R&t's Breeding Journal

[renee 0]

Things should improve now Renee I think.

 

Well I hope so too

 

 

 

The problem is I have a very restrictive time-line Splat. My Garage/Breeding room really starts to heat up in December so I really want all chickies ready for the aviary outside by 15th December .... when you work back it means I need everyone laying fertile eggs by 15th September.

 

 

This year we will be painting the roof with Solar Reflect paint which does lower the temperature by 5C however, my main dilemma is the lack of effective breeze/air flow. Everywhere else gets the afternoon sea breeze but, because of positioning, not the Breeding room.

 

 

And because I rent and the roof is asbestos I can't install one of those wheelie thingios.

 

If things continue to go pear-shaped I am going to give up trying to breed at this time of year and go back to Autumn/Winter breeding.

[renee 0]

What a difference a day makes!

 

I'm seeing now that more fertile eggs are showing as the egg count reaches the 4 egg mark.

 

ALBINOS - 6 pairings: 3 split Grey / 3 DF Albinos

wed 25th 19 eggs / 5 Fertile

tue 30th 27 eggs / 2 Fertile

fri 2nd 20 eggs / 2 Fertile

I reckon there's one nest of 5 infertile eggs and there's another nest in which the hen is incubating 3 eggs .... and the cock another 2 again I think they're clear and I am seriously considering changing the cock.

 

BLUE NORMALS - 4 pairings

wed 25th 19 eggs / 8 Fertile

tue 30th 24 eggs / 11 Fertile

fri 2nd 28 eggs / 12 Fertile

Just one nest of 5 egss I suspect to be infertile ... on the whole these pairings are doing very well.

 

 

 

DOMINANT PIED BLUE - 2 pairings

wed 25th 6 eggs

tue 30th 13 eggs / 4 Fertile

fri 2nd 15 eggs / 8 Fertile

I am happy with these guys.

 

 

DOMINANT PIED GREEN - 4 pairings: 2 Greygreen / 2 Green Split Blue

wed 25th 6 eggs / 1 Fertile

tue 30th 12 eggs / 4 Fertile

fri 2nd 7 eggs / 4 Fertile

I have chucked a few eggs here and waiting for the hen to start laying again.

 

 

DOUBLE FACTOR WHITE - 3 pairings

wed 25th 5 eggs

tue 30th 14 eggs / 1 Fertile

fri 2nd 19 eggs / 2 Fertile

Time to chuck some eggs here. Just one nest with fertile eggs.

 

DOUBLE FACTOR YELLOW - 4 pairings

wed 25th 6 eggs / 1 Fertile

tue 30th 16 eggs / 3 Fertile

fri 2nd 18 eggs / 5 Fertile

Two nests with fertile eggs starting to show, the others have laid 4 eggs so it's wait and see time.

GREEN NORMALS - 4 pairings: 3 DF Green/ 1 Green Split Blue

wed 25th 5 eggs 1 nest Clear?

tue 30th 16 eggs / 2 Fertile

fri 2nd 13 eggs / 2 Fertile

Two nests with fertile eggs beginning to show .... I pretty certain another with 5 eggs are clear.

 

 

LUTINOS - 2 pairings: 1 Split Green / 1 DF Lutino

wed 25th 8 eggs / 1 Fertile

tue 30th 9 eggs / 4 Fertile

fri 2nd 10 eggs / 4 Fertile

Yawn.

 

 

OPALINES - 2 pairings: Green Spangle / Split Grey Blue

tue 30th new nests

fri 2nd 0 eggs

 

RECESSIVE PIEDS - 6 pairings: 3 Splits / 3 DF RP

wed 25th 14 eggs / 4 Fertile

tue 30th 18 eggs / 3 Fertile

fri 2nd 18 eggs / 5 Fertile

Medusa has a fertile egg!!!

 

 

So far I have chucked 3 addled eggs.

Edited September 2, 2011 by renee

[splat 0]

I am the same here Renee, my shed will be very warm by summer, so I want to be finished breed by Nov.

Anyway I don't like to breed in the summer anyway, that' when you get more French moult. and more problems.

Plus I can't wait to get them out of there so I can finish the room off.

[renee 0]

I am the same here Renee, my shed will be very warm by summer, so I want to be finished breed by Nov.

Anyway I don't like to breed in the summer anyway, that' when you get more French moult. and more problems.

Plus I can't wait to get them out of there so I can finish the room off.

 

Yes I agree - as soon as weather warms up lots of moths, mites, lice .... and I have had FM rear its head where there's been a carrier bird and the breeders have been down for more than 1 round. I am pretty confident I have eliminated all FM now and that Marshall's product S76 is very effective for Red Mites and the other crawlies.

 

Now I'm doing just one round .... dunno if that's such a good thing .... I'm going to wait about 6 months and assess the youngsters I breed now and then make up my mind. It does mean that I am increasing the breeding age of my hens, so I won't be so hasty to move them on at the 4 yr mark.

[Pride 0]

Good to see increased fertility renee.

[renee 0]

Good to see increased fertility renee.

 

Yes, things are improving Pride but there is a fair way to go yet!

 

 

Today I had an aviary visit from John Kobilanski, very appreciated! John is one of WA's top breeders of Dommie Pieds and Yellow Faces, he also breeds Cinnamons, Opalines and Violets as well as Dark Factor Blues and Greens, Greys and Greygreens.

 

We spent a good hour candling eggs (although he can tell just by looking at them!) and he gave Magic a looking over. It seems the time in the Holding Cage has improved things and he recommended putting him down again .... and I knew just who to!!

 

My Grey hen who was initially down to the Super Albino escaped her cabinet yesterday and when I walked in I found her glued to the Holding Cage and Magic was trying to mate her through the wires

 

All my Blue line, Green line and Greys come from stock birds I bought from John as a Novice so it was very gratifying to be able to point out their descendants to him .... though mine are a good way off where his birds are at now!!!!

[Pride 0]

Very nice renee, it must be very fullfiling to be able to show your mentor how far youve come, well done.

[renee 0]

Very nice renee, it must be very fullfiling to be able to show your mentor how far youve come, well done.

 

You know it really was Pride

 

 

 

Although the cock he likes best, actually my top magenta rung Green boy, is the same bird I dreamt of taking to Nationals until I popped him into a show cage .... where he promptly slouched over the perch and dropped his wings

[Pride 0]

Not every one is born for Show biz.

[**KAZ** 0]

and he gave Magic a looking over. It seems the time in the Holding Cage has improved things and he recommended putting him down again .... and I knew just who to!!

 

My Grey hen who was initially down to the Super Albino escaped her cabinet yesterday and when I walked in I found her glued to the Holding Cage and Magic was trying to mate her through the wires

 

 

 

:D :D

[renee 0]

Not every one is born for Show biz.

 

Oh so true.

 

 

 

My top DF Yellow Spangles are innate posers as with my Recessive Pieds but my Green Normals (blue rung hen and cock birds) won Best in Variety and Best Opposite Sex in spite of themselves ... so often the comments from the judges was "definitely the best bird BUT ...."

 

 

I've just done the evening egg count and I'm thrilled with the fertile egg count .... not all nests by any means but those with fertile eggs have a high fertility count.

 

I'll do a stat report tomorrow.

[Pride 0]

Good to hear the fertility is increasing

[renee 0]

So today I am going to a fertility report, omitting recent nest changes and pair changes and pairs I am considering doing either of very soon.

 

 

So first things first ....Today my first chick of the season arrived!

 

It is to an 08 Green split Cinnamon cock and 09 Lute hen. I really doubt he will do anything to improve my Lute line but the silly hen refused 2 perfectly beautiful Normal Green boys and only had eyes for him She is sitting on a nest of 5 eggs, 3 more chicks to hatch.

 

My other DF Lute pairing is also doing okay, 6 eggs and 3 are showing fertile at this stage.

 

 

 

I have 2 Violet cock birds (which I have been including in the Blue line) that are also doing very well. 10 Violet cock split Opaline to a 10 Sky hen is sitting on 8 eggs of which 7 are showing fertile and his son, a 11 Cobalt Violet paired to JK 08 Cobalt hen is sitting on 5 eggs of which 2 are showing fertile at this time .... I am hoping more will show soon.

 

Still with the Blue line and I have an 09 Cobalt cock paired to a 11 Sky hen sitting on 8 fertile eggs (100%)

 

 

 

Now the 11 Grey Dommie Pied (grandson of the JK Greygreen boy) is paired to another JK 08 Cobalt hen and she is sitting on 6 eggs of which 5 are fertile. Another maiden 11 Cobalt Dommie Pied is paired to a 10 Sky hen and has done the business as well with her sitting on 7 eggs of which 5 are fertile!

 

 

 

The Dommie Pied Green series is doing so-so. I have a 10 Sky DP to a 11 Green hen sitting on 6 eggs of which 5 are fertile but that is about it at this stage.

 

 

 

The Green Normal series is not doing too much better .... I have a couple of maidens paired, Cobalt cock and Green hen and she is sitting on 6 eggs of which 4 are fertile. Then there's a 09 Green cock paired to a 11 Green hen sitting on 6 eggs of which 3 are fertile at this stage.

 

 

The Double Factor Yellow line is doing all right, I suppose.

 

My best 10 DF cock (who took out best UBC and then some months later Best in Show down at SWBC) is paired to an 11 Greygreen Spangle and she is sitting on 5 eggs of which 3 are showing fertile at this stage. Also I have a very buff Light Green Spangle paired to the sister of the previous pair, another 11 Greygreen Spangle and she is sitting on 6 eggs of which 6 are fertile (100%).

 

 

But in my DF White line I only have One fertile nest.

 

An 09 Grey Spangle cock is paired to the daughter of my super Foundation bird, a Grey Cinnamon Spangle is sitting on 8 eggs of which 4 are showing fertile at this stage.

 

 

Considering how many Recessive Pied pairs I have down the results are disappointing to say the least.

 

Yes, Medusa has 1 solitary fertile egg but she is on 3 and doesn't look like she is going to lay any more ...

 

The only other fertile nest is to yet again another Maiden cock bird, son of Medusa who is Normal Green split RP paired to an 08 RP sitting on 7 eggs of which 5 are showing fertile at this stage.

 

Within the next 10 days I am considering a complete shake up of the other pairs.

 

 

And the situation with my Albino pairings is even less inspiring.

 

In all fairness I do have a nest beginning to show, that of my Super C&B Albino cock to his daughter ( 1 fertile egg out of 3 and she is still laying) and there is another fertile egg somewhere else ....

 

 

 

To date I have made 3 hen changes and 1 cock change and made 2 new pairings. Plus 5 nest changes (chucking all clear eggs) and I'm eyeing a few more.

 

 

So in summary, Week 3 and I have 1 chick - looking very well fed, and 60 fertile eggs.

Edited September 5, 2011 by renee

[Pride 0]

60 fertile, youve got to be happy with that.

[renee 0]

60 fertile, youve got to be happy with that.

 

Actually Pride I was aiming for double that ... at least I am still waiting on 20 nests ....

 

 

 

Just noticed a typo .... I have now entered Week 4 of breeding - sorry for that!

 

 

And a further note on the pair changes -

 

I have changed a hen who didn't lay eggs (despite the encouraging presence of a false egg) after 2 1/2 weeks. She seemed nest bound as well.

 

Another kept carefully rolling her eggs out of the nest box

 

Another hen kept pooping in the nest box so the eggs were all covered in ****

 

And they Grey cock bird I alluded to earlier insisted on incubating the eggs with the hen but I had no evidence that he was actually mating her (5 clear eggs)

 

Oh I suppose there is another if I think about it .... right at the beginning, the Grey hen to my Super Albino who bled so profusely I thought she had prolapsed with her first egg .... well she made a very rapid and remarkable recovery and is now down to Magic

Edited September 6, 2011 by renee

[Pride 0]

wow 120 as an aim thats alot but with twenty nests still to fill it is probably very possible.

[renee 0]

wow 120 as an aim thats alot but with twenty nests still to fill it is probably very possible.

 

Well Pride I did order 120 rings which currently is looking wildly optimistic!

 

 

But no matter. I still have 8 days to turn things around so I am not panicking yet

 

 

I have chucked some more eggs today and there is still a nest I am eyeing off .... It's my Magenta rung Green boy and his hen, a Normal Green, (both Maidens) has laid 5 beautiful large eggs - but I reckon they're clear. She has 4 days more to prove me wrong or they'll get a nest change!

 

 

The elusive Fertile egg from yesterday's post belonged to a pair of Albinos and the hen was on 6 eggs .... 6/1 is not a good ratio so I popped it into the nest of my Super Albino - a risk, I know - and have chucked the other clear eggs. Hopefully they'll go down again with a better success rate. The hen is an experienced 08 rung but the cock bird is a son to the Super Albino and a Maiden, one fertile egg indicates that he is getting the hang of things ....

 

 

Some more fertile eggs showed today but I haven't taken any notes of that yet (I do that in the evening)

 

However, there are a few eggs I am concerned about: it just seems like the hen is not turning them properly, I will wait and see if they turn addled or not.

 

Chickie is doing well, he has black eyes so it look like he will be Normal Green split Lute as planned.

[renee 0]

My second chickie of the season arrived today!

 

It is to the Blue line nest of the 09 Cobalt cock paired to a 11 Sky hen sitting on 8 fertile eggs and it has little white feathers all over its body so I'm taking that as an indicator that it will have good feather - Fingers Crossed! I am thrilled to say she fed it with no second thoughts at all!!!! This is excellent news as she has another 7 to hatch

 

 

 

I did have the Lute hen lined up to take over if there were any issues and the 1st hatched ready to be swapped in but what a relief that is not necessary.

 

 

Unfortunately I have serious doubts I will be getting any more chicks from that Lute nest. I had a look today and the eggs don't look right. Not exactly addled but off. Time will tell.

 

 

This is the second time I have been caught out on this. I was sure I had a nest of fertile eggs with an Albino pair but then they started to go a motley sort of colour and I was finally forced to accept they were off.

[renee 0]

2 more well fed chicks today!!!

 

 

A second to the Blue & Sky pair and a first to the Violet split Opaline and his Sky hen.

 

 

I have moved the chick that was born yesterday into the Lute nest and as new chicks hatch I will continue to move them on till there are just 5 or 4 eggs left. The Lute hen is an experienced mother hen and in a super large nest box.

 

A further note on that Lute nest .... I am thinking that maybe 1 egg is still okay so perhaps another chickie will hatch. It's very disappointing and I don't know why those eggs have addled. It's like the hen just stopped turning them and it seems to be happening all over the place .... but maybe that's 'cause I'm just feeling despondent. I will have to start making notes of this and see if I can find a pattern.

[Pride 0]

Good news about the new chicks renee

[moglet 0]

Renee, that is amazing!!! I have 11 babies and 14 adults and feel frazzled keeping up with who is doing what and with whom!!!!! I need a bex and a good lie down reading your journal. I am so envious in a "I'm glad that's not me' kind of way :)

 

Way to go. I wish I had a whole lot more time, but as a working single parent to two energetic teens I'm full on as it is. Plus, I'm only back to breeding budgies after 20 years, and never show birds before at that, so I'm pretty chuffed with my sweet little babies. I hope as I get my hand in to aspire to the kind of set up you have.

[renee 0]

Good news about the new chicks renee

 

Yes Pride I just love this stage of the Breeding Season!

 

And another little chickie hatched out this afternoon (unusual as most of mine hatch overnight) This time a first to 10 Sky Dommie Pied cock and 11 Green hen.

 

Its little crop was filled with air so I surmised that the hen hadn't quite got the hang of feeding so I popped it into the nest of the Violet split Opaline cock and Sky hen and switched their chick that arrived last night into the Green hen's nest. I'll give them a couple of hours and then check on them and if needs be I'll do another swap around, this time with an older chick.

 

The chicks peeping stimulates the hen to feed but sometimes a Maiden hen takes a little time to get the hang of things and if you're not onto it quickly the tiny chickie gets weaker and weaker and its peeps get increasingly softer so the hen ends up not feeding it at all. So to stimulate the hen you want a noisy chick to help her out.

 

Renee, that is amazing!!! I have 11 babies and 14 adults and feel frazzled keeping up with who is doing what and with whom!!!!! I need a bex and a good lie down reading your journal. I am so envious in a "I'm glad that's not me' kind of way :)

 

Mmmmmm, yes I feeling a tad overwhelmed but then I got into the whole routine of it all so it is not too crazy - for now.

[renee 0]

Okay so time for a stat report on my top most favourite pairings .... and what a sorry reading it will be

 

 

 

So in alphabetical order .....

 

 

My Super Albino had a hen swap and so I introduced his daughter (the one who looked most like her mother) and on 3rd Sept she had 3 eggs of which 1 turned Fertile. Since then - NOTHING! and here was I getting all excited that she was going to keep laying ...

 

 

The Violet boys are doing fine (previously included in the Blue line) and I hope to get 12 chicks from them.

 

 

The Blue Normal line .... hopefully 8 chicks from my 09 Cobalt cock & 11 Sky hen but no joy from my lovely other boy. His first hen was the one who was pooping in the nest box (a disgusting habit) so I swapped her for another 11 Cobalt hen but today I found an attacked egg ... I am going to pop a falsie in tonight at lights out .... and MONITOR!

 

 

The Blue Dommie Pied line ... well really there is only 1 pair as technically the other 2 are Grey split Blue DPs - a small detail and in any case all good and I hope to get 4 chicks from that nest.

 

 

Moving onto the Grey split Blue Dommie Pieds. the Grandson to the Super JK Greygreen boy has done the biz and I hope to get 4 chicks, maybe 5, from this nest. The other is my beloved Magic to the Grey hen but they have only been down a week and no eggs yet.

 

 

The Double Factor Whites .... my gorgeous boy is down to his daughter started in week 2 but alas all 7 eggs were clear.

 

 

The same story for my Double Factor Yellow top pairings ... started in week 2, the hens laid 6-7 eggs ... all clear.

 

 

The same story for my GreyGreen Dommie Pieds. The super JK boy's 08 JK Grey hen laid 4 clear eggs and I gave her a nest change at the beginning of the month and she is currently on 2 eggs. I am hopeful His daughter is down to an 09 Grey cock and had the same experience ... laid 3 clear eggs before I gave her a nest change at the beginning of the month. She is on 3 eggs and I think maybe one is beginning to turn fertile.

 

 

The Green Dommie Pieds comprise 2 pairings and 2 are split Blue. The first split pair had their 1st chick hatch today and I hope to get 4 more. Alas the other Cobalt Dommie Pied brother was paired to a Green hen but she just camped out in the nest box and refused to lay eggs so I swapped her at the beginning of the month and the new Green hen is on 2 eggs. I am hopeful for this pair as when I popped her in there she immediately started bonking

 

The Green line .... well my top 09 Green boy's hen is on 2 fertile eggs (better than nothing I suppose) but his son has not filled a single egg. His hen was on 6 eggs and today I gave them a nest change. My other DF Green pair had the same experience as the DF's and GreyGreen Dommie pieds .... started laying in the second week -but all clear so yesterday I gave them a nest change. Interestingly I do have one Green split Blue pair and they enjoy very good fertility and the hen is on 5 fertile eggs.

 

 

The Recessive Pieds .... well in total Medusa laid 5 eggs, 2 were transferred of those remaining 1 is fertile and started to show on 30th September. I don't want to risk moving this valuable egg and I still want to give Medusa a second chance so I have come up with REHABILITATE Medusa Plan!!!! I have decided that on the 18th I am going to introduce a chick or 2 and hope she gets the hang of things ... well that's the plan so far!

 

That "Sweet Talker" RP boy down to my best Green hen has filled 2 eggs out of 4 but both addled very early on.

 

The son to my best Manno line RP had a hen swap (his was the one who kept on rolling the eggs out of the nest) and after a couple of changes I put him down to a very nice RP hen ... his cousin. They went down at the end of the month and she started laying last week, currently on 2 eggs.

 

 

SO, what I have observed is that those pairs which started laying in the first week of going into the Breeder Cabinets have on the whole enjoyed very good fertility and their chicks are starting to hatch out this week.

You may remember that I found that most of the cocks vent feathers had grown back by the end of Week 1and had to do a whole scale feather pluck there and then.

Most pairs that started laying in Week 2/3 produced Clear eggs and have undergone nest changes and are starting to produce new eggs now.

 

 

I am hoping that with the little chickies hatching out now the sound of their peeping will stimulate all other pairs into producing fertile eggs.

[renee 0]

2 more chickies today!

 

A third to the Cobalt & Sky pair ... I thought they were supposed to hatch every second day? .... well not in this case!

 

and a first to the LightGreen Spangle boy and his nubile GreyGreen hen - who I am very happy to say fed the chickie with no hassles

 

Last night I checked on the Green hen and she hadn't fed the substitute chick so I swapped it back to its nest and popped the eldest chick of that nest - it is a couple of days old now. Any way Good News insofar that I set my alarm clock and checked on it at 5am and it was being fed.

 

 

And here is where the best laid plans go awry because I marked the chick that was born yesterday afternoon (a dot on the head and to make sure I painted its little claws) before transferring it so I could swap it back BUT this morning when I checked on it I couldn't find ANY distinguishing markings at all. Grrrrrrr.

 

So it is in the Lute nest now and I will have to wait till it feathers up to recognize it.

 

 

This is a real pain 'cause this year I intended to do my ringing differently. Up until now I have rung chickies in chronological order BUT this year I am setting aside rings per nest. Just an experiment really.

Edited September 9, 2011 by renee

[splat 0]

I have always set rings aside for cages , so when I recorded them they are in order but this year I haven't they are all over the place. And I hate having things everywhere.