dove babies killed....

[Birdman18]

I have a dove aviary that also has a few budgies and some quail. Well my doves had a nest with two babies that were going pretty well, until i noticed that something had killed them in the aviary with blood on the dead dove babies.
I was so upset when i saw those babies that were killed, i was going crazy trying to figure out who did it.
Well, i just happened to glance at the parakeets and i saw one of them whose beak area was all red!!!!!! Oh no the budgies had killed my dove babies, who would think a small bird like that could be soo mean!

 

[monarc23]

to be honest,the parakeet may have raided the nest for protien I know that sounds gross but it may not been out of aggression...I know that's hard to imagine to think of them as a food source to them but it wouldnt suprise me at all. That really does suck though!

 

[Birdman18]

Quote:
Thanks for replying monarc i appreciate it !!

Thats interesting, never thought they would get protein like that, but they really didn't eat them just made a big bloody mess out of them, i was looking forward to them growing up ,

it stinks to lose birds like this.

And now that i lost two birds, i have another pair that just layed a new clutch of eggs, you could imagine all eyes are on that parakeet. Maybe if the budgie decides to lay more eggs and incubates she wont bother any babies any more.

 

[crtrlovr]

budgies can be very aggressive toward baby birds of other species and even of their own species. It's best not to keep budgerigars in the same cage with a pair trying to raise babies. so sorry for your lost babies...

 

[Mary Of Exeter]

My dad used to raise and breed budgies, and had a big flock of them in an aviary type of cage. He got some quail to put in there with them, so they would keep the ground clean of stray seed and bugs. But within a few days, he found them all dead, with their face eaten off. The budgies had killed them for the calcium in their beaks and the protein in the body. They can be very mean towards other species of birds, especially non-cage birds like themselves. So it's best to keep the doves, quail, and budiges separate. Doves and quail can be kept together, if the doves have plenty of room to perch and nest off the ground, away from the quail. It's also preferred that you have some food and water off the ground for the doves, to prevent any fighting over food on the ground. Quail are pretty brave little boogers, and doves can get territorial too, so I could see them fussing at each other if they got too close for comfort

Which then puts the newly weaned baby doves and possible baby quail (if you have any) in danger of being pecked or attacked by either species.

 

[silkieone]

Sorry about your babies,that would crush me as well.
I thought of an idea that may work for protien for the budgies and that would be the suit cakes that you can get for the wild birds,I know that my button quail like it and so do my diamond doves.

Again I am sorry for your loss but give this a try even if you seperate them they may like it and leave others alone.Also provide some oyster shell for them for the calcium or you can buy a large bottle of calcium tablets and crush them and then give in a bowl or other container and I did this also and they loved it and cleaned the bowel up.

Good luck with what ever you decide.

Silkieone
Linda

 

[Birdman18]

Quote:
Thanks so much for replying!!
My parakeets are nesting right now, i give them egg shells that i blend up for them for calcium.