Norm

I think your right it’s called French White Millet it’s in most of our mixtures here is Australia, but in my experience the birds don’t like it as much as some of the smaller type millets which we call Hungarian & Japanese Millet [there are a few types of Japanese millet] one of the main seeds we use is called Canary seed, it’s more Grey in colour & has a sharp end on each side of it, whether that would be available in India I wouldn’t know & what you call it I wouldn’t know either. It’s scientific name is Phalaris canariensis…which is a colder climate grass.

Look really good chicks Kaz, it will be good to see how they feather up after their first moult. Wish I could get my Lacewings to breed, but no luck from either of them. I have the male [that is split] paired up with a Cinnamon hen, but they only got two chicks from their first batch one is Cinnamon, but no Lacewings. He has never produced a Cinnamon before only the one Lacewing, so must mean he's split for Cinnamon, unless the Lacewing is basically Cinnamon, as normally he shouldn't produce Cinnamons with a Cinnamon hen, unless he's split. I paired him with a Cinnamon, hoping that would give him more chances to produce another Lacewing, also it’s a Green series so I will hopefully get a Yellow Lacewing, as the one he produced before was White even though he is a Green Spangle.

Those are nice Spangle chicks Karen, with quite good wing markings.

Test Your Knowledge of Genetics 1) Can a recessive pied be bred from a pair of dominant pieds? I will say NO but you would think that being Recessive they could both carry it, but I think someone said that it's located on the same allele, so can't carry both Mutations. The same as with Texas Clearbody & Ino, a bird can only be one or the other & can't be split for both, it is either spit for Ino or TCB not both. 2) Can a dominant pied be bred from a pair of recessive pieds? NO. 3) There are no known dominant varieties with red eyes. Is this statement true or false? True. 4) Is it possible for a bird to be visually carrying the color gray, violet, dark factor, sex-linked, dominant and recessive traits all at the same time? NO as you can't have a Dominant & Recessive show visually in one bird as the Dominant Mutation will mask the Recessive. Also you can't have one bird showing Grey & Violet. 5) The yellow face on a yellow face blue is considered to be a dominant trait. What is the white face on a green considered to be? A. also a dominant trait B. does not exist C. a recessive trait D. a sex-linked trait 6) Name four varieties for each of the following. Dominant Spangle…Green…Dominant Pied…Yellow Faced Blue dominant to white faced Blue. Recessive Dilute…Recessive Pied…Clearwing…Greywing. Sex-linked Opaline…Ino…Texas Clear Body…Cinnamon. 7) What are the only ways to breed a sex-linked cock? Mark all that apply. A. hen has to be normal, cock has to be normal B. hen has to be normal, cock has to be split C. hen has to be normal, cock had to be sex-linked D. hen has to be split, cock has to be normal E. hen has to be split, cock has to be split F. hen has to be split, cock has to be sex-linked G. hen has to be sex-linked, cock has to be normal H. hen has to be sex-linked, cock has to be split I. hen has to be sex-linked, cock has to be sex-linked 8) When a bird is said to be masking something, what does that mean? Also, give an example. A. split for another color or variety B. preventing the true visual color or variety to be seen The Ino gene can mask the true genetics of a bird. C. dominant for large spots on a deep mask 9) What dominant varieties change appearance when they have two genes for the trait? Double factor Spangle…Dominant Pied. 10) What does it mean when a bird is said to be split? A. two colors present as in a pied B. not visible on the bird but carrying one gene for another color or variety C. two colors/varieties present, dividing the bird down the middle; halfsider

Thanks for all those pictures Dave, you certainly have a nice collection of colours there & they are all looking good, except maybe the pale one, I have noticed a couple of times, when I saw a chick that was very pale compared to the norm & in most cases soon succumbed. Almost like it had less blood, as usually a healthy young chick is a strong reddish colour [pink jelly bean].

I give my birds milk thistle, the wild green plant, but not an extract, it’s commonly used for cage birds especially Canaries, but I think Budgies like some other wild greens better. I have never used Mung beans, as I don’t give my birds soaked seeds, they would be very high in protein, not sure about the fat levels.

Yes I would think that bran would be suitable & I think some people do use it. Of course it would be more expensive but certainly suitable.

Mosquitoes will definitely bite Budgies; if they can’t bite through the feathers they will bite them around the eyes & on the feet. The mosquitoes can’t be much worse than we experience around here in the summer months & I have never had any problem that I would expect, was the results of mosquitoes. Of course Budgies are native of Australia & I would guess that they would be immune to most things that could be carried by mosquitoes here, but seeing you are in India there could be some things that Budgies are not normally exposed to. I spent about 12 months in India & was worried by everything I read about mosquitoes & malaria, mostly I lived in coastal areas & the mosquitoes there weren’t anything like we experience here. Chickens & some other cage birds experience chicken type pox, but I have never experienced this with my Budgies.

They’re all looking good Libby…Cinnamon is one of my favourite mutations too.

Kaz, two chicks already hatched from one batch of eggs, they are Cinnamons good show stock...the three other chicks, one has already been rung & maybe one more eggs hatched...sadly I can't rember what mutation he said they were...supposed to be big birds, will have to wait & see.

Click on the part in Kaz's post at the bottom above her picture where it says how to post pictures, it's best to open an account with photobucket.

You are certainly getting a flock of classy looking birds there Kaz.

They're looking good Dave...got a good mix of colours there.

Looking good Kaz, but no sign in the picture of the lacewing markings. Chucked out my Lacewings eggs yesterday, [infertile] my show breeder friend gave me some fertile eggs & three chicks yesterday, as he is going away & couldn’t look after them, they are from some good birds he bough this year from a big breeder.

Your chicks are looking real good, it’s amazing they can be breeding so well when it’s still so cold outside.

Glad to hear your good news Shawna, I hope things will continue going well, best of luck to you & Lucas.

If your TCB’s a female Aly, a Lutino is probably the best, as at least you will get some TCB’s from that pairing.

Thanks Denise.

It usually takes about 10 days from the time they are put in the cabinets. so that was quick...good luck.

Yes he’s trying to keep them both interested. He's seems more interested in the neigbhour than his own wife...

I had two sisters colony breeding in an aviary, both sisters started feather plucking their young when the pinfeathers were just about opening. Then one of the cocks, one was paired with died. I placed another cock in for the hen that lost her mate, but he wasn't interested & she went down on eggs again & I noticed she was being real friendly with the other sister's mate, who is one of my Dusk cocks. Well she hatched four chicks, which are from the Dusk he helps feed her, but his hen now has two chicks. The hen that lost her mate has raised all four chicks real well & for the first time didn't pluck one feather. They have left the nest. So maybe it is only boredom, when she had to work hard going out to feed herself she didn't pluck. If it were a deficiency, you would have thought it would have been worse.

Thanks guys …A little bit happier Maesie…(Laughing out loud)…anyone got any birds like those maybe Opaline splits or got any ideas on them. Yes Kaz strange isn't it how there is so much variation in the feathering colouring, that seems one of the main differences with them & a sort of more intense colour, will be interesting to try how it effects other coulours once some of the younguns mature...both cocks I bought are 2003 birds so may not breed that much more, so good to get some young stock from them.

A whole day has passed & not one comment… hasn’t anyone got any ideas on any of my picies.

Good luck Enna I hope your eggs turn out fertile, they are pretty good in that way only a small number produce infertile eggs.

Our best Aussie Peppermint branches & our best Aussie Budgies [boids] & still he wants cake!!! What more do you want?