White Bellied Caiques available at Running Bird Ranch

Read "THOSE COLORFUL, CLOWNISH CAIQUES! (Parrots)" by Theresa Jordan

Caique Pictures - Photos from Birth to Adult

Hand feeding Caiques Most chicks are removed from the nest box to be handfed at about 5 to 8 days of age. It's not good to leave more than three chicks in the nest for the parents to care for. The oldest chick should be removed on the day the fourth chick pip's the egg shell. Having fewer chicks in the nest puts less strain on the adults, and gives the newly hatched chicks a greater chance of survival. The chicks removed for handfeeding are placed in a brooder at 95°F where they stay until two weeks of age. During this time they require five feedings per day. The amount feed is judged visually and will vary from chick to chick. We feed the babies until the crop is well rounded, but never get the crop tight which can lead to accidental aspiration. At 15 days of age the brooder temperature is adjusted to 88 f. The chicks crop must be fully drained and flat before being re-feed. The chicks crop is your feeding timer. Always test the temperature of the formula being feed (should be around 100°F) on the inside of your wrist. If it's to hot for you, it's to hot for your baby. At about three to four weeks of age the pin feathers will start coming in. The time between feedings will be increased and one feeding will be eliminated. We then move the chicks to a glass fish tank in a well lighted area of our family room. This allows the chicks to see their surroundings and get comfortable with people, the home, and TV's, etc...