R&t's Breeding Journal

[**KAZ** 0]

He's so good at that Renee, you had better give him a cake cookbook, chef's get-up and watch what happens.......I can imagine him icing the cakes

[renee 0]

He's so good at that Renee, you had better give him a cake cookbook, chef's get-up and watch what happens.......I can imagine him icing the cakes

 

Tony, ever the gentleman, says "thanks for the compliment".

[renee 0]

Today was the big day when I released most of the first round of chicks into the Baby aviary. It was very exciting!

 

The eldest chick was born on the 5th September (making it a week over 2 months) and the youngest were born on 22nd September (making them about 7 weeks old). In total I released 24 chicks and kept back Sooky Blue and a Sky Normal that was a bit underweight for my liking.

 

Magic and his Grey hen were going at it in the second Kindie Cage so I decided to pop them in with the chicks. I like to put in a adult budgie couple so the young ones can learn from them how to drink from the Guinea Pig drinkers, and where the food is and how to mate (in case it doesn't occur to them how).

 

At first all they did was sit on the sand and eat it ... but after 30 mins or so they found their wings and the perches

 

Here a few random photos -

 

 

I have included a dish of Seed and a dish of Hulled Oats and every evening they will get a plate of Soft Food as well as Veggies

 

 

 

[Dave_McMinn 0]

Looks great renee.

 

Photos of the aviary are great as well. Can we get photos of the outside of your kindy aviary and your other aviary? It is always good for people to see the difference.

[renee 0]

Looks great renee.

 

Photos of the aviary are great as well. Can we get photos of the outside of your kindy aviary and your other aviary? It is always good for people to see the difference.

 

 

 

 

 

[renee 0]

I have come to the conclusion that it is better if your aviary is LONG rather than WIDE and HIGH rather than LOW.

 

The further your budgies have to fly the better as they will get more exercise. Keeping the Food Dishes in the floor encourages them to fly down and up again to the perches and it builds up their shoulder muscles. The taller the aviary the more air can enter and circulate.

 

Both my aviaries are North facing to minimize sun exposure in Summer and are covered by shade cloth to provide more cover from the sun and protect from swooping hawks.

 

The Adult aviary is roofed with corrugated iron which we painted with Solar Reflect - yes, it really does drop the temperature by 5C. However, we were less experienced when we built the Baby aviary and spent extra $$$ to roof it with the stupid poly stuff that promises to protect from UV rays and the heat and does nothing of the sort. So to mitigate this we have put a pergola over to provide more shade and installed a sprinkler system .... which of course we wouldn't have had to if we had just gone for the cheaper corrugated iron option.

[fordmob 0]

I dunno Renee that beanbag looks like a prettty handy split recessive to me.

[renee 0]

I dunno Renee that beanbag looks like a prettty handy split recessive to me.

 

Well lets have a closer look at him (bearing in mind that this is a flattering photo of him)

 

 

It may not look like it but he is very heavy flighted, wears his girth around his middle and has the dreaded 'key hole' look.

 

But you may be on to something so I'll post updates and we can see how he and his brother develops!

[**KAZ** 0]

I'll have your cast off beanbag Renee

[renee 0]

I'll have your cast off beanbag Renee

 

Oh yes, that's what you say now. But if down the track I don't think it is good enough to keep, then sure as *** it won't be good enough for you either.

 

Unless your standards are slipping ....

[renee 0]

Well it has been a while since I posted about the budgies in the Breeding Room and yes, as the old adage goes "No News Is Good News!"

 

 

The youngsters in the second Kindie Cage are all alright. Sooky Blue is still sooky and another Normal Cobalt received a peck to the outer eye but apart from that they are all active and chirpy. I don't get the feeling the parents I have put in with them there are really feeding the young ones and have started giving the "hungry" ones evening top ups with Hand Rearing mix, but I don't intend to do it for too long.

 

 

Three out of four chicks from the DF Albino nest keep on jumping out of the nest box and I am getting real close to leaving them out. At least the Normal Cobalt seems to have figured out how to eat the hulled oats and the DF Albino chicks know their way around the drinker.

Here's some happy snaps of them-

 

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately yesterday I had to pull the DF Yellow Spangle with green suffusion from the aviary as I noticed he had dropped his tail and his flights were very ragedy: French Moult. I can't see any of his feathers in the aviary nor the Kindie Cage so it is a bit of a mystery. Pity as I was hoping that was the end of it .... but no. As things stand all my DF Yellow Spangles from that nest have been affected, Dad was the LightGreen Spangle and Mum was a GreyGreen Spangle. I had hoped that 'cause I fostered him early he would have been spared, it's such a shame and now of course a waiting game as I wait to see whether they all grow their feathers back.

Here is a happy snap of the Featherless Friends+Grey Normal:

 

 

 

But in good news no other nests have been affected by French Moult - Touch Wood! I still have 5 chicks under 4 weeks so it is still touch and go as far as I'm concerned but here you can see they look pretty good so far.

 

The 2 youngest of the Cobalt Dommie Pied and Sky hen

 

The 3 to the Normal Cobalt and Normal Green hen (Sooky Blue's brothers and sisters)

[Taylor 0]

Sad about the French moult coming back!

Just when you thought it was gone, it came back just to annoy you,

 

Atleast it isn't affecting any other nests.

[renee 0]

Sad about the French moult coming back!

Just when you thought it was gone, it came back just to annoy you,

 

Well I think he had it all along but the stress of the outside aviary brought it on ......

 

 

Atleast it isn't affecting any other nests.

 

FOR NOW!

 

Oooops just noticed a typo

 

As things stand all my DF Yellow Spangles from that nest have been affected, Dad was the LightGreen Spangle and Mum was a GreyGreen Spangle.

Well for those of you paying more attention than I evidently do the Dad was a Double Factor Yellow Spangle!

[renee 0]

Another day and another update

 

 

Today I am going to focus on my Adult birds. On Sunday I released all of the Adult birds I had kept back in Holding Cages into the Adult aviary. Initially I was only going to release the "chubby" ones and fatten the rest up but I decided half way through that possibly the exercise and being in a cooler, bigger environment would help them get back into condition quicker than if I kept them cooped up.

 

Since then they have been getting Moulting Aid into the water (4th day today) because quite a number are in a heavy moult but I was wondering whether I could keep on doing day after day or if I should mix things up a bit. If you know better than I, please speak up!

 

Any way here are some happy snaps -

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 16, 2011 by renee

[renee 0]

Well the cool and wet weather continues however, I am pretty certain it will come to an end sometime next week and the big tap in the sky will turn itself off until next April.

 

In the meantime I am trying to get as many chicks as possible ready for the outside Baby aviary before the mercury shoots up to 35C+. But more of them tomorrow ...

 

The little ones are doing fine. Some still insist on eating way too much sand for my liking and I worry about them getting impacted crops as a result of this but perhaps they are just eating droppings ... either way I try not to think about it too much.

 

Today I tried, rather unsuccessfully I am sure you'll agree, to take some photos of my little ones in the Baby aviary. I know I have a "zoom" feature and it is turned on but I don't seem to be able to take close up photos .... sigh. So instead I have been creeping up on the little ones to get as close as possible ... with varying results.

 

 

 

 

Edited November 17, 2011 by renee

[corzstunt 0]

Lovely renee, like that sky cock =D

[renee 0]

Lovely renee, like that sky cock =D

 

Thank you corzstunt! Do you mean this guy?

 

 

It's a good photo .... but the bugger didn't breed for me - maybe next year

[corzstunt 0]

Lovely renee, like that sky cock =D

 

Thank you corzstunt! Do you mean this guy?

 

 

It's a good photo .... but the bugger didn't breed for me - maybe next year

Yup thats him, shame he didn't breed he looks like he could do some good things, but thats all part of breeding =D Gotta love it renee

[renee 0]

It's a good photo .... but the bugger didn't breed for me - maybe next year

Yup thats him, shame he didn't breed he looks like he could do some good things, but thats all part of breeding =D Gotta love it renee

 

Well he did last year ... so there is hope

[corzstunt 0]

It's a good photo .... but the bugger didn't breed for me - maybe next year

Yup thats him, shame he didn't breed he looks like he could do some good things, but thats all part of breeding =D Gotta love it renee

 

Well he did last year ... so there is hope

 

I always have faith

[renee 0]

Well I had a na na nana na moment today and discovered the zoom button ... it's only taken me 4 years to figure this one out - No Comment!

 

Any way embolden by the now limitless opportunities this now offers I crept into the Baby aviary and here are the results:

 

First of all I will say that with a few exceptions they all look pretty unremarkable to me so I can only hope they go on to develop into something that surprises me

 

Apart from the established favorites

 

Yes more photos of my DF Recessive Pied boy

 

 

What I like most about this guy is that his markings are so good

 

 

 

Not the best photo, he is hunching forward here BUT he is lovely and long and if he is anything like his Granddad he will bulk up and broaden across the shoulders in about 9-12 months time.

 

 

Okay here is an update on my Cobalt Cinnamon Spangle

 

 

 

See how is much bigger than his brother in the second photo?

 

Who's a pretty boy.

 

 

I tried to take more photos of the Green Normal boys and Dommi Pieds but they didn't come out ... another time.

[**KAZ** 0]

What do you mean by

DF Recessive Pied

here is an update on my Cobalt Cinnamon Spangle

are you sure about the cinnamon ?

Edited November 18, 2011 by **KAZ**

[renee 0]

What do you mean by DF Recessive Pied

 

It is my way of saying that both parents are Recessive Pieds

 

 

are you sure about the cinnamon ?

 

Yes pretty much, last time I popped him into the show cage and had a close look at him I noticed it. And I've just had a look at him and his brother and mum again and they all have strong chocolate brown makings ... but you know Kaz I won't know for sure till he's judged properly

[renee 0]

OhhhhKay. I have just looked at the aunt to this boy and she has really pale brown spangle markings, so surely she is a Cinnamon. Is that what you meant Kaz, that this Cobalt Spangle's wing markings look too dark?

Edited November 18, 2011 by **KAZ**

[**KAZ** 0]

 

 

OhhhhKay. I have just looked at the aunt to this boy and she has really pale brown spangle markings, so surely she is a Cinnamon. Is that what you meant Kaz, that this Cobalt Spangle's wing markings look too dark?

 

Yep....doesnt look cinnamon at all in these photos Renee