# Aspiration in Chicks



## Creed (Apr 10, 2016)

Back with another question (sorry so many).

I again couldn't find an answer to a question, and I found the same question however the forum said I wasn't allowed to access it for some odd reason...?

Anyway I was wondering what to do if a budgerigar chick needed to be handfed and somehow started to aspirate, and also what the exact signs of aspiration are? What could you do to aid the chick at this time, if anything? I had a quail chick once and it was aspirating (a bubble was coming from its mouth every time it breathed) and it unfortunately died. I don't want to lose a budgie chick the same way. I know that you must wait for the babies to begin bobbing their heads as a feeding reaction, or at least I believe that's it, but still what if they aspirated?

I don't want to be spoon-fed information for everything or anything like that, but some things I fail to find through researching on the internet.


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## Budget baby (Jan 1, 2013)

Hi I have flagged your thread so our more experienced staff can answer your request. Hopefully they will be around soon.:green pied:


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## Kate C (Oct 15, 2007)

Luckily I have never had this problem. But to answer your question, if a baby bird aspirates food when being hand fed there is pretty much nothing you can do and it nearly always proves fatal, as they will get a type of pneumonia caused by the food getting into the lungs. You are more likely to get a bird aspirating if fed by crop needle (the needle going into the windpipe instead of the crop), if a large enough crop needle is used you should not be able to get it into the windpipe instead of the crop, and taking it slowly also makes it less likely. Because the windpipe has cartillage (like a human windpipe) you can feel the ribs of the cartillage when putting the crop needle in, and there is more resistance. And also just using a syringe. When the baby begs for food and is making a noise the opening to the windpipe is closed off (just like it is when the mother feeds it), but if you are too quick depressing the plunger on the syringe it is possible for some food to go into the windpipe. With spoon feeding it is less likely as the bird will make bobbing motions and begging noise, so the windpipe will also be blocked off just like it would be in the nest with its mother.

Hope that helps.


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## Creed (Apr 10, 2016)

Thank you for flagging it =)

And ok, I wasn't sure if there was anything that could be done, I just wanted to know in case this ever happened to me if there was anything that could be done. I suppose not much would go wrong if I was careful and waited for the baby to let me know it is ready for food. Ill likely spoon feed the babies if needed. 

Thank you!


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Rebecca,

May I ask why you are planning to hand-feed your budgie chicks? In general, parent raised chicks that are hand-socialized on a daily basis will be just as "tame" and have better mental and emotional stability. 

http://talkbudgies.com/articles-budgie-breeding/336209-planned-co-parenting-raising-tame-chicks.html*


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## Creed (Apr 10, 2016)

Oh I just wanted to have the knowledge just in case a hen decides to not care for the nest herself, or if so many are born (I have heard 2nd clutches can have up to 18 eggs apparently!?) that the parents need help so that they wont get over stressed. I know a healthy diet will give them energy to care for the chicks, but you never know if something will go wrong.

That is my reasoning =)


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## aluz (Jul 24, 2011)

One female budgie will not lay 18 eggs in one single clutch.
The average amount of eggs for a first timer can range between 3 - 5 eggs.
After that, they will usually lay 6 eggs per clutch on average. While some hens can at times surpass the average and lay an additional couple of eggs.


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## Creed (Apr 10, 2016)

Ok phew. I don't know why It said 10-18 eggs in a clutch. I thought it was crazy but believed it 

This is why I ask this site my questions...


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## aluz (Jul 24, 2011)

Yes, a single clutch of budgie eggs does not surpass the double digits unless there is more than one hen using the same nest box or multiple clutches of infertile eggs have been laid and not removed from the nest. And neither of these practices are recommended when thinking of the welfare of the breeding pairs (especially the laying hens).


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## Kate C (Oct 15, 2007)

There are always exceptions to the rule. Before I started hand raising parrots and was only breeding budgies, I had a hen in an individual breeding cage lay 11 eggs in one clutch, incubate the lot and they were all fertile, she raised them all and all survived. As there was only one pair in the cage they were obviously all her eggs. Needless to say she was rested for a very long time after that. I had no other birds breeding at the time so could not move any eggs out and as I said I did not know how to hand raise at the time. They were certainly ploughing through the food though.

I was not an experienced breeder at the time so I would never recommend to allow this to happen.


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## Creed (Apr 10, 2016)

Wow that's a lot of babies, must have been hard work for the hen. Great job momma budgie


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