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Weaning Young Budgerigars -· George Jenkins One of the most important
periods to keep a careful watch on your stock is during the weaning period. This
is the time when youngsters have been just taken from their parents and are
learning to feed and support themselves. Parents pump food into youngsters and
it consequently comes as a bit of a shock to the birds system when the parents
assistance comes to an end. As soon as youngsters leave
the nest boxes there is a dramatic weight loss. They are beginning to exercise
and convert much of their food into energy by moving around the cage and by
losing heat. While they are in the nest box they are using their food to grow,
and little more. Suddenly, at the weaning
stage a bird is required to feed itself and it needs even more food to convert
into energy. If the chick does not eat enough, there will be an even more
dramatic weight loss. As breeders, our job is to see that weight losses are kept
to a minimum and those babies are offered plenty of food that is easy to
consume. It is for this reason that soaked seeds, softfood, and soaked millet
sprays are popular at this time. The main thing is to
keep the youngsters feeding and for them not to suffer too great a weight loss.
I like to get youngsters away from their parents at about five to six weeks. Some might feel this is too
soon but I like to be sure that the youngsters do not interfere with the parents
going down on a second round of eggs. Sometimes, especially a fit and active
young cock will try to get back into the nest-box. The father might then become
a little concerned that he might receive too much attention from his hen, and
will become aggressive towards the young cock. I never like to see this
aggression, so I try to get the young birds away as soon as I see them feeding
themselves. My method of weaning the
chicks is to keep eight or ten youngsters of about the same age in a stock cage
about the size of a double breeding cage. I usually keep a show cage attached so
the youngsters become familiar with the show cage at as early an age as
possible. I provide a normal seed mix, softfood and soaked millet sprays. As
soon as one begins to feed the others soon follow. At times I have used an old
cock that may be too old for breeding or perhaps a good natured old bird to be
with the youngsters. This "oil stager"
will be happy too get the youngsters feeding and will encourage the young birds
into the show cage. Finding the old bird to do this job might be difficult but
when you have found one, they are worth their weight in gold. At about 10 to 12
weeks old, young birds will begin to enter their first moult. It is at this time
that I like to place; any young birds into one of my inside flights. They are
introduced to this "new home" just a few at a time, preferably with a
couple of adult birds already in the flight to show them where the seed and
water can be found. For younger birds it is vital that they do not suffer a
"Knock-back”. It is difficult enough to breed good youngsters without
experiencing losses at the weaning stage. Weaning youngsters is one of the more pleasurable experiences of breeding Budgerigars. It is a good time to watch youngsters carefully and see them develop. At the same time you are making sure that every thing is going well for them. |