Ratzy

I had a dwarf..... He kind of went wild.... I believe he had children. He went back to his hutch when something frightened him. I didn't see him for months one time ( our land is massive and on the edge of town ). I got him when I was 6. He lived a year then an eagle got him ( mum was watching ). I recommend them. Peter ( yep ) was the tamest thing even though I didn't see him much.

Sounds like DIS to me.....

He was fine.... as for Lexi, well.... I think I have a serious gender issue here, lol. She is still feeding Chubsy and is singing along with the males. And only yesterday I caught her trying to mount Chubba Chubs!!

Thanks, I was using my large cage and the divider was wood ( safe ). I am cleaning out the cage now, I've taken out the divider. Marigold's wounds are not as serious as I had thought. The grazes are scabbing up with no sign of infection and there is no others, only the plucked feathers. She is eating and drinking and I made up some hand rearing formula and fed her a bit. I will let her recover for a few days then reassess. Thimble is pretty much ready to go back outside, I'm just letting her graze heal.

Sorry you have to start your first post this way. Don't put ANYTHING in their water unless you have experience with it or your vet gives the okay. The frogs could well be the cause but I'm not so sure. Put them in a smaller cage with a heat lamp, water and food. Budgies don't get this way until they are about to die so I'd put them in the car and drive as fast as you can to the nearest avian vet!!!! You can work out a payment plan with the vet afterwards. Unless you get to an avian vet, your chances of saving them are VERY slim and even then it might be hard to save them. The longer you wait, the less time you have.

Everything's going very badly. I feel so horrible.... there was a little gap that I didn't notice in the divider of the cage. The other hens got through and chucked the eggs out of the box. Not only that, but they attacked Marigold. She has some feathers plucked ( head and back ) and her feet have grazes on them. I stopped the bleeding but I still feel so guilty. If I had noticed that little gap.... She has been eating and drinking in the hospital cage. Thimble has a wound as well, so she is in a separate cage. I need to talk to my parents about a vet, but none are open now anyway. I HATE myself right now. The eggs didn't survive. Marigold is still eggnant, what happens if she lays the egg and incubates? Is there anything I can do?

She has laid another in the box!!!So I have put the other back in. More updates soon I hope!

She looks very pleased with herself...

Wow, that poor hen with the swelling! Any improvement from the bald one?

Second egg was laid today but was accidently cracked by a clumsy parent. Looks like things aren't looking up at the moment.

Thank you! No more eggs today which pretty much certifies that it was laid yesterday. I made my special breeding mix ( spinach, egg, weet-bix, carrot, apple and crushed cuttlefish bone ) for them as well as some for tomorrow.

Ouch! I had a baby crow with this ( scalped ). It survived then it got something down it's windpipe and died. I'm sorry you had to make that choice Kaz, but it was peaceful.

Nah, I will drop it for now, BUT, when I'm legally adult in... 6 years I expect my $20!!! Ummm... what do I do now? Is he a new mutation or similar?

He has already moulted out his old tail. The new one is green!

Well, I said I'd wait until things were on track and Marigold was sitting on her eggs but..... I couldn't! So.... I noticed yesterday and the day before Marigold looked eggnant (my term for egg bum ). Anyway, I decided to go along with it as I have room and the money. So I changed the cage and put a divider across the middle, a nesting box and everything. I was too late however, and Marigold laid the egg before she checked out the box. She laid off the perch so I removed the egg ( undamaged ) and put it in a container of seed. Marigold has been continuously checking out the box today and mating with Skye. I'm going to wait until Marigold has laid in the box before putting the egg in. More updates AND pics to come!

Evidence it is! These pics were taken about 50 minutes ago. Notice the lack of the bars on the forehead? And some flights have grown back from his clip. That is how you can tell that I'm not just using an old picture. http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/yy62/Ratzy_2009/095.jpg

I'm shocked :yes:

Can I have my $20 now?

I don't think a mother with only eggs would adopt a chick. A mother with chicks would adopt a chick. A mother with eggs would adopt an egg.

Maybe! Marigold has laid an egg, like I said! Only.... off the perch, not in the nest box. It is in a container of seed at the moment, waiting for an egg to be laid in the nest box. Is that right? It hasn't been sat on, so it hasn't started developing. I've read that if you put the egg in the box straight away the hen will clean it out? She's checking out the box now! I'll wait until things get back on track before I make a breeding journal.

Thanks!

Thanks! So... egg and weet-bix? Carrot, silver beet and spinach? I'll have a look for those. I'll have some pics uploaded by tomorrow!

Oops, my mistake! She came out of breeding condition about 2 months ago, when she was moulting. Thanks for the good luck! She is mating and checking out the box. I've just done the veg and fruit, I put in some hard boiled egg as well. They have a millet spray and cuttlefish bone, what other calcium supplies would you recommend? Her poos are massive compared to Skye's, which makes me think she would have laid anyway. I will just get some pics of my set up, see what you think. I can see everything from the kitchen and from the computer room, without them seeing me. I'm using a different sort of nest box this round.

I'm willing to pay vet bills, I just hope I won't have to! I said 'if' eggnant. I will put the divider in the cage again then. I've spoken with my parents, they are fine with it because I will have enough room. I have 3 hens and 2 cocks. They don't really bicker that much, just when I have a treat for them or when Marigold is kicking all of the seed out of the bowl. She hasn't come out of breeding condition since December last year, maybe she is trying to tell me something? I have a massive clean out scheduled for today so I will set up then. I've just checked my supply box for everything I need. I have a... nestbox hand rearing formula ( in case ) Cuttlefish bone nesting material A box to put any chicks in while cleaning the box seed millet sprays night light syringe money hospital cage ( in case Marigold gets eggbound ). I have space for any chicks. I have just wormed them, they aren't about to go into a moult, they are all pretty healthy. Anything else? I am going to get some egg & biscuit mix and look at some toys for them. No egg has appeared but a few large poos. When Marigold laid her clutch, about 4 days before she laid she tarted looking eggnant.