Daz

Exhibitionbudgie is right. I devide them up a few months going into breeding and then bring them back togeather. With the cocks chasing the hens they do keep fitter.

Birds like humans get accustomed to there inviroment. I say a bird is Cairns being taken to Tasmania would not do well and the same the other way around. Brisbane temps average in the mid 20's most year round. March 27.4Deg C, April 25.3 Deg C, May 24.1 Deg C, June 20 .1 Deg C... These are average temps inside my aviary. I check them every day. Highest temp 44Deg last year.

I have them separated. I am thinking of puting them back togeather after the breeding season next year but will wait and see. I have three main flights, Cocks, Hens, Young and a nursary cage.

Great Idea. :grbud:

Michelle our birds can take up to 42deg C. Some the breeders use humidifiers in their aviaries to try to cool them down. Does your nest box have vent holes. I have a slit on the back of mine that allowes ventilation. When the back slide is down, there is a 5mm gap at the top for ventilation. Many breeds have holes drilled either side at the top. About three on each side. Mine has a flow through effect from the access hole.

Great post Kaz. One thing to bring up though is if the chick is flat it doesn't work.

Today's photos. Very light blue on the body. bit over exposed.

I might try one time when I have more time to devote. I'd have to be on holidays.

That one although I understand the why behind it and how it can help makes me a bit worried for the people just starting on here and out on the internet. Like any advice it can be misunderstood... No don't use bioling water unless you want breakfast. If you do it too long and at the wrong time it will drown the chick inside

Kaz very good wing markings.

Very Good Kaz I think I have that one somewhere

Preventative Medicine in Exhibition Budgerigars By Kevin Eatwell, BVSc (hons) DZooMed MRCVS RCVS Diplomate in Zoological Medicine. Birch Heath Veterinary Clinic, Birch Heath Road, Tarporley, Cheshire, CW6 9UU, ENGLAND. Tel: 0044 1829 733777 Preventative Medicine Preventative medicine is of vital importance to the Budgerigar fancy. Recently outbreaks of viral disease have lead to increased disease precautions being undertaken at exhibitions. When controlling disease it is important to understand how infectious agents may be spread. This can be by direct contact between birds, feather dust, air droplets or via contaminated surfaces (such as show cages). Mixing of birds is probably the most significant factor for disease transmission. Mixing of birds occurs all the time when new birds are bought, birds on loan, birds travelling to and from exhibitions and at the shows themselves. If the birds were mixing with disease free individuals that would be fine but we cannot and must not trust anyone to have disease free stock. Thus any birds that have been recently mixed (for whatever reason) should be considered as potentially infected. It may not be that the supplier is knowingly lying, but they themselves are unable to guarantee the disease status of their own birds. Disease Control Disease control of the fancy as a whole is not possible and so disease prevention should be your concern on your doorstep. This is the only way to know your birds are protected. Economics does play a role and this may limit extensive testing for disease. However one thing that can be done is quarantine. All birds may be carrying diseases and you may not know what diseases your birds have. There is little point trying to exclude a disease you already have, but you certainly want to keep novel infections out! So what should our quarantine facility be like? What Should Quarantine Facility Be Like? Firstly an all in all out policy should be rigidly kept to. Quarantine should be for at least 42 days. Individual housing will enable food and water intake and dropping consistency to be critically appraised. The cage should be easy to disinfect between birds. A metal cage with a newspaper substrate is the easiest to maintain. Any sick birds should be either euthanased and a post mortem examination or a clinical diagnosis with appropriate treatment. It is important to delay the entry of all birds in the group until you are satisfied of their disease status. Birds should be quarantined after every mixing event. This includes upon their return from a show, prior to a show (to reduce the risk to other birds at the exhibition). Ensuring the exhibitors’ birds have a certain level of disease free status and enforcement of a quarantine period before and after an exhibition would control infections far more effectively than any current measures in place. Sadly this means we would have to rely on individual fanciers and trust their judgement. Would you trust all the exhibitors at your local show? Quarantine of birds in this situation has another limitation, as it would reduce the number of shows you could attend. Admittedly many of the diseases we are worried about could be limited by a 14 day period (influenza, reovirus) but still this would limit the number of exhibitions a fancier could attend. Disinfection should be with a DEFRA approved disinfectant on clean surfaces, at the required dilution for the required contact time. This is certainly a major stumbling block for the exhibitions as many shows were using inappropriate disinfectants for too short a time period. Also there is resistance from some foolish, more senior members and judges based on my experiences over the last few years. The only disinfectant that I would recommend is F10SC® as this is effective but also safer than many others, bearing in mind both our birds and we ourselves are exposed to the disinfectant. Diseases of clinical significance Macrorhabus ornithogaster The lay mans term for this is Megabacteria, it causes a chronic wasting disease and is caused by a type of yeast. This is endemic within our fancy now. Clinically it presents as going light and regurgitation. Passing whole seeds can be a feature. Occasionally a bird will regurgitate blood and die due to stomach damage. The only effective treatment is amphotericin B. This is available as a water-soluble formulation or as a lozenge. The difficulty with Budgerigars is getting them to drink sufficient to control the infection. Reportedly conversion to a more digestible diet will lead to fewer clinical cases. Chlamydophila This can pass onto humans. It can cause conjunctivitis, sinusitis, green droppings, fluffed up birds and sudden deaths. This is endemic within the fancy but only occasionally leads to significant outbreaks, usually associated with high stress levels on the birds or due to poor husbandry. Testing can be problematic and the best test is to test the bird faeces collected over three days. It is important not to treat with any antibiotics prior to collecting them. It is impossible to certify a stud free of infection under any circumstances. The treatment of choice here is doxycycline. Conjunctivitis and sinusitis These are becoming increasingly common and can be due to a variety of agents including Chlamydophila. Once introduced into a stud it can be difficult to eradicate and I would not wish to acquire any birds form a stud with signs of this condition. Treatment includes many different broad spectrum antibiotics with activity against the Chlamydophila or Mycoplasma. Taking culture samples will help to identify the most appropriate drug to use. ‘French Moult’ This is caused by one or both of two viruses. This has been proved many times. If a fancier tells you otherwise they are talking rubbish. These two infections are Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease (PBFD) and Polyoma Virus. These cannot be treated and are spread by feather dust. Control is by reducing the environmental viral load by using F10SC® and reducing bird density. In severe cases stopping breeding and resting the birds is required to limit the outbreak severity. Acknowledgement This article by Kevin Eatwell is supplied by the World Budgerigar Organisation (www.world-budgerigar.org), as part of their encouraged exchange of research information, and supplied to the WBO with kind permission by the Budgerigar Society and Kevin Eatwell based on his presentation at the Budgerigar Society Convention at Southport in June 2006.

Hi levels of calcium in the diet combined with Vitamin D causes renal failure in Budgerigars. Vitamion D is needed to help the body utilise the calcium intake. There is a post on Pellet diets that showed many on the market is way too high in Calcium. This was commisioned by the WBO. I know many top breeder use Calcivite 1 day a week but have cuttlefish bones availible 24/7.

Hints for Beginners Jim Hutton 1. When pairing up your birds, ensure you have sufficient seed to last the breeding season, it is not good to change the seed mix part way through a breeding season. The change could have a detrimental effect on the growth of the chicks, and in extreme circumstances could be possible for the loss of feathers in your chicks. 2. Ensure there is sufficient seed in your cages at all times, especially when you have chicks in the nest. I usually blow the husks from the seed pots every day, every second day I sieve all the pots so as to remove all dust which accumulates in the bottom of the pots. 3. Give as wide a variety of seed as possible, you find that the pairs appear to like different seeds and even that a pair will eat different seed during the rearing of their chicks. In a study carried out, the pairs feeding their chicks on plain canary seed for the first three weeks of rearing, then millet thereafter, produce the largest chicks. 4. Vitamins and supplements are generally very good, especially two months before pairing up, however, never ever give supplements in the water whilst your pairs are breeding. The hen consumes large amounts of water whilst breeding, because of this she would also consume additional amounts of vitamins if it were to be added to the water. The consequence being, she would suffer from vitamin poisoning, in addition the chicks would also suffer from too many vitamins for their body to absorb. If you wish to give vitamins at breeding time, add a little to the soft food. 5. It is not expected to have the same standard of cleanliness during the breeding season. Some fanciers believe in a deep litter system during breeding, others clean their cages more often. What ever system you adopt, ensure the copious droppings underneath the perches are cleaned frequently, they look unsightly, smell terrible and cause diseases to spread. 6. Occasionally young hens can be rather erratic in laying, if this occurs, transfer the eggs to another established pair, replacing them with clear eggs. I use small glass marbles. When the hen settles and is laying normally, you can transfer the eggs back. However, I only take away the dummy eggs, in this way if you are lucky, she will go on laying more eggs and you will have gained more eggs than you previously transferred, thus gaining a few extra chicks you would otherwise have not had. 7. Some hens, or even the cocks at times, are prone to breaking the eggs. When this occurs I find the best way to deal with it is simply to fit a concave with a hole drilled in the middle, large enough to ensure the egg will drop through the hole, the egg is then transferred to another pair. Make sure there is a bed of sawdust below the hole for the egg to drop on to. 8. On the Continent the breeders place a plastic egg into the nest-box when the hen lays her first egg. This plastic egg tends to be larger than the normal budgerigar egg. It has two purposes - It retains the heat longer when the hen leaves the nest, so tends to keep the eggs warm. - When the hen hatches, it stops them from sitting too tight and crushing the chicks, especially the first hatched. 9. When your eggs are nearing the date of hatching, I have found if you soak them in a small bowl of warm water for a couple of minutes, this does assist them to hatch. 10. If young hens fail to feed their first chick when hatched, I find that by giving them an older chick, say 3 or 4 days old, is sufficient to start them feeding normally. If you haven't got a suitable chick, try a little warm milk in a teaspoon, hold the spoon level, holding the chick gently in the other hand, bring it's beak to the spoon and just touch its beak to the edge, very gently tilt the spoon, you will see the crop gradually filling with milk, do not over feed, do not try to force-feed it, it will flow itself. You may require to feed it a couple of times before the hen does feed. 11. Feather plucking can be a curse, there is no cure for it, and it can strike at any time. If it does occur try transferring the chicks to another pair. If there is no pair suitable, there are one or two tips to try. - If they are old enough, place an open top box in the cage, a little smaller than the nest-box, the parents usually keep on feeding them without plucking them any further. - The other way I have found to work, is by fitting a glass top on the nest-box, the hen usually stops out and only enters to feed the chicks 12. Don't be too quick in removing the chicks from the parents, providing the parents (Cock) is accepting them, leave them as long as possible, they certainly thrive better than when removed. Another good idea is when the chicks are about 4 weeks old, place a small portion of millet-spray in the nest-box every evening, the chicks will soon copy the hen in picking at the spray. The result is they have a good idea of how to crack seed when they leave the nest. Another thing is to place a small shallow dish of water in the bottom of the cage when the chicks leave the nest, this stops them from dehydrating, which is the factor of them dropping their tails and flights. This is commonly seen in some aviaries and is often mistaken for French Moult. 13. Before pairing it is better to trim the vents and flank feathers from both cocks and hens. The modern budgerigars with the very dense down and long feathering, have great difficulty in mating successfully. This is the major factor in the amount of clear eggs we have all suffered from in recent years. 14. When you are a Beginner you tend to think you must pair as many pairs as you can. The old saying was, you only get about one good chick in every ten, this quite frankly is not true, it all depends on the quality of the original stock, simply pair your best birds, after all there is no point in breeding stock you are unable to sell. 15. Never be too hasty in pairing your birds, just because Joe Bloggs down the road has paired his, there is no necessity to pair yours as well. Wait until they are in tip-top breeding condition before pairing. It is always difficult to decide when they are ready. Even Champions have difficulty. The best way to decide whether they are ready is simply hang an old nest-box in the hen flight, the hens that show a lot of interest in the box you will find are the ones that are ready. Cocks are different, if the hen is fit, you will find the cocks generally follow suit. 16. Never let your young birds go until they are through the moult, we are sometimes tempted to dispose of a young bird because we think it is not good enough. This applies to all fanciers, not just Beginners. It is surprising how some birds tend to be late developers and do not show their full potential until after their moult. You often find that it is a family that has this trait, so until you gain much more experience, do not be too hasty in disposing of could be your future winner.

Growing Up - My Method of Bringing Up Chicks Steve Robertson The right time to remove chicks from their parents is always a tricky decision to make. They are watched carefully when they first leave the comforts of the nest box, and only when I see that they are feeding themselves properly do I take them away. More importance is put on their ability to look after themselves than their actual age. When removed from the breeding cage, they are placed into a large stock cage, usually twenty birds at a time. This is a critical time in their life, as a good rate of growth must be maintained if a chick is ever going to fulfil its potential as an exhibition bird. During this period it is essential that a varied and nutritious diet is provided. My chicks are fed on a good seed mixture which includes Trill and H amp; S Clarke's seed - the final mix consists of 75% canary, 25% millet and a small amount of groats. I find this mixture is ideal for use all year round. The rearing-food I prefer to use is EMP, slightly dampened with water. It is made available in finger-drawers for the breeding cages, and small dishes on the floor in the stock cages and flight. Dry brown bread is also fed daily to the young chicks and to the stock housed in the flight. They probably play with just as much as they actually eat. Corn-on-the-cob and carrots are fed weekly but not on the same day. Fresh tap water is always available, with no vitamins added. Once the chicks have been housed on their own for two to three weeks, they are transferred to my large inside flight. I would not be happy to see unmoulted birds in an outside flight at the time of year most of us do our pairing and breeding, I feel it would be far too stressful for them. It is my opinion that they develop much better if housed in a large inside flight rather than if kept in stock cages for long periods. Once these young birds go into the inside flight they need to be checked regularly. Any that are looking off-colour and fluffed-up should be returned to stock cages to strengthen themselves. Never leave your youngsters with minimal attention during this period as they may become ill and weak very rapidly - and normally it will be a good chick this happens to! People who can devote more time to their birds at this and at other times of the year have a much better chance of success on the show bench - this is a seven day a week hobby!

Some Do's and Don'ts of Budgerigar Breeding. Dr John R Baker Now the budgerigar breeding season is on us once again it is an opportune time to list some do's and don'ts which may assist in getting more eggs and, in particular, more chicks from the eggs which are laid. Budgerigars, as kept by fanciers, produce far fewer chicks for the number of eggs laid than any other bird kept for exhibition and recent work undertaken at the University of Liverpool, sponsored by the Lancashire and Cheshire Budgerigar Society has attempted to shed some light on this. This article sets out some of the points which have emerged from this research together with a few results from other peoples' work. Do's 1. Use clean nest boxes, preferably washed out and disinfected at the end of the previous breeding season. Dirty boxes can carry germs which can live for years and these germs can infect eggs and chicks with disastrous results. Preferably use cardboard nest boxes which can be disposed of after use. 2. The effect of using a clean nest box is nullified if the box, concave and bedding are allowed to become soiled. Dirty bedding should be replaced as required, once the full round has been laid most hens will not be too disturbed by this. If no bedding is used the concave should be washed regularly, particularly once the chicks start hatching otherwise dirt which accumulates on it can cause illness and death. The box should be thoroughly washed and disinfected between rounds if there is gap between the chicks leaving the nest and the beginning of the next round. If sawdust or shavings are used, these should be exposed to the air for a few days before being put in the nestbox. 3. If, in spite of the fancier's best efforts, some eggs become soiled, attempts should be made to clean them, otherwise germs can get into the eggs from this dirt. Eggs can be cleaned by putting in water at 40 to 42°C (the temperature is critical, use a thermometer) then gently wash them with a sponge while using disposable plastic gloves to hold them. 4. Having got the hygiene of the breeding environment right what should be done about the prospective parents? Make sure that the birds are in breeding condition, there is little point in pairing birds not in the peak of condition. This is not as easy as it sounds in that one can usually tell if the hens are fit, more difficulty can be experienced with the cocks. Well-fed healthy cocks are only fertile for approximately 6 months each year for a few weeks at a time. Telling when these fertile periods are is not easy even with the experienced eye. If required, cocks can be checked by a veterinary surgeon to see if they are in one of their fertile periods. 5. Both cocks and hens should, if at all buff, have the large body contour feathers cut off, as during mating these feathers can slide over the vent and stop proper pairing. The feathers should not be plucked because this is painful and they will also re-grow over the breeding period. There is no truth in the old wives' tale of the guide feathers which are supposed to assist the cock in locating the hen's vent. 6. Allow the parent birds as much exercise as possible which means using the biggest breeding cages that your bird room will allow. Some recent work from the USA has demnonstrated that, all other things being equal, the more exercise the birds have, the greater will be the number of eggs which hatch. In the American paper, the author got the best results with birds he forced to fly by chasing them about - I'm not sure if I would recommend this however! 7. Budgerigars are birds which form quite strong pair-bonds and if these are "ignored" or not broken, the number of eggs produced can be low. Ideally hens and cocks should be kept separate when not being used for breeding and preferably out of earshot as the pair-bond can be maintained by the birds' calls. Provided that a balanced diet is fed - preferably a commercial one such as Trill, there is no need for many of the fancy diets fed. If you want to make up your own food use a good quality mixed canary and millet with a protein supplement and a proprietary vitamin and mineral mix. There can be problems in hard water areas, in as much as birds given this to drink can produce eggs with thick shells and sometimes chicks have difficulty hatching from these, so that bottled or boiled water is preferable during the breeding season. Finally do keep records, not only of the number of chicks which hatch but also if a particular pair does not produce chicks or if failure to hatch is due to clear eggs or dead-in-shells. This will help not only in identifying infertile birds but also indicate where problems may be so that if advice is sought (as it should be if the breeding season does not come up to expectations), these records will be available to help amend the situation. Don'ts Many don'ts are the opposite of do's but there are a few specific things which should be avoided. 1. Budgerigars will breed over a wide range of temperatures, in fact apart from the comfort of the fancier and to stop the water in the drinkers freezing, there is probably no need to provide heat in the winter. What the birds will not tolerate is wide temperature fluctuations; birds kept in greenhouse type buildings which get very hot by day and very cold at night will not breed satisfactorily 2. Do not handle eggs. Many fanciers handle eggs frequently and when asked why, few are able to give good reasons. The main reason why they should not be handled is that germs, which all fanciers have on skin, however much it is washed, can get into the egg and cause dead-in-shell. If you feel you must handle the eggs or if you need to keep the nest box clean, use cheap disposable plastic gloves or the special egg handling forceps. To see if eggs are clear they can be examined in the nest with one of the torches produced for the purpose. 3. Fanciers often mark eggs (which also involves handling the eggs) to make sure that the eggs hatch when they are due. Personally, I believe that a note on the cage record card will do as well. The problem with many markers is that their base is spirit which can get into the egg and may kill the developing chick. If you feel you must mark eggs use soft pencils grade 2B or 3B, which does as well and poses no hazard to the chicks. 4. Handling and marking eggs does disturb some hens which may lead to chilling of eggs, and if done frequently can lead to eggs drying out which can result in chicks dying or not being able to hatch, or the hatching of weak chicks. 5. Some fanciers like to increase the humidity in nest boxes but in most circumstances there is no need to do this. However if it is done, one should use moistened peat or sponges under the bedding or concave. The bedding itself should not be moistened (except possibly just before the eggs hatch) as it can stop eggs hatching by stopping or slowing the evaporation of water through the shell. This has to take place as eggs have to lose a fixed amount of water during incubation, if too little or too much is lost, problems result. Sticking to these do's and don'ts will not solve all the breeding difficulties with budgerigars, but will help in many cases. Experience indicates that if they are followed breeding results generally improve. The major difficulty they will not solve, is where abnormal eggs are laid, shell abnormalities at the microscopic level, not seen with the naked eye, are a problem awaiting a solution. It will also not improve the quality of the chicks, as this is largely genetically determined. Female budgerigars have the potential to produce several hundred eggs during their lifetime and all of these can, potentially, produce chicks - if they all did, that would pose a problem of what to do with all the chicks. We are a long way from this yet but a few limited steps in that direction would only be of advantage to the fancier. by Dr John R Baker

An Unorthodox Breeding Method by Stan Richardson Right at the start, I would like to stress that I do not advise the following method of breeding exhibition budgerigars to the beginner. I believe all should serve an apprenticeship in birdroom control and breeding management, before embarking on any form of breeding plan to improve visual features. But then, that is only my opinion. However you must learn to recognize warning signs within your stud, that all is not well, as well as being able to overcome the problems that one can encounter, even during a good breeding season. I first used this unorthodox method back in the late 1950s and it helped me to establish a useful exhibition stud, for a reasonable financial outlay, I also used it on my return to the fancy in 1968 and again in 1983. If you have unlimited cash resources, you will have no need to adopt this practice, as you will be able to purchase suitable breeding stock. For those with limited means, it is one way of trying to overcome the problem of building up a stock of useful birds; it does not guarantee success, nothing in live-stock breeding ever does, you still need that touch of luck. First you need to obtain reasonable stock from successful local exhibitors for a modest outlay, breed with these birds and learn the finer points about the husbandry associated with breeding budgerigars. It is remarkable just how much there is to learn. Good Stock Hens From the young bred keep the best of the hens and disposed of the rest. Now you will have to purchase the cocks you need, they do not have to be show winners, but they must exhibit some good features. Each one, in general, excelling in a particular show feature and hopefully not lacking too much in other areas, the more good features you can get in one bird the better. Each of the cocks to be run with three hens each in the first round and if all goes well they could be paired to further hens once the first rounds are under way and cages are available. Perching positions About one month prior to pairing up, I like to spend as much time as possible studying the hens and decide which hens are to go with the individual cocks, I also look for signs of the hens coming into true breeding condition, other than the usual wood gnawing. I want a hen that is very alert and active all the time, especially those that are bickering over perching positions. I leave out any hens that have spasmodic periods of alertness. I have found that these types are usually unreliable. I also look over the cocks, but in general, if they are through the moult, they are usually ready to go to nest.. Pairing Nestboxes are up in position and half filled with sawdust, the birds have access right from the start. The cocks are put up with their first hen and I have found that if the birds are in breeding condition they will usually accept their mates, sometimes mating occurs right away, however seeing them mate is not essential, but I do like the cock to be active and forceful. As for the hens, I do not mind a bit of bickering and initial refusal, but I draw the line at the hen going in feet first. This usually indicates that she is not quite ready and I return her to the flight and try again later. I pair up early in the day and leave the cocks with the first hen till the evening, when I then introduce them to hen number two. The following morning I put them with the third hen. The cock is then moved twice a day until the sixth egg, and then he is returned to the flight. The hens being left to rear on their own. You must keep a strict record of the cock bird's movement from one cage to another. If you do not keep good records you can find that you will easily become confused. You must also be able to devote quite a bit of time to the cock's management, because if you rush, you will put him in the wrong cage and I speak from experience. This means that you wind up with two nests of young that you cannot account for accurately when it comes to the pedigree. You will also have to watch the hens closely. If one does not sit, you will have to move the eggs. This year I had several hens that did not sit until four eggs were laid. In these cases I always substitute the eggs with marbles. I also do the same if eggs get scrambled and I have found that by using marbles, it is invariably the cock who does the damage. Records All eggs are marked with a felt marker pen and I have not found any significant disadvantage with regard to hatchability. I do get addled eggs and dead-in-shell but no more than others who do not mark eggs. If chicks have to be moved before they are rung, I mark them on the side of each leg. I have found that the down on the legs retains the ink better than anywhere else on the body, although you will have to apply it morning and night to be on the safe side! No matter how careful you are, you will still have problems. For example, I moved an egg to another nest. This egg was due to hatch two days after the last egg in the nest it was moved to. However both eggs hatched the same day and I wound up with two chicks which I cannot be sure of in regard to their exact pedigree. (Note: I know who the cock bird is, as I always move eggs, if possible, to another hen he has been paired with; it is the mother's side that lets me down.) Of course if the two young turn out to be inferior specimens you have no problem, but as is usual in this hobby of ours, it is often the best birds that are involved in any mishap that occurs. Demand on the hens I always try and limited the number of young in the nest, when hens are rearing on their own, to three, but sometimes due to certain problems and also good results with regard to the number of chicks hatched, I have had to leave the hens raising four chicks each. I decided it would be safe to do this, as the hens did not have to forage for food and water, it was all provided within 12 inches of the nest box. I also felt the exercise would do them good. Those who saw the hens, after they had reared a nest of young, will agree that in general you could show the birds with regard to their presentation. Obviously it would not be good practice as you would be putting an added burden on them. In general, I find that I have far less bother leaving the hens on their own, than I do, when cock and hen are left together. In most cases the hens sit tighter, as they are not pestered by the cocks. There are less broken eggs due to "scrambling" and as I said, using marbles, I have found it is generally the cock who plays football with the eggs. I also find that the hens normally keep the chicks very well fed, which is not always the case when the cocks are left with them. Once had a cock who denied the hen access to the nest box when the chicks were three weeks old, and I wound up removing him. Second round using same hens If you want to use some of the hens for a second round of chicks, or want to change the cock birds around, I found the following method worked in most cases. When the eldest chick was 28 days old, the desired cock bird was re-introduced into the breeding cage. Now I must stress once again that you must be able to spend a lot of time with your birds, as you will have to stay in close attendance. Initially the cock is left in for 15 minutes, during this time most hens bicker a little and fight off initial advances, but sometimes hens actually go over to the cocks and mating occurs. The following day I repeat the procedure but leave for 30 minutes. After this it is safe to leave the cock, moving him twice a day to the different hens The cocks are left with the hens to rear one round, so they keep the breeding instinct. Points to note. In some cases I had to remove chicks whilst mating took place, as the presence of these put the cocks off. Watch carefully if the hen accepts the cock into the nest box straight away, as he might well attack the young. I only had one incident of this. Syrup of Buckthorn Prior to pairing up, I follow a procedure I learnt from Gurney Smith (Past President of L&SC BS), all birds are put on Syrup of Buckthorn for two weeks, at the rate of one teaspoon (5 ml.) to a pint of water. It acts as a mild purgative and it is very rewarding to see the birds droppings all turn a rich black and white. I find that using this, the birds become very active and alert. Feeding is as follows: two-thirds canary to one-third mixed millets. To this I add cod-liver oil in the form of Vitapet at the rate of one teaspoon (5 ml.) to 3 lb. (1.4 kgs.) of seed and also add 1 dessertspoon of P.Y.M. (yeast) powder. EMP Egg Food is fed to all rearing hens and the chicks, once they are removed from the parents. Time consuming Grated carrot is made available once a week, along with lettuce leaves or broccoli, but no other green food is supplied. Grit pots in the young bird training cages are replenished every day, as I find they devour this. I also replenish the grit in the breeding cages and flights every week; the old grit is scattered on the flight floor. This method of breeding is far too time consuming to repeat year after year, but it does let one get a footing in the Fancy for a modest outlay, providing one's choice of initial stock is correct. As I said earlier, we all need that touch of luck to succeed on the show bench.

........and just deep enough to keep the chicks in the nest a bit longer. Some people are worried that it's too hard for the hen to get out. But none of my hens have had any problems geting in and out.

You can down load for free. http://www.adobe.com

KathyW you should be able to get some from the pet store. They can be numbered 1, 2, 3, 4.... so on. But not official bands. Or you could try to ring Chapman Rings and see if they will make a special set of rings for you. Chapmans are the official ring makers to the ANBC

Hi All. Finally got the adobe Acrobat so can upload plans in PDF to the forums. Nest Box Plans - These are a full size version of the Nest Boxes I use. I haven't included the concave as you can decide what you want to do. I use External Ply for this job as you will want to soak them in Disinfectant between rounds.

MDF is toxic. I use Pine.

Hi Angelica and welcome to the forum. An Aviary upgrade. < this might give you some ideas.

Like Macka I have a small box I call the BBBBB (Bruised and Battered Baby Budgie Box) It sits under the seed container. When the chick leaves the nest he can huddle in the box untill heis comfortible in the main area. The cocks continues to feed him and lets the hen continue her next clutch.

To start she placed the needle across the beak and when the bird opened his beak, she rolled it across the top of his tongue and down the left side into his crop. I tried it and it was so simple. Oh and she told me not to place my thumb or fingure on the plunger. If I acidently when down the wuind pipe I can quickly with draw. If i have the fingure on the plunger i might accidently push it and 1 dead bird. You don't need to be quick in and out. The bird is not in a lot of discomfort while the needle is down and you can consintrate on what has to be done. 5 to 10 seconds is plenty of time to carefully admisiter the medication with out too much fuss.