Parents won't feed a Lutino?

1797 Views 14 Replies 7 Participants Last post by atvchick95, Jul 30, 2008

sweetrsue

Discussion Starter · Jul 15, 2008

About a month ago I got a pair of 'tiels from a lady who told me that when this pair had a Lutino baby they won't feed it!?! Has anybody heard of this kind of thing? They were bred in an aviary with 40 birds and 1 box. The box had no top. I'm wondering if because they could see how different the baby looked it put them off. They have not been bred this year but I am getting them healthy before I try. I intend to use a standard 12 X 12 box with a lid of course. Do you suppose that will keep them from starving a Lutino?

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sweetrsue

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jul 16, 2008

In a full clutch of an average of five. They chose not to feed a Lutino. She says they don't get Lutinos very often but when they do they don't feed them. I wondered if some other pair had put an egg in the box. There were 40 birds and one box. Could they recognize it wasn't theirs?

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sweetrsue

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jul 17, 2008

These were is a box with no top. I was wondering now that I have them and plan to give them a proper box. Will it help? The fact that they won't be able to see them so clearly I'm hopeing will prevent them from treating them differently. What do you think? Is that logical?

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sweetrsue

Discussion Starter · #8 · Jul 18, 2008

I don't have any eggs from this pair yet. Have only had them a short time and don't want to breed them while they are not in top shape. The lady who had them said they hadn't bred this year but I don't want to take any chances. Next spring is plenty soon enough. I was just trying to get oppinions and ideas re: this weird behavior. I visited one other site where a lady had a pair that did the same thing. Refused to feed Lutino's. I never heard of a 'tiel refusing to feed a specific mutation. Weird!!!

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sweetrsue

Discussion Starter · #11 · Jul 28, 2008

I'va had 'tiels in the past. I never had any problem with them feeding any baby. Theirs or not. I think it was the enviroment they were in. When I set them up it will be in a decent size cage with a proper nestbox. No other birds in the same room to distract them. If they thought the Lutino wasn't theirs May be this will remove any doubt. I don't know if they could possibly have that kind of awareness but if they do that should help...I hope

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sweetrsue

Discussion Starter · #14 · Jul 29, 2008 (Edited)

They are 5

This pair is 5 years. That's them hanging on the door. They are banded. I agree the enviroment was niether right nor healthy. When I came to pick them up she was out of food and had given them a whole tube of crackers. If I could have taken more of them home I would have. They are looking real good NOW. I put them in the aviary just last Tuesday so it has been one week. I had improved their diet even before they went in there but now they will eat the veggie cabobs I put in and I'm so glad. At first they wouldn't even eat seed. Then while I had them in Quarentine they never ate pellets or veggies. Of course the millet was readily accepted. Now they are getting good stuff. By next spring I'l give them a try at a private room and a proper box.

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