Pair stopped feeding young.

[Guest scoobybob]

I have a pair of birds with 2 young at 18ish days old. The cock has started chasing the hen again and they have both stopped feeding the young. They are in the nest box a lot of the time but take no notice of there young. The young have been pushed out the nest bowl and now huddle up in the corner of the nest box. I thought I was going to have to hand feed these but they jumped out the nest box onto the floor. The cock and hen then flew to the floor and started to feed the youngsters. So I left them on the floor for a bit. Another pair are also feeding these birds as well as there own young. BUT a few of the cocks seem to know they are not there young and bully them. So I put them back in there nest box. Now every time they are hungry they jump from the nest box for feeding. Should I leave them on the floor or keep putting um back in there nest box. If they did this in the wild they would not survive. They cannot fly but look up at there nest box and jump flapping there little wings of course they only jump a few inches.

[ChrisMaidment08]

lock them in a box the c and h will find and feed them then wont get bullyed

[carlsberg]

are you feeding on the floor if so you are better off feeding in the nest boxes as at 18 days old they should be feeding themselves anyway

[pjc]

At about 14days I start putting a pot in the nest box so the young start to feed and learn to feed so put a pot in for them and they should be fine.

 

Phil

[Guest chrisss]

At about 14days I start putting a pot in the nest box so the young start to feed and learn to feed so put a pot in for them and they should be fine.

 

Phil

 

for what is worth snap, not only do the yb start to feed a bit themselves [they ape their parents] they also get the idea that i bring them the food and are not afraid of me

[Guest scoobybob]

I have 2 pickstone pots in the nest box one filled with corn the other water. They do pick at the corn but I don't think this is enough to keep them alive.

[pjc]

i wouldn't put the water in as the parents may think they should be self sufficient, they will start to eat but the parents will supply enogh fluid.

[Guest scoobybob]

i wouldn't put the water in as the parents may think they should be self sufficient, they will start to eat but the parents will supply enogh fluid.

 

OK I will stop the water...

[Guest IB]

(1) When youngsters are around 14 days old, the parent birds start to go down again; it does look like they haved stopped feeding, but one of them always does.

 

(2) As soon as eggs hatch, I feed the birds in the box (gallipot). Youngsters see parents feed from it, when they are able, they are in there before parents are.

 

(3) I always have water in the box. Same reason as (2) youngsters see their parents drink, they copy that.

 

 

[Guest shadow]

(1) When youngsters are around 14 days old, the parent birds start to go down again; it does look like they haved stopped feeding, but one of them always does.

 

(2) As soon as eggs hatch, I feed the birds in the box (gallipot). Youngsters see parents feed from it, when they are able, they are in there before parents are.

 

(3) I always have water in the box. Same reason as (2) youngsters see their parents drink, they copy that.

 

 

I agree with IB put food and water in the nest box and the young will copy the parents

 

 

[thunderboult]

when the yb's start coming out of the box(or walking about the nestbox) i put them all on the floor ,never have any problems and the stock birds will feed all the yb's(there own or not) the odd cock will peck at 1 now and then, but nothing to severe. i find it helps them to eat from the hopper when they see the stock birds doing it.

[Castleview]

I had a similar problem, but I found that the oldest of the two was 'picking' up so I fed a small amount of hemp (about the size of a 10p) to each youngster. Within a couple of days they were eating from the pot because at the bottom I put a small amount of hemp in so they were tucking in to find the hemp.

 

I had a spare box for my weaning though, and both parents and a spare hen fed them through the bars. A blue cock has begun bullying them, but he bullies everyone, now they just fly to the perches. They are about 30 days old.

[Guest scoobybob]

when the yb's start coming out of the box(or walking about the nestbox) i put them all on the floor ,never have any problems and the stock birds will feed all the yb's(there own or not) the odd cock will peck at 1 now and then, but nothing to severe. i find it helps them to eat from the hopper when they see the stock birds doing it.

 

Got up this morning and the young were on the floor again. I left um there but kept my eye on um. They feed from the hopper when they see there parents feed. The parents are feeding the young much better now, both youngsters have full crops. I put a nest bowl in the corner of the loft which is under there original nest box. The youngsters look happy sat in this nest bowl pruning themselves. The other birds keep well away as the parents keep all other birds at bay.

[pjc]

if the young are feeding in the hopper then they are old enough to be weaned away.

 

Phil

[jimmy white]

if galley pots of feed are put in the boxes from 7 days old ,theil be eating without any problem at 18 days old and if comming out their box, are better seperated

[Guest the gers]

you should always have feeding in the box it. helps for when you move them they no how to eat there self.