Dave_McMinn

Well obviously not good enough, as the little one has died. It was always possible, but it was not from not being fed, as it was healthy. Strangely enough, when i have had others die before so young, they often have yellow belly, or are pale. This one was black, like there was som type of internal bleeding or some time and the blood have left veins and just spread under the skin. Anyway, all other eggs removed, so: Pair 1 - Grey Cock and GreyGreen Hen - 3 chicks Monster - GreyGreen Spangle Cock Grey Normal Unable to tell the third yet Pair 2 - Light Green Spangle Cock and GreyGreen Hen - 2 chicks GreyGreen Normal Opaline (hoping it is a spangle) hen Pair 3 - Green Opaline Dommie Pied/Lutino Cock and Light Green Cinnamon Wing Hen - 2 chicks Green Opaline Dommie Pied Hen Green Opaline Dommie Pied Hen I think both chicks are dominant pied opaline hens - remarkably no lutes. We will see how things go

For Monster, that day will be around before you know it. The others will take a little longer.

Some new below

I grabbed a few more as promised and here they are... Pair 1 - Grey Cock and GreyGreen Spangle Hen - 4 chicks Monster - a GreyGreen Spangle Cock Monster and the other chicks - the second one is a normal grey I am guessing, numbers 3 and 4 are too young to tell Pair 2 - a Light Green Spangle Cock and a Grey Green Hen - 2 chicks. The eldest is not a spangle, too early to tell with the next one. The parents were very protective of their young. Not biting or even trying to bite, but simply trying to push their chicks under them for protection. Pair 3 - a Light Green Opaline Dommie Pied/Lutino and a Light Green Cinnamon Wing Hen - 2 chicks, no red eyes, the eldest looks like a dommie pied, the second does not I know there are a few rings scattered around in the nestboxes. That is all right. I prefer to ring them too young and then ring them again if I need to, then to wait too long and not get the ring on at all - that has happened 3 times now, all early in my "ringing experience". I will collect those rings when I clean out the nestboxes over the weekend.

can we see a photo of the little lacewing now?

Honestly I am not sure. Interesting if it is true, as i love the look of Spangles, so i breed them for that reason. The larger size would be a bonus.

So, does this mean that Monster's mother laid new eggs after the hot spell? And the new eggs are only 6 days behind Monster's egg? How many eggs perished during the hot spell, and did you leave them there or throw them away? Monster's mother was sitting on 3 eggs and then we had the hot weather, and she got off the eggs. About 4-5 days later, after the weather has passed, she resumed her normal cycle and layed another egg, and then more after that. Monster was the only surviving egg from the period. I left the other eggs in there at the start, but then removed them as time went on. You can tell which eggs they are by their colour and/or discolouration.

I quite like Monster as well, but he is going to need another name. No, changed my mind - he was originally named Monster, that is the name that will stay!!!!

String bean or not, Frannie is still my favourite!!!

I put the pairs down to breed, some eggs were layed, and then we had a really hot snap. Most hens hopped off the eggs, Monster's mother included. None of the other eggs hatched, but Monster did. He is big as he was born 6 days before the others.

No new yet, maybe tomorrow or Saturday, but just an update. Pair 1 - Grey Cock + GreyGreen Spangle Hen - 4 chicks. Monster - who is a green or (most likely) greygreen spangle. He is rung and is going great. He seems very good with his smaller siblings. 3 other chicks, 2 are rung, starting to get down now. Spangles or not? Not sure yet Pair 2 - Light Green Spangle Cock and Grey Green Hen - 2 chicks Both are rung. Not sure if spangles yet. Pair 3 - Light Green Dommie Pied/Lutino and Cinnamon Wing Green Hen - 2 chicks 1 is rung. No red eyes, so no little lute hens, but the oldest is defintiely a dommie pied. Sorry Kaz!!!!

congrats

I thought opaline as well, but I do not think so now.

People might be reading this and not commenting, or maybe I am the only one reading. Regardless, it is good to have an online blog, so here is another update. A very hot day here in Sydney, with the temperature hitting 37 degrees celsius, hotter in the aviaries. Anyway, all birds look to have pulled through well. Pair 1 - Grey Cock + GreyGreen Spangle Hen - 4 chicks. Monster - who is a green or (most likely) greygreen spangle. He is rung. 3 other chicks, 1 is rung, starting to get down now. Spangles or not? Not sure yet. 4 more eggs, maybe 2 fertile? Pair 2 - Light Green Spangle Cock and Grey Green Hen - 2 chicks 1 is rung. Not sure if spangles yet. Pair 3 - Light Green Dommie Pied/Lutino and Cinnamon Wing Green Hen - 2 chicks 1 is ring. No red eyes, so no little lute hens

I think it is a Clearflight Pied. You can get combinations of both dommie and clearflight pieds.

Check out his leg - that is a NSW ring. Mine!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am no expert, but the easiest way I think is to think of it like this. A clearflight pied looks like a normal bird except that it does not have the normal pattern on its flight feathers in its wings. Take the bird below for example as it is not opaline, so it is probably the best example. From the front it looks like a normal bird There might be some slight discolouration on the stomach due to being a type of pied, but generally they all look like a normal bird. When you look at its flight feathers you notice they are devoid of the black, or cinnamon if they are cinnamon wings. Look at the two birds here. Both are opaline, but that does not matter. Both are cinnamons, but that is also irrelevant in this case. The one on the right (Kiwi is the mother to all the clearflights I showed above) is a clearflight pied. Notice her flights have no other colour but her base body colour - white - whilst the bird on her left has the normal pimentation of darker flights - they are dark not her greygreen body colour. Pieds are more likely to have scatted wing markings, whereas a clearflight pied has normal body markings, but their flights are the colour of their base body colour - white or blue. Does that make sense? I am no expert but that is how I think of it.

I have looked for any birds that might have your name on them Kaz, I really have, and I am either a post-grad teacher who cannot read, or none of them have your name on, no matter what you may think - :bliss: There is a definite change between my first birds and these ones. Might even have to put a few in a show cage soon.

Not big enough for rats, just mice

Very cute. I have a few who sleep like that. It is just their way.

Another mouse caught in the trap today. I am very lucky as I have an "alarm" that goes off when a mouse is caught in the trap. Two alarms actually. See if you can spot them in the pics below. The mousetrap The inspection by my "alarms" All clear is sounded and my "alarms" move onto to inspect another site These are great traps. Only bad if you are squeamish about killing the mice afterward. I drown them then bin them. Simple as can be.

It has been a month since my last update, so here we go again Some of the young ones that are now in the aviary This pair were quite happy to land on me, chew on my clothes and nibble on my fingers - very cute Some others

I promised new on the return of my camera, so here they are. Pair 1 - Grey Cock and GreyGreen Spangle - 3 chicks - monster and 2 little ones - Monster is definitely a spangle. With monster removed so you can see the other little ones - I think only 2 more fertile egg as well Pair 2 - Green Spangle Cock and GreyGreen Hen - 2 chicks and 2 eggs remaining Pair 3 - Green Dommie Ped/Lutino Cock and Green Cinnamon Wing Hen - with 2 more fertile eggs I think

Gee Dave, going on that last post I don't think he's looking too good to clock up any frequent flyer points :rofl: You know, this kind of talk is not really help my cause here -

I have a few Here are a few as babies in the nestbox - note the clear flights, even when young As they got older Their mum - Kiwi Here they are today Kiwi on the right