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Separation of Budgie Chicks from Their Parents
Almost every budgie enthusiast’s heart melts when they see budgie chicks. They are simply cute, and most people would love to take them home immediately. Therefore, many people tend to get budgie chicks first. But when can a chick actually be removed from the group and separated from its parents? And what are the consequences if this happens too early? The following article aims to answer these questions.
Chicks must be able to feed themselves
The most important criterion for when a budgie chick can be separated from its parents is its ability to feed itself. If a budgie chick is not yet self-sufficient when taken from its parents, it will most likely die, especially because laypeople cannot easily tell whether a young budgie is eating enough. Self-sufficiency here does not refer to the first tentative attempts of a young budgie to crack seeds, but to the stage where the small bird is able to independently consume enough food to avoid starving.
If by chance you come across a young bird that is not yet able to feed itself, steps must be taken to provide it with enough food. Even if you manage to help the young bird through this critical phase with rearing measures, there is no guarantee that it will live a healthy life. Often, severe damage to the internal organs occurs during this short period of inadequate nutrition, especially affecting the kidneys. This damage usually leads to an early death, or the bird will not survive the first serious illness.
Hand-rearing, as discussed in the linked article above, also comes with many dangers and problems. While it may be necessary as a life-saving measure, one should never agree to a breeder’s offer to take in a bird that is not yet self-sufficient for further hand-rearing. Given the many problems that arise, doing so solely to get the bird accustomed to humans as early as possible can only be described as animal cruelty.
Here are some tips for recognizing very young birds. Young budgies, in many but not all color varieties, have the characteristic feather pattern extending just above the cere ("nose") and eyes without an iris ring. It is only between three and six months of age that the feather pattern gradually recedes to the back of the head during the juvenile molt, and a white iris ring develops (in most color varieties). The suspicion that a bird is too young arises if, in addition to these features, the bird also has the typically dark beak, or if its flight and tail feathers are not yet fully grown, and the bird is (still) unable to fly.
If you recognize from the feather pattern that the bird has already gone through its first molt, has an iris ring, or if its siblings or other birds of the same age are fully feathered (this occurs from day 32 to 35), but the bird in question is still missing the feathers necessary for flight, it may be a sign that the bird is ill.
In both cases, it is better to refrain from purchasing the bird and instead visit another breeder or dealer. Welli.net advises this with animal welfare in mind, as it is important not to support the willful sale of too young or sick birds.
On average, most budgies are self-sufficient by eight weeks at the latest, although some young birds learn to feed themselves earlier. However, even then, they should not be separated from their family, as feeding is not the only thing they need to learn from their parents.
Social and mating behavior
Just like young human children, young budgies need time to learn the social behavior of their peers. This includes vocalizations, body language, and the social rules of the group. If a young budgie is separated from its flock or parents too early, it will not learn many of these important behavioral rules, and later it will have difficulty acquiring them, even if it is reintroduced to a group of birds after a quarantine period. The early time spent with its parents is too crucial to make up for easily.
The resulting problems are varied and can lead to the bird never fully integrating into a group, as it is unfamiliar with the prevailing norms. In the best-case scenario, it is simply not accepted; in the worst case, it becomes the target of attacks caused by its inability to recognize the signals of other flock members. For example, the risk of a biting attack increases significantly if the bird cannot recognize the threatening calls of its peers or does not notice the warning body language.
Early separation from the flock can also disrupt mating behavior. Cases have been observed where normal mating behavior could not occur because the bird failed to recognize the clear signals necessary for mating. While courtship behavior may still take place, the actual mating does not. The hormones are present, which leads to frustration and aggression, as the bird does not know how to follow its instinct.
Behavioral disorders due to lack of socialization
The behavioral disorders described here primarily arise when a young bird is separated from its flock too early and is not immediately integrated into a group but is initially kept alone. However, this does not mean that these disorders cannot occur if the young bird is introduced to a new group or partner after a quarantine period. In this case, such abnormalities may still occur.
###advertiser_two###Imprinting
It is not uncommon for a bird that has been separated from its peers too early to develop an imprinting issue and form too strong a bond with its human "owner," especially if it has been hand-reared. This type of imprinting can lead to rather harmless outcomes, such as occasionally using the human hand for mating, to more extreme consequences like aggressively attacking anyone near the owner. These attacks often involve painful bites. Since this kind of imprinting is very difficult to reverse, every effort should be made to prevent it from happening in the first place.
Screaming
Budgies that were separated from their flock too early tend to use their voice more than their peers. This can result in constant screaming or frequent loud contact calls. These calls may also stem from the imprinting described above, where the bird desperately tries to get the attention of its human. This is very frustrating for everyone involved and often leads to the bird being given up.
Self-mutilation
Another consequence of early separation from the flock can be feather plucking, a form of self-harm where the bird pulls out its feathers, sometimes causing wounds on its skin. This behavior is difficult to correct, making it crucial to prevent it from occurring in the first place.
Recommendation for the correct age of separation
What conclusions can we draw from this information? It is important that a young budgie stays with its peers long enough to learn how to feed itself, become familiar with its flock's customs, and avoid psychological damage. But when is the right time to separate a young budgie from its parents?
Not only does the young bird suffer if separated too early, but it is also a traumatic experience for the parent birds if their offspring suddenly disappear. If a bird is separated from its parents at eight weeks, it is important that it is given to a new home with a sibling and placed in a flock to make up for the "lost" four weeks. A sibling is necessary because older budgies often do not know what to do with very young ones and may exclude or even attack them if they attempt to make contact due to a lack of similarly aged companions.
If birds are separated from their parents earlier, under the argument that they will become tame faster, this is nonsense. A twelve-week-old bird will get used to humans just as quickly as a younger one if you spend enough time with it. Moreover, even a very young budgie is no guarantee of tameness, as some budgies, due to their character, will never become tame. Various factors come into play, and age is insignificant.
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