Breeding Yellow-Bellied Tits

Day 19
At 19 days I removed a chick after noticing one of its eyes were shut. I cleaned the eye with a weak solution of TCP diluted in water. I had to clean it a number of times and it didn’t open until the following day.

Day 21
At 21 days the chick started pecking at food on the floor of its cage. By afternoon it was eating small amounts of Softbill food and waxmoth larvae that it dropped. It also discovered drinking water. I was still feeding the chick with Waxmoth larvae and soaked dog food. Its eye was clearing up too and no longer needed cleaning.

Day 23
At 23 days the chick was eating enough food on its own so I cut down on the feeds to a couple a day.

The 2 chicks were different to each other and besides being duller colored than their parents one resembled the hen with a small white patch on the back of its head and the others patch went further onto its back. Without Waxmoth larvae, Maggots, aphids and later flies I wouldn’t have reared any youngsters, the parents would only feed soft-bodied insects. Both birds spent a great deal of time searching the aviary for food for the chicks. Every leaf of every plant was examined but very little was found. Hopefully next year the plants will be more established and attract more insect life.

The hen built a new nest in a half-open fronted box then went back to the original nest and relined it. She laid again on 17th July. Four eggs were laid this time. She continually called to the cock for food but as he was well into the molt he showed no interest in her at all. The hen abandoned the nest and started to molt a couple of days later.

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