Let The Breeding Begin!

[Sailorwolf 0]

Well today I put Arkady and Isis together in the breeding cage. They have just finished moultng. I have hung up a cuttlefish bone, and iodine and calcium block and a charcoal bell. They have a seed bell and a seed pellet mix. I have put fresh pine shavings that have been left to air overnight into the nest box. Both boy and girl are in breeding condition. How am I doing? I can't wait.

[Daz 0]

Sounds like you are doing good to start with. I would be giving them Breeding Aid to help start things. It is mostly Vitamins.

 

Now what are you doing about soft foods? Also what are you doing about a water management program for them? Just curious. :ausb:

[Sailorwolf 0]

Water management program?? I will change the water every day and they are going to get veges and grass, clover and dandelion.

[Daz 0]

I would surgest basic water with Apple cider vinager and possibly a anti mould agent. this would be good for three out of seven days. the other four days a rotational Calcium Treatment, then Vitamins, and then if all goes well Probotics before the parents starts to feed the chicks and then back to the Apple Cider vinager. Vegetables are good up to before the chicks are ready to hatch then stop it.

 

Yes I know I should get a job promoting Vetafarm but other manufactures have simalar products.

The idea is to give the chicks the best start in life by starting with the parents.

 

As for soft foods, a hard boiled egg cooled shell and all in the blender with some carrot and parsley is a good start to feed the parents two days before the chicks hatch and all through the next 42 days of their lives. It will give protein, calcium and vitamins to there diet.

 

I wouldn't give any vegetables until the chicks are older than 14 days. This means the youngest one. They will get their vitamins in the soft foods.

Edited November 12, 2006 by daz

[Sailorwolf 0]

Isis seems a bit shy at the moment. Arkady is all going for it at the moment. How long do you think it will take Isis to investigate the nest box? I've seen her looking at it from inside the cage, but not going into it or on its perch.

[the pie 0]

What ratio of Apple cider vinegar to water do you use? (for Daz )

[Rainbow 0]

I think it depends upon how far into breeding condition she is in, as well as how bonded they are. If the bond is there, he will bring her into condition with his singing and attentions. I would say wait a minimum of three weeks, and if she has not investigated the box by then, take it out and wait a few weeks before re-introducing it.

 

Daz, when mine were little the parents went nuts trying to get at fresh veggies to feed the babies. Rainbow used to fly into the kitchen when he heard the refrigerator open in hopes of some spinach and carrots. All were super-healthy when they fledged with very bright plumage for babies. Why do you say to stop feeding veggies when the eggs hatch? I had fantastic results from increasing the amount of veggies instead of removing them!

[Sailorwolf 0]

She is definately in condition. And they are a bonded pair, that's why I chose to put those two together.

[Sailorwolf 0]

Well today Isis seems to be more settled in. She moved out of the corner that she had been sitting in for three days, had something to drink and had a good spaz/tantrum all around the cage.

[Boris' Slave 0]

Hopefully you'll see some action from the budgies soon Sailor! :hap:

[Sailorwolf 0]

Haha. These two still haven't started yet. I'm gonna take the nest box out in a week and then reintroduce it later. The female just recently moulted and has hardly any flight feather left on her wings. Do you think she won't want to mate until after they have grown back, because it will be less energy consuming and may be she'll have better balance during mating??? (Laughing out loud)

[Sailorwolf 0]

Just as I was about to take the nest box out, I discovered that Isis had started renovating the interior on the nest box and now she is spending a bit of time in there, chewing away. It took them 3 weeks to get the hint.

[*Nerwen* 0]

oh good to hear things are moving along, three weeks is the top end of normal for time timers.

Edited December 2, 2006 by Nerwen

[Elly 0]

(Laughing out loud) good to hear

by the way what are your plans will all your new babies that will be arriving

[Sailorwolf 0]

I plan to house them if I can. But I have a big enough cage for all of them if I can't find a home for them.

[Guest Thirtyfive Black]

Daz, when mine were little the parents went nuts trying to get at fresh veggies to feed the babies. Rainbow used to fly into the kitchen when he heard the refrigerator open in hopes of some spinach and carrots. :hap: All were super-healthy when they fledged with very bright plumage for babies. Why do you say to stop feeding veggies when the eggs hatch? I had fantastic results from increasing the amount of veggies instead of removing them!

 

 

I was wondering this too. I always gave them grated veggies. Is is a choaking thing?

[Sailorwolf 0]

They still haven't laid any eggs yet.

[Guest Weather]

Are you sure you're reading to be breeding? It's a pretty serious thing and you seem to not be 100% prepared

 

I am a full-time worrier though

[Budgie-Boy 0]

Sounds as if they are progressing nice...keep us updated.

[Sailorwolf 0]

What in particular is worrying you Weather? I have read up on lots of stuff.

[Guest Phoebe]

Sailorwolf is more prepared than a lot of people, she is currently going to Vet School! It sounds like they really aren't too terribly interested. Meanwhile my Coca sits on 5 unfertilized eggs and Comet stil tries to get into her cage and feed her whenever he is out.

[the pie 0]

We have all been sitting here, reading your posts, waiting........ its getting tense I hope something happens soon!! (I didn't look- are you in Oz or Usa? wait I'll go back and have a look myself!!

Hurry up Isis... anything yet??

 

ahh New Zealand.... Does the heat affect them over there (not that it gets really hot) but the change would still be different for them.

Edited December 17, 2006 by the pie

[Sailorwolf 0]

Na. Heat doesn't really affect them. My other two are breeding just fine, so I don't know why these guys are taking so long to nest. But they are still using the nest box.

[*Nerwen* 0]

don't forget first timers can take a while. I thought the sound of the others might have kicked them into it. Also there are a few time when the pairs we pick don't work out.

[Daz 0]

Daz, when mine were little the parents went nuts trying to get at fresh veggies to feed the babies. Rainbow used to fly into the kitchen when he heard the refrigerator open in hopes of some spinach and carrots. All were super-healthy when they fledged with very bright plumage for babies. Why do you say to stop feeding veggies when the eggs hatch? I had fantastic results from increasing the amount of veggies instead of removing them!

 

 

I was wondering this too. I always gave them grated veggies. Is is a choaking thing?

 

 

Sorry just caught up with this.

 

The hen produces crop milk as the chicks grow she will alter the mix, thickening it as the they grow. The mix is of seed and fluid. If you introduce the vegitables too early in the diet it alters the mix. I give grated carrot in my soft mix from day one. But it is mixed with soaked hulled oats and protien powder. The powder takes up a lot of the liquid from the carrot to give a soft mix but not a wet mix.

 

After 14 days old I feed them the same soft food but introduce the mung bean, celery, corn, snow pea and carrot.