renee

Yep, I love reading your posts Nubbly - and the pics of your chicks are absolutely amazing! You have a real knack for explaining so well. I really look forward to your posts. :rofl:

I'm so sorry to hear this Kaz. :nest: Please give Ken a big hug from me.

So today is Day 21 and the last post from me in this thread ..... as you can see the chicks are fine, no evidence of splayed or deformed legs. Throughout this thread others have posted that they have had severe hip displacements in other Ino chicks similar to what I have described - that is interesting but to comment further would be speculation which is exactly what I sought to put to rest by making this thread. So here are the little ones for the last time:

if it doesn't rain - it pours. Sorry to hear that Splat.

The Yellow Face gene is beyond me still at this stage ....

Looking good Kaz! Especially like the blue grewings!

Looking good Kaz! Fingers crossed Big Blue and wifey produce 2 beautiful chicks for you!

Well done Liv in caring for these two! May they continue to live happy Lives!

Day 19 .... yes I forgot last night ....

Yipeeee! Good on Ken for getting the tubular steel :bliss:

You have done the right thing for Bugalugs, just keep him warm so he doesn't go into shock and feed him lots of nice food. As for your hawk .... well my hubby fed ours prime beef steak for a week and he stopped coming round ... No, seriously - just be more alert when and where you let Bugalugs out in the patio area.

Interesting, I think the wing markings look more Greywing Spangle .... even Clearwing may be an option - have to wait until his first moult to be certain!

I would add that it can be as easy as putting 2 budgies of breeding age together with a nest box - BUT breeding Show Budgies, ie. breeding to the Standard is much more difficult! Usually pet budgies are much easier to breed but aviary breeding can cause problems that have been explored elsewhere.

My cat sneaks off at night and enjoys hanging on the aviary wire a la Garfield, or sprinting like a steam train up and down the back yard, or his favourite - stomping on the aviary roof ... :laughter: He knows he is not supposed to do it .... and hides in the bushes when scolded ... :sadsorry: The young birds find it all a bit unnerving and panic a bit but I know that within a month they will be taking no notice of him just like the adult birds. But nesting birds are much more sensitive and you are doing the right thing by keeping your cat inside. Aviary breeding is fraught with added difficulties as Kaz and Dave alluded to and I'm afraid you need to be prepared for the odd carnage and misfortune. Best of Luck! :laughter:

Yeah those split Opalines and Cinnamons can at first be a 'nice' surprise but trust me if your not careful they can dominate your stud, especially as the splits can stay 'hidden' for a season or two! :laughter: Remember to always keep the Normal hens and be very circumspect about the cocks. :sadsorry:

The reason why most people end up putting their aviary on a concrete slab or concrete pavers is that they get an invasion of either mice or rats. Mice wee on the seed and the budgies die, rats attack the budgies and savage their little bodies. A rubber mat would pose no problem to rodents - but a rubber mat on top of pavers .... now there's a solution!

Day 17

I'm really sorry to hear you're having a rough patch Splat. However, I agree with Kaz on this one- don't just cull because you are under pressure. By all means reduce your numbers to a comfortable level but do so with a clear head and make sure you don't do anything you may regret later. Best of Luck! ps Can't help you with your chickies dying, have you considered an autopsy?

Day 16

You should keep doing them even if only a few people get involved ... especially if you enjoy them! I'm sure the fact that GB and me don't mind getting it wrong and learning from our mistakes helps others who don't want to appear ignorant or overly reliant on the genetics guide

Oh alright then seeing as you've done the objectionable Yellow Face part I would add that seeing that Clearwing is dominant over Dilute and one of the chicks is a Dilute then the Clearwing cock would have to be split Dilute .... and the Clearwing chicks would also have to be split Dilute ... Now for colours .... Cock is Olive (ie. Cobalt x Green) Hen is Sky Blue (split Violet) Chick 1 is Cobalt Violet Chick 2 is Sky Cobalt Chick 3 is Green Violet Chick 4 is DF Cobalt Yes, it should be obvious by now that I do not cheat and consult the various genetics tables or books but rely on my pea brain for this

Interesting! I have a couple of birds that colour! I will be checking their cheek patches first thing tomorrow. I always thought they were grey with violet suffusion .... What are the genetics behind them? Cobalt x Violet?

The idea of a Yellow Face Clearwing is so abhorrent I just cannot contemplate the genetics ~ Sorry

Between this year and last I have bred over 200 chicks and the only cases I have had have involved this particular cock bird and his 2 different Lute hens .... I don't think it is a lack of calcium, it is certainly not nest box related as I have used a different nest box every time and I always put fussy cat litter in the nest box .... I am certainly NOT going to put him to one of his previous Lute hens and see if it repeats itself .... non-Lute hens from now on