renee

Why thank you Dave Soon I'll be making the most ordinary birds look like champions

OhhhhKay. I have just looked at the aunt to this boy and she has really pale brown spangle markings, so surely she is a Cinnamon. Is that what you meant Kaz, that this Cobalt Spangle's wing markings look too dark?

Yes and I am sorry to bring that up Kaz, you have had very bad luck. It is just that when you said you had 40 cabinets on the go I was just wondering of all of those how many are giving you fertile eggs. Maybe it is too soon to know ... I don't know, I am not clairvoyant.

It is my way of saying that both parents are Recessive Pieds Yes pretty much, last time I popped him into the show cage and had a close look at him I noticed it. And I've just had a look at him and his brother and mum again and they all have strong chocolate brown makings ... but you know Kaz I won't know for sure till he's judged properly

Well I had a na na nana na moment today and discovered the zoom button ... it's only taken me 4 years to figure this one out - No Comment! Any way embolden by the now limitless opportunities this now offers I crept into the Baby aviary and here are the results: First of all I will say that with a few exceptions they all look pretty unremarkable to me so I can only hope they go on to develop into something that surprises me Apart from the established favorites Yes more photos of my DF Recessive Pied boy What I like most about this guy is that his markings are so good Not the best photo, he is hunching forward here BUT he is lovely and long and if he is anything like his Granddad he will bulk up and broaden across the shoulders in about 9-12 months time. Okay here is an update on my Cobalt Cinnamon Spangle See how is much bigger than his brother in the second photo? Who's a pretty boy. I tried to take more photos of the Green Normal boys and Dommi Pieds but they didn't come out ... another time.

I don't know about cravings Charly, but of course breeding budgies have different nutritional needs than if they were just flying around in the aviary in the back yard. I have observed this year in particular that my breeding pairs consumed more Murphy's Minerals which I provide in finger drawers for them especially the hens before laying and then again more as the chicks develop in the nest. I am sure there are other examples too.

Sorry, did you mean this? I was hoping for a number or percentage ... I only managed just over 40% this year... surely you're doing better than that!

Oh MACKA!!!!! The bird is dead and you may be right .... but did you have to say it?!!!

40 Breeder Cabinets on the go! You must be very, very BUSY! How is fertility, how many nests have fertile eggs? Sad news about that pretty Violet Spangle. RIP.

Yup thats him, shame he didn't breed he looks like he could do some good things, but thats all part of breeding =D Gotta love it renee Well he did last year ... so there is hope

Thank you corzstunt! Do you mean this guy? It's a good photo .... but the bugger didn't breed for me - maybe next year

Hey Matt. How are your birds doing now they are off the meds? Is there any way you can now assess them for internal organ damage?

Well the cool and wet weather continues however, I am pretty certain it will come to an end sometime next week and the big tap in the sky will turn itself off until next April. In the meantime I am trying to get as many chicks as possible ready for the outside Baby aviary before the mercury shoots up to 35C+. But more of them tomorrow ... The little ones are doing fine. Some still insist on eating way too much sand for my liking and I worry about them getting impacted crops as a result of this but perhaps they are just eating droppings ... either way I try not to think about it too much. Today I tried, rather unsuccessfully I am sure you'll agree, to take some photos of my little ones in the Baby aviary. I know I have a "zoom" feature and it is turned on but I don't seem to be able to take close up photos .... sigh. So instead I have been creeping up on the little ones to get as close as possible ... with varying results.

Another day and another update Today I am going to focus on my Adult birds. On Sunday I released all of the Adult birds I had kept back in Holding Cages into the Adult aviary. Initially I was only going to release the "chubby" ones and fatten the rest up but I decided half way through that possibly the exercise and being in a cooler, bigger environment would help them get back into condition quicker than if I kept them cooped up. Since then they have been getting Moulting Aid into the water (4th day today) because quite a number are in a heavy moult but I was wondering whether I could keep on doing day after day or if I should mix things up a bit. If you know better than I, please speak up! Any way here are some happy snaps -

Not really ...

I'm sorry to hear of your losses Matt. I don't suppose they are your "lesser" birds by any chance or is that too wishful thinking ... Good idea about the feeder jars, I will keep that in mind should I need to.

Well I think he had it all along but the stress of the outside aviary brought it on ...... FOR NOW! Oooops just noticed a typo As things stand all my DF Yellow Spangles from that nest have been affected, Dad was the LightGreen Spangle and Mum was a GreyGreen Spangle. Well for those of you paying more attention than I evidently do the Dad was a Double Factor Yellow Spangle!

Well it has been a while since I posted about the budgies in the Breeding Room and yes, as the old adage goes "No News Is Good News!" The youngsters in the second Kindie Cage are all alright. Sooky Blue is still sooky and another Normal Cobalt received a peck to the outer eye but apart from that they are all active and chirpy. I don't get the feeling the parents I have put in with them there are really feeding the young ones and have started giving the "hungry" ones evening top ups with Hand Rearing mix, but I don't intend to do it for too long. Three out of four chicks from the DF Albino nest keep on jumping out of the nest box and I am getting real close to leaving them out. At least the Normal Cobalt seems to have figured out how to eat the hulled oats and the DF Albino chicks know their way around the drinker. Here's some happy snaps of them- Unfortunately yesterday I had to pull the DF Yellow Spangle with green suffusion from the aviary as I noticed he had dropped his tail and his flights were very ragedy: French Moult. I can't see any of his feathers in the aviary nor the Kindie Cage so it is a bit of a mystery. Pity as I was hoping that was the end of it .... but no. As things stand all my DF Yellow Spangles from that nest have been affected, Dad was the LightGreen Spangle and Mum was a GreyGreen Spangle. I had hoped that 'cause I fostered him early he would have been spared, it's such a shame and now of course a waiting game as I wait to see whether they all grow their feathers back. Here is a happy snap of the Featherless Friends+Grey Normal: But in good news no other nests have been affected by French Moult - Touch Wood! I still have 5 chicks under 4 weeks so it is still touch and go as far as I'm concerned but here you can see they look pretty good so far. The 2 youngest of the Cobalt Dommie Pied and Sky hen The 3 to the Normal Cobalt and Normal Green hen (Sooky Blue's brothers and sisters)

How are things going today Matt? Apart from meds, are you giving your birds special food or supplements?

I dunno. I was hoping someone would identify them and then if they were on the "safe list" I would have gone ahead and given them to my birds. But no one did. So I didn't.

Fortitude my friend. 2 losses in 2 days is a good ratio - we know how devastating Cocci can be. You know it looks like you may have caught it just in time before it developed into a mega-disaster. And congratulations on the chickies! As for the internal damage ... I'd worry about that a little later when you are through the woods.

Yes, garden lime NOT builder's lime. We put about an inch thick onto the pavers before covering it with sand and it protects against bacteria growth. Best thing we ever did and never had any problems with a Cocci outbreak - touch wood. I'm not sure if it safe for the birds to eat though - especially those stupid young ones that eat everything in sight to excess before they settle down ...

Precisely! Get it wrong and it just doesn't bear thinking about the consequences, does it? New branches have arrived and the birds were straight into them!

Oh yes, that's what you say now. But if down the track I don't think it is good enough to keep, then sure as *** it won't be good enough for you either. Unless your standards are slipping ....

Yes I would have taken those measures too. Darn Dog!!!!