Removing babies from aviary

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Mephistopheles
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Jun 20, 2014 7:25 am

Removing babies from aviary

Post by Mephistopheles »

Hello, I have some questions regarding baby Indian ringnecks
My female ringneck (Pumpkin) has started showing interest in breeding a little earlier than expected this year, so things are happening a little quicker than I had hoped. What I want to know is when should I remove baby birds from the nest? My aviary isn't a walk-in unfortunately and both my birds aren't tamed so they're not too keen on people getting close which I suspect will make things more difficult.

My aviary is a decent size and my two IRNs aren't having any fights over space, but I don't think it could happily house more than three if she does have babies. Basically my biggest worry is they end up having multiple babies and I can't get them out before they start fluttering about then I'll never be able to catch them without risking having escapees.

She did lay one egg last year (though she has had clutches when she was with her breeder) but sadly it broke. I was told she would make her own nest with the hay strewn on the bottom of the aviary but she never touched it. Instead she decided to chew the inside of the nesting box and use the filings. The last thing I want is her chewing her way out so could I place nesting materials inside the box until I can get some mesh around it?

I apologise for being so unprepared. My male (Squawk) has had two mates over the past few years and neither produced eggs with him so I thought he was just infertile.

I do hope to tame any babies they have, but this is concerning me most at the moment.
MissK
Posts: 3011
Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2012 3:46 pm
Location: Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.

Re: Removing babies from aviary

Post by MissK »

Can you modify your aviary before the big, exciting things start to happen? Lots of aviaries have an extra chamber, like a foyer, built at the door so there are two doors between the bird and the outside world. Of course, that has to be big enough for the human to enter and close the door. Do you really want chicks -- so, would you be pulling the eggs before hatch?

These are just the first options that came to mind. I love the names of your birds, BTW.
-MissK
Mephistopheles
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Jun 20, 2014 7:25 am

Re: Removing babies from aviary

Post by Mephistopheles »

I don't think I'd be able to build and extra chamber given the location of the aviary. Door to the house on the right, narrow walkway and my dad's plants on the left which I don't think he would be willing to dig up (I'll try and get some photos soon to give you a better idea of what I mean)

"pulling the eggs before hatch?"

Do you mean would I be willing to hatch and raise the chicks myself?
I suppose I could, if she has multiple babies then things are only going to get noisy and crowded once they grow so they will have to be removed eventually. Getting them out when Pumpkin is with them will be a task though, she barely left the nesting box when she had just the one egg.


My family is quite creative with the names of our pets :D

Squawk gained his name because the first few days when we had him he would not shut up and Pumpkin gained her name because she arrived on Halloween

Right now we have a Pomeranian named Ziggy, my goldfish named Klaus and my sister's guinea pigs Chicken, Blackbean and Sparrow.

In the past we've had Pomeranian cross Foxy named Rusty, two female IRN named Squawkette and Sweetpea, Budgies Peter, Pauline, Yuffie and Tifa, my sister's other guinea pigs were Teddy, Little One (who later became not so little) and Princess (she thought she was pregnant...turned out 'Princess' was just a chunky boy) my gecko Pee-Wee....and my dad nicknamed a huntsman in the shed 'Bruce'
MissK
Posts: 3011
Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2012 3:46 pm
Location: Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.

Re: Removing babies from aviary

Post by MissK »

Great names, all.

I actually meant pulling the eggs right after they were laid to ensure there would be no babies. Or you might need to do something to them to make them, uh, dead and leave them with her. Breeders could advise on how this goes to work out best for your hen.

If you're not prepared for babies to come (fully, with actual knowledge, a mentor, a vet, and suitable housing) it might be best for all concerned to not raise a clutch. Just putting that out there so you know you have an option.
-MissK
Johan S
Posts: 1215
Joined: Wed Mar 30, 2011 1:24 am
Location: Pretoria, South Africa

Re: Removing babies from aviary

Post by Johan S »

Why not remove the nest box? Alternatively, you could replace the eggs with fake ones. But if it was me, I wouldn't put my birds through the strain of breeding if I didn't intend to have chicks on the perch a few months later.
Mephistopheles
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Jun 20, 2014 7:25 am

Re: Removing babies from aviary

Post by Mephistopheles »

Hmm, I never thought of that. The nesting box is sort of attached to the aviary but I might be able to remove it. But in case I can't, could I just block off the entrance instead?
Johan S
Posts: 1215
Joined: Wed Mar 30, 2011 1:24 am
Location: Pretoria, South Africa

Re: Removing babies from aviary

Post by Johan S »

Yes, many breeders don't remove the boxes and simply block the entrance.
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