Dave_McMinn

Splat, These photos below show the latches that I added to keep the doors from blowing closed. I also added a solar light. The panel is outside and the light is inside. The light should last for about 4 hours befor it needs recharging.

Good job!!!

Birds mask their illness well, so by he time we see they are not well, it is often too late. Masking illness is a survival instinct. If you are in a flock of birds in the wild, you are prey for some other animal. If you appear ill or injured, then you are targeted, thus why birds have learnt to mask their illness. We will never ever fully understand everything about why we lose some birds. We will never understand in some cases what we could have doen differently. Even good show breeders can lose a bird unexpectantly. We simply do all we can to provide them with the best food and conditions we can, and we go from there.

Sorry to read of your loss. You did all you could. On a small point, when I askd her condition I did not mean breeding condition or cere colour. just because a hen's cere appears right for breeding it does not mean she is in breeding condition. Was she thin? I always like my breeding hens to be a little overweight. They are going through a tremendous strain on thier body, so even if they are ideal show weight, or even a little under, this may make breeding a strain on their body.

I agree with Kaz -

Hard and fast rules get people into trouble. I think the one above is a great example of a rule that could lead to trouble. Last breeding season I had one pair that had 4 good chicks and both parents did a great job. In the 2nd round they had only 2 chicks, one which I had to euthanase, so only 1 chick remained. Since both parents were there feeding her, she got the best and most nutrition she could handle, and thus she is the best bird I have bred, and the parents were both in good condition once she fledged. They were ready for round 3 when i stopped them. The point of my meandering story is that to ensure the hen does not overdo it, causing herself strain, it is best to leave the cock there if you can, in my humble opinion.

We are not mad at you, we just realise that beginners, and especially younger beginners, often rush into things without considering all the options, in this case, the need for room, flight space, and money to pay vet bills. our concern is for the birds' welfare.

I have a plastic bird bath I use for a seed dish. In summer I put the trays that go under plants on the floor of the aviary with an inch of water in them for the birds to splash in. I only leave these in there for a day as they get dirty. I also use pot trays for veges for the birds, as well as for the occassional treat of grey sunflower seeds

I think you did what you thought was right................. and in this case i agree with the decisions you have made. Your hen was probably wearing herself out feeding her young. She might have been exhausted, and you have taken her from where she was, and set her up in a situation that would see her get back to full health. Is this her first round? What type of condition was she in when she went down to breed? How old are her young? Are they old enough for the cock bird to continue raring them or do they need to be fostered?

i found my little egg torch, with the bendable arm. I need to refresh myself on what I am supposed to be seeing again, then I will go check

What are it's legs like? If it is laying down all the time, I am thinking it might have leg problems

life can be cruel some times

Shame you parents won't let you seek professional help and shame you do not have space for flying for your bird. Shame for your bird

I tried that once before. Mac or Tess ate one up and then later I found one of them had been sick and there was thrown up egg on the ground. Not pretty. Decided not to adopt that idea again.

You are probably right there

Pair 1 - 6 eggs Pair 2 - 6 eggs Pair 3 - 7 eggs Pair 4 - 4 eggs Pair 5 - no egg yet Pair 6 - no egg yet Pair 7 - 4 eggs Pair 8 - 4 eggs I know there are some DIS in some boxes, however I am concerned that some eggs are not fertile. It has been a long time now, well over the 18 days, and still no hatching so I am concerned abotu some pairs. I also have 9 new cages, so i will be setting them up over the next week or so.

they shouldn't be black

Do not introduce a 3rd bird - it never works out with uneven numbers.

Will you and Ken be required to dress like this?

Positives and negatives which ever way u look at it. Away from kids, grandkids, place to pick up glass, and Freemantle Dockers home games. A great house and a relaxed lifestyle.

Great pics as always

That is what I thought. i have one egg like that in a nestbox at the moment, but I did not want to remove it, just in case

how can you tell that is a DIS jsut from looking at it?

previously I used NSW coded rings but this year, for the first time DMC coded rings

Pair 1 - 4 eggs Pair 2 - 6 eggs Pair 3 - 7 eggs Pair 4 - 4 eggs Pair 5 - egg bum, no egg yet Pair 6 - egg bum, no egg yet Pair 7 - 1 egg Pair 8 - I was mistaken, there are 2 eggs in there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!