Aussie Finch Forum

This is not behaviour that I've ever had with my Javas. Are you sure you don't have mice that could be accessing your cabinets? I think you just have to persist and if it is the birds then get some new, less cannibalistic, stock. Can I ask why you put the dead youngsters back in the nest? With my Javas they didn't bother removing dead youngsters from the nest but I figured that doing so was more hygienic and the disturbance didn't bother the birds.

Reads like you are answering your own question??

Huh. its not showing my message? someone has replyed to mine and its saying i posted it?

It is not pests. i saw the parents do it. i put the chicks back in the nest to try to get the parents to understand that they are their chicks

I have had Javas kill young..but that was many years ago when I used to check On them frequently (dont check nests anymore)...think it disturbed them too much...maybe these pair werent used to cage breeding?

I have left the dead chicks in the cage with them and they appear to be eating them???

Sounds like they are lacking something in their diet... To eat young.

Javas will often pick up old carcasses of birds and put them in their nest. Infact their nest boxes are so dirty yet the chicks survive.
As for killing chicks,I would be surprised if the actual parents did the killing,it could be a rival pair or odd bird.
If you saw the bird remove the chick, was it dead or alive. If dead it would remove it outside to dry then possibly bring it back.
During the times I have kept Javas I have found them very fertile and very good parents.
You never know though,observation is your best avenue.

I sat there and watched the parents pick up a semi live chick. and fling it about the cage. Before chewing its wings and legs off. I put them back in the nest. they took them straight out again and chewed them up even more.

They are a deff pair they are the only birds in the cage. There are NO pests. I live in a terrace house and its in my spair bedroom. NOTHING can get in my house. I would have noticed rodents anyway and no insect here in the uk could kill a chick.

perhaps it might be worthwhile considering increasing the protein in their diet and making sure they have plenty of fresh grees as well, if you dont already

Ok i noticed yesterday that the pair had put the dead chick remains back in the nest. This morning i decided to take the nest away to prevent another clutch.

What does this mean? It looks to me that they dont reconise the chicks as their own?