Scientists insist that colorful pets inhabited the Australian continent 5 million years ago. Despite such a long stay on earth, evolution has practically not affected this species. Yes, birds can perfectly imitate human sounds and pronounce dozens of words, turn their heads 180 degrees and see the world around them in color, but all this will come later. In the meantime, budgerigar chicks are born helpless and blind. Parents selflessly care for their babies, but sometimes situations arise when they simply cannot do without human intervention.
Development by day
To understand how small wavy plants grow and develop, the following stages are taken into account:
- in the first three days the chicks are completely helpless, and they also lack plumage;
- on the sixth day, their egg tooth, which is necessary for breaking the shell, falls off, so from this moment the birds can raise their heads;
- a week after birth, the birds’ neck muscles become stronger, so they can easily hold their heads up, and also gradually open their eyes and try to sit up;
- on the 10th day, their gaze becomes more meaningful, and they also begin to clearly see surrounding objects;
- two weeks after birth, the first feathers appear on the back of the head and wings;
- by the end of the third week, the birds acquire full plumage with a specific color;
- after a month, the birds have an elongated tail, and the owner can determine the sex of each chick;
- after 40 days the birds begin to fly a little.
Wavys develop very quickly after birth. Although a person participates little in this process, he must provide optimal external conditions.
Particular attention is paid to nutrition, since the female not only eats on her own, but also feeds her offspring. Literally a month later the birds are not much different from their parents. The differences are only in the size of the body and plumage.
Appearance
They do not have an attractive appearance, since the birds are born completely naked and blind. They cannot move independently and also weigh only 1 gram. But after about three days their weight reaches 5 grams. They gain weight very quickly, and literally after 25 days they are practically no different in appearance from their adult parents.
Other features of newborn chicks include:
- they may have a few fluffs on their backs, but usually they are born completely naked;
- they are deaf and blind, so they cannot eat or move independently;
- they have an overly large head and long neck, as well as thin legs.
In the first days, the chicks just lie down. The female feeds them ground food from her crop.
In the photo there is a budgerigar chick:
Caring for parrot chicks
Parents carefully take care of their chicks and protect them in every possible way.
At first, feeding the small parrots is done exclusively by the female, who practically never leaves the chicks alone for a second.
During this period, it is important that the owner of the parrots also makes every effort to ensure that the parrots grow up healthy. First of all, it is necessary to feed the female in a balanced manner and monitor her health, since she herself cannot search for food.
First of all, it is necessary to feed the female in a balanced manner and monitor her health, since she herself cannot search for food.
The main task of the female is to feed her chicks
Therefore, you should pay attention to the female, and she, in turn, will worry about the little parrots.
The diet of a female parrot must include a large amount of animal protein so that the female has the energy she needs to care for and feed her chicks.
The chicks grow and develop at a fairly fast pace. After about a week, they have normal vision, which allows them to see this wonderful world.
At the same time, the male parrot joins the feeding process. There are still no feathers on the body of parrots, but the down becomes stiffer and denser.
Two weeks after birth, the female begins to gradually move away from the chicks
At this time, it is especially important to control the nutrition of small parrots.
Always make sure there is enough food in the feeder. Otherwise, the parrots may get hungry, which can negatively affect their health.
In some cases, adult parrots may stop feeding their chicks, in which case the task of feeding falls entirely on the owner.
Chicks require artificial feeding, which you will do.
If you don’t know how to determine whether chicks are hungry or not, then it’s very easy to do and much simpler than it might seem at first glance.
If parrots actively squeak and do this constantly, then you can be 100% sure that they are hungry.
It is the squeaking of parrots that is a signal that the chicks require additional feeding.
Is human care required?
The most optimal care is provided by the female, who protects and protects her offspring. She tries to pay attention to each chick, regardless of the number of birds. But sometimes babies need human help. For example, if a bird refuses its offspring for various reasons, then the babies can be fed artificially with special food, for which a special probe is used.
But usually the best help lies in nutritious and high-quality nutrition for the mother. Therefore, it is necessary to purchase a balanced grain mixture, as well as treat the female with vitamin supplements, minerals and fresh vegetables and fruits. It is important to regularly maintain optimal home hygiene and avoid excessive reduction in temperature or humidity.
Chick care
The correct diet for young animals is not the only thing that will allow the livestock to grow strong and healthy. You will also need to check the birds' nest once every 7 days. Sometimes the female can harm the baby or even crush it. Therefore, some babies may need assistance.
If a dead body is found in the nest, it must be removed and the rest of the stock washed with warm water. But it is better not to disturb the birds unless necessary.
Sometimes it is necessary to update the drinkers in the box. You will also need to monitor cleanliness. Therefore, it is better to do cleaning when the female is eating or taking baths.
Breeders will need to monitor the weight of their young animals. At the moment of birth they will be no more than 1 gram. But in the first couple of days their mass will grow quickly. Therefore, over such a period, the weight should be increased by 200%. The maximum weight of the bird will be somewhere on the 23rd day after birth.
These are all the features of feeding and raising parrots yourself. The main thing to remember is that a strong and healthy livestock is the result of the breeder’s efforts.
Arranging the nest and keeping it clean
Parrot chicks should be protected from hypothermia. In the wild, mothers warm them under their wings, but if this is not done, then organize the warmth yourself. This will be provided by a heating pad with warm water and a 60 W incandescent lamp. Comfortable conditions for chicks in the first days of life are 36 degrees. It is gradually reduced to 30-32 degrees, starting from three weeks of age - to 24 degrees. Three-week-old chicks are already beginning to fledge; thermoregulation becomes like that of adult birds, so they do not need additional insulation.
The nest of two-week-old babies will need to be thoroughly cleaned. During this period, the chicks are placed in an insulated box. Thoroughly clean all dirt and remove debris. Work quickly to keep the chicks from freezing. The crumbs themselves also need to be examined and, if necessary, cleaned of food debris. Pay special attention to the paws. If a lot of dirt sticks to them, there is a risk of deformation during growth. Heat the water and carefully clean the chicks.
First flight of chicks
Starting from the 24th day of life until the chick’s first flight from the nest, its weight decreases somewhat, which is explained by its energetic movements. As soon as the last chick flies out of the nest, the nest is carefully checked, as new clutches are often found there - eggs stained with droppings. They are transferred to a clean nest.
For an amateur, the flight of chicks is the moment of supreme pleasure. A chick sits on a branch, a little smaller than an adult parrot, with large dark eyes and amazingly examines the world around it. For the most part, the chicks fly nimbly and return to the nest already on the first day. Fully fledged, healthy chicks fly out of the nest at approximately 35 days of age. They are slightly smaller in size than their parents, the wavy on the head extends across the forehead to the base of the beak, and their coloring is less bright compared to their parents, their eyes are black, and there is a noticeable black spot at the tip of the beak. The cere and mandible of the chicks are pink, later - white with a bluish tint.
Chicks can be left with their parents in a cage for approximately 14 days after the last chick has fledged; They do not disturb subsequent nesting, since they no longer return to the nest. Then they need to be transplanted into a flying cage, where they fly freely, gradually turning into strong and healthy birds.
For a novice hobbyist who has hatched chicks for the first time, of course, there is a great temptation to look into the nest and see with his own eyes how the babies grow and develop. Usually the female reacts calmly to the owner’s intervention. Many birds remain calmly sitting on the clutch or brood, without particularly worrying. But it’s better not to do this, as there may be unpleasant consequences later in the form of pecked eggs or abandoned chicks. Therefore, in order to get a good look at everything, choose a moment when the bird is not there. Some birds become so accustomed to daily control by their owner that they even move aside or leave the nest.
The chick died. Why?
It always hurts a lot when you find a dead chick in a nest. Nothing seemed to foretell trouble. There are several reasons for the death of newborns:
- lack of food;
- hypothermia;
- underfeeding or mother abandoning offspring;
- aggressive attitude of one of the parents;
- an inexperienced mother could accidentally crush the baby;
- attack by a female ready for a new clutch.
Why can a parrot die?
A person who is going to seriously engage in breeding budgies at home must realistically imagine all the difficulties and pitfalls of this business in order for it to be successful.
How chicks hatch
In budgerigars, chicks are born approximately 18-20 days after the start of hatching. Healthy and well-developed chicks will break through the shell on their own - nature has endowed them with a special tooth in the upper part of the beak. Those who are too weak to hatch on their own are helped by the mother by breaking the shell with her beak.
Human assistance is not required at this stage. However, take care to create the desired level of humidity in the room - 60-65%. If the air is too dry, it will be more difficult for baby parrots to break through the hard shell of an egg. There is a film inside under the shell that can wrap around his body, and then mom will have to come to the rescue.
Preparing for the birth of offspring
Budgerigars that have reached the age of one and a half years are allowed for breeding. In order for a couple to want to have offspring, a nest must be installed in the cage. The best time for chicks to hatch is spring. With the onset of warm weather, the maternal instinct awakens in females.
The nest for breeding budgerigar chicks is a rectangular wooden house with a lid on top and a round entrance hole on the front wall.
Optimal design dimensions:
- height – 20 cm;
- length – 25 cm;
- width – 15 cm.
Budgerigars never build nests from branches or twigs. A layer of wood shavings is poured onto the bottom of the house. Dried chamomile flowers are sometimes used as bedding material. The layer thickness should not be less than 2 cm.
Soon after the nest appears in the cage, the sexual instinct of budgerigars will awaken, mating games will begin, the result of which will be mating. During this period, it is advisable to increase the amount of mineral supplements offered to the birds. You can include crushed shells and chalk in your budgies' diet. Due to a lack of calcium, eggs may be pecking.
After mating, the female will begin to lay eggs. First, one egg will appear in the nest, and after a day or two, a second one will appear. Only after this the bird will begin to hatch.
Important! During the nesting period, a female can lay from 4 to 12 eggs, but this does not mean that the same number of chicks will be born. As a rule, part of the clutch is not fertilized.
For 19 days, the budgerigar hatches its chicks. At this time, the female leaves the nest only when absolutely necessary. For days on end, the expectant mother is busy shifting and turning the eggs and warming them with her body. The male's responsibilities include protecting the nest and feeding the partner. During the incubation period, it is very important to monitor the air humidity level. It should be within 60-65%.
Important! When parrots are nesting, they should not be disturbed. The owner should not look into the wooden house where the eggs lie or touch them with his hands. Otherwise, parents may trample the masonry.
How often to feed chicks
Feed tiny parrots every two hours, with a break of four hours at night. In the future, six meals a day will be enough. On the twentieth day, the chicks can eat four times a day, and then three times will be enough.
When babies feel hungry, they begin to squeak loudly, and these sounds need to be taken into account. However, you should not overfeed your parrot. When the chicks grow up, try feeding them with a spoon - gradually they will get used to it. When one of the charges begins to eat on his own, he can become an example for his fellows.
The main product in the diet of small parrots is semolina porridge or millet. It can be mixed with previously hard-boiled chicken yolk. They even add a little fish oil to their food. When the birds sit confidently on the perch, you can give them thicker food. It is recommended to feed dry food to chicks that have learned to fly around the cage. When feeding liquid cereals, liquid is given in small quantities. But then she must constantly stand in the drinking bowl.
The parrot's body must have enough minerals
How often to feed budgerigar chicks
The smallest chicks need to be fed every two hours, at night - every 4 hours. Gradually, the parrots are enough to feed six times with a break at night.
Photo: Dawnstar Australis
On the 20th day of life, babies can eat 4 times a day; as they approach 35 days, 3 times will be enough for the chicks.
When babies are hungry, they begin to squeak, and the owners, in addition to the feeding schedule, listen to the sounds coming from the cage.
If your adult bird is sick, you may need to feed it more often.
Try feeding them with a spoon, gradually the chicks will get used to it. If the eldest among them is the first to start eating on his own, there is a chance that he will become an example for the rest of the parrots.
Why you can’t help a chick get out of an egg
It is important to understand here that you should not try to help the chick even if it seems to you that he will not be able to get out.
The fact is that sooner or later he will still free himself, and by doing this on his own, he gains important life experience and thereby proves his strength.
In general, this is an obvious element of natural selection, so under no circumstances interfere with such a delicate natural process.
Some parrot owners make the mistake of helping the chicks get out of the egg, but this should not be done.
If there are several eggs in the cage with your parrots, then the chicks will hatch from them exactly in the sequence in which these same eggs were laid.
By the way, for convenience, you can label each egg with the date and time when it was laid.
This is done in order not to miss the moment the chick hatches from the egg.
Parrot house
You need to buy a spacious cage so that there is enough space for all the necessary accessories and for games. Dimensions should not be less than 60x80 cm.
Budgerigars' homes are regularly cleaned. Therefore, a person’s hand should easily fit through the door. It's good if there is a removable bottom panel.
In the cage it is necessary to place everything necessary for the bird: a feeder, a drinking bowl, a bath. Proper bird care means careful selection of the necessary accessories.
Additional accessories
It is also important to take care of perches and toys for your budgies. Choose wooden perches suitable for the size of the bird.
Thin or wide perches cause deformation of the paws and provoke corns.
Cleaning
The cage will have to be cleaned 2 times a week. Use a damp cloth and soapy water to wash the fence and the inside of the bird house. It is better to use baking soda and warm water for cleaning. This way you can avoid poisoning your parrot with household chemicals. Clean the pan especially thoroughly, and after drying it, add a small layer of special sand, which is sold in pet stores.
What to feed budgies?
To prevent the bird from experiencing digestive problems, it is important to feed it properly.
The basis of the parrot's diet is millet, the percentage composition of which includes:
- Fifty - yellow.
- Twenty-five - white.
- Fifteen is red.
The remaining ten percent is filled with hulled oats. It is recommended to purchase special grain formulations offered by pet stores for feeding.
Normal nutrition for budgerigars involves the inclusion of:
- Fresh greens.
- Vegetables.
- Fruits and berries.
- Minerals.
Greenery is provided by dandelion leaves, plantain or clover. Radish or carrot tops will do.
In the absence of such, in winter you can germinate grains in a box installed on the windowsill. The ideal option is oats.
Year-round inclusion of vegetables in the menu is very useful. Their range is varied. It is recommended to add cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers (not bitter), zucchini, radishes, etc. to the diet.
The choice of fruits and berries includes apples, grapes, bananas, strawberries, etc. In the summer, you can give your pet some melon or watermelon.
Parrots will receive mineral components and calcium from mixtures purchased at pet stores. A varied diet is especially important for an old parrot, given possible health problems.
It is also recommended to regularly feed the birds boiled wheat, barley and other porridges. An indispensable condition is the regular renewal of clean drinking water in the drinking bowl.
Conditions for reproduction
It is advisable for a breeder who decides to breed budgerigars to have several pairs. This will allow, in case of possible problems with the chicks or clutch, to save the offspring and preserve the health of the adults.
Right to breed
Breeding budgerigars at home is not regulated by law; anyone can do it. But to officially register his activities, the breeder must have a license, which is issued by the Society of Bird Lovers. A person needs to confirm that he has knowledge about the breeding and maintenance of budgerigars.
It is the responsibility of veterinarians to check birds for psittacosis. This viral infection can infect not only animals and birds, but also humans. If the test does not reveal this disease, the owner receives official permission for breeding. He is given permanent rings containing information about the breeder, the serial number of his bird, the date and time of registration. During disease outbreaks, this makes it easier to track the location of parrots.
Choosing the right pair
To get healthy offspring, you need to organize the correct selection of a pair of wavy birds. They must be from different parents to prevent the development of genetic diseases in the chicks. How to understand that a male and a female are suitable for each other?
Both parrots should be healthy, active and well-fed. Weak or elderly birds often lay unfertilized eggs. Puberty of females occurs in the second year of life. In males, this period begins a little earlier, from ten months of age. The peak of fertility in wavy birds is observed at the age of 2–4 years. Although parrots breed up to 10 years old.
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This is interesting! A budgerigar remains attached to its partner for life. Without mutual sympathy, reproduction does not occur.
Suitable period for breeding
The optimal time for breeding wavy plants at home is the summer months, from June to September. This is the part of the year when parrots get enough sunlight and vitamins. In other periods, they may be weakened due to a deficiency of substances necessary for the body. And this can affect the health of the offspring.
If breeding of parrots is planned for the winter or spring months, the birds must be provided with enhanced nutrition with fresh herbs. At least 14 hours of daylight are required; illumination with a special lamp is allowed. The air temperature must be at least 23 degrees.
Parrot mating process
What conditions need to be created
In addition to selecting a pair, the breeder should think about creating conditions for reproduction. To do this, you need to choose a cage that is suitable in size for the birds. The size of the housing for one pair of wavy plants is 80 cm in length, 40 cm in height and 35 cm in width. If one cell contains several pairs, then these dimensions should be larger.
Females need houses with nests where they can hatch their offspring. When the parrot begins to lay eggs, the cage is placed in a quiet corner so that the bird is not disturbed. The room temperature must be maintained at least 20 degrees. At the same time, heat and stuffiness should not be allowed, as this poses a threat to the embryos.
Feeding parrots during the breeding season
The budgerigar's menu includes grains and seeds, as well as fruits and vegetables.
To stimulate the sexual instinct, the diet should contain the following foods:
- low-fat cottage cheese;
- greenery;
- sprouted grains;
- egg white;
- special mineral supplements.
When a female parrot lays eggs, she requires an increased diet. Products high in vitamin E are very useful. Experienced breeders advise feeding their pets a mixture of cottage cheese, eggs, carrots and sprouted grains.
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It is important to know! Obese or underweight birds are not suitable for breeding. The pair must be fattened before breeding, but not excessively
Causes of sudden death of chicks
Newborn chicks are very fragile, they can die unexpectedly and suddenly. Many chicks inherit genetic pathologies from their parents that are incompatible with life.
Other causes of infant mortality in budgerigars:
- the female does not have time to fully feed the entire brood;
- the weak chick was crushed by the mother out of inexperience;
- the female abandons the nest after incubating the eggs;
- aggression of the mother or father towards the cubs;
- unsuccessful flight from the nesting house.
There is constant opposition between chicks of the same brood - competition for food, warmth, and better conditions. If an individual is weakened, it can simply be crushed in a crowd.
Budgerigars have offspring quite often - about 2-3 times a year. These birds readily breed in captivity. The feathered parents cope well with their natural role, but in difficult situations the breeder is always ready to help.
Start of incubation
At the age of 8-9 months, the female budgerigar is ready to breed. To stimulate the sexual instinct, birds need an equipped place where they will lay eggs. Budgerigars do not build a nest, so the breeder puts a special house in their cage - a nest box. The expectant mother creates comfort in it: she brings pieces of paper, thin twigs, sawdust. From these materials the bird lays out a kind of nest, a soft bedding.
A few days after fertilization, the female settles into the nest house, preparing to lay an egg. The parrot's belly is noticeably rounded, its tail rhythmically swings up and down in time with its breathing. The female lays one egg per day. The average number of eggs in budgies is 6, in rare cases it is 10-12. The female cannot heat such a large clutch; not all eggs hatch into chicks.
Having laid 2-3 eggs, the female parrot fully sits on them, and from that moment the incubation period begins. After how many days it ends, it will become clear when the first newborn hatches. Normally, incubation lasts 18-28 days. During this period, the bird can leave the nest for a short time to empty its intestines, drink water, and stretch its legs. While the mother is absent, the eggs do not have time to cool to a critical temperature. Periodically, the parrot turns the eggs over, changing their places - thus, the embryos develop evenly.
Artificial feeding of chicks
Newborn parrots are fed by their mother. It's a funny sight - she puts the chicks on her back and gives them food from her beak. A healthy liquid mixture is formed in the goiter of new mothers.
Sometimes the owner has to transfer the chicks to artificial feeding. Take this task upon yourself if the parrot has died, cannot or does not want to feed on its own, or should be isolated from the chicks due to illness. Since babies in nature feed from the mother’s crop, for artificial feeding you will need to build a device from a 5-cc syringe with a soft rubber tube of 2.5 mm in diameter put on it instead of a needle.
In the first week of life, babies are fed a special mixture, which can be bought at a pet store. If it is not available, buy dairy-free baby food or porridge. Food heated to approximately 39 degrees is diluted to the consistency of liquid puree. You can squeeze out 1-2 drops of carrot or apple juice, or a little grated hard-boiled egg yolk.
The diet of grown-up chicks is expanding - from the second week you can give liquid millet porridge with half a mashed quail egg. Half a tablet of calcium gluconate is added to the porridge. Gradually, the food becomes thicker; after another week, you can add apples, carrots, and beets, grated on a fine grater, one by one. It is allowed to give low-fat cottage cheese.
How to feed a chick using a syringe:
- Taking it in your hand, lay it on its back;
- take a little mixture and bring it to the side of the beak - squeeze it out of the syringe or tube.
In the first week, the chicks are fed every half hour or hour. Starting from a week of age, night feedings from midnight to 6 am are canceled, and the break between daytime feedings is increased to 2, then to 4 hours. Let the baby eat as soon as he raises his head and squeaks, feed as the crop becomes empty. One meal – 1-2 ml. mixtures.
Parrot chicks need to get used to new food, so refusing to eat at first is normal.
From the third week, you can teach the chicks to feed from a spoon, pushing it into the cage. But it is better to keep the syringe ready if the baby “slips” and becomes malnourished. Take four meals a day, more only if the kids don’t have enough food. Parrots that can already fly can be transferred to a dry grain mixture. Offer them dry grain food and sprouted grains starting from the second month of life.
Warming budgerigar chicks
Also, fledgling babies require additional heating, which you will have to take care of. Devices that breeders use to warm chicks or sick birds are called brooders. You can buy them or make them yourself.
Photo: Bird Magazine
The main thing is to be guided by the temperature parameters, since as it grows, the temperature in the room where the parrot is located should decrease.
The chick is from several hours to 4 days old - 36 - 36.5 ° C; 7 days – 34°C; 14 days – 31 – 31.5°C; 21 days – 24°C. Then the chicks are moved to a box, which is similar in size to a nesting box; in such a room the parrots themselves will be able to warm each other.
If you are raising one chick, keep it in the brooder until day 25, where you lower the temperature to 24°C. Humidity during this period is maintained at 60%, as during laying.
The appearance of chicks in birds
The incubation period for chicks is different for all bird species. In finches, weaverbirds, munias and dandelions it is 12-13 days, in canaries and nightingales it is 14. The female white-breasted toucan waits 20 days, the budgerigar - 18 days. Chicks of grass parrots and cockatiels appear after 19 days of incubation. Rosella has a waiting period of 26 days. In ring-necked parrots, babies hatch on the 23-28th day. In the female cockatoo parrot, the first chicks appear after 25-28 days, in the loris after 24-26. For lovebirds, the incubation period is 23 days. Grays and nobles have 29-30 days.
The female may be ready to reproduce again in 1.5-3 months, depending on the species. Here it is important to understand that the bird must feed the first offspring, teach it to eat, get food, and only after that can it think about the second offspring. Frequent oviposition exhausts the female and makes her sick.
If you do not want chicks to be born, then it is not at all necessary to place birds of different sexes in different cages; it is enough not to stimulate them to reproduce offspring. However, it must be taken into account that in such a situation there is still a possibility of offspring, such is the law of nature.
What vitamins should be given to a parrot?
One of the important elements for the full development of poultry is calcium. It makes up about 1.5% of the bird’s weight and is responsible not only for the formation of bone tissue, but also for blood clotting, proper metabolism, the functioning of the nervous system, fetal development and shell formation.
How well calcium is absorbed depends on a helper vitamin called D3. It regulates the process of calcium absorption in the stomach and controls the production of hormones that help remove excess nutrients. Vitamins for parrots kept in captivity must include D3, because domestic birds most often lack it. This vitamin is produced during sun exposure. Since domestic parrots are practically deprived of this opportunity, they can only get it from special supplements.
Parrots also have an urgent need for vitamin A. This organic substance affects almost all body systems: cardiovascular, digestive, and hormonal. When listing vitamins that are vital for a parrot, veterinarians always name vitamin A. Because it is involved in many processes in the development and life of the bird.
During molting, during the period of reproduction and the occurrence of certain diseases, the amount of ascorbic acid produced in the bird’s body sharply decreases. Its deficiency contributes to a decrease in immunity and, as a result, frequent illnesses. To compensate for the lack of vitamin C, birds are given vitamins for parrots, which contain this organic substance.
If you have a bird and want to seriously breed it in the future, be sure to give it vitamin E. This substance affects reproductive function and guarantees the appearance of healthy offspring. The amount of vitamin E in the body determines the pet’s appetite, its energy, and even coordination of movements.
When talking about what vitamins should be given to a parrot, one cannot fail to mention B vitamins. This category of organic substances does not accumulate in the body, and therefore their reserves must be replenished daily. If this is not done, you can forget about health, beautiful plumage, strong offspring and easy learning. I would like to talk in more detail about the significance of one of the most important vitamins of the group.
Chick development
A newborn parrot is deaf, blind and completely helpless. The tiny baby is not even able to hold his head up on his own. He weighs only 1 g, but after 3 days of birth his weight will increase 5 times. Body weight gain and development in wavy birds occurs rapidly - by 20 days of age (maximum one month), birds become parental copies and are practically in no way inferior to adult parrots.
During the first week after birth, the budgerigar chick gradually gains vision, and fluff appears on its body. The shade of the down allows you to judge the color of the bird's future plumage:
- if the fluff is gray, then the color will be traditional, colored;
- if the fluff is light, then the plumage will be white.
On the 6th day, the chick's egg tooth falls off, making it possible to raise its head. Training strengthens the neck muscles, so a week-old parrot can already hold its head up and even try to sit up.
During the second week of birth, the bird learns to use its vision and develops coordination of movements. A two-week-old wavy is covered with down, and the first feathers appear on its wings and crown.
On the 20th day of development, the sex of the bird can be determined by the wax (growth above the beak), and the color of the plumage is formed. The feathers on the tail and the flight feathers on the wings begin to grow. A month-old parrot weighs 40-50 g (like adult birds), is fully feathered, but the tail and wings are still in the development stage. Outwardly, the chick already seems to be an adult, but in its awkward movements one can discern a young bird. At the beginning of the second month, the chick tries to fly for the first time.
Watching the development of the young
Caring for young animals also involves monitoring changes in their body weight. Typically, a chick that has just hatched weighs approximately one gram.
In the first few days of their life, they gain weight very quickly. Just think, during this time the mass of a tiny parrot increases, on average, by as much as 200%.
According to clinical studies, budgerigars reach their maximum weight at three weeks of age. After this, their summer mass gradually begins to decrease. This is due to the increase in their physical activity, because even in the nest they are trying to learn to fly: all kinds of flapping their wings, moving their legs, etc.
How to care for parrot chicks
Newborn parrots are defenseless and require special care. In the first time after birth, they completely lack vision and plumage.
Of course, there is a small fluff on their body, but it does absolutely nothing to protect them from low temperatures and other irritating factors, and low temperatures and drafts, as you understand, are very dangerous for parrots, especially for newborn chicks.
As a rule, babies always huddle together to keep warm against each other, since they are not able to warm themselves on their own.
For the first time after birth, which is approximately two weeks, the female feeds the chicks.
In this case, the food for the chicks is food digested and regurgitated by the female, which not only has all the necessary nutrients, but also has a convenient consistency, which allows the babies to eat and receive useful vitamins and microelements from food.
They cannot feed themselves, let alone solid grain feed and protein foods.
Sometimes it happens that for one reason or another the parrots do not have enough food.
This is quite easy to notice, since in this case hungry chicks will constantly squeak and give other signals indicating that the birds are hungry and need food.
In this case, you need to consult an ornithologist or veterinarian to get the best advice on additional artificial feeding of parrots.
In addition, sometimes there are situations when parents are aggressive against the chicks and can harm them.
In this case, you will need to separate the parents from the chicks, therefore, the task of feeding the chicks will be entirely your responsibility.
By the way, you can read about artificial feeding of parrot chicks on our website, since we devoted a separate article to this topic.
About a week after birth, the chicks begin to see, they begin to develop rapidly, and their body weight increases noticeably. At the same time, the male joins feeding the chicks.
The fluff that barely covered the body of defenseless chicks becomes much denser, which allows the parrots to feel much warmer and more comfortable.
At the end of the second week from the moment the chicks are born, the female begins to gradually move away from them.
After 3-4 weeks from the moment of birth, the parrots become independent and can feed without the help of their parents.
Chicks can not only feed themselves on solid food, such as grain feed, but are also able to fly and perform other vital processes.
In general, they become full-fledged parrots. However, parents are still trying to help their chicks so that they can finally become independent.
How to find out gender
Determining the sex of young animals is possible only at 3–4 weeks of their life. To distinguish a male from a female, it is necessary to carefully examine the color of the wax (the growth on top at the base of the beak) of each individual. You need to spend a couple of days on this, since at a young age the wax often changes its color during the day.
A female individual is characterized by the following features of the cere:
- colors: shades of pink, light purple, blue;
- unevenly colored - around the nostrils there are pronounced light circles, almost white, without any tint;
- Both boys and girls can have a purple beak, but females will have a blue cere;
- The male may also have pink cere colors, then you need to look at the uniformity of color.
Familiarize yourself with the most common colors of budgies, and also study the singing characteristics of budgies.
For a male individual:
- cere in lilac, violet, pink tones;
- uniform color;
- there may be circles around the nostrils, but with a blue tint;
- if the beak is purple, then the wax will be colored pink.
Video: how to determine the gender of a budgie
When egg laying begins
An adult female parrot begins to lay eggs at the age of two. One clutch can consist of three to twelve eggs. Under favorable conditions, each will hatch into a chick. Females incubate the eggs for three weeks.
Parrots do not have the instinct to build a nest, so before laying begins, it is necessary to provide a special nest house in the cage, where the female will lay eggs and then hatch the offspring. To create comfort in the nest and additional heating, sawdust and small pieces of soft paper are used. During the egg-laying period, it is necessary to provide the birds with a balanced diet.
Where does “homeland” begin?
Ornamental parrots begin to “engage in prolongation of their kind” when they reach two years of age.
Despite the fact that they can have offspring at any time of the year, it is still recommended to exclude the winter period, since at this time the day length is short, the sun does not shine for that long, and there is no fresh green food, which is so needed by the younger generation.
Due to the fact that this type of ornamental poultry does not build nests, you should hang a special nesting box in their cage, in which you need to pour sawdust.
Most ornithologists categorically prohibit the use of thick threads to insulate the nest box. It would seem that pets will only be delighted with such a cozy nest, but it is not at all impossible that they can get entangled in them and get seriously injured.
General information about budgies
These birds come from Australia, where they are common everywhere except the coast and northeastern forests of the mainland. They live in semi-desert and steppe areas, within which they constantly migrate. The only exception is the period when they build nests. The population size of these parrots in the wild is influenced by climatic conditions and the availability of food supply. Hunger and drought often cause its decrease. Agricultural lands and artificial reservoirs created by man come to the aid of birds. They become a constant source of food and water for them.
They live in flocks of 20 to several hundred individuals. Under natural conditions, wavy birds eat seeds of various plants and, very rarely, insects. These parrots nest during the Australian rainy season. They make nests in hollows of trees, mostly eucalyptus. Sometimes stumps and trunks of fallen trees can be used for these purposes.
The female lays 5 to 12 oval white eggs in the nest, which she incubates for 16-21 days. The male at this time becomes the breadwinner. The eggs hatch into completely naked and blind cubs, which regain their sight by the tenth day of life. After a month, having fledged, they begin to leave the nest.
