R&t's Breeding Journal

[renee 0]

Would it be too unwieldly to do everything for one cage before going on to the next one? And then you would just be disturbing each cage the one time? But perhaps that would really lengthen the amount of time it takes to get through all 37.

 

I am with Finnie here, and that is the key point here Renee. Instead of disturbing them multiple times per day, why not do everything you can at one time and then they will be fine after that. One disturbance in the morning and one at night. Simple as that.

 

Okay, okay, I'll give it a go

 

 

Four more chicks arrived today.

 

A first to the DF Lute pairing, unfortunately I couldn't revive the chick 'cause not only was it cold but it looked like she stomped on it as well. She is a Maiden so I have popped in a foster and will go back and check. I am a little surprised 'cause she is with a very good cock bird- but you can't win 'em all.

 

Another first to my DF Yellow boy and his Greygreen hen.

 

A third to the Grey Spangle nest.

 

A fourth to the Violet split Opaline (all up I have 3 from this pairing as the little chickie I opened up early did not make it)

 

Also today I swapped in a 2nd foster from the Grey Dommie Pied into Medusa's nest as the little one looked like a bit of a runt. I am hoping that with less competition it will come along nicely.

 

So all up I have 9 nests with chicks and 4 fosters (1 from the Grey/Albino-1 from DP Blue & Green-2 from Green & Lute) and I'm waiting on a couple of nests to start hatching.

 

 

And now for another Chick Stat report.

 

This one is the first from the LightGreen Spangle and Greygreen Spangle nest (well I'm 99% sure it is)

It is 7 days old and weighs 18g.

 

[renee 0]

And now for another Chick Stat report.

 

This one is the first from the LightGreen Spangle and Greygreen Spangle nest (well I'm 99% sure it is)

It is 7 days old and weighs 18g.

 

 

Hmmmmm. I am thinking now that I can see Dommie Pied markings on this little one

 

Can anyone else see what I am looking at? - the "bald patch" on its head

 

so I guess it might be a foster, specifically from the Blue Dommie Pied cock and the Green hen ..... any way it's ring is SWBC 021 - I guess I'll just have to wait and see when it feathers up.

Edited September 16, 2011 by renee

[renee 0]

Swings and roundabouts ...

 

 

 

Another chick arrived today

 

A fifth to the Cobalt & Sky nest (which makes it really 2 'cause the rest died from Liver disease courtesy of the Lute hen - yet to be confirmed though)

 

 

But the DF Lute nest had a DIS and a young one in the Violet split Opaline nest was dead.

 

 

The chickie I transferred from the Grey DP nest into Medusa's nest is looking really good and on that basis I transferred a fourth into her nest- the little one that hatched out yesterday in the Violet split Opaline nest. The other chicks in there were 4 times its size.

 

 

And it is official. Everything has gone haywire ( as if you hadn't already suspected this to be the case).

The chick I rung first from the Green Normal and Lute nest has got Dommie Pied markings No, no, no... and it is really looking like the nest chick I rung from the LGreen Spangle nest has also got Dommie Pied markings too. Where is my Normal Green split Lute? What has happened to my DF or Spangle?

 

 

Every year I tell myself that I am not going to do this and every year I swap chicks all over the place .... and this is the result.

Edited September 17, 2011 by renee

[**KAZ** 0]

 

 

 

Every year I tell myself that I am not going to do this and every year I swap chicks all over the place .... and this is the result.

 

 

We all do this and then scratch our heads wondering who is who. Even when we foster to a nest that we are SURE we will be able to tell which chick will be the foster, there are surprises we did not consider. You are not alone.............this happens to us all here and there.

[renee 0]

We all do this and then scratch our heads wondering who is who. Even when we foster to a nest that we are SURE we will be able to tell which chick will be the foster, there are surprises we did not consider. You are not alone.............this happens to us all here and there.

 

Thank you Kaz

 

I have resigned my self to the unwanted realization that that Lute hen is masking Dommie Pied. This is the first year I have put a Lute of this line to another variety in the 4-5 years I have been breeding them so while I have been assuming that they were masking Green Normal the reality is otherwise. There is no confusion about this chick as it was born a good few days before anything else so it made it easier to track it.

 

The same cannot be said for any future rung chicks. ..... but I am trying very hard to keep the splits separate to avoid confusion. Fingers Crossed!

[**KAZ** 0]

Just a little aside for you Renee

 

I had what I thought were 4 greywing chicks currently in a nestbox...One grey greywing, One green greywing, one mauve or grey greywing and youngest ( I thought ) was a sky violet greywing........Then I noticed its markings were coming in differently. It seems I have a sky violet spangle in the nestbox. Same as you, I racked my brains to figure that one out...then it came to me..........I quickly put two eggs of a not well hen in that nest ( pulling her out of the nestbox and into a hospital cage ) ...and this chick is the result. A sky violet spangle from two very good birds, but fostered in the greywing nest.............why ? because I knew I would recognise it when it feathered up. :D LOL

[renee 0]

Just a little aside for you Renee

 

I had what I thought were 4 greywing chicks currently in a nestbox...One grey greywing, One green greywing, one mauve or grey greywing and youngest ( I thought ) was a sky violet greywing........Then I noticed its markings were coming in differently. It seems I have a sky violet spangle in the nestbox. Same as you, I racked my brains to figure that one out...then it came to me..........I quickly put two eggs of a not well hen in that nest ( pulling her out of the nestbox and into a hospital cage ) ...and this chick is the result. A sky violet spangle from two very good birds, but fostered in the greywing nest.............why ? because I knew I would recognise it when it feathered up. :D LOL

 

Yeah .... well theoretically speaking I should be okay. I've scribbled everything down and there's just a possibility I'll have issues with one chick - but that is not taking into account any surprises

 

The only problem is I would like to even up the nests and get same sized chicks together so they fledge at the same time .... but you know if I do that then .... well - all bets are off.

[renee 0]

Yay! - another 2 chickies have just hatched.

 

A second to the DF Yellow & Greygreen Spangle nest.

 

and a First to a Cobalt Dommie Pied & Sky hen. I am particularly thrilled about this one as I had previously written the eggs off as "highly unlikely to hatch" and chucked some already. On top of that I opened up this egg about 5 days ago, realised it was not a DIS and patched up the opening with nail varnish .... privately thinking that will never hatch - But it did!!!!

[renee 0]

And my hopes are dashed today

 

The chick from the Cobalt Dommie Pied nest is dead and there's another dead little one in the Cobalt & Sky nest - looks like yellow belly.

 

 

I did an egg check on the rest and 80% haven't started laying yet but there are a couple of eggs showing fertile in 2 maybe 3 nests.

 

 

I have pulled my gorgeous Armstrong line Recessive Pied boy. He is filling eggs but he is such a shocking nest invader all end up addled. My lovely Green hen wants to go down so it is just a matter of finding the right boy for her.

[Finnie 0]

And my hopes are dashed today

 

 

 

I really feel bad for you having so many ups and downs. The drama can be hard to take. I hope things start to smooth out.

[renee 0]

I really feel bad for you having so many ups and downs. The drama can be hard to take. I hope things start to smooth out.

 

Dare I say it Finnie but it comes with the territory.

 

I count my blessings as they come and suck it up when misfortune strikes.

 

 

However, as time goes by I am more and more inclined to return to autumn/winter breeding.

[renee 0]

And now for End of Week 5 Chick Report -

 

In alphabetical order:

 

Albino

Sat Grey split Albino - Amazing long feather. Fostered to Sky hen nest. Probably dead.

 

 

Blues - Cobalt / Sky

Wed Good feather. Fostered to Lute hen nest. Probably dead.

Thurs Good feather. Fostered to Lute hen nest. Probably dead.

Fri Good feather. Fostered to Lute hen nest. Probably dead.

Sat Good feather.

 

Tue Assisted hatching - too early : Died

Sat Good feather.

 

 

Dommie Pied/Normal Green split Blue

Thur Fostered to Lute nest. Probably dead.

Dommie Pied Cobalt & Sky

Fri rejected by hen : died

Dommie Pied Greys split Blue

Sat Very pink.

Sun Very pink.

 

Mon Very pink

Thurs Very pink

 

 

Lutes

Mon Green split Lute split Cinnamon? Dommie Pied Green split Lute

 

 

Tue Assisted hatching

Fri DF Lute rejected by hen : died

 

 

Recessive Pieds

Sat Green split RP

 

Mon Green split RP

Thurs DF RP

 

 

Sky Violets split Opaline?

Thur Good Feather.

Fri DIS

Sat Good Feather.

Sun DIS

 

Fri Fostered to Medusa's nest

 

 

Spangles / DF? Blue series

Mon

Wed

Fri

 

 

Spangles / DF? Green series

Fri Very pink. Fostered to Medusa's nest

Sat Very pink.

 

 

Mon Very pink

Tue Very pink

Fri

 

So 16 chicks hatched this week.

 

It would at this stage appear that I lost all chicks fostered to the Lute nest and I also lost a couple that were rejected by their mothers' and a young chick, possibly to Yellow Belly.

 

So all up 22 Survivors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Pride 0]

So sorry about all the deaths, hopefully you will some fantastic luck in the weeks to come.

[renee 0]

So sorry about all the deaths, hopefully you will some fantastic luck in the weeks to come.

 

I'd like to hope so Pride.

 

 

 

Another two chicks arrived today.

 

A fourth to the Grey Spangle nest.

 

and a fifth to the LGSpangle nest. Because it is soooo much smaller than its siblings I popped it into the Cobalt DP & Sky nest.

 

 

And today I did quite a few overdue ringings ..... so Chick Stat Report as follows :

 

 

Medusa's son Green split RP to RP hen

 

2nd chick at 7 days weighing in at 11g

 

 

Grey Spangle to Grey Cinnamon Spangle (Super DF White's daughter)

 

1st chick at 7 days weighing in at 16g

LGreen Spangle to GreyGreen Spangle

 

2nd chick at 9 days weighing in at 18g

 

 

Violet split Opaline to Sky

 

1st surviving chick at 9 days weighing in at 17g

 

 

Grey DP to Cobalt

1st chick at 9 days weighing in at 21g (yes, that ring was a tight fit)

Edited September 19, 2011 by renee

[renee 0]

@##$$%% Talk about one step forward one step backwards

 

Another chick has just arrived, a third to the DF Yellow Spangle and his Greygreen Spangle hen.

 

BUT the foster chick, the little one from the LGreen Spangle nest that I popped into the Cobalt Dommie Pied and Sky hen nest is no more That is the second chick that has been attacked. It is hard to say who the culprit is as there is no blood on either the hen or cock's mask. Even more confusing, this is no maiden hen either .... I have placed the last fertile egg from this nest into the DF Yellow Spangle and Greygreen Spangle's nest.

[Taboo 0]

Hang in there Renee, I'm sure things will improve.

Good luck with the rest of the chicks, I'm sure you will have some stunners in that lot

[renee 0]

Hang in there Renee, I'm sure things will improve.

Good luck with the rest of the chicks, I'm sure you will have some stunners in that lot

 

Thanks Taboo. I sincerely hope so!

 

 

Two more chicks arrived today.

 

A second to the DF Lute nest which had not been fed .... seeing as that hen attacked the last chick that hatched I am relieved that this one is still alive but to be on the safe side I have fostered it to the DF Yellow Spangle nest.

 

A fifth arrived to the Grey Spangle nest, so that is encouraging.

 

 

However, on the flip side, I am extremely concerned about the 2 chicks in the Violet split Opaline nest. They are very underweight which is confusing as every time I check them their crops are full. The eldest chick is from the Lute nest and I'm not entirely sure about the second.

 

 

I am not sure what is causing this or what to do? Foster on? Crop feed them with Budgie Starter? ALL suggestions very welcome.

Edited September 20, 2011 by renee

[Pride 0]

Its almost as if when something good happens then something bas happens, Action - Reaction?

[renee 0]

Its almost as if when something good happens then something bas happens, Action - Reaction?

 

I dunno Pride - just swings and roundabouts as far as I'm concerned

 

I look at it this way and say well, you know I'm sure if I had bum plucked every bird again before they went into the Breeding Cabinets then perhaps I might have had more fertile eggs .... and if I had fewer cocks in the nest box maybe the incidence of addled eggs would have been lower ... and even if I had checked on the egg count less often .... and lets not forget the bad luck of setting up the Lute hen to take multiple fosters only for almost all to die from a killer bug...

 

I always knew it was going to be eventful just because I put just shy of 40 pairs down to breed and I am doing it without the help of my wonderful hubby.

 

The fact of the matter is this is the Breeding Season I'm having this year - a warts and all blow by blow account. It is easy to do the highlights .... this is the reality of my 2011 Breeding Season.

 

I will take lessons learnt into future seasons and I am hoping I don't have another one like this in a hurry.

Edited September 20, 2011 by renee

[splat 0]

Sounds like you are having a bad run like me Renee. I really hope thing improve for you.

Out of all my bad luck I have bred some really nice chicks so it kind of makes up for it. But I have

lost over 70 chicks to date but everything seems to be going okay at the moment.

[renee 0]

Sounds like you are having a bad run like me Renee. I really hope thing improve for you.

Out of all my bad luck I have bred some really nice chicks so it kind of makes up for it. But I have

lost over 70 chicks to date but everything seems to be going okay at the moment.

 

I shudder with horror every time I think of what you've been through Splat. I'm glad things are picking up for you now.

 

 

A little chickie arrived today to the DF Lute nest and it looked fine and fed so on that basis I transferred its sibling that arrived yesterday back into the nest. There are still a couple of viable eggs in that nest so I'm hoping for some more chicks.

 

 

I took the decision to bring the Green Dommie Pied split Lute chick indoors for hand rearing. According to the stats it is not underweight per se at 16 days and 41grams BUT I think it's really scrawny and in need of some one on one attention. Mind you it's a very bony chick, insofar that it looks like it has a big frame. I've been advised to wait till its crop is almost empty before topping up to avoid sour crop but I'm surprised that takes about 5 hours!!!

 

I have investigated the original nest (Violet split Opaline) and there is no evidence of runny poos or sickness but I have popped a little bit of Triple C into the formula for the chick I'm hand rearing (thank you Kaz). On the basis that I'm pretty certain there is obvious signs of illness I transferred a same sized chick into that nest so the Sky hen has 2 to look after now. I am going to weigh all 3 chicks daily to monitor their weight gain.

 

 

Today I did an egg check and I can't say I am overwhelmed by the results. Almost all are starting to lay and in a couple of nests there are fertile eggs showing.

 

 

However, what I can say is that my top cock birds are now raring to go while their hens are less enthusiastic to say the least.

 

If it wasn't so fricken tragic I'd laugh it off. Not only are their ceres that brilliant blue - which I may add have been since I put them down, but they are tapping their beaks on the perches and desperately trying to mount their hens who look like they'd rather be anywhere else.

 

To make matters worse all my hens in the Holding Cabinets are NOT in condition.

 

In my desperation I pulled a 06 Recessive Pied Manno hen from the cull cage and put her to my GDA Double Factor Yellow boy. At least they are both in condition and know what to do - whether anything comes of it is anybody's guess.

 

 

This situation, if nothing else has forced me to accept that my breeding set up is just not conducive to breeding at this time of year insofar the timeline is just too tight to juggle everything.

 

 

[renee 0]

Today is a GOOD NEWS Day!

 

Nothing has really changed but I fear in my endeavour to give a balanced account of my (sad) Breeding Season to date I haven't been stressing enough positives. This is part because in "my world" I'd get 80%+ Fertility and not have any issues with the rearing of the chicks and everything would be Peeeeerfect. ...... But that just doesn't happen.

 

NO MATTER.

 

 

So I thought I'd introduce you to a few of the cock birds that HAVE filled eggs so far

 

My Violet split Opaline boy. I really like him a lot and would have loved to have shown him but he is, alas, a tailless wonder

 

Yes, I know he looks Blue but he IS Violet.

 

 

My LightGreen Spangle

 

 

 

Medusa's son (one that did survive thanks to fostering)

 

 

And here are Medusa's chickies, a picture of health and well being

 

 

In this nest we have one from the LGreen Spangle, her own DF Recessive Pied, one from the Dommie Pied Grey and one from the Violet split Opaline.

[Dave_McMinn 0]

I understand the thinking about not seeing the forest because all the trees are in the way.

 

Important to focus on the positives

[GenericBlue 0]

ren does you tail less wonder have flights or not

im just wondering as my cin light green does not have flights and i was thinking probbly best not to breed him after all hence him being culled

but does your boy have any issues mating or chicks coming out with feather issues ???

[renee 0]

I understand the thinking about not seeing the forest because all the trees are in the way.

 

Important to focus on the positives

 

That's right - hand me the chainsaw

 

 

Two more chickies arrived this afternoon

 

A fourth to the DF Yellow Spangle boy and .... drum roll ... a first to a Cobalt cock and Green hen! I'm hoping for another from this nest in the days to come.

 

 

My Green split RP chicks are being feather plucked despite all my efforts. Today I tried the Detol cream, tomorrow I may try Daz's oil and detol remedy and if all that fails I am considering plastering them in crushed garlic. I'm not so sure about this last one 'cause PJI did mention that the mother hen had passed away and I'm wondering if the two are directly related I mean I don't want to poison my hen ....

 

ren does you tail less wonder have flights or not

im just wondering as my cin light green does not have flights and i was thinking probbly best not to breed him after all hence him being culled

but does your boy have any issues mating or chicks coming out with feather issues ???

 

No he just never grew a tail! Shucks as I really, really wished he had

 

He wasn't ever affected by French Moult or anything like that and both his parents did have tails and to date all his offspring bred last year have tails too. I was told that it can be inherited and that there are Breeders about who have a high incidence of this in their studs ....

 

As for mating - No issues whatsoever, he is a very fertile bird. And also this year I put my Gary Armstrong line Recessive Pied to breed and he also filled eggs despite not having a tail. So I don't think taillessness is an issue.