**KAZ**

Hi Well you have eggs and imminent babies BECAUSE of adding the nestbox. You caused that to happen. A nestbox used as a comfort thing or a housing thing is never a good idea. Might have been best to let them settle in and get healthier ( if from a bad previous home ) first. But now its happened..............its 18 to 21 days from point of incubation to your first hatching if eggs are fertile. You can shine a bright torch at eggs aged 5 days onwards .... behind the eggs in the nest pointing forward to where you can look ( no need to touch the eggs this way ) ...........if you see a pinking or spidery veins the eggs are fertile. If further down the track you will see two thirds or so dark and one third like an air bubble. Those will be the fertile eggs. Also fertile eggs become white and the unfertile eggs will appear peachy coloured on the outside shell. Good luck with your babies.

um i would not use this method as its not fool proof birds neaks are pretty strong specially chicks and sometimes even if you know what your doing that method does not work also if you use enough force the head can come off not a pretty sight their is much nicer way than that I agree with GB. This method is one that doesnt work always as it should. I wont use it either. One of the things I am trying to avoid in this topic is actually discussing how to euthenase a bird. WHY ??? Because in the past on this forum, it meets with HUGE HUGE horrible results. People dont wont this kind of discussion here and get too upset over it. So we dont. Many a member when faced with the inevitable has PMed me for advice and thats where I will give advice for euthenasia when I have to.

Best of luck with the babies

I dont chosse any of the more violent methods to euthenase a bird. We generally dont discuss actual euthenasia methods on here as a greater majority of people get very uset by it and it causes "issues". Been there done that

And Macka, why does a burned stick come to your mind when you describe your wife's cat?!?! I wonder if Mackas wifes cat is a chocolate smoke variety of Devon Rex ? I will have to stop at five and wait for our oldest siamese to Kark it before adding another

I reckon you are right too

There is many ways, but it wont get talked about out here in the " open"

Fantastic....We have a lot of members in the same boat as yourself ....And i raised my kids alone for a very ling time too so I know how hard it is going it alone and doing your own things. Good for you

Morticia was due to be collected today from the country, but she has contracted a cat cold and needs a a few days on meds and clearance from the vet before I can collect her now. So another week to wait. There is a differenc ebetween cornish rex's and devon rexs .......I think the cornish has more fur doesnt it ?

Isnt it funny that on this forum a lot of words are replaced by asterisks and the word cock isnt Yet on Yahoo bird answers you cant say cock without it turning into an asterisk

Tail picture please ?

Yes he could but he isnt a spangle opaline or otherwise.

Not spangle, not opaline. Possibly greywing

Over 42 degrees apparently today so all birds looking like a string bean, but I took photos of the three babies in the aviary Frannie Mac and Nubbly

Terrific.......they are very unusual arent they. They are described as something doglike and also a monkey in a cat suit Not loud talkers like siamese ( thank goodness ). I am looking forward to Mortisha arriving. Thankyou for sharing Macka

http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/index....c=28294&hl=

Some of us on bbc have been accused of being negative about colony breeding. We have been labelled as talking about doom and gloom of colony breeding. Members on here have stood up and stated that they have had success colony breeding and indeed are in the middle of successfully breeding that way with no problems and indeed they also tell others they will likewise have no problems A couple of weeks or less later, the same people are on here posting about attacked chicks or fighting parents or broken eggs and raided nestboxes. The BBC members on here who have been around the longest, you will find, are the ones who say NOT to colony breed. Not because its just something to say, not because we want to burst your little breeding balloon of happiness, BUT BECAUSE we have either experienced it ourselves or seen far too many topics here about the dangers and perils for the birds breeding that way. So what if birds in the wild breed in a colony. They have millions of miles of sky and a zillion trees to choose for their nests and their home and their boundaries and their escape from each other. Put a pile of budgies in an aviary the size of a single bed or a little bigger ( some colony breed in cages barely fit for two budgies ), stack a few nestboxes jammed together on a shelf and think you are heading for breeding success ? I am sorry I dont think so. They have no escape. Like prisons they have to create a heirarchy that works for them within the confinements we put them in....and if that means fights to the death or kill chicks to clean out a box for their use, then thats what happens. Even when I colony bred in a massive 10 metres by 3 by 3 metres aviary we had deaths, underaged birds breeding due to nestboxes, fighting for nestboxes, dead chicks, smashed eggs, adults fighting tooth and claw on the ground. Even with me working from home and able to watch the birds most of the day didnt help. So why we say please dont colony breed ? Because we know and we care. Topics of interest...................... female killing .... sad day colony vs caged......a debate colony breeding issues aggressive hen attacked budgies killed mother colony breeding mistake another colony breeding tragedy colony tragedy hen attacks

I wouldnt put breeding pairs all in together as you will have heartache, possible deaths, definitely fights, smashed eggs and maybe maimed or killed babies. HOWEVER...with that cage you can divide it through the middle creating a top section and a bottom section and have one breeding pair in each section with their own nestbox. i did exactly what you said their kaz and the only probblem i had was cleaning the bottom cage as i just moved the bottom grate up to devide it also just place something to stop the tops birds mess falling onto bottom birds Dont divide with a grate................use a board. Easily screwed into from outside..screws left a little longer to position and stabilise the board.

http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/index....c=28292&hl=

We hear these stories all the time when people colony breed as you have done. Heck I even experienced it myself when I colony bred not knowing any better. I really am sorry for your losses BUT I hope it has taught you a valuable lesson any attacked birds seem to rally for a day or two and then die...be prepared for that.

Yes to removal of all shiny or mirror like toys

always look in the FAQ section JB

You may know we have a cat or two or three at home.......... well we have four. Three siamese of Kens and my Birman Ruskie. There has always been a type of cat I wanted for myself besides my Birman Ruskie, and I finally got one. She is a DEVON REX and her colour is called Black Smoke. I inquired after her recently as she was the type, sex and colour I would have wanted. Once I heard her name I was sure she belonged with us. Her name is MORTICIA like off the ADDAMS FAMILY. She is 16 weeks old and we collect her in about a week. Some people with allergies to normal-coated cats can live with Devon's, because they have little or no guard hair and shed very little. However, there are still a percentage of allergy sufferers who cannot live with a Devon. The Devon Rex is very friendly, lively, affectionate, playful, intelligent, mischievous, impish, enterprising, active, inquisitive and extrovert. This breed is known to have several dog-like qualities; it retrieves; it follows its owner and wags its tail when pleased. The Devon Rex is considered a rare breed. There are not very many breeders or kittens available compared to some of the older, more established breeds. Devon's are addictive.... You can't just have one. Some people, who are allergic to "normal" cats, can live with a Devon or Cornish Rex without any problems. They are not allergy-free cats, especially since people can be allergic to different things such as saliva and dander hair. Because of their different coat, they shed minimal amounts of hair compared to other breeds and cause little or no problems to some allergy sufferers. That now means we have five cats I think we will stop at five devon rex cats

http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/faqs/i...lony%20breeding

I wouldnt put breeding pairs all in together as you will have heartache, possible deaths, definitely fights, smashed eggs and maybe maimed or killed babies. HOWEVER...with that cage you can divide it through the middle creating a top section and a bottom section and have one breeding pair in each section with their own nestbox.