Nest question

[Arama]

So this morning one of my chicks fell out of the nest. They shouldn't be ready to fledge for at least 4-5 days. The chicks will hang their heads out of the entrance and I think this one got a little to close and its body weight helped it fall out.

What can I do to help keep this from happening until they are ready? Can I build a small nest on the bottom of the cage and put the chicks there?

Any and all suggestions welcome. My parent birds are accepting of my intrusions and don't seem to mind me.

They are zebra finches.

[Ginene]

What kind of nest are you using? I wonder if there is too much nest material in there, which is making the babies sit too high, nest the opening. Can you take a pic of your set up for us?

[Arama]

I changed the nest out the other day as it for some reason seemed as if it was going fall. I changed it for this one which is not a deep(which I think is the issue), and the opening is larger.

Also after watching for awhile I think my pair is trying to encourage the chicks to come out. They are flying back and fourth in front of the entrance. The chicks are 14d,13d, and two are only 12 days old.

[Sally]

Most chicks fledge around 14 days, even a few days earlier for the waxbills. When chicks are getting ready to fledge, they will usually hang around the entrance to the nest, even standing in the opening, till they get up enough courage to take that first leap. It could have fallen out, or the parents could have knocked it out. Parents flying back and forth is another sign that the babies are about ready to fledge, as the parents try to encourage their babies to leave.

If there is too much nesting material in the new nest, you could remove some, but I think your babies will be leaving any day now anyway.

[Arama]

Really! Wow so exciting!

I didn't put a large amount of material in it but I did give them a little extra on the bottom of the cage just so they could adjust it for themselves a bit.

So if another comes out do I just leave it be?

[Sally]

If it can fly, even if a bit clumsily, then it has fledged and I would leave it alone. Many fledglings will return to the nest that first day, and they normally make it back to the nest just fine all by themselves.

[Arama]

thank you

[lnlovesorange]

So exciting.. chicks.. but i'm with you on scary. What kind of birds/chicks do you have? I'm waiting for my Zebra's to get a little older (they laid 6 eggs, and then never brooded them, and someone on this forum told me it was probably because they were too young) I realized later, that them not brooding kind of coincided with me first letting them out of the cage, so it might have been partially my fault) anyway... they were a little young regardless. But i do want a clutch, and I'm so nervous about when i do finally get one!! But good luck to you and your fledglings!!!