robyn

Lovely chicks Paulie, love the violet, good strong colour for it's age.

Hi Welcome to bbc, sounds like you have been busy already. You can add pics under budgie pics if you like to show off your family.

Well he seems to have flight feathers growing from his "stump" if it had been bitten off, at say first joint, it should not have any flights in the first part of wing would it??? I'd say deformity also. He's still beautiful, hope your friend has a great pet.

Hi Gudeon, I don't think you would have any trouble if all birds were put in together. I add new chicks or new birds to aviary and have not had any trouble, they seem very sociable birds and enjoy the company, naturally you may get a bit of a quarrel here and there, if they are in breeding mode usually. If you add nest box's and colony breed you may then strike trouble.

Hi, if your hen has been laying eggs, fertile or not the problem may be the cock bird, she's already done her bit. Good luck with this pairing, do you know if they are a bonded pair or not? some hens will just lay eggs without mating apparently. Hope she's not one of those, if you have seen any mating behaviour between them you may be lucky this time.

can you "please explain" that again?

Lovely chicks. good luck with next clutch. Does pair 2 hen have a problem with her eye or is it just the picture? What mutation is she greywing/dilute?

Thanks Finnie. I know which Cock is Dad to Albino, so if he's split then maybe the Cock bird in nest now is an uncle to her and also split ino. As I only have pets I haven't got really detailed breeding records. Not having rings make it hard as well to keep track of every bird. ( birds from same nest can look very similar as adults) Thanks Pebble, Smoky is a lovely mauve/grey opaline. He and china bred some lovely chicks but this time he's missed out I'd say. One ring in is lime green body other is nearly olive.

Have not heard of this, if she is not letting parents in to feed chicks, do you know if she has fed them? How old are the chicks? If she does feed them, which I suppose may happen if she is protecting them, they may be o.k. If chicks are really small you may have to remove cockatiel to another cage and let budgies see if they will go back to feeding chicks. Alternately you could remove chicks to another cage with parents if that's possible, so you don't lose your 'tiel eggs. I really think it depends on the age of chicks.

Adding a couple of pics. 1st Albino nest. pics blurred but you can see red eyes on little chick. hatched 1,5,7 sept. http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww305/robynethel/5.jpg Second last to fledge from pied nest. Last of pied chicks. http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww305/robynethel/1.jpg The ring in. Don't think smoky is the Dad of these. (Smoky is Cock in this picture). Mum sky blue normal.

3 chicks in Albino nest, no3 red eyed yahoo!, 2 eggs to go, removed 3 clear. I presume red eye will be Cock if anyone can tell me, Dad is opaline violet pied? Another 5 eggs in pied nest. 4 eggs green & gold hen, she lays in cage, not nest box I pick up eggs, put them in nest box and she sits??? Thought this time she may have laid in nest, no same old same old so far 2 look fertile. 2 chicks in 4th nest. As it's hotting up early this year I won't have any more down, after this lot, until early next year.

She must have had some other health issue that wasn't obvious. You may never know what it was but maybe keep an extra eye on the cock that was in with her for any health problems.

They are lovely chicks Paulie, doing well for your first attempt. Does no 2 chick have a violet tinge in feathers around legs?

We had a post on bird mutations under f.a.q. but unfortunately the pics have mostly been deleted. It depends on cheek patches, colour of tail, etc. etc. as to exact mutation. Unless some of the old experts return to b.b.c, the rest of us are just going by our own research to try to work it out. I for one am a long way from understanding it all.

Birdlove.

Nice birds. I'd love to know how many pics I delete, before getting a reasonable one l.o.l. Thank goodness for digital cameras.

Sounds great, I've just added a small mulched, self care garden, near my aviary which improves the look a lot.

Hi, this is a tricky one. Mum may manage but it would be a big ask. I would wait a few days to see how she handles them. I would not combine the two cages as the hens would probably fight. or worse. ALSO I don't think adding a new Cock to nest would work at this stage. If you can manage to have the chicks, from lost Dad nest, hatch around same time as last egg etc in other nest you could then maybe transfer a couple of chicks to the other pair leaving Mum with a few less chicks to feed. They will accept new chicks but not once they a feathering so you would have to move them early. If second nest has 6-7 chicks they may cope with another 2 if they a really good parents, as their own chicks start to fledge the other younger one's will be less strain on them. I agree with Nadene in making sure she has seed etc added to nest box, maybe sprays of millet in with her and loose seed where she can easily get it, she will leave nest for water etc as long as she doesn't decide to abandon the eggs if she is on her own. I think it's a case of play it by ear, she may not hatch all 6. Keep us posted to see if anyone else has had this problem and can assist more.

Well I've got my first chick just hatched from Albino hen/ pied male. 1 egg was o/due 2nd was due 31 hatched today. I had one nest with 2 chicks 6 clear eggs. I give mine iodine in water, all birds including caged but I have still had clear eggs so who knows what is the cause. Don't quote me but I think I read excess Iodine can cause infertility. I'll check that again.

I think your bud. will settle down as he gets a little older. Even my birds in aviary call to other birds that pass, (mostly the parrot family). A little friend may help him settle but if you want him to talk etc he would be better on his own.

Love your picture. did you get any red eyed chicks?

Lovely looking aviary, I think you have achieved what you set out to do. Not to nit pick but remember to check your safe plant list, before you plant, in case any leaves etc poke through your wire.

Welcome Rob & Sarah, by giving my g.daughter a pet I didn't mean to start an epidemic. l.o.l.

Thanks Sherlock, I'm trying to guess sex of chicks. I'm beginning to think Mum may have been playing fast and loose, before I paired her up as she laid fairly quickly when I caged them BUT now my 2 chicks are showing definite signs of green with yellow spangle wings. Very much like a couple of birds I have in aviary. also last 6 eggs were all clear. I don't think smoky, Dad, had much input but now has to rear 2 step kids.!!! Going back to my old pics Dad had a mauve/ pied Dad and Opaline cobalt Mum.

I'd say " if it aint broke don't fix it!" It is unusual but if it's working I'd leave it. Are the Dad's involved as well, as they help feed the chicks ? Maybe the 2 hens have decided to go it alone, who knows. Do other birds have access to nest as well or do you have any others breeding in other box's?