# Possibly plucking baby's feathers



## Buckyroid (6 mo ago)

Hi all, my budgies have an 18 days old chick, and I think mother budgie is plucking some white soft feathers from baby. I never saw she is chewing them but I noticed that baby's feathers are gone. He had some feathers on back of his neck and now, they are gone. I never find feathers inside nest box, so I am not sure  But I saw mother budgie is doing something like grooming the baby. But baby seems don't like it because he was making some noises (not screaming tho). What to do? I am not sure about hand feeding because he is 18 days old and I think he can keep him self warm enough if I take him from his mother :/ 

Here is a video of how Mother treats baby: Streamable Video

Note: father budgie is in another cage because he plucked mother budgie's back feathers while she was nesting.


----------



## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*You should not have allowed the budgies to breed.
Now that you have done so and you have a chick, you are going to need to hand-feed it and care for it.
The mother is much too aggressive and may end up killing the baby. Move the mother OUT of the cage where the baby is currently and put her into an individual cage of her own.

Hand Feeding and Weaning Guide

PLEASE do NOT allow any of your budgies (I have no idea how many you have) to breed in the future.*

*A Heartfelt Plea to All Members*
*Tips For Discouraging Breeding*
*Before You Ever Consider Breeding Your Budgies*
*Guidance for Breeding Advice Threads*

*The purpose of this forum is to promote the BEST PRACTICES in the care of budgies for their optimal Health and Well-Being*
*Locating an Avian Veterinarian*

*A Healthy Diet for your Budgie*
*Quality Seed Mix*
*CuttleBones, Mineral Blocks and Manu Clay Roses*
*Safe Foods for Budgies*
*The Truth about GRIT*

*Please take the time to read through the Site Guidelines, the FAQs, the Budgie Articles and all of the Stickies located at the top of each section of the forum.
Additionally, please be sure to read the thread "Posting on the Forums" which is linked below.

Truly, the very BEST advice anyone can offer you is to take the time to read ALL of the stickies throughout the various Talk Budgie forums as well as the Budgie Articles we have posted.
(Stickies are threads “stuck” at the top of each forum sub-section)
These are great resources for Talk Budgie members and have a wealth of reliable information which will assist you to learn the best practices in caring for your budgies for their optimal health and well-being.*

*SITE GUIDELINES*
*Posting on the Forums*
*Let's Talk Budgies!*
*FAQ*
*Articles*
*Be Prepared for Veterinary Care Expense*
*Avian First Aid*
*Quarantine IS Necessary!*
*Cage sizes.*
*Essentials to a Great Cage*
*Dangers to Pet Birds*
*Resource Directory*


----------



## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

Hello and welcome to the forums, 

Great advice above and I totally agree. It's very important you read through the links above. Be sure to ask any questions if you have any after doing so! 

We are looking forward to your updates. 

Best wishes!


----------



## Buckyroid (6 mo ago)

Hello, Thanks @FaeryBee and @StarlingWings for your answers. I have read everything I can found on the internet about how to hand feed etc. I took the baby from mother and keeping him in a safe place (inside his nestbox covered with blanket and put a hot water bag under nestbox) I have gold wings baby formula and tried feeding the chick with a syringe and a spoon and he only eats very little (like 1/4 what he should eat). I tried showing chick to his mom and his mom started to feed him between the cage bars. She still attacks (unfortunately she bites his bottom beak  ), I am trying to be careful. I think she will stop feeding him like that soon and what I came up with is getting one of this tool and start to feed him with it. But problem is I am scared that I might choke him accidentally  I watched a lot of youtube videos about how to feed like that. Hope everything goes well for me and this baby!


----------



## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

That tool is very dangerous if used incorrectly you could puncture the crop or esophagus. Will the father feed the chick or is he also aggressive towards it? It would be best to seek the help and advise of an avian veterinarian or a breeder that is experienced in hand feeding, since you have done some research you no doubt are aware of how critical it is to get things right.


----------



## Buckyroid (6 mo ago)

Cody said:


> That tool is very dangerous if used incorrectly you could puncture the crop or esophagus. Will the father feed the chick or is he also aggressive towards it? It would be best to seek the help and advise of an avian veterinarian or a breeder that is experienced in hand feeding, since you have done some research you no doubt are aware of how critical it is to get things right.


yeah I know thats very dangerous  And no dad is scared from baby and doesn't feed him. I have talked some experienced breeders online. As far as I know, I should put chicks back on my palm with my left hand, get the syringe on my right hand, and put syringe in between chicks beak from my right to left and try to feel it goes down to crop and gently push the formula. Hope this is not needed  Mom budgie still feeds but after she finish it, she tries to attack (pulls baby's bottom beak).


----------



## Buckyroid (6 mo ago)

Or maybe I just try to feed him just with a needleless syringe and put it between his beak by a little force and push the formula? (Because he doesn't want to eat from syringe like other birds on youtube videos. He is not shaking his head up and down like they do with their mother) Does this might choke him? What I have tried is gently tap the tip of syringe to his beak and he just licks a little bit of formula.


----------



## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

You have to be very careful, birds have a slit called the choanal slit in the roof of the mouth if you get formula or and fluid in that, the bird could aspirate and die or end up with aspiration pneumonia. Take a look at this Budgie Hand Feeding And Weaning Guide


----------



## Buckyroid (6 mo ago)

Cody said:


> You have to be very careful, birds have a slit called the choanal slit in the roof of the mouth if you get formula or and fluid in that, the bird could aspirate and die or end up with aspiration pneumonia. Take a look at this Budgie Hand Feeding And Weaning Guide


What if I just push the food out of syringe into bird's mouth? I mean not sticking it to crop, just it's mouth? He doesn't begging though, even if hes hungry. He only begs to his mother. Does this have a risk to aspire him?


----------



## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

Yes if the formula goes into the choana, go very slowly with and make sure you do not aim upwards.


----------



## Buckyroid (6 mo ago)

Cody said:


> Yes if the formula goes into the choana, go very slowly with and make sure you do not aim upwards.


What would be the signs of it? Sometimes my bird spits the food


----------



## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

Take a look at this article Aspiration Pneumonia in Birds - Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, Recovery, Management, Cost


----------



## Buckyroid (6 mo ago)

Cody said:


> Take a look at this article Aspiration Pneumonia in Birds - Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, Recovery, Management, Cost


Thanks I have read it, it was helpful. Luckily my little bird seems okay for now. I searched what is inside of a budgie's beak and added a drawing(sorry its bad) of what I understand of it. (So breathing hole is upwards and where food should go is downwards right?) Or are they next to each other? (food on bird's left, air on bird's right)


----------



## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

Your drawing is correct. Are you allowing the mother to feed the chick with supervision?


----------



## Buckyroid (6 mo ago)

Cody said:


> Your drawing is correct. Are you allowing the mother to feed the chick with supervision?


Yeah but she will stop feeding him soon probably. And chick is not opening his mouth and bob his head like how they do when they are eating when I try to feed him with a syringe. So can we say, chicks throat is connected to it's crop and air goes through upper beak? So it is okay to but syringe's tip a little bit down his throat?


----------

