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Kakariki, Care, Breeding, Ecology, and Conservation :: View topic - our chicks died
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our chicks died

 
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cass
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Joined: Jun 16, 2011
Posts: 5

PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 1:04 am    Post subject: our chicks died

We need help bought a pair of kakarikis and they had 3 chicks pretty quickly we think one feel out of the nesting box and died, one was out of the box for 3 weeks and was making no attempt to fly but was big and looked healthy the 3rd one has been out for about a week but we were putting him back in the nest at night. The other day they were both sitting on the perch my partner went into the shed went into the housr to get them some apple and when he went to the cage they were both on the floor dead still warm we were devastated. gave vegetables fruit there is grit in the cage. the female is sitting on eggs again and we dont want this to happen again what can we do ??
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Gee
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 5:01 am    Post subject:

Thats awful news Cass, sorry to hear that!

You could concider an autopsie. I think that's probably the quickest way to try get some answers.
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Steptoe
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 9:28 am    Post subject:

The chicks have died , at the same time, the parents are fine?
My 1st thought is a rat.....

Quote:
quickly we think one feel out of the nesting box and died,

We have had chicks come out of nesting boxes early (nesting boxes not deep enough) and broken a wing or hip hitting hard...when nesting boxes where higher than we have now.....but fall out?? and die, nearly 1000 chicks never had that....thinking rat here.

I would sugest come out of the nesting box early and rat got it maybe???

Quote:
one was out of the box for 3 weeks and was making no attempt to fly but was big and looked healthy the 3rd one has been out for about a week but we were putting him back in the nest at night.

This is usually something that happens when only 1 nesting box, the hen wants to lay again, and attackes chicks, damaging critial flight feather roots, and forcing them out of the nest.

OR a gene defect in that blood line causing some issue internally...this results in normally looking heathy ypund, running around the bottom of the flight for a few weeks, then suddenly get lathagec and roll over a die, very quickly.

If u do not have a regular maintaince vermen program you will have an issue.
Do u have 2 nesting boxes?
Watch the next 2 batches for any defective birds.

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cass
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 1:15 pm    Post subject: our chicks died

new at this and not sure how to reply yes we have 2 nesting boxes female in 2nd with eggs again
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cass
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 1:18 pm    Post subject: our chicks died

have seen no sign of rats and we have 2 cats really bothered about this mystery as the female is sitting on eggs again
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Steptoe
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 1:36 pm    Post subject:

No sign of rats, and having cats means nothing
If one has avairies, regular vermen maintainance is not an option.
And yes I learnt that the hard way a few yrs back...10 mins lost my whole yellow crown breeding population and stock....ASnd had no idea we had rats...or 1 rat.
I had no idea it was a rat..till found it in a nesting box accidently.
And all this happened only minutes after a pleasant morning tea right next to that flight.

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Gee
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 7:47 pm    Post subject:

Cass, it's realy very difficult for us to tell why. Specially over the internet, without knowing and seeing you, the birds and their environment. There could be a zillion of reasons. And yes, rats or mice could definetly be one of them

I do know sudden deaths are often associated with a stressful event.
Could it be one of the cats jumped up against the wire and shocked the chicks?

Are the parents related in any way?
See, because of inbreeding, some kakarikis have weak hearts.

Did they eat of something growing/ standing near by their cage they could reach for?

Have friends/ neighbours/ children been near them very recently? Could it be they gave them something to eat? Anything unusual near or in the cage like leaves or remains of food they should not have eaten?

When your hubby saw them for the last time, were they screaming ( alarmcall) or just sitting on the perch taking a nap? What was the last thing your hubby did in the shed after he had seen them alive? Did he spray something? Open something?.Did he put something away that might have fallen to the ground with a loud noise?

An autopsie could give you more info about their physical health.
If they were ok, you could rule out things as birth defects, viruses etc..
Without such info, chances are you will never really know for sure what has happened.

All you can do then is hold your breath and hope the next batch is ok.
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you and your birds!
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Steptoe
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 8:24 pm    Post subject:

If realy sure no vermin..Gee sums up very well, thu cats jumping on flights, other birds maybe but kakariki no..
We actually encoutage neigbourhood cats because our kakariki need to be hardened up for the day they get released back into the wild....
in around 10 yrs never lost a bird to cats hanging off wire meash in the middle of the night (or day)

We have lost eggs and young chicks to very heavy thunder storms, and the week of Nov 5, we have Guy fawkes...fireworks.
Thid can cause eggs to die, and I do suspect occassional defects in young when born...thats a therory, and have nothing to substantuate that other than gut feeling.

The only way to be sure is as Gee suggests auttopsy OR if defective chicks are constant, a genetic defect.

In breeding is and is not a falicy...
Its not good to breed back to a parent.
Inbreeding is fine for 2 or 3 generations...THEN breed back to new blood before continuing to follow that line.
But IF at any stage one starts getting defective birds the whole line has to be destroyed going back several generations.
If that is not done, no matter what, there is a huge risk to introducing those defects into the species in general....like certain breeds of dogs and cats are very prone to organ disorders, hip defects etc.

There are breeders who just dont care, dollars in their eyes, who instead of destorying lines , sell the birds on to unsuspecting public.

A Gee says without actually seeing...this is what I suspect if not vermin.

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cass
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Joined: Jun 16, 2011
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 6:02 pm    Post subject: our chicks died

thanks to every one for all the feedback and advise. I think we will have to wait and see what happens with the eggs the female is sitting on. we got the birds from a dealer with a great reputation . hopefully the cats scared the chicks and thats why they died, and thats the explanation
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