Hayat killed her baby..

[Amsterdam]

I woke up to a complete nightmare yesterday i took a photo of the babies all strong and looking healthy... Today some screaming woke me up it was 05.00 am i decide to check since i never heard this before i put the light on and saw Hayat her beak covered in bleed and then i saw Blue sitting in front of the nestbox like he was trying to protect them from Hayat.. I opened the nestbox and i saw the youngest one hes head completely pealed off blood everywhere he was shaking i immediately seperated Hayat to a another cage. Then i took the babies out.. all were fine except for the youngest one when i saw him i knew he woudnt make it he was in really really bad shape i put him in a towel and put him on my lap since i knew he was going to leave us soon blue stepped on my hand and was watching like he was trying to tell me i didnt dol this i was trying to protect my boy he even tried to feed the poor little baby but he woudnt react he died after 15 mins i was and still am in complete shock i burried the babie in my garden still shocked as i am i took a look at blue and his legs were bloody i think Hayat attacked him to... How could this happen? yesterday they were all fine and these morning everything changed i am so sad and i feel terribble and feel like its my fault. İ looked on the internet if there were any good people here in Turkey willing to addopt the babies since they will need good care and a few hours ago i gave my babies to also a foreigner here in Turkey who is actually a vet... i feel so sad i named Hayat after life but how could she take her babies life? did she forgot how i took 2 months care of her why did she changed so much? i gave hayat to my neighbour who has a few budgies too and he said he will take care of her my boy blue is also in very bad shape so im gonna wait untill he gets better and rehome him too... i am very sorry if i dısappointed you all but i cant handle this i feel very sad what i saw is what not what i expected it to be and like i always say birds are not toys so i made sure they are in a good home now.

i posted a pic of the babie budgie please dont click if you have a weak stomach

i am so sorry again guys for my bad english and that i didnt could save the baby so sorry but me and wife are very traumatized of the things we saw and we just want to make sure blue heals and rehome him too or maybe he will stay with me i feel so bad for blue too he is such a good buy but im so disappointed in hayat how could she turn into a killer

https://ibb.co/v1s4r93

again dont click if you have a weak stomach!

 

[Rozalka]

Oh no!!! What a terrible story, I'm so sorry for your loss!

 

[Cooks]

Sorry for your loss, with all nature's beauty she can be cruel. There are many reasons why this could have happend. Unfortunately my experience only apply to animals with four legs.

Sending love and light too Blue and the Babies. It is okay to be mad, sad even disapointed, but Please Don't be too hard on Hayat she is only a bird and like humans they also have their faults, and they cannot be perfect all the time.

 

[Flboy]

This has to be so hard! I am so sorry for you all!

 

[ChristaNL]

My guess is ...
Hyat wants to start a new nest (eggs on the way again) and the "old" babies were just in the way ....

It is not the first time the babies are slow to leave and a forcefully evicted.
It happens.

My green parakeet once gnawed the head straight of a broody canary because she wanted that particulair nest-site and the canary was too slow to leave (or could not- with an angry budgy blocking the exit ...)

Animals are not always reasonable .. hormones drive their lives with a far stricter hand than what happens with us humans.
So do not blame Hyat...she is probably just following her instinct... it is the way they are.

I never liked that certain green budgy very much anyway and I certainly never forgave her but I understand it better now.

I am so sorry your little one did not make it out in time.
It is time to remove this nestbox alltogether and stop Hyats hormones (and behaviour) from going into overdrive (again).

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

OMG Amsterdam! I am soooo sorry for your lose Nature sure can be cruel!

 

[Laurasea]

I agree with CristaNL, it's time to separate, and she was kicking them out.... So sorry...but don't blame her it's a drive she can't resist.

 

[Sunnyclover]

This is truly tragic. I am so sorry for your loss my friend.

 

[EllenD]

Awe, Amsterdam, I'm so sorry...Unfortunately this is not uncommon at all when you breed birds. I had a similar incident years ago where a female decapitated a baby and killed her mate out of nowhere. This is why we always tell people who decide to let their birds breed and are planning on letting the parents raise the babies that they still need to be ready at any time to have to remove the babies and take-over hand-feeding them, because the parents may decide that they are no longer going to take care of them or they may decide to kill them for one reason or another. I know it's horrifying the first time this actually happens to you, especially if you're keeping the babies as your own family members...It doesn't ever get easier either, even if you breed birds for years and years, it still is horrifying...

It may very well be that this baby was sick and that's why Hayat tried to kill it, as that is one of the main reasons why parent birds kill their own babies, they know that they aren't going to live due to an illness or physical issue so they just kill them. That happens quite often...Or that baby could have been eating too much for Hayat to care for, that's the other common reason they kill a baby, because they don't feel they can feed all of their babies any longer so they kill whatever baby is youngest, or the baby who eats the most...There are a lot of reasons, and we as people aren't meant to know why, but take a little comfort in knowing that usually when a mother bird does this they do have a reason and it isn't just because they've gone insane...They know things that we can't possibly know about their own babies, and they have innate instincts to take care of them but also themselves and the rest of the clutch, so they do what they have to do...

The other possibility is that Hayat decided that she'd had enough and was going to kill all of them, and would have had you not woken up...Some birds are not good at being parents, just like some people aren't good at being parents...The difference is that the birds just kill their babies when they make that decision. One thing you need to keep in mind though is that once a mother bird does this once, the possibility of them doing it again or to every baby they hatch from that point forward is very great, so Hayat should not be bred again Amsterdam, as it's very likely that she just isn't a good mother (for a lack of another way to say it). Anytime I would have a parent bird who did this I never bred them again, they got retired to the Aviary or surrendered over to a parrot sanctuary, but I didn't breed them again, as you never know if they may also have a physical issue that could result in congenital issues in their babies as well..

***You can't let Hayat back in the cage/nestbox with the babies again Amsterdam, she's going to have to be separated, as she may very well kill all the other babies and her mate as well (they often kill their mates too, especially the females, they very often kill their male mates). Hopefully Blue will take over laying on the babies and feeding them, but you may very well have to take over feeding them...

How old are the 3 remaining babies Amsterdam? Do they have all of their down feathers in yet? How about their mature, outer feathers?

 

[Scott]

I am so sorry, but please do not blame yourself. You saved Hayat and had the very best of intentions, but nature can be amazingly cruel.

Your desire to re-home Hayat and Blue is understandable, but please don't make permanent decisions as you mourn the loss of the chick. You had a close bond with Hayat that changed when her breeding instincts surfaced. Removing the nest box and allow for hormonal activity to subside - you may find she returns to the same gentle state as earlier.

 

[EllenD]

Oh my, Amsterdam, I didn't even see where you said you want to "re-home" Hayat and Blue...Amsterdam, this wasn't your fault in any way at all, and it also wasn't Hayat's fault in any way either...or Blue's fault. This is nature Amsterdam, and as horrific and painful it is to go through this as a person who loves their birds, it's actually extremely common and happens to most-all bird breeders at some point. Any other breeder who is a member of this forum will tell you exactly the same. Again, this occurs so often that we always make a point to tell anyone who posts that they want to allow eggs to hatch and they are planning to let the parent-birds feed and raise the babies that they must be totally prepared to have to remove the babies and raise/hand-feed them themselves at any time, and that they must have a proper Brooder ready to house them, they must have all the hand-feeding equipment such as a candy/cooking thermometer, syringes/pipettes, and proper, commercial hand-feeding formula, etc., because it's possible for one or both of the parents to stop feeding them, kick them out of the nest-box, or start purposely injuring them, plucking them, etc. at any time. This is just how ALL BIRDS are...It's not just Hayat or Blue, and this is not an indication that anything at all is "wrong" with Hayat. She's just not a good mother bird, which is quite common. And you also have to keep in-mind where Hayat came from and what she went through...You don't even know exactly what she went through, but her condition when you found her and where you found her are very telling about what kind of life Hayat had until she met you and you saved her. So it's not surprising that she isn't a fit parent bird, as it's not at all uncommon for birds that have been abused, neglected, starved,
or that have been seriously ill for quite some time to not be good parent birds. So again, this isn't Hayat's fault, it's no one's "fault" at all. It's simply nature. As Scott said,
"Nature's cruel". And it is, at least to us as people.

As much as you love Hayat and Blue, and as much as you have done to provide them with a wonderful life, I would hate for this incident to influence you to re-home either of them to someone else...i understand you're very upset right now, that's to be expected. Like I said, I bred birds for 20 years and grew-up with a mom who bred parrots for decades, and that didn't make me "used to" this kind of thing, even though I know that it's normal and just how birds are, just how nature works. It still makes you sad, and it's very alarming and awful to see. That just means you're a good person with a big heart Amsterdam. Of course we all know that very well, as the way you saved Hayat from that dumpster was nothing short of a miracle.

I would just take some time and right now not make any rash decisions regarding any of your birds, because I know you'll regret it later. Would you be thinking about re-homing Hayat or Blue if this hadn't of happened? Had you ever thought about it prior to this happening? I certainly don't think so, in fact it was just the opposite, you spoke about nothing but wanting to raise them as a family and to provide them with a safe, nurturing, loving home with you. So don't let a very upsetting incident like this cause you to do something that you'll regret right after you do it. I know that I can tell you that this kind of thing happening is extremely "normal" and just a part of allowing your birds to breed, which it is, but that it's not going to make you feel any better about what you saw. Just try to keep that in the back of you mind right now...And another thing that you want to keep in-mind regarding Hayat and Blue, besides the fact that you love them and they did nothing "wrong" here, even though that's hard to understand, is that if you were to re-home them, you know that no one else is going to care for them as well as you do, just remember where you found Hayat and what she looked like...You certainly don't want either of them to go through that again. You're a great parront Amsterdam, and they love you.

***Right now you need to concentrate on making sure that Blue is feeding the other 3 babies, and that they are being kept warm enough by Blue...Luckily male Budgies are very, very active participants in raising their young, so hopefully Blue will just jump right in and take-over for Hayat, because again, she cannot be put back in the cage with the babies again, but that doesn't mean that she's a "bad bird", she didn't do what she did because she's mean or evil, she did what mother birds do every day, all the time.

So right now just check Hayat all over and make sure she has no injuries that need to be treated, and get her set-up in a separate cage. Then check out Blue, wash him up and make sure he has no injuries that need to be treated, and then do the same with the 3 babies. Then put Blue back with the 3 babies and keep checking their crops to make sure that he is feeding them...I don't know how old they are now or what feathers they have at this point, so I can't comment on ambient temperature or number of feedings per day, but as long as you're seeing Blue going in and out of the nest-box and you're seeing all 3 of their crops full, then they should be okay...If Blue isn't spending time in the nest-box and their crops are not being filled, then you're going to have to take-over hand-feeding them, and depending on how old they are you may need to put together a homemade Brooder to keep them in...We can help you with all of these things if you have to take over, so don't worry about that. Concentrate on taking care of all of them, and don't make any rash decisions regarding re-homing any of your family right now, because it's not the kind of decision you want to make when you're so upset and emotional. I speak from experience...

Let us know how they are doing, and if you need any help or have any questions just let us know...

 

[Amsterdam]

Thank you so much Ellen for your amazing post i need to cool off a bit im just very very very mad and sad at the same time thank you !

 

[EllenD]

Thank you so much Ellen for your amazing post i need to cool off a bit im just very very very mad and sad at the same time thank you !

I know what this is like to go through brother, so just hang-in there and if you need anything just let us know...

 

[ChristaNL]

If the other babies are not hurt and Blue is still there to feed them (if they are not proficient enough do do it fully themselves yet) they will be fine.
The babies are almost fully feathered and probably already trying to eat on their own -given the chance-.

Be mad - from our point of vieuw she did something terrible- so that is only natural!

Apart from that: remember that she did a great job - going from a malnourished, diseased little scrap-of-a-bird to a great mum in under a year!
Give her some rest (a seperate cage would be good, if not possible: let blue and the babies roam outside).


The first time always hits you the hardest...

 

[Jen5200]

Oh Amsterdam, I’m so sorry this happened! Ellen’s post covered everything so well. So I’ll just add my agreement to what she said. You have done so much for Hayat and Blue (and the babies), I hope you’ll take your time making decisions about whether or not they stay with you. There’s lots of support here for you, just let us know what we can do.

I’ve never had baby parrots. While I know they’re not the same as parrots - I love my chickens and my birds are very much-loved outside pets. Some loving, friendly hens have been terrible mothers, pecking and killing chicks. I’ll never let them raise babies again - but they are still the same loveable “want to sit in my lap” birds without babies involved. Other hens are amazing moms. When it happened it was a shocking and traumatic experience for me, and I learned that birds are very different creatures from us.... it took a little while for me to really accept that it didn’t make them bad birds (just not good mothers).

 

[LaManuka]

It’s true some birds (like some people!) are not the greatest parents! I only have my lovely Lilly because she and her siblings were removed from their lousy parents who couldn’t care for them properly. It must have been shocking for you to witness but it’s nobody’s fault!

 

[Laurasea]

Remember Hyat when through a lot of abuse herself!!! I'm sure she didn't get the chance to learn to be a parant!!! Plus if there is not a ton of room in her breeding cage... Well she probably tried to run him off, because parents will drive away the young...please don't hold it against her. I hope you have removed the other babies...it's a hard thing to have had to see, no doubt...I had farm cats as a kid..and a first time mom killed and ate her newborns all I found was a foot, as a kid that was pretty hard to see....she did go on to have other litters that she cared for very well... anyway please don't hold the mom responsible, she's been through so much...all my love to you guys

 

[Betrisher]

I don't know whether this is even relevant here, but I occasionally had mother mice that would kill and sometimes eat their young. It's accepted in the mouse-fancying community that this happens for a few reasons: the young is defective in some way and the mother recognises this and 'deletes' the faulty offspring; the mother is somehow deficient from having given birth (often to numerous young) and so she 'retrieves' her nourishment by eating one or more of the young or, the mother is somehow physically or mentally deprived by giving birth and is compelled to kill and/or eat the young out of desperation.

I don't know whether any or all of these things happen in the bird world, since I've only ever bred quail and pigeons and never seen it in those. I just thought I would post the info to show that sometimes animals do things that seem unpardonable to us, but that have a perfectly logical reasoning behind them to the animal.

Hm. It just occurred to me that fantail pigeon mothers will sometimes go for their young for no apparent reason. I've seen that happen and it's awful!

So try not to blame little Hayat. She's probably doing the best she can and is confused by her feelings every bit as much as you are. On the one hand, she wants to care for and protect her young, but on the other she has this compulsion to harm one of them. She must be very confused and I hope she feels better soon.

 

[Inger]

I’m so sorry. Everyone has already given you the best advice, so please know that you, the babies, Blue, and Hayat are all in my thoughts. [emoji22]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[FlyBirdiesFly]

I’m so sorry for your loss, this must be really hard to go through. Please do not blame Hayat - she can’t understand human perception. You’ve been given some great advice. I really hope the other babies will be okay.