How do you check in the nest box?

[brianlinkles]

I know that I should stay out of the nestbox as much as possible. However I keep hearing that people are checking their newly hatched babies and I am wondering how they go about this or if this is a big no no. I have a pair of breeder gcc's. They laid 5 eggs, two are infertile however three looked great! I now have two babies and I think the third should hatch any day now. My question is this, should I stop checking or should I still try and check. I have heard varying opinions. I did get a look at the babies briefly tonight and they looked good however I did notice that one of the eggs (not sure if it is a fertile one) had half of one of the eggs that one of the babies came out of sort of "cupped" over half of it. Will this make it difficult for the baby to hatch out of if it is the fertile one? My breeder told me to stay away from the box and to let nature take it's course until I'm ready to pull them. I have to say that is just so hard, because I do want to check and make sure everything is going alright. I am also interested in what everyone else is doing, do you pull out the eggs the babies came out of? I know that it is best to leave the other eggs for awhile because it helps in keeping the babies from getting splayed legs. This lets the mom kind of not sit so heavily on the babies. However I am just wondering what everyone else is doing.

 

[weco]

Listen to your breeder, Brian......If you get the parents nervous, they could very well trample and/or eat the chicks.....after you have either pulled these chicks or they have fledged, either modify their nest box with an inspection door or build/buy a new on that has an inspection door & the box has an excluder, to keep the parents out of the nest box while you're inspecting the chicks.....mounting the nest box on the outside of the cage really makes it easier for you to nose around.....

 

[MikeyTN]

What weco and your breeder said is correct, but I still check my babies cause sometimes I am forced to yank the babies early IF they're not caring for them properly. As I have intervened before. Go ahead and remove the excess egg shell if it's bothersome. Checking them is necessary sometimes especially on a newer pair. I developed a pretty good relationship with my pairs that they will allow me to check on them without much fussing as I've been doing that for years with all my pairs. Otherwise if your afraid of something happening, just let nature take it's course.

 

[brianlinkles]

thanks for your answers! I do have it mounted on the outside with an inspection door. Luckily for me, she sits on the eggs/babies right in front of the door. The male does come out when I bring them food however since having the babies she is very protective. I used to be able to lift the door when she sat on her eggs and she would just look up at me. Now that there are babies she is very protective. Today I went in when he was out of the box and used my skinny flashlight as she used to move out of the box when I would "candle" the eggs with it. I tried that today and she did leave the box. The two babies were huddled together sleeping on top of the other fertile looking egg. I am hoping that the other egg will hatch. The two of the other eggs are kind of rolled to the side. I don't think she sits on them any more. She must know they are not fertile. Do you think that is the case? I am new to this and I want to know as much as possible. I am so enjoying this whole process it is AMAZING! Do you think she can tell that the egg that looks fertile is good and has rolled it over with the babies and she has rolled the others aside?

 

[weco]

Yes Brian, hens do have a knack for knowing if eggs are fertile or not.....some even push infertile eggs out of the nest all together.....

 

[crimson]

is it AMAZING!, I just love it. mother nature knows best, and always trust them.

they also know immediately after hatching if the chick is normal and healthy.

I have a pair of cockatiels sitting on 5 eggs, 3 are fertile, but should have hatched starting on monday. unless they are the quietest babies ever, they haven't hatched yet, I mark on a calendar when they mate, lay eggs etc...I couldn't stand it anymore!!!, I had to look, we got my male away, but my female wouldn't budge, and that's ok. sooner or later, I'll find out what's going on, but I'm not going to interfere any more.....the suspense is killing me!

 

[brianlinkles]

is it AMAZING!, I just love it. mother nature knows best, and always trust them.

they also know immediately after hatching if the chick is normal and healthy.

I have a pair of cockatiels sitting on 5 eggs, 3 are fertile, but should have hatched starting on monday. unless they are the quietest babies ever, they haven't hatched yet, I mark on a calendar when they mate, lay eggs etc...I couldn't stand it anymore!!!, I had to look, we got my male away, but my female wouldn't budge, and that's ok. sooner or later, I'll find out what's going on, but I'm not going to interfere any more.....the suspense is killing me!

I know what you mean! It is the most amazing experience! I have wanted to breed birds and thought I would start with these gcc's. They are the best parents, I just love it! I am hoping that this third egg will hatch, it was too cute to see the babies laying around the egg keeping it and themselves warm. I am getting excited about handfeeding them and cuddling these babies but I am already feeling horrible about taking the babies from the mom!

 

[MikeyTN]

Sometimes they can hatch early or late. You must check at times cause at times the babies may need assistance to hatch! They hatch variying on the humidity in your house and inside their nest box. Some females knows to dip themselves wet then sit on the eggs and some don't. By misting the eggs daily helps out a lot! I mist the eggs on a daily basis and the hatch rate increases tremendously. I have had babies hatching at two weeks which is very unusual!

 

[crimson]

is it AMAZING!, I just love it. mother nature knows best, and always trust them.

they also know immediately after hatching if the chick is normal and healthy.

I have a pair of cockatiels sitting on 5 eggs, 3 are fertile, but should have hatched starting on monday. unless they are the quietest babies ever, they haven't hatched yet, I mark on a calendar when they mate, lay eggs etc...I couldn't stand it anymore!!!, I had to look, we got my male away, but my female wouldn't budge, and that's ok. sooner or later, I'll find out what's going on, but I'm not going to interfere any more.....the suspense is killing me!

I know what you mean! It is the most amazing experience! I have wanted to breed birds and thought I would start with these gcc's. They are the best parents, I just love it! I am hoping that this third egg will hatch, it was too cute to see the babies laying around the egg keeping it and themselves warm. I am getting excited about handfeeding them and cuddling these babies but I am already feeling horrible about taking the babies from the mom!

I did the first time too, I was so worried. it can be stressful the first or second time, just do it when they are around 2.5-3weeks of age, and the parents are NOT in the box. plan it out ahead of time, with a spare pair of hands to help.
have everything set up prior to doing it, and have a camera ready!!!, you fall in love immediately, there is nothing like hand raising a chick. about day 4 they will think of you as mom....or dad in your case
do you have your forumula, temp, brooder, syringes....etc....??

 

[brianlinkles]

If you must check, a courtesy tap to let mom know you are coming in is the polite thing to do. You know how you feel when an unannounced guest drops by and the house is a wreck and the kids are misbehaving? She has the same feelings..

Too funny! Yes, I hate when people stop by!

 

[brianlinkles]

is it AMAZING!, I just love it. mother nature knows best, and always trust them.

they also know immediately after hatching if the chick is normal and healthy.

I have a pair of cockatiels sitting on 5 eggs, 3 are fertile, but should have hatched starting on monday. unless they are the quietest babies ever, they haven't hatched yet, I mark on a calendar when they mate, lay eggs etc...I couldn't stand it anymore!!!, I had to look, we got my male away, but my female wouldn't budge, and that's ok. sooner or later, I'll find out what's going on, but I'm not going to interfere any more.....the suspense is killing me!

I know what you mean! It is the most amazing experience! I have wanted to breed birds and thought I would start with these gcc's. They are the best parents, I just love it! I am hoping that this third egg will hatch, it was too cute to see the babies laying around the egg keeping it and themselves warm. I am getting excited about handfeeding them and cuddling these babies but I am already feeling horrible about taking the babies from the mom!

I did the first time too, I was so worried. it can be stressful the first or second time, just do it when they are around 2.5-3weeks of age, and the parents are NOT in the box. plan it out ahead of time, with a spare pair of hands to help.
have everything set up prior to doing it, and have a camera ready!!!, you fall in love immediately, there is nothing like hand raising a chick. about day 4 they will think of you as mom....or dad in your case
do you have your forumula, temp, brooder, syringes....etc....??

Yes, I do have everything ready! I am planning on pulling at 3 weeks this way in case the egg hatches it will still have some time with the parents. I have heard both theories pull all at once or one or two at a time. I have decided to pull all of the babies at one time.
Oh and I know with my signature name of brianlinkles I think everyone thinks of me as a man, (that is my husbands name) but I am Lynn. LOL
Thanks so much for all of the help everyone! This is such an exciting amazing experience, I am doing it with my 12 year old daughter. She is part of the "team" helping out these parents. She loves birds and is very good and confident with them. I have always had larger birds, when we got her a gcc I fell in love and knew this was the first type I wanted to try and breed!

 

[crimson]

I know what you mean! It is the most amazing experience! I have wanted to breed birds and thought I would start with these gcc's. They are the best parents, I just love it! I am hoping that this third egg will hatch, it was too cute to see the babies laying around the egg keeping it and themselves warm. I am getting excited about handfeeding them and cuddling these babies but I am already feeling horrible about taking the babies from the mom!

I did the first time too, I was so worried. it can be stressful the first or second time, just do it when they are around 2.5-3weeks of age, and the parents are NOT in the box. plan it out ahead of time, with a spare pair of hands to help.
have everything set up prior to doing it, and have a camera ready!!!, you fall in love immediately, there is nothing like hand raising a chick. about day 4 they will think of you as mom....or dad in your case
do you have your forumula, temp, brooder, syringes....etc....??

Yes, I do have everything ready! I am planning on pulling at 3 weeks this way in case the egg hatches it will still have some time with the parents. I have heard both theories pull all at once or one or two at a time. I have decided to pull all of the babies at one time.
Oh and I know with my signature name of brianlinkles I think everyone thinks of me as a man, (that is my husbands name) but I am Lynn. LOL
Thanks so much for all of the help everyone! This is such an exciting amazing experience, I am doing it with my 12 year old daughter. She is part of the "team" helping out these parents. She loves birds and is very good and confident with them. I have always had larger birds, when we got her a gcc I fell in love and knew this was the first type I wanted to try and breed!

...oopsy, sorry, Lynn. we have much in common you and I, my daughter is 11 and helps me with everything, from cleaning cages, feeding them, to training etc....it's a very unique experience a mom and daughter can share together. if it ever came time for my daughter to breed her own birds, by the time she's 20 she will be very knowledgable, thank goodness cause I just might be to tired to do it anymore.
I can't wait to see the babies!!!!!!