robyn

Did you mean you only put breeding box in 2 days ago?? or was it 2 days when he escaped? How many eggs are in box? If she has more than one egg you can roughly work out how long she has been on eggs, she would lay every 2 days so if she has 4 eggs the first egg should be due to hatch in 10 days or so. She could rear them herself, if you leave plenty of seed millet sprays veg's etc in easy reach she will leave eggs to feed. Let us know how many eggs etc she has, so we can help further. Depends on if she has mated enough for eggs to be fertile, you could candle them after 5 days or so if you knew when they were laid.

Looks like she's meditating.l.o.l, pretty bird also.

May seem like a dumb question but did you get the right size rings? Finch's e.g. have smaller split rings, if the rings are too small you will have further problems as chicks grow. Maybe a bit of flesh got caught in split making it swell. Check that rings stay below knee joint, they can slip up if chicks are tiny. Other than that I'd say it's check for any problem daily. Hope it's all okay for you now.

Oct

There is a lot of for and against apparently, some say they need it others say not. Personally I use cuttle fish, (washed and dried in sun) shell grit which I suppose is the same as oyster shell. I have calcium bells and iodine bells, which I have in aviary and breeding cages. Then I leave it to the birds, if they need/want it it's there, if not they don't eat it along with their veg's seed etc It's up to them what they take. I also add soluble iodine to the drinking water about every alternate week.

We may never pin point the cause of this problem, which I'd say we all have experienced at some stage. In large aviary's, or show breeder's etc they may be able to access better vet. tests etc. which is an expensive thing for your average pet breeder with a few birds. If it's just affecting one pair I think I'd rest them both for a few months and watch their health etc then try again. On the other hand if more birds were affected then you would have to look at your whole set up. My little chick didn't make it and I'm putting it down to humidity as everything shell, membrane etc was so dry. When you have a nest of 5-6 chicks already hatched I think the remaining eggs could get overheated and dry out with warmth generated by rest of clutch. BUT this is just my theory. Maybe it could happen with any clutch if conditions are not ideal for that particular pair.

As the chicks grow the mothers will spend less time in the box with them. I have had 9-10 chick clutch's and Dad spent a lot of time in box also, I think you should be o.k. Just check each chick to see all are being fed properly and none being overlooked. What ages are the chicks at? If 2 mum's laid at the same time you probably have some of equal age, that will fledge together. Another trick is, when oldest chicks are about 2 weeks old remove all bedding and add seed instead, this encourages the chicks to learn to crack seed while they are still in box so when they fledge they can already feed themselves.

He is a pretty boy isn't he.

Once the embryo is developing, outside contamination is unlikely to be passed on. As she has had chicks before she should know the ropes so to speak. Was she bred with the same Cock bird? Maybe she has let eggs go cold and die or it could be a humidity issue, I had one hatch to-day that was "stuck" in shell thought it was dead but after helping is out of shell it seems to be okay but shell was very dry and membrane dried out onto chick, with weather all over the place here it could be a number of things. If you think it's a genetic thing, try fostering her next eggs and see if they hatch under another hen. If so it could be her incubation method at fault.

Sorry, I think I'm losing it. I have confused nests here. Ino nest has 6 chicks left 5 hers 1 fostered, all pieds, 1st round. Other nest as above, is pied nest (less the Ino) 2nd round. Third nest is gr. & Gold nest 5 + 1 foster. with some showing gold flights. Albino hen's nest. Pied nest. Green & Gold nest.

Hi Maz, I'd say she is nearly going out of condition. We don't know if that is a new picture of her also, I find if they are a nice even tan/cinnamon colour on cere they are in condition once it gets crusty looking they have been in condition for a while. Don't quote me on that though it is just my own observation.

I know I am the worst person for genetics BUT If apples is a green dom..pied and can't be split, how would the chick be an ino if BOTH parents have to carry the gene, like hen a visiual ino, cock split? or am I still off the mark?

Thanks Paulie, Mum has 5 chicks 2 eggs & I fostered 2 chicks to another nest and my little Ino. so it was a big clutch and her second round. The rest are all pieds. I'll add pics as they feather up more.

Well looks like my little Albino is no more, lost one chick out of nest and guess which one it was. Albino chick, didn't realise at first it was that chick but as they started to get a bit of colour realised my Albino was not there so it was the one that died. Most disappointed but will try same pair again later.

I hope you mean candle the eggs, not give them a shine, we don't have to be that particular do we? l.o.l. Glad your spangles look like it might be 3rd time lucky. They look like a nice pair.

Hi, this is an old post and some of the members in this post don't seem to be around any more, hope someone else with rares can advise you on your birds. Pics would be nice for the rest of us to see.

Welcome Melinda, 3 or 33 it only takes 1 little bird for the bug to bite. Hope you learn a lot on here.

Hi and welcome, I am winding down also after breeding through winter. Starting to be too hot now, it was 29 deg in aviary at 10 to-day.

Rachelm, looks like they are sharing secrets l.o.l.

Beautiful batch of chicks Paulie, well done. Are you keeping them all or like all of us have to decide which ones to let go?

Looking at this picture (enlarged a bit) Phoebes I really think it's only a breeding condition thing, it seem better than first pics. If you compare her picture to Paulie's hen there is very little difference. I Don't think I would worry unless it gets worse.

It's a bit hard to say Phoebes, she could be going out of breeding condition, which could mean her cere is peeling off the old layer (which I think it could be) or she could have a bit of scaly face can't tell. If it'sscaly face it will get worse or it will clear up to a smooth cere when she comes into breeding condition again. As to the orange staining do you think she could be scratching her cere along the block? Maybe it's like peeling skin and gets itchy.

I have a few also Paulie, more lime green on bodies, like first chick, 2nd is nearly olive body. One of the Cock birds in aviary must be the culprit. I think I will add hens to nest box a bit longer before adding Cock birds next time so I know what I should be getting.

Sorry you lost your hen Pebble, again if you have lost a Son & Daughter of Onions, sounds like it could be a genetic link. I don't think I'd try him again for a while then maybe do a test clutch again and see if it shows up again. Has he gained any weight ?

Fantastic to get a whole clutch of red eyes. Lucky you. Good luck with them, don't forget the pics as they feather up.