Mid 2011 Breeding Journal

[renee 0]

Thank goodness you saw it in time!

 

You know Dave I always dread fledging time the most and I get so very anxious when those chickies start to come out of the nest .... no attacks so far this year - Touch Wood!

[splat 0]

It's a pain with they do that, I have been lucky up until now. I have 6 chicks in my dilute and that are between 51/2 weeks and 6 weeks and they parents are excellent, hen is laying again and all chicks are in the cage.

I try and keep my chicks in with parents as long as possible sometimes up until they turn 8 weeks. But all that depends on parents of course.

[Dave_McMinn 0]

I am like you Splat, I like to leave the chicks in the cage as long as possible and this is the first one I have ever had to remove due to the behaviour of a hen.

 

Tragedy struck my kindy cage yesterday as we had a massive storm with thunder and lightning. I was out but I am sure it freaked out my birds and even my dogs, who do not react to thunder usually. Anyway, I came home to find that my favourite chick, the sky dommie pied hen, had somehow got her head caught between a little ladder and the cage and I think in trying to free herself she had broken her neck and died. I was and still am devastated. She was the most beautiful chick and throughout this journal I wrote on how lovely she was. Sometimes life does not seem fair. It was the continuation of a generally crappy day yesterday. The mother of this young one is sitting on 9 new eggs so I am hoping that some of these are fertile and I get some replacements for this lost little one. Very sad.

[robyn 0]

Sometimes I think I am writing in this thread as more of a journal for myself than for anyone else.

 

Kindy cage set up, birds to progressively go in over the next week or so.

 

Hi Dave, maybe a lot of us don't comment but read through the journals to see how everybody is doing. And pick up any clues for ourselves.

[Twisted 0]

Sometimes I think I am writing in this thread as more of a journal for myself than for anyone else.

 

Kindy cage set up, birds to progressively go in over the next week or so.

 

 

 

I always read everyone's Journals..

You seem to be doing a great job and the chicks look great also..

[Dave_McMinn 0]

Apart from the recent chick who died with a broken neck things have been good.

[Finnie 0]

I am like you Splat, I like to leave the chicks in the cage as long as possible and this is the first one I have ever had to remove due to the behaviour of a hen.

 

Tragedy struck my kindy cage yesterday as we had a massive storm with thunder and lightning. I was out but I am sure it freaked out my birds and even my dogs, who do not react to thunder usually. Anyway, I came home to find that my favourite chick, the sky dommie pied hen, had somehow got her head caught between a little ladder and the cage and I think in trying to free herself she had broken her neck and died. I was and still am devastated. She was the most beautiful chick and throughout this journal I wrote on how lovely she was. Sometimes life does not seem fair. It was the continuation of a generally crappy day yesterday. The mother of this young one is sitting on 9 new eggs so I am hoping that some of these are fertile and I get some replacements for this lost little one. Very sad.

 

I"m a couple of days late, but I'm so sorry for you about this loss, Dave.

[Dave_McMinn 0]

There has been some good and bad,

 

Lost the sky dommie pied mentioned earlier, as well as the opaline grey cock from caesar's nest, but so far, apart from two chicks, all are in the kindy cage. It is getting quite crowded in there so I might need to set up another one.

[renee 0]

There has been some good and bad,

 

Lost the sky dommie pied mentioned earlier, as well as the opaline grey cock from caesar's nest, but so far, apart from two chicks, all are in the kindy cage. It is getting quite crowded in there so I might need to set up another one.

 

What happened to the Opaline Grey cock?

[**KAZ** 0]

I am like you Splat, I like to leave the chicks in the cage as long as possible and this is the first one I have ever had to remove due to the behaviour of a hen.

 

Tragedy struck my kindy cage yesterday as we had a massive storm with thunder and lightning. I was out but I am sure it freaked out my birds and even my dogs, who do not react to thunder usually. Anyway, I came home to find that my favourite chick, the sky dommie pied hen, had somehow got her head caught between a little ladder and the cage and I think in trying to free herself she had broken her neck and died. I was and still am devastated. She was the most beautiful chick and throughout this journal I wrote on how lovely she was. Sometimes life does not seem fair. It was the continuation of a generally crappy day yesterday. The mother of this young one is sitting on 9 new eggs so I am hoping that some of these are fertile and I get some replacements for this lost little one. Very sad.

 

 

Oh no !!

[Dave_McMinn 0]

There has been some good and bad,

 

Lost the sky dommie pied mentioned earlier, as well as the opaline grey cock from caesar's nest, but so far, apart from two chicks, all are in the kindy cage. It is getting quite crowded in there so I might need to set up another one.

 

What happened to the Opaline Grey cock?

 

Not really sure. he looked fine, and appeared to be eating as well as getting top of by Dad. Next thing I know he has a big ball of poo stuck to his bum. I removed it, fed him off a spoon. His Dad began ignoring him, and then I went out and checked on him an hour later, and he was dead. Nothing abnormal really. He was coming along well. He was not too thin. You could feel his keel bone a little, but nothing that seemed bad. His sisters are good. On the whole, not too sure.

[renee 0]

Not really sure. he looked fine, and appeared to be eating as well as getting top of by Dad. Next thing I know he has a big ball of poo stuck to his bum. I removed it, fed him off a spoon. His Dad began ignoring him, and then I went out and checked on him an hour later, and he was dead. Nothing abnormal really. He was coming along well. He was not too thin. You could feel his keel bone a little, but nothing that seemed bad. His sisters are good. On the whole, not too sure.

 

I'm so sorry to hear that

 

As soon as I see poopy bums I give the bird or birds affected Triple C. A smidgen in a crop feed if it's a chick and into the water for aviary birds. Works every time! Another tip Kaz gave me

[Dave_McMinn 0]

It has been a long time since I last updated this thread.

 

This is how things stand

 

Pair 1 - Caesar Sky Blue and GreyGreen Hen - produced 2 chicks - albino and lutino. pair recovering now before goign back to the aviary soon.

Pair 2 - Twitch and Albino Hen - 5 chicks from round 1 in kindy cage. 3 new hatchlings going well.

 

Pair 3 - Son of Dumber (RIP) and daughter of Twitch - violet opaline hen from round 1 in kindy cage. New chick in nest - rung

 

Pair 4 - Dumb and Light Green Spangle Hen - 3 chicks in kindy cage - 1 new chick in nestbox.

 

Pair 6 - Opaline Grey to a Light Green Cinnamon Hen - No chicks - lost hen.

 

Pair 7 - Grey Cock to an Opaline Grey Spangle Hen - 1 chick - grey normal - keeps jumping out of nestbox. Chick to go to kindy cage when ready, parents rested for return to aviary.

 

Pair 9 - YF Opaline Sky Cock to a Light Green Spangle Hen - only 1 chick in kindy cage. Pair resting for return to aviary soon.

 

Pair 11 - Sky blue cinnamon wing cock to greygreen hen - no chicks - returned to aviary.

 

Pair 12 - Green Cock to a Grey/Blue Opaline Dominant Pied Hen - lost great chick - no new chicks, returned to aviary.

 

 

Pair 13 - Grey Cock to a GreyGreen Cinnamon Opaline Hen - 3 chicks in kindy cage. New chick in nestbox.

 

 

Pair 14 - Captain Jack (Light Green Cinnamon Cock) to an Albino Hen -no chicks - returned to aviary

 

Pair 15 - Violet Opaline Cock to a Grey Hen - no chicks - returned to aviary

 

Kindy cage is a little crowded. Looking into breaking birds up.

 

Pics later rather than sooner -

[**KAZ** 0]

Great write up Dave....dunno about you but I am waiting for photos

[splat 0]

Dave really sorry you lost your dom pied baby, it is always sad when that happens.

[Dave_McMinn 0]

I have a meeting after work, then parent meeting after that at 5, then I will head home, photos after that - hopefully

[Dave_McMinn 0]

okay, I am only going to comment on the remaining breeding pairs.

 

This is how things stand

 

 

Pair 2 - Twitch and Albino Hen - 5 chicks from round 1 in kindy cage. 5 new hatchlings going well.

 

Pair 3 - Son of Dumber (RIP) and daughter of Twitch - violet opaline hen from round 1 in kindy cage. New chick in nest - rung. Looks to be a grey dommie pied. Spangle looking feathers in tail, but may be due to being pied, not spangle. We will see.

 

Pair 4 - Dumb and Light Green Spangle Hen - 3 chicks in kindy cage - 2 new chick in nestbox.

 

Pair 7 - Grey Cock to an Opaline Grey Spangle Hen - 1 chick - grey normal - going well - hen looking to lay new eggs. We will see.

 

Pair 13 - Grey Cock to a GreyGreen Cinnamon Opaline Hen - New chick in nestbox.

 

Yes, I know, I promised pics. They are still coming.

[Dave_McMinn 0]

Time for another update.

 

With school ending I have plans afoot on some changes in my world and my budgies world. I will talk about that here in a little while.

 

As for the breeding room, I figure with so many pairs removed - only 5 left - there is more room so a bigger kindy cage was set up. I wish I had the room to have this up all the time, but alas.

 

Remaining breeding cages

 

 

New Kindy Cage

 

 

Here are some individual shots of birds in the kindy cage.

 

Here are the shots of the little ones remaining.

 

 

Pair 2 - Twitch and Albino Hen - 1 opaline sky blue hen, 1 cinnamon sky blue hen, 1 sky blue cocks and 2 green cocks. Genders of the last 3 are a little iffy as this stage.

 

 

Pair 3 - Son of Dumber (RIP) and daughter of Twitch - Grey dominant pied opaline hen chick

 

Pair 4 - Dumb and Light Green Spangle Hen - Youngest died soon after birth of yellow belly - surviving chick is an opaline sky blue spangle hen

 

 

Pair 7 - Grey Cock to an Opaline Grey Spangle Hen - 4 new eggs - only her 2nd round - 1 chick in the first round.

No picture, letting her sit on her eggs undisturbed today

 

Pair 13 - Grey Cock to a GreyGreen Cinnamon Opaline Hen - chick is just like mum - greygreen opaline cinnamon wing hen.

 

I just realised that this season has seen a large number of hens born to my birds, probably at least a 2 to 1 ratio, if not 3 to 1, in favour of hens.

Edited December 19, 2011 by Dave_McMinn

[**KAZ** 0]

You got some real cuties there Dave

[fordmob 0]

That's good Dave, lot's of hens is happy days.

[splat 0]

Some nice babies there Dave and as Dan said looks like plenty of hens too.

[Dave_McMinn 0]

School has finished for the year, so I will try to get some better shots tomorrow. Maybe in a show cage.

 

I think of the 15 in the Kindy cage, I counted 4 cocks. That is almost a 3:1 ratio of hens.

 

And judging by the genetics, noise and biting of my hands in the nestboxes, there are a few hens in there too.

[Dave_McMinn 0]

I took some new photos today, of the young ones still in nestboxes. This is what I have:

 

This little Cinnamon Opaline GreyGreen Hen is the spitting image of her mum staring in the nestbox.

 

Here is Mum - My favourite and best bred bird - and daughter below- daughter is opaline obviously as dad is opaline.

 

 

 

These two only had 1 chick in the second round - a grey hen - and although she had more eggs, time was not on her side.

 

This is Twitch's nestbox. You can see him looking in. He is a visual green but he is split blue, cinnamon and opaline. In this nestbox there is an opaline sky blue hen, a cinnamon sky blue hen, a green cock, a sky blue cock and an opaline cinnamon green hen. This is the pairs second nest of 5 chicks this season.

 

This green spangle hen had a DF spangle white cock, a violet green spangle cock and an opaline sky blue hen, and now she has had a violet sky opaline spangle hen. Father is Dumb - seen in my signature picture.

 

Tomorrow I will try to get shots of the kids in the kindy cage.

Edited December 30, 2011 by Dave_McMinn

[robyn 0]

Nice chicks Dave, love the last sky bl.

[Finnie 0]

Great photos, Dave. You have bred some really nice looking birds.