**Liv**

Dont get down Splat, I have quite a few clear eggs in my lot too. Most of the cocks with clear eggs i know are fertile as well. I think the crazy weather is mucking up their fertility. I am using some of them as fosters for a round, then plan to try them again after the April moult (when cocks are at their best)

This pair had their first chick hatch today

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I would assume that if a sparrow can get in, than a budgie could get out. It would also be an opening for mice. i hope you find the spot and are able to fix it easily.

Hello and welcome. Budgie is a very handsome boy I am so pleased you like it here too.

Sure is!! I have 10/10 pairs actively nesting with eggs. They seem to be loving it :fingerscrossed: I am not sure myself, which is why i asked this question. However, it seems that the crop milk is triggered by the chick's peeping stimulating the hen's hormones.

The chick has been fed by the foster mum!!! :yes: It took 24 hours for her to get her milk which is pretty common so i think its all good now :fingerscrossed:

That is rather bizarre in today's breeding, however, in the wild budgies are known to have many pairs in the same nest. It may be an old instinct coming through. Perhaps your two sister hens have some recent wild budgie blood in their genetics??? I think, provided there is no blood shed and all babies are cared for, then let them do it together.

Little black things are red mite. Red mite is nasty and can kill chicks as they suck their blood. I dont have personal experience with red mite but its better to treat sooner rather than later. I will do some research on your pesticide you have. But i think you will be better off getting some Coopex from the fodder store as its known to be safe (same active ingredient to AIL) EDIT: I did some hunting and personally i think you would be better getting Coopex. Coopex is made with Permethrin which can be used on tiny chicks. The chemicals in the one you have doesn't say its safe for birds so i really couldn't say if its suitable. A link about the active ingredient in Coopex ---> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permethrin

Thanks Splat. the other egg is under her. this chick hatched under her so :hi: she will get her milk soon

that is very cool :hi: I love all these designs and they are so professional looking

The chick hatched yesterday and i have been feeding it every few hours (day and night zzzzzzz) The chick's parents had killed its three siblings and i have stopped them from breeding by putting that hens remaining fertile eggs under the foster hen (who's eggs are all clear) . One of the eggs hatched yesterday and she has been fine with the chick so far, she just hasn't fed it yet. There is still another egg due tomorrow and i really dont want to have to be feeding 2 tiny hatch lings if i don't have to. I don't want them to miss the vital crop milk. The foster hens eggs (if they were fertile) would be due to hatch in about 4 - 5 days

I am so sorry Do you know what happened?

I want to foster a chick but the only hen i trust still has 4 days until her own eggs are due to hatch. Will she be able to produce crop milk before her eggs are due?? will the presence of the chick stimulate her to produce the milk or will i have to wait until her own eggs are due???

So exciting!!! I hope it all goes well and you have an enjoyable drive. If you ever come down to visit the big smoke, be sure to drop in and say

I have another chick to this pair!!!! :) And, its got plum eyes so its a DF spangle This pair's 4th chick hatched today. It's under its foster parents, but its tiny, itty bitty. the smallest chick i have ever seen. Its a red eye, so must be another lacewing hen. The foster mum is a wonderful calm mother and the chick has made it a lot longer than her siblings so i hope she will be okay. There is one more egg to hatch from them.

Gorgeous bubs If you have an excess of hens i have space over here - lots of hens are awesome! you will never get too many I like oats as nesting material. i have been told they are no good for eggs, but are great when the chicks come.

In the research i have done Ivermectin only kills bugs that feed off the birds body fluids. as lice consume feather (which i believe Ivermectin doesn't penetrate) then the lice will not be killed.

Has the hen had enough rest (6 months min) ?? hens are the ones who create the crop milk. not enough rest from breeding will cause poor crop milk and sickly chicks.

I dont have that program, but in my database experience, the ring number would be the unique identifier and is not able to be changed. If this is the case you would be better off deleting the record and redoing it.

An update on my pairs. These two have 4 eggs, one is a double yolker - 2 fertile so far These two have 5 eggs - all clear This pair had 8 eggs. 6 fertile. They had a chick, it died, they had another chick, it died too, then their third chick hatched and died too. I think she is killing them as they are perfectly healthy pink and active chicks. and died within hours of hatching. I have taken the last two fertile eggs and put them under another hen who is a proven mother and has clear eggs. (not the above pair) This pair had their first chick yesterday. healthy, fed and doing great. no plum eyes so not a DF spangle. This pair have 8 eggs - 6 fertile

Its done by puting mesh windows on the right side of your breeding room to let in morning sun.

direct sun is best. . Some natural light is good, but direct sun is best. its also a natural anti bacterial and anit viral, so natural sun helps kill baterial infections, fungal infections, viral infection and even FM.

Awesome birds. I love your baby grey. she will be so valuable to your flock!!

Yes, UVb light is the violet and the one that is the hardest to produce. Any kind of filtration such as glass, plastic, shade cloth etc will stop this vital radiation coming though. I keep my windows bare (no glass etc) during the day so they get PURE sun for a few hours each day. The board spectrum UV lights that contain UVb light only last a few months as the UVb spectrum is the first to be lost.