splat

Good news Ordered my shed today It will be here in a fortnight. So excited, It's the start :rip: . I order 3m x3m Zinc with extra wall height 210cm and a T handle for the door. I have decided I am going to have a laundry sink in it too Even Greg's for that becaus eit will make his laundry much cleaner if all my bird stuff wasn't laying around in there :sad:

:rip: and :sad:

I dissagree with this as Greg's dad has several of my birds and he has bred some rippers in colony breeding. They are big birds like mine some even bigger, if he had my rings on them I could show them and have a good chance of winning that's how good they are. He has bred a light green cock that I would die for. :sad: but he won't part with him. His aviary is only about 3 feet wide and 6 foot long if that. He only has a few birds in there. But he is breeding great. whats a few birds splat 4 or more cause 4 birds two pairs is not really colony breeding except the fact theirs no control over who mates with whom im talking small aviary with 6 or more pairs their is just no personal space for the birds and i guess i shouldnt of generalized so broadly ill say most conony breeders are just breeding for a quick buck and dont cheak chicks or clean their beaks feet extra and its just a lazy way out of caring for birds properly I disagree again :rip: Merv has about 15 birds maybe more in the aviary and he does not do it for a quick buck, he loves his birds . He enjoys his time watching them, and loves the challenge of breeding different colours and varieties. He is the mist of transforming another aviary that he had cockatiels in into another aviary for his budgies. This aviary is 6 feet wide and 15 feet long so he will have pleny of room. He gives his birds away when he gets too many. or he will swap with friends at the moment he is after a pied I know a couple of other people around here the colony breed and they don't do it for a quick buck NOT around here there is NO money in budgies. They do it for themselves, their enjoyment.

What are his droppings like... This following bit of info is from Dr Rob Marshalls medicine book it might help you. If you see positive signs keep on with treatment but seems it sounds like he doesn't have psittacosis I would give me at least a 5- 7 day treatment anyway. Seems you have him on doxy here are the positive signs to doxy but this is if he has psittacosis, the vet might be treating him for something else. :Smaller droppings :Droppings change from khaki/green to healthy black :Increase noise and vitality if in breeding cabinet (but I know he is not) :Feather colour improves :The sudden appearance of down-feathers attached to the droppings Negative signs to doxy :Fluffed-up sick looking within three days of doxy treatment :Dark green watery droppings :Vomiting

Sorry Kaz, poor little thing.

Very pretty, I want one :sad:

Half the time the vets don't really know what's wrong so they tell you to you doxy as kaz said it is a broadspectrum antibiotic. It covers many illnesses but very hard on the bird with some side effects.

What it boils down to is everyone has their own idea and ways of doings things. Even when given advice good or bad I take it in to consideration but I still do things my way. The point is my way works for me.

He could also have an irritation in the crop, could also be sour crop...is he loosing weight?

Yes I am looking for a good healthy debate , Julia Gillard and Tony Abbot can do so why can't I

I never once said this breeder was OLD, I said a top breeder. Anyway I only mentioned it to see what reaction I get But anyway I will still stick to my guns. I will continue to rub my babies maybe it is a habit I picked up but a couple of times I didn't do and the hens threw the baby out onto the floor. So I will continue with my ways. Maybe my birds are smart If the birds can't smell much then how most books most breeders will tell you not to touch the nest (eggs/babies) if you have a different smaell on your hands for example a different hand wash or just had a smoke. >>> SO MAYBE THIS IS DEBATABLE TOO

I move my chicks if needed but I rub the smell of the nest they are going into over their body so the the hen thinks it is hers.

I dissagree with this as Greg's dad has several of my birds and he has bred some rippers in colony breeding. They are big birds like mine some even bigger, if he had my rings on them I could show them and have a good chance of winning that's how good they are. He has bred a light green cock that I would die for. but he won't part with him. His aviary is only about 3 feet wide and 6 foot long if that. He only has a few birds in there. But he is breeding great.

I think it is your choice how you choose to breed, I know a few people who colony breed as they only do it for their own enjoyment. They have great success too.

were her eggs fertile Liv?

So cool I started off a debate here.

He is probably a sky violet

I think if they can chew on it any way it would be poisonous (uggg I know I spelt that wrong :hi: )to birds because I was trying to buy some rust stuff last year for steel drinkers for Greg and they were all a no no except for the black paint stuff which I can't remember the name of it, but it is like black tar. But if you used it then some how wrapped wire around the steel so the birds couldn't chew it it should be okay, but then really what is the likely hood of birds chewing steel .

Yes I know this couple that breed cockateils, princess parrot, quakers, and other parrot. I am sure it is for the money only. they hand raise them all. It makes me so angry. When Greg asked them if they had a pearl cockatiel they didn't even know what he was talking about.

Yes i agree with you Gb as I have always done it until this breeding season, but what I was told makes sense too but everyone has there own ideas.

UPDATE Nest 1...Grey Opaline hen x yellow face cinnamon sky cock.....2 eggs so far Nest 2... Dark green Cinn hen x Lutino cock.....had 2 fertile eggs and I tranfered them and lost them I think, waiting for her to lay again nest 3... Grey hen (iffy hen) x grey green cinnamon cock 5 eggs and 3 fertile eggs so far nest 4.. violet hen x white Df spangle cock.... 2 eggs so far nest 5.. yellow Df hen x grey cock.... 4 fertile eggs all hatched 4 chicks :hi: really excited about this nest nest 6.. violet spangle hen x mauve cock.. 5 chicks nest 7... lt green cinn spangle hen x grey green cinn cock... 3 chicks nest 8... violet opaline hen x light green oplaine spangle cock... waiting nest 9...empty nest 10... grey spangle hen x sky blue opaline spangle cock... waiting nest 11.. grey dilute x sky violet opaline spangle cock... 8 eggs, first 2 chicks died, has 3 chicks now and 3 eggs to hatch. nest 12... sky hen x white Df spangle cock... 4 eggs all clear so far nest 13.. violet cinnamon spangle hen x grey green cock. 4 eggs.. one fertile so far nest 14... sky hen x violet cock.. 5 eggs .. 3 fertile so far nest 15.. light green spangle hen x yellow df cock... 5 eggs... 2 fertile eggs so far i think, 1 for sure. nest 16... sky hen x violet cock.... 3 chicks nest 17... light cinnamon spangle hen x grey cinnamon cock ..waiting nest 18.. cobalt hen x dk green dom pied.. eggs so far nest 19.. empty nest 20.. cobalt hen x light green spangle cock.... 1 chick hatched today, layed 4 eggs only 1 fertile nest 21... empty nest 22... yellow df spangle hen x grey green cock .. waiting nest 23 grey opaline spangle hen x light green cock.. 7 eggs... 4 fertile so far nest 24.. dk green hen x yellow Texas clearbody... 9 eggs .. 5 fertile so far I have my fingers crossed. will try and get some photos soon, don't like to upset them to much

But Gb if after all eggs are laid and it has been more than 3 days but lets say 5 for sure then , then it is a waist of time for the hen to sit any longer, Plus I do not put fertile eggs or babies under hens with infertile eggs as they are infertile for a reason. Hens that have infertile eggs don't seem to raise young (feeding) as well as hens that have fertile eggs. A top breeder told me this and I adhere to it as it makes sense.

If all eggs were laid more than 3 days ago since the last egg then i would take them away because an egg should show fertility after 3day of the hen sitting, leaving them there is a waist of time.

3 babies from dilute and sky violet spangle and 3 eggs to hatch, this pair had 8 fertile eggs but the 1st 2 died. :hi:

OOOH little pieds wish they were mine :hi: