Why does my bird kick her baby chick out of the nest? How to stop?

Keep the nest box clean. You can gently scoop the chicks up in a paper towel, clean the box, add clean nesting material and return the chicks. Make sure Noshi is eating a healthy. Ideally, she should be eating a commercial pelleted diet such as Exact or Pretty Bird. You can supplement with a fortified seed mix and fresh fruits and vegetables. Monitor the chicks for full crops (which means they are being fed) and weight gain. If necessary, a commercial hand feeding formula can be used to supplement the chicks.

You can clean out the nesting box as needed. Gently scoop the chicks out and place them in a clean temporary box. Expect mom to complain and peck. Scrape the box and fill with clean nesting material. Return the chicks to the box afterwards. If the hen is not feeding them adequately, you will need to supplement​ them or pull them for handraising. Use a commercial handfeeding formula. Follow label directions. If you don't have experience hand feeding, ask your avian veterinarian or an experienced breeder. If this is Boo Boo's first clutch, the loss of some of the chicks may be due to inexperience.

Nature can be very cruel. And unfortunately, especially in the bird world, survival of the fittest is the rule. Sometimes chicks who are not thriving are sick or otherwise underdeveloped. The parents often instinctively know this. Also, the parents are less likely to care for their chicks when they have been touched by human hands. While I am certain you have the best of intentions, feeding the chicks and taking them in could possibly make matters worse.

Thanks for reaching out about Essie. It is also possible that one chick hatched earlier than the other, so is out begging and growing faster. Also, first time parents can be confused on how to care for multiple chicks. Heat support is very important as the babies have not feathers and can not moderate internal body temperatures. If parents are still trying to care for the baby, maybe supplemental hand feeding could help. A local veterinarian with bird experience or a bird store can show you have to hand feed and provide rearing formula. It is very difficult for the inexperienced bird owner to hand rear birds successfully. Good luck.

First time and young parents may not know what to do with a baby and may need assistance from you. It may also be that she is still focused on the unhatched eggs instead of the baby. Purchasing a syringe and some baby bird formula (most pet stores will carry this) is best. The formula should have instructions for how much to feed and how often depending on your bird's size, age and breed, however most baby birds will need to be fed frequently. You can check how full they are by looking at the crop, which is a sort of "balloon" just under the chin that is usually more visible before their feathers come in-- when full, it will fill up, and when hungry it will be empty. If the baby doesn't seem to be getting fed enough, stepping in with supplementation can help. If the mother and father are picking on the baby heavily, or kicking it out of the nest completely, you may need to move him to a separate cage that is kept warm with a nest and heat lamp, and provide all feedings yourself.

Momma bird may be a bit stressed out now that there are new babies to care for. Adding in extra food and water dishes so that each bird has one to eat at without fighting, and making sure both birds have their own perches to relax on can help reduce tension. As for the babies, momma bird should care for them herself, however having some commercial baby bird food (most pet stores will carry it) can be useful in case she can't care for them all on her own. As they get a bit older and start to explore, you can start to offer treats and pets to get them used to being handled.

As long as the parents are caring for the babies, I would leave them to do their own thing. I wouldn't move or touch the nest while the babies are still young. Once they're a bit older and moving about, you can then clean the nest, or clean it in between clutches. Having baby bird food and a syringe on hand is always a good idea in case you need to step in, notice they aren't thriving or growing well, or the parents aren't caring for them.