baby kak is trying to fly away (pretty good)

Sunny · New Member Joined: Mar 06, 2015 Posts: 2

Hi

after trying to search it in the quick search i couldn't find the answer to my question zo i'm gonna put it here, and hope for a quick response because i'm a bit desperate.

I got a 5,5 week old kakariki and he is down to 2 feedings a day but I notice that he /she is more progressed then I think he is.

The petshop place told me to keep him in a little plastic "little animal box" for two more weeks.

but honestly I think that this is animal cruelty!

When I take him out the first thing he does (unless it is feeding time) is fly away... he wants to explore!

And he flies pretty good! Not 100% coordinated but he flies a couple of meters without a fail.

When I put him back in the little plastic box he starts making a "feed me" noise and tries to scratch the plastic, tries to climb or is keeping himself busy with the little toy's i gave him that fit in the little box (which are 2 things, a little animal rope with two wooden blocks and a little mirror with a bell. so he was "not alone" i thought because going from 5 brothers or sisters to your lonesome i think that could be a shock.

any how my question is:

i got my grandmothers old canary cage and I thought that it would be better to put him in there, so he has more space, kan climb and play. I'll put all the sitting poles near the ground so he can't fall high, and for now i use a big fluffy towl for the bottom instead of bird bedding.

In my opinion i think he will develop his skills more quickly and get more independent and strong in a cage where he can be himself and explore than in a little plastic box.?

but this is my first bird so i don't know if what i say makes sense.

and can you tell by his picture if he is male or female? i think that the size of his beak is "male".

Steptoe · Site Admin Joined: Oct 06, 2004 Posts: 4550

You are thinking this thru well.....

At that age/ plumage developmental... if breed in a aviary.. nesting box. he would at LEAST be climbing up the wire ladder inside and poking his head out....
Once they climb out, they sort of clumsy/ tumble / glide to the ground below...
The male attends straight away (the female at this point is in another nesting box sitting on eggs , close to hatching)

Withing a few hrs the chick has climbed to the most remote , darkest, highest cnr of the flight.. and even if not a little perch up there will hang for hrs, occasionally droping .. within a day has at least a clumsy glide flight.

Yes make use of a cage, preferably as big as possible and put a old cardboard shoe box in with a hole cut out each end...
A few bits of chopped vegges, bit fruit and bit of chopped left over cooked meat/ chopped chicken bones etc Getting onto a healthy kakariki diet early makes life easier later and leads to a far stronger healthy , long lived bird in the long run