chrissy0705

The thing I need you guys to understand is that things in US are not the same in Australia. You all have the space and temps to have outdoor breeding cages/aviaries, sheds, converted garages and basements, etc... I don't have that ability here in the US in PA where temps drop into the teens in the winter. Which limits me to the confinds of my home and living room. Please picture this all being done right next to your couch and TV... and bear with me. So.... on the indoor flight/avairy we built, as recomended in many posts before, I placed 4 nesting boxes all at equal height along the back and side of the breeding flight. Four boxes = 2 hens. Of the 4 boxes in one flight area these two hens chose the boxes that were closest together. Once they picked their box and started to lay that was it... they've been there ever since. I closed off the other two openings for the extra boxes I had for them to pick from and the rest is history. So... these two hens picked the two boxes closest to each other on the side of the cage and did not pick either of the other two boxes that were on the back side of the flight that were spaced over a foot apart unlike these two boxes that are 6 inches apart.

Totally agree I can't... did you see my post above that explains why?

Nice.... I can't believe how pretty all these birds are that have been posted lately. Good score MB.

Yes KAZ these are the ones I'm having trouble with... the one we talked about in the other post. Being at home all day and the birds being right here in the living room allows me to hear and see them all day. I noticed the one mum has been out more and more now that her chicks are getting bigger and today I hear the other hen screaming in her nest box and when I looked over the other hen flew away from the nest box opening. So just as you warned one hen might cause trouble for the other... it seems it might be on the way to that. It has been quiet for the rest of the day with them so far, but I'm sure if I wait much longer there's gonna be trouble.

I don't mark my eggs at all. I keep a log on each mating pair. I log the date they were put down, the date each egg was laid and then the dates each egg hatches and what mutations and sexes they are. I used a Microsoft Diagram Chart and keep track that way. If the date passes that the last egg should have hatched then I investigate (candle, wait, toss, etc...) I look at it this way. The less I handle the eggs the less chance I have of doing something wrong or causing harm to the unborn chick (if not kill it and end up DIS or something). If you like the computer... it can be good for charting... I use it all the time. Each time I learn something new on here about one of my birds I log it on the computer under a genetics chart I made for each of my birds. To me the only thing that marking eggs is good for is if a chick was ready to hatch but just couldn't break through the shell... and you can assist, but other than that for me it's just more room for error.

That would be the simplest way wouldn't it... but problem. The way the nest boxes are set up it doesn't let me do that. If I divided the area in half, having one nest box on each side, the new dimentions of the cages would be 48"w x 12"d x 36"h. That's no good. See the nest boxes are side by side on the shortest (24"d) side. They fly back and forth the full length (48") of the flight from feed to nest box (perches in between). I can't divide it, at least not without moving the nest box locations. I either have to try adding another box or removing the hen....???? So what one would you lean toward?

I'm glad you do JB.... lol... I'm gonna study Elly's post a bit more... sometimes if I right it down I get it better. Thank you all for the info.

okay... RIP lets make this a bit easier... I'll break it down then maybe you can tell better. Here are pics of the parents as you requested and new pics of all the chicks with my guesses or what I've been told they are so far.... please help if you can. Ignore any of the other pics posted above... these pics of the chicks are from today... most current. This is hen # 1 - Opaline Mauve Hen This is her mate, cock #1 - Sky Blue YF2 Greywing Split to Recessive/Ino Cock These are their babies: Bub #1 - Albino hen Bub #2 - Normal ?? Bub #3 - Normal ?? Bub #4 - YF2 ?? This is hen #2 - Dominant Pied Light Green Hen This is her mate, cock #2 - Opaline Dark Green Split to Lutino Cock These are their babies: Bub #1 - Lutino hen Bub #2 - Dominant Pied ?? Bub #3 - Dominant Pied ?? Bub #4 - Normal ?? Bub # 5 - ?? (to young to tell) ?? Bub #6 -?? (to young to tell) ?? Bub #7 -?? (to young to tell) ??

It is a small "flight" about 48"w x 24"d x 36"h. My usual breeding cages for one pair are usually 48"w x 24"d x 18"h. So I tried to almost double it. I know there will be comments on the size, but please keep in mind these are all in my home in my living room and I do the best I can with the space available. I'm not looking to remove BOTH hens right now, just the one "making trouble". That hens chicks are 14-19 days old. The other hen that has the chicks that are as young as 6 days old I was going to leave alone. If she then started the same as the other hen I would take her out too. But the hen with the older chicks... the box is full, the babies are big, and she is spending more time out of the nest box which gives her time to make trouble for the other hen. But the other hen with the younger babies, is in the box all the time besides the occational stretch or drink of water. That being said... would I be able to remove the one hen that has the older babies and leave dad to care for them and leave the other hen alone until she seems to be coming out of the box alot too? Then I can remove her and let the dads finish up?????????

As stated in my past posts, I had 2 hens lay clutches (total 13 eggs, 11 babies, 1 DIS and 1 infertile). okay, that being said, the other thing I mentioned in a post was that these two pair are in one flight with their two nest boxes and all the bubs. I was advised, I think by KAZ, to keep watch, although good sucess with the number of chicks, one hen might start trouble for the other if they are looking to start a new clutch and their nest box is full of babies. WELL... I think that is happening now. I've heard three screaches today and each time I've looked the hen that has the 6 oldest chicks (ages 14-19 days old) has been peeking her head in on the other hens nest box (with chicks as young as 6 days old), which she never did until now. My question is... should I just add another nest box for her to choose from so she will leave the other hen alone or should I remove the hen and let dad finish raising the bubs? I didn't really plan on letting her go right into another clutch... I'd like to give her a rest. But I'm not sure if its too soon to take the hen away. Some advice would be appreciated. Thank you Chrissy

Anyone else want to help out ans try to identify these chicks?

Wow I think I actually understand that. So... one more example... I have a pair down that is a cobalt normal hen and a sky blue normal male.... in this case the normals can be male or female but any other mutation that shows up will be hens and given by the father??? Right??

I have learned too much to list it all but most of all... PATIENCE! I started off with one bird in last Christmas and in less than one years time have 30 keets. I wanted everything to happen yesterday. More birds, bigger housing, breeding, hatching, babies, mutations.... I wanted it all and fast. I believe that because I was in such a rush I made mistakes. I could have prepared better for some things if I slowed down. So one thing I can tell any new member... don't be in a hurry. Good things come to those who wait. And if you can't wait, read, research, and ask questions BEFORE you take that next step. I've learned how to identify mutations (at a beginners level). I have learned all sorts of things I can feed the keets to make them and their chicks healthy. And most of all I've learned that a parakeet isn't just "a $20 bird". No matter how small or how affordable... they touch your heart in a BIG way. Oh and I've learned that LEARNT is actually a word.... lol I never knew it was a word... I thought it was slang. I checked it in the dictionary... it's a real word! lol

I agree with JB... this chick looks like the cleanest, healthiest, cutes, prettiest chick I've ever seen. It looks like something you'd see in a magazine. I really want it. (**chrissy sings... "when you wish apon a star makes no differnece who you are...") :grouphug:

I am anxious to know how your bird is? Did you get it back from the store? I sure hope it's okay. Please update us when you can.

I'm really out of the loop... I'm only 31 but I don't even know what "DS" stands for. I knew PSP was a playstation, but didn't know it was portable, duhhhh PSP. My brother had Nintendo growing up and my husband has an X-Box 360 Halo, but I think I'll just stick with ATARI Space Invaders. LOL :28:

I agree. I have never medicated any of my birds "just in case". I have had them checked out as a preventative measure, but never medicated unless diagnosed with an issue. I think you're better with the old fashion quarrentine and if a problem comes about treat it per vet instructions.

I have to get my hands on some more show budgies. I only have one pair. I love all my pet style keets, and I have some great color varieties in my flock, but the more I look at the show budgies, the more I want them.... every bird you posted here is to die for... you had some great luck this year.

I don't know if they have it in Australia, but I use a brand called Kaytee EXACT. I tried a brand called Lafeber's Nutri-Start for my very first clutch of keets, but lost two of the three anyway? I can't blame the formula, but I can say that it didn't mix very well (lots of clumps). I spoke to two other breeders in my area and EXACT is the one they suggested and stand by. The one breeder sucessfully raised 10 cockatiel chicks on it from 14 days old to fledge and the other raised a few clutches of keets and some lovebirds on it too. I just bought a jug for my 6 cockatiels that are due to hatch starting tomorrow. My keets I let the parents raise and only feed if there are issues.

I am so envious of all of you that live in Australia. I have enough birds to fill an aviary like this. I have 7 breeding pairs, and 4 more potential breeding pairs, but just don't have the room to put them all down because I have no more room to house them all. I some how have 30 keets, 5 tiels and 7 finches all in my living room in indoor small aviaries and breeding cages. I wish I could add on a room to the house just for them. Temps are way too cold here to even consider and outdoor aviary... temps were in the teens and 20's all last week and it's only December... January and February are even colder.... (** chrissy drifts off into dream land where she could have an aviary fit for a queen**)

If you breed a normal hen to any other kind of cock will all the normal chicks be hens??? And vice versa normal cock to any type of hen will the normal chicks be all cocks?

I love the pics too... here are a few more... help identify if you can now that they are getting more feathers. First 2 pics are of the Albino and the Lutino (one from each clutch)... Albino left, Lutino right. Both females from what I understand? Here are some more pics of the other chicks that have some feathers... My Green dominant pied cock... would be a male, right?? I think this is a normal cobalt or normal mauve, maybe hen? (mum is mauve)? But I don't know if you see it but it has "yellow" on his head????? I think this might be a normal mauve hen too? Still don't know? Blue yellow??? Normal YF2? No clue???

Seperate them... he is obviously too outgoing for her and she wants no part of it right now. I would give them space. Do not cage them together and if you want them to interact, make sure it is out in the play area where they can get away from each other if they do not want to be bothered. Hens can be pretty moody at times and males just want to preen and kiss and feed, etc... but when a girls says no... to them it means no... he's gonna end up learning that the hard way if you don't give her the space she obviously needs.

I personally would have NEVER handed over my bird to a pet store to take to the vet... especially if it's a large chain store. Do you realize to them a "$20 bird" is of no big deal and would easily resolve all of this by just giving you your money back, as if that would be good enough to replace the life of your bird. The cost of the vet visit cost more than the bird does and they will lose less money by just "refunding your money back" than to take the bird to the vet. I would go to the pet store and take him back right away and take him to your own vet. I would also have the other two checked instead of waiting for them to fall sick. Sorry to be so harsh Summer, but all of this could have been prevented. In my opinion it was a foolish move on both quarentine and not taking the bird to your own vet immediately. I wish you best of luck and hope you can get the bird back to assure proper care by your own vet.

I WANT IT!!!!!!! :grouphug: (*hops the next flight out*)