NEED SOME ADVICE NOW

[chris631]

HEY GUYS, MY BABIES ARE ALMOST 2 AND A HALF WEEKS, 12/18 12/22 12 /24 I'D LIKE TO START SOCIALIZING THEM. WHEN? WHEN? GOT MOMMA AND DADDY OUT FOR AWHILE TONIGHT, MY PARTNER PLAYED WITH THEM AS I PEAKED INTO NEST. THEY ALL HAVE THERE EYES OPEN WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF ITS SAFE TO START SCIALIZING THEM. ALSO CAN I CHANGE SOME OF THE NESTING MATERIAL, STARTING TO SMELL A LITTLE. PROMISE TO SEND PICS, IF I CAN GET EM OUT AND TAKE SOME PICS! BEEN CLEANING ALL AROUND THEM, BUT THINK ITS TIME TO START SOCIALIZING, WHATS THE FIRST STEP? GET MOMMA OUT? HELP?:confused: THANKS CHRIS PS THIS IS MY FIRST TIME

[Keltoth]

Hi Chris -

You should be able to start socializing the chicks now. I socialize mine by taking out one baby at a time (or all at the same time but having one chick per person) and sitting on the couch with them, letting them rest in a towel in my hands. Try to get them used to hands being a good thing by lightly rubbing their feet with a fingertip, rubbing the sides of their beaks, and rubbing around the earhole with a fingertip in a light, circular motion (if you do the earhole thing just right, the chick will give the lovebird equivilent of a grin; it looks like they are making a BIG yawn). You can also run a fingr down the length of their back, and some of my chicks have liked their little wings lightly stroked (and some have not liked this - it seems to be an individual like or dislike).

At the age that they are now, at least one 20 minute session per chick per day should be good. Don't be afraid to do multiple sessions per day if you've got the time and desire, but I've found that 20 minutes per chick each session keeps the parents from getting overly concerned and also keeps the chicks from getting overloaded from all the tactile sensory input.

I would strongly adivse against taking anything out of the nestbox to clean it; mother hens are unpredictable in the way they react to interfence with thier nests. What I do is add nesting material over the top of the old stuff to try to curtail the nastiness of an old nest, but even then, don't add too much - just enough to cover the old gunk.

- Eric

[chris631]

Thanks Eric