First Breeding Journal

[Maddy 0]

So egg update.

 

5 eggs for pair #1 (grey cock x cin grey hen), doesn't look like there will be any more for this pair.

2 of the eggs are definite for fertility, the other 3 are still showing up clear. But signs of fertility make me happy.

 

4 eggs for pair #4 (df spangle yellow cock x cin grey spangle hen)

1 is showing possible fertility, others are still showing up clear.

 

Still only the two pairs breeding.

One of the other hens just sit in the box all day not doing anything and the other pairs don't have much interest in the nests at all.

 

One of the new birds i bought last thursday passed away, only after a week.

But the pet shop was nice enough to let me pick out another one.

The hen i got (it could be a cock I'm a little confused with this one) isn't as good quality as the one that died, but she has good size.

Little small in head and mask, but good length and feather direction.

[*Nerwen* 0]

sorry to hear that Maddy. show us a picture of your lastest.

 

as for the hen sitting in the box all day - remove it for a few hours daily, that way the two can interact.

 

about when is the first one due?

[Maddy 0]

I have been so busy lately its not funny.

I get maybe one day a week free and I have to spend it cleaning.

Its so hard having 3 jobs.

 

Anyway, I have made time slots during my week for the birds.

I still try and check them at least once a day. If I can't do two there's not much I can do about that.

But they are all doing good. No problems whatsoever.

 

Okay, egg update.

 

Pair #1 - Grey cock (Gandalf) x Cinnamon Grey hen

5 eggs - 3 dark with the first due to hatch any day now (if the first egg laid is indeed one of the fertile ones)

 

Pair #2 - Split clearbody Dark Green cock x Normal Cobalt hen

1 egg - only laid yesterday

 

Pair #3 - Normal Cobalt cock x Grey hen

No eggs - Am planning to block the nest hole with cardboard to encourage more interaction

 

Pair #4 - Yellow Df Spangle cock x Cinnamon Grey Spangle hen

7 eggs - None showing definite fertile, 2 showing early signs

(I have a hunch that the first 3 may be clear)

 

Pair #5 - Normal Cobalt cock x Olive Recessive Pied hen

2 eggs - laid one off the perch so there would of been 3. Too early to show fertility

 

So everything is going good.

I am quite excited about pair #1 as they both have excellent qualities.

Pair #4 and #5 are also ones I'm really looking forward to seeing the outcome.

This is so much fun

 

I spent all this morning cleaning out each cage, topping up pink powder, sweeping the aviary.

I find it is my thinking time as they are not tasks that require a lot of thinking power.

In this time I came up with a name for my flight / breeding room, so I will no longer have to type flight / breeding room

 

But I am working on a sign for the door so I will post it up together at a later stage

Edited May 3, 2011 by Maddy

[**KAZ** 0]

Best of luck Maddy

[splat 0]

Hi Maddy, did you get rid of that mice problem. I thought I did here but today I had 8 in the mouse traps in the old birdroom. No birds in there though, rotten little stinkers.

I am pleased your breeding is going good. Looking forward to seeing your new aviary name to.

[Maddy 0]

A pinkie hatched yesterday morning

 

The little guy is wriggling around, peeping, fed and a healthy pink colour.

 

One of the other fertile eggs in that nest seems to have a dark stripe between the air sac and blocked out part of the egg. It can be seen without candling.

I thinking i read somewhere that dark marks are bad....but I can't remember, so can someone give me a refresher on what this means?

The other egg looks fine.

 

Pair #2 also has 3 eggs now

 

and one of Pair #5 's eggs has so much air in it that it stays sitting on the same end, even when you bump it (so I'm guessing its no good

 

And Pair #4 has one definite fertile.

 

I spent all this morning rearranging the cabinets.

The bloody things are big, awkward and heavy and a couple of times ,due to restricted space, I found myself trapped in corners.

But the way they are set up now means I have more moving space, and I can access the wood shavings bucket ALOT easier.

 

I also did it to try and pinpoint where mice would be getting in.

I found a couple of places that had a strong rodent smell, but I followed some droppings to a corner where the metal is bent leaving a small gap between aviary and ground.

It will be blocked asap.

 

Surprisingly....no spiders got me today

[Maddy 0]

Looked in Pair #1's nest to find an empty egg shell.

Couldn't find the baby though.

 

Find him cold and peeping quietly on the cage floor outside the nest hole, so figured he was dragged out by mum or dad.

Put him back in and checked on him two hours later. His peeping is stronger which gives me hope

 

Little guy still has his egg tooth and what I believe to be some left over yolk in his crop. Mum hasn't fed him yet I don't think but like I said he is definitely stronger and she is sitting tight on him so hopefully all goes well.

 

I'm thinking this may have been the egg with the black mark...but as I have a hard time getting the hen to move (I stand there poking her and she just nibbles my fingers but doesn't budge) I can't say for sure.

 

Also, the three eggs in Pair #2's nest are now gone

Figured that I have an egg eater and let the pair out int the flight.

Will try again with them in a while with some fake eggs handy.

 

In the meantime I replaced them with a Grey green cock I picked up from a pet shop, and a YF cinnamon hen I got for free.

Will not produce the best young...but I'm just having fun with this

[Maddy 0]

I'm replying to my own thread posts

 

Chick #2 is doing fine. Pushed the hen out of the way enough to see his full little crop.

I've decided to call this hen Stubbs (as in stubborn).

 

But though she is really stubborn when it comes to nest checking, she's not nasty.

Like I said, I can push her out of the way without going away with sore fingers

 

I've been a bit worried though, because I never see her leave. So I'm worried that she's not eating.

So I put half a spray in the nest with her. Came back later the same day and there was no evidence of it.

So I will probably continue doing this until I at least see her eat outside the nest.

 

Chick #1 is growing very quickly. At least triple the size of chick #1.

Can already see the grey down coming in, so thats pretty cool. There is still one more egg to hatch.

 

I've been trying to guess some outcomes for this pair, but its super hard as I don't have the cocks background

He could be hiding cinnamon and/or opaline and I have no idea. He could also be split blue for all I know.

 

But I'm going with the info I have:

Cinnamon Grey hen x Normal Grey cock = Normal hens, Split cocks (<--this is the part I edited because I kept changing my mind )

I'm still trying to get the hang of genetics....they are definitely not easy.

I am sure that both Grey and cinnamon traits are dominant.

So saying that dad is indeed just a normal grey through and through, and mum is a cinnamon...does this sound about right?

 

I'll try and get pictures of bubs tomorrow

Edited May 8, 2011 by Maddy

[Maddy 0]

Well, it wasn't meant to be I guess.

Chick #2 died this morning. Stubbs was still sitting on him.

I can't tell why he died, but if anyone knows then that would be great

 

 

Chick #1 is still going strong though. This guy is gonna be a champion i just know it

 

(Bad photo I know, but Stubbs was getting impatient with me)

 

I also cleared an egg out of Pair #1's nest that had a hole in it.

I took out a bad egg from Pair #5, and I'M NOT CRAZY

I knew Pair #1's eggs looked bigger than the other pairs

 

The one from Pair #1 (bottom) was infertile from the start so that didn't bother me.

However, the top one from Pair #5, was laid that way? No holes or anything

So I don't know.

 

Also, to keep updating on the other three chicks, the ones that started all this lol

 

In the far corner of their cage I have given them a little cubby to play in.

Its there as a tester, to see if they tip it over.

If not, then this will be my new bomb shelter from fledging chicks

[GenericBlue 0]

im still following maddy looking good

bub seems to of been struck with food poisoning id say e coil or salmonella

some call it yellow belly i believe... to me its just a weaker chick with less amenity but the yellow tummy and purple vein suggest to me it was fed something it could not digest or that was tainted

but to be honest i really don't know no one ever really will it just wasn't his time

 

ps this does not mean you did anything wrong birds can hold these things if they even eat bit of their old poo that's sat for few days which i know they do and they do fed to the chicks

its that great debate over clean cabinets or deep litter

[Maddy 0]

Awesome, I was hoping someone could tell me something from the picture.

I will keep that in mind, make sure I don't give them anything that could upset little tummies

 

Well now that you said that about old poo....I put that spray in the nest to help mum. Could of come from that.

However, I agree with you that it was just a weak chick. Chick #1 is still going strong and would of been fed the exact same thing.

[Finnie 0]

Just want to reassure you, the spray of millet in the nest for mom is a good idea, and NOT the cause of the chick's death.

 

And as the chicks grow older, the spray of millet will help teach them to eat seed. You can also add a couple of handfuls of regular seed to the nest box, when the chicks get a little older.

 

Don't stress out over the possibility of them eating poop. It would be impossible for you to keep all poop away, and it will get nibbled on, no matter what.

[Guest K&M Breeding]

Sorry the baby didn't make it - It does get easier as you breed longer - Okay Easier may not be the best word but to be honest you really do just get used to to finding dead babies and for me when they're that little It bothers me but no where near as bad as when they're a week or more older.

 

But I do notice where the nails would be on its one foot they're black, That I've never seen with any of my dead chicks even ones I didn't find until days later (sometimes the mom buries it under the bedding)

 

not sure if it means anything though, Just thought I'd add I've never seen it with any of mine and over the years I've had a lot of babies die.

Edited May 10, 2011 by K&M Breeding

[Maddy 0]

Another pinkie hatched today with pair #1.

This little guy has already had a better start in life than the last chick, as I didn't find him outside the nest.

But he is a lovely dark pink colour just like chick #1, so i have hope.

This means that the dark mark I previously spotted on one of the eggs was nothing to worry about, as there are no more fertile eggs left.

But I've left the other empty egg in there as a pillar as mum sits rather tight on them

Its okay finnie, I understand that this chick just wasn't meant to be here

I am certainly not going to stop the spray, especially since I know it takes some of the stress off.

But I witnessed the cock feeding the hen today so that makes me happy, particularly since he seems to love the egg and biscuit mix I put in there as well as the pink powder.

 

So if he's eating it, mums eating which means babies are eating it

 

I also finished the sign I have been working on for the aviary

 

 

And the original

 

 

I know it's a little lame but I don't care

Edited May 10, 2011 by Maddy

[Maddy 0]

I rung chick #1.

Only 6 days old.

 

I figured I would try it, I'd rather be safe than sorry.

But I had to use a toothpick to pull the little claw through the ring...which I only had to do for one chick in the last clutch (but only because it fell off at the very last minute)

 

So I guess this either means:

 

~He is a bigger chick than the last clutch were

~He's just growing faster

~Its just my imagination and bad ringing skills (lol)

[**KAZ** 0]

 

 

 

I know it's a little lame but I don't care

 

 

I like it

[PJI 0]

I forgot to post this picture which I meant to do yesterday.

 

Its just a picture of the gang

Just a suggestion Maddy,but your nest boxes seem very shallow,it is to easy for the chicks to leave the nest box,with this type i would imagine that the chicks would be in and out constantly annoying the hen .The ones i use are deep ,and the chicks have to work hard at getting out of the nest box & by the time they do get out and i see them on the breeding cage floor they are in the nursery cage ,never lost a chick doing this,bred 84 chicks last year not one was attacked using this method.

Edited May 11, 2011 by PJI

[**KAZ** 0]

I agree with PJ

Edited May 11, 2011 by **KAZ**

[macka 0]

 

 

 

I know it's a little lame but I don't care

 

 

I like it

You would be made for life,if you could breed

one.Perhaps a bit of Galah D&A might do the trick.

[Maddy 0]

I would love to get boxes like that...but the ones I got were free of charge and I got 8 of them

 

Mine are actually quite annoying to check as they open via the lid.

But until my funds are better...I'm coping okay with these ones

[GenericBlue 0]

i do like your picture of budgie, did you do yourself or was it taken from somewhere its very cool and hey ... Avalon house is also corny but what i chose as fox stud is bit bland alone

[*Nerwen* 0]

 

I LOVE IT!!

seems to me the picture was made on the computer - what has it been put on for the sign?

 

Sounds like the breeding is going well. Yes I've been reading but not posting much, usually I get too lazy when reading here after work and such to make posts.

 

I have short nest boxes too at the moment and don't really like them with the top lifting part... I think mine were free too. Well I plan to make a cabinet for my next breeding round, might just make new boxes while I'm at it.

 

Keep us updated

[Maddy 0]

The picture was painted from scratch on my computer

Took me a good while to do.

 

I think if we can breed the budgies with bourkes parrots then we could get pink ones....But I'm not exactly for the whole cross species thing

 

Haha now that you say that GB, I was just planning on calling it 'The budgie Nest' but thought it too boring.

I picked this name because I feel Pink is the colour of new life (its also my favourite colour) and Nest because its a safe protected haven for the birds.

 

I know how you feel Nerwen.

I have those days where I just like to read.

I don't mind that people aren't responding much, but it is nice to hear opinions

 

I plan to make breeding boxes for myself as well Nerwen, ones that will suit me.

However, because I'm not a woodworking pro, I have to wait for funds to be able to pay for all the wood I would waste

 

Back to the birds...The ring fell off the chick today, but I will try again tomorrow.

Like I said, I'd rather be safe than sorry.

 

I also did a bit of mix and matching with the pairs today.

Decided the one pair I had I didn't like. Was a YF cinnamon hen and Grey Green cock.

Well the pair below them, a Cobalt cock and Grey hen, had been sitting in there with no luck for over a month now, so I decided the swap the cocks in both pairs.

This means I have a YF hen with a Blue cock, and Grey green cock with Grey hen.

The YF and cobalt pair I feel are rather small birds, but the green and grey pair are larger.

So with this new pairing, I hope to get some lovely YF's and some large stock birds.

 

Its basically, one pair is colour, the other is features.

I also blocked the nest with the grey hen with some thick cardboard.

But there is a hole made with a pen where the nest box hole would be so the hen can chew through it if she is eager.

This way I will find out if she wants to be in there.

 

 

[Maddy 0]

Ring stayed on today

Little fella is getting his down in. Of course its looking grey as his parents are normals.

 

Pair #4 should have a new arrival any day now hopefully.

There is only one fertile egg out of seven eggs, so fingers crossed it will hatch successfully.

If it does and the chick is healthy, then this pair will go for another round, with luck it will be more fruitful.

[Maddy 0]

Pair #4 had their one and only fertile egg hatch today

That makes me happy as it would of been a shame to have it DIS.

 

That pair is funny though.

Dad has been in the nest just as much as mum during the whole incubation.

And when I lifted the lid to check, mum left but dad stayed to look after baby.

Guess he is in touch with his feminine side (would explain only one fertile egg lol)

 

But if all goes well then I will let them go for another round.