parents not feeding fledglings :-(

[colorin]

After 5 days of fledging, oe of my gouldian pair are not feeding their chicks. They beg all day long and chase their parents asking for food, but parents seem to be more interested in laying eggs again than feeding the fledglings.
Is there anythingI can do or will they just starve to death?

[VR1Ton]

If you've got the time, you could finish rearing them youself. Because they have fledged, they shouldn't require mutch heat (not sure how cold your nites are over there at this time of year). Just mix up some handrearing mix (I use roudybush) use a syring & put it just inside the beak, it may take a day or two for them to get use to it, so you will need to do it every couple of hours during the day from about 6am till about 8 or 10pm. After they are use to it they will fill their crops, & should only need three or four feeds from about 7am till 7pm. Provide them with food & water, & when they start to roll the seed cut out the middle feed & just do morning & night, about a week later just do the evening feed to take them through the night. When they start cracking & eating large amounts of seed wean them completely, but keep a close eye on them to make sure they arn't lossing any condition, if so give them a top up till they pick up again. It is normal for just weaned birds will loss a little weight, but excessive loss will show quite quickly.

[Redwing]

Same thing has just happened with my clutch of Emlema that had just fledged colorin. On day 5 ended up putting them in a cage with the Dad, but by that time one was too weak to chase him around so was crop feeding it and then putting it back as it wasn't strong enough to hand feed.... anyway that one died but Dad started feeding the remaining one once he was away from his mate and the new nest he was building. It's now 5 weeks old and looks good, it's awful watching them trying to beg and then eventually just giving up. Good luck and hope all goes well with your ones.

[colorin]

but will teh chicks open their beaks to be fed by me?
Would it be a good idea to place them in the societies cage with the other gouldian chick (which is a a week older and already eats on his own as societies stopped feeding him 10 days after fledging) after removing societies. that way the fostered chick will be with those of his own kind and these chiks will learn where food and water is from this chick.And of course try to hand-feed them.
but what if they don't open their beaks??

[finchbreeder]

Maybe swap the chicks. Put the older fledgling in with the adult Gouldians and the younger fledgling in to be "finished" by the Bengos for a fortnight then back in with their parents and the older chick.
LML

[Redwing]

How are the chicks going?

[colorin]

first of all, I want to thank you all for your support.
Yesterday I took the chick out of the aviary (he was being chased away by the the other gouldian pair, who are being very territorial and protective of their chicks, and after removing societies, I placed it with the fostered gouldian chick (societies have not fed this chick since day 10 after fledging, but he's doing fine, eating on its own. Before I placed it in the cage, I tried to handfeed it (some skypio eggmeal and some soaked seeds) but no way. It wouldn't open its beak. So I placed it in the cage with its "cousin" (who was really scared of this new/unknown/bird and flew back and forth like crazy!) and placed a small plate on the floor with the soaked seeds, eggfood etc, so the chick could find food easily.
I checked on it this morning before going to work and he didn't look fluffed up or sick. Today at noon I placed the cage outside so they could get some sun and I've seen the chick nibbling at the seeds and eggfood on the floor. I'll keep an eye on it and will try to handfeed it again, but so far it doesn't look like being sick or weak...
Keep fingers crossed

[Diane]

Glad to hear things could be working out ok.

[colorin]

Today, 21st January and the chick is OK, so it must be definitely eating on its own.
I'll keep this in mind for the future!
I read so many things about chicks needing to be fed by their parents for 2 weeks after fledging, but obviously this is not right. It might be "recommended" but it's not a "must".
Anyway, I just wanted to share the news with you all.

[jusdeb]

Also in the future to get the beak open , thumb and finger either side of the beak and gently ease open ,once they know its food going in they will beg with the mouths open.

Doesnt have to be open much to get the tip of a small syringe in there .