Finnie

Don't beat yourself up. In your case, I would have done the exact same thing. (Seeing as you didn't have other birds at home before.) You got them from a private breeder, and only two weeks apart. Same cage at the breeder's or not, if she had anything going on in her flock, you can just assume they would both have already been exposed. In my opinion, which might not be popular, they are just little babies, and they would experience a lot less stress if they have each other for company.

Also, budgies like to breed in groups. Seeing and hearing that the other birds around them are going into breeding mode and beginning to nest stimulates them. So with only one pair, they don't have any other birds to react to. Some things you can try for stimulating them are to increase the number of hours that they have light, play a CD with the sound of running water, and increase their food and water, so they feel like there is an abundant supply for feeding chicks. Or better yet, if you are serious about breeding, buy yourself a couple more pairs which are experienced breeders, study up while they are in quarantine, and then mix up your novice pair with experienced partners, and put several pairs down to breed at once.

I use Quiko liquid calcium. I tried Calcivet for a while, but then I went back to the Quiko, because I didn't care for the sugar either. Not sure if Quiko is a brand that's available in Australia, though. No I am sure it is not, I believe you can get quiko egg food too, which we can't get here either. it sucks. Yeah, but the Quiko egg food was around ten bucks for a small bag, so I started making my own.

Just to throw in my two cents, this is the worst cage I have ever owned! (I know, it's in bad need of cleaning! ) Before I put that seed skirt on, I was having to sweep twice a day. The skirt does a great job now, of catching all that mess. But the down side is that it fits too tighly, and it's hard to empty the seed and debris out of it. This style of cage is way messier than my other wire cages that have a deeper plastic bottom part. I think if I were breeding in this cage, it would drive me bonkers! My breeding cages are wood, by the way. I think they are okay. I'm with Matt, it's going to be messy either way.

Pride here is a quote of Kaz' from a different thread about ventilating nest boxes: And the link to where I found that: Drilling Ventilation Holes for Nestoboxes Here are a couple of other links to threads about breeding during the heat of summer. You could also do a search and find more, yourself. My link My link

I agree with Daz. And also, they like to perch up high, so any perches you have way down low, don't count those in your minimun perch requirements. Perches down low might make nice temporary landing spots, but they won't want to hang out down there, or sleep down there.

okay, so the 2 to 1 ratio isn't for housing them together properly, it's for breeding stock numbers. I get it.

Oh Splat, what rotten luck to have a seed mold problem! I'm very glad you have been able to discover what the problem was. But I also sympathize with you on how much trouble it has caused you. All those losses, and to think it could be blamed on the seed! I'm very, very glad that you will be able to go on from here, and things should just improve drastically.

Will do Great! I have found a site where I can order it in the US. (Although I have a new bottle of the Quiko to use up first. )

I like that it has the vitamin D3 right in it. But the website doesn't list how much vitamin D3. When it comes, can you tell us what it says on the label?

I found this interesting. I had always thought it was important to have enough cocks to go around, so that the hens didn't fight with each other over who gets a cock. (And that the surplus cocks would buddy up with each other, as they aren't so particular.) But those of you with hundreds of birds would know how all that works out better than I would. ( I keep my hens and cocks separated when they're not breeding anyway, so it's a moot point for me. )

I use Quiko liquid calcium. I tried Calcivet for a while, but then I went back to the Quiko, because I didn't care for the sugar either. Not sure if Quiko is a brand that's available in Australia, though.

On mine I also have a line for the eye color they have on hatching, and a line for their down color, when it comes in.

You seem to be having a great experience over there, Moglet! From these photos, I would guess that Red is "He".

Not so much when the parents are raising them. But if you are hand feeding them, then it is good to know that they are growing steadily, and you can be assured they are getting enough to eat.

I'm glad you mentioned the eggs were boiled, because that's what I was going to tell you. Cooked is good, but I wouldn't give them raw.

Here you go: Usually I get smaller ones, but this size works fine too And while I was taking photos, I thought I'd get one of the bowl I use to weigh the chicks. When they get old enough, they won't stay in it anymore, but will usually perch on the edge. But then when they stop cooperating even that much, then I have turned the bowl upside down over the top of the chick, just long enough to get a weight, and then let it out!

Yeah sure did. Will get photos and post as soon as I can. Yay, congrats! Can't wait to see them.

I agree with Squeak. If either one of the parents decides they want to start a second round, then the chicks could be in danger. With only the dad in there, that shouldn't be an issue.

Hmm I thought an air bubble taking up half the egg was bad. When they are about to hatch, the chick should fill up all the shell. And I've had a lot that were half full and half air bubble, that never hatched. And I also agree about the NOT touching them. I had one I thought was past due, and I picked it up to examine it. I found a hunk of dirt on it, so I thought I'd pick that off. Doing so made a hole in the shell, and the poor chick was alive inside there, but having a hole in the shell killed it! I wish I'd never even picked it up in the first place.

Cobalt violet factor cock X light green opaline hen: (assuming there are no splits) 50% light green chicks, 50% dark green chicks. All chicks will be split to blue. Some will have violet factor, but that can be hard to see on green ones, although sometimes is comes out looking like a dark factor. All the cocks will be split for opaline, but you won't get any visual opalines unless the father is split to it. Grey Green Cinnamon Cock X Dom Pied Opaline Cinnamon Sky Blue Hen: 100% cinnamon chicks. 100% green, unless the cock is split to blue 50% Grey factored, unless the cock is a double factor grey, then you get 100% grey. 50% dominant pied. Can't say about dark factor of the father, but the chicks will have no more than one dark factor, and maybe none. Again, all the males split to opaline, but no visuals unless the father is split to opaline. Sky Blue Cock X Sky Blue Hen: 100% sky blue chicks.

So then, if it's not an ANBC ring, then the DM could be just anybody's initials?

You know what, I don't actually use the baby applesauce. I just read on the label of the hand rearing mix that if you are hand raising a chick and it's crop doesn't empty, you can mix some baby applesauce into the formula to help with that. So I got one little jar on hand just in case. Oat groats are the same thing as hulled oats. Pipettes are small plastic tubes with a bulb on one end, used for feeding a newborn chick if the mother isn't feeding it. LOL! That's what I forgot to write, BUDGIES!!

Renee!! Glad to see you back! Just the other day I was missing you on here and wondering if you'd be back.

I don't know about Fennel seeds, but I'm pretty sure flax seeds are fine, and I do know that sesame seeds are fine, too. There are a lot of dried herbs that are safe. I think ones we use for food are fine, but I would check further before using medicinal herbs. We had a similar discussion a while back, I'll check and see if I can find the link to that for you. I went to the link you provided above, but I didn't look around too much. Anybody can make a website and write on it whatever they want. After I saw a few things they wrote on their "what not to feed" list that I sort of disagreed with, I quit looking. As for their other advice, I think I would double check with some other sources to make sure it's good advice. (They listed coriander as bad, but coriander is GOOD, they said don't feed grit, supplements in the water, or conventionally grown produce. To each their own, but I use all of those things.) That's one of the drawbacks of researching on the internet, you can get conflicting advice. So for things that come up on both good and bad lists, I treat them as potentially bad, until I can confirm it from a source I trust. Here's the link: Herb Topic