frank

[lovemytiels]

Hi Jacqui, yes I feel very much like you when I take the babies for h/rearing, but I know I will take good care of them. When I decide to pull the babies though , depending how many are there, I will take 1 or 2 at a time over the next few days. The parents don't seem as stressed this way when it comes to taking out the last baby & don't seem to fret, when the last baby is gone. Usually within the next couple of days they are back to mating & inspecting their nice clean nest box. Try not to feel too guilty though & maybe take the babies out gradually if the parents have previously fretted too much.. Cheers Anna

[Jacksprat]

I've had the sick hen for 12 mths. The vet said she probably already had it too. I've spoken to the breeder about it, as he wanted to know what the vet said. He's aware of psittacosis- he's personally had it. He said he got it from visiting a pet shop as his birds have never had it. Anyway, I'm learning lots and havn't lost any birds. The internet is a great library!
I'd much rather have a few good quality pairs and know all their names than a bird factory!! I guess that's why it's harder to take the babies out. But I'll keep doing it, I do enjoy having the babies, and seeing them go to new homes.

[hillcresttiels]

Good on you Jacqui just be careful that breeding hens aren't on the medication you are using! ;D i presume it's Doxycycline as it will effect them and their chicks!

Frank

[linda040899]

The reaction of my parent birds to losing their babies for handfeeding got to me many yrs ago and I opted to stop handfeeding unless I have no other choice. If I handfeed any babies, it might be once/yr.

What I've discovered is that parent fed and human socialized works very well. I'm not on a strict handfeeding schedule and just handling/playing with the babies is a lot of fun!! I start taking the babies out of the nestbox a couple of times/day (age 2.5-3 weeks is a good time to start) and I just hold them so that they get used to the human touch. Even if you handfeed, you still have to socialize so I let my parent birds do the work and I just relax and enjoy the little ones. I'm finding that these babies actually make better pets once they have fledged, as they know they are birds first and pets second. Sometimes my handfed babies don't know they are birds and it's not always a good thing!

I raise lovebirds and I don't know how/if this would work with larger parrots but it's been working for what I do.

Linda L.