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A friend of mind paired up unproven minimacaws. Well, 2 weeks into introduction, they decited to lay thier first clutch of 2 eggs. This is their 1st attempt for both, so there is no experience from either one of them. Before she even paired them up, she had made arrangments to leave on vacation in and be gone for 2 weeks. She did not expecting anything from this new pair till spring, at best. If they hatch, when they are expected to hatch, babies will be between 3 and 7 days old when she leaves. Because this is a new, 1st time pair, she doesn't know what to expect from them. I have agreed to help her with the hanfeedings and anything needed. I have handfed day 1 babies before, so this does not frighten me. I try to pull babies at 2 to 3 weeks for handfeeding, unless I know the pair, and know it needs to be done sooner. With new pairs, I like to keep an eye on them daily to see what type of parents they are, and pull if I have to. This is not an option because she lives a distance from me. She had someone lined up to feed birds, but not babies.

This is what I've been thinking of doing. I plan to bring the babies and parents to my place. Babies will be transported in a portable brooder. Reset up the pair, same cage, nest box, etc, and return babies to the nest, to see if the parents accept and continue to feed. Would the parents accept them, or should I not risk the babies and just start to hand feed from this point? What I don't want to do is create bad habits for the parents for future clutches. I dont want them to "learn" that at 3-5 days is the the cut off for them to feed babies. Babies and parents will be seperated for 1-2 hrs max.
I've returned babies to parents before after 2 days, and this conure pair accepted the baby back with no problem. This pair did not relocate however.
What would you do? Has anyone had to do this before? Should I just handfeed, and leave thier next clutch with them longer?

Thanks in advance

Chances are they will be clear eggs being the first time for both and so young. If this was my problem I would monitor the eggs very carefully (candle them at 10 days since being laid) and you will see that it is most likely clear. Pair has not been together long enough. But in case you wind up (1-2% chance one or more are good) hatching them, and plan on moving the nest box, I would hand feed right from that point.

The pair will have time to get this right on another clutch. The idea of sitting and feeding their clutch is something that comes by instinct. It would take a long and methodical change in their instincts for any problems to become of it when it comes to future feedings. Don't read too much in this whole ordeal. The fact that you are doing this for your friend is admirable.

Also if you notice a piping, be very careful for first time parents. This is where they loose a majority of their babies. Make sure they are doing everything as required for the baby to clear the egg. You might want to fire up your brooder when you first notice the pip and have it ready for an assist here also. Brush up on your day one feeding techniques and have both syringe and eye dropper in the ready, Bottle of spring water, bottle of electrolyte, bag of formula, thermometer, your egg wash, and other items.

Remember 2cc every two hours, ya a big drag on your life, but worth it for the baby!

Good luck with your project.

Dutch

The birds are 7 and 8 yrs old. The chances of them being fertle are slim, I just dont want to assume nothing is going to happen and I am not ready. Doing my homework now, I have less than 2 weeks.

I would be very apprehensive about trying to reunite the parents and chicks...if indeed the eggs are fertile. It just seems like it would be way too risky with an unexperienced pair. And I am not sure that you (meaning anyone) would be able to monitor them closely enough to prevent injury to the chicks if the parents were upset. It only takes a second.....

This is going to sound cold but unless these mini macaws are spix or some other very endangered species don't intervene if the eggs are fertile, all too often in aviculture breeders are quick to "save" an egg or a chick by removing it from the parents causing a new pair of birds to never really learn how to incubate and rear chicks themselves. I see it everyday, "proven pairs" for sale but you have to pull the eggs, chicks, etc... we don't allow our birds to learn by experience and actually are training them to expect the eggs and chicks to be removed after a certain time which in the end result you wind up with a pair of birds you have to feed day one chicks from, yeah thats fun, granted there are times when feeding dayone is necessary but on a newly set-up pair you have time for them to be the great parents they are capable of being. I allow my birds to make mistakes and learn and it pays off, it took my new pairs of rosebreasteds 2-3 clutches before they got it right, now they hatch and feed their chicks, resulting in healthier babies and alot of unnecessary work feeding dayones. When was the last time you heard of someone with Mollucaans that hatched and fed their own chicks? Pretty damn rare I can tell you that, and theres other species we are ruining because of not allowing the parents to make mistakes. I've seen the differences in my birds themselves, its hard to not help but sometimes your hurting more than helping, let your new pair learn to be great parents.

Normally I would totally agree with you BG....but, with this pair being moved when the chicks would be so young sounds to me like the perfect recipe for disaster. If they were established in their own aviary and were going to be left to do their thing without the upheaval, then that, IMHO, would be completely different.

It is my understanding from the post that she's only thinking of moving them because the owner will be away, just leave em alone and have the person feeding the birds to just give the pair extra food, theres no need to move them, they are gonna act the same whether the owner is there or not, I think moving them is very unnecessary.

Yep....I read it as a definite that the pair were going to be moved. My first choice would be to leave them where they are and let them settle. And I am 100% in agreement that a pair needs to learn to raise their chicks from hatch to fledge.

I planned to move the pair for my convenience, but with what you have stated, I am coming to the conclusion of not having to move them at all. Just let them be, and ask whoever is feeding them to take a glance and maybe send some pics to me daily, or every other day to keep an eye on growth progress. No, you are not being cruel BG, this is why I asked. Like I stated in my initial post, the one thing I didn't want to do is create bad habits in this inexperienced pair.