jetrick57

Hi Guys It has been quite a while since I have posted largely due to work commitments. My birds are all well and I am beginning to plan towards breeding in the spring. I haven't done alot in 2011 and have only rung about 50 chicks. Following the success I had in the 2010 season I now have alot of reasonable birds to pair up for 2012. I will keep you posted! Cheers Patrick

Hi all, Sorry I haven't been on for a little while due to work etc etc. I hope everyone is well and your birds are breeding as expected. My birds are still doing well with most of my first two seasons young ones almost reaching six months of age. Which should mean I can hopefully reduce numbers somewhat. I've bred just on 200 birds since March and have learnt a lot in doing so. This Spring I've only have put down my best outcross pairs, 15 in total and have rung 20 chicks since Sept 1st. 6 of which are the Albino chicks pictured that come from a Albino X Albino pairing I will post some more shortly. Cheers Patrick

Hi all, I haven't been on here of late due to work commitments but things in my birdroom have continued on nethertheless. I have 12 new pairs down at the moment and all appear to be clicking quite well with eggs or chicks in 9 nest. I mentioned in a previous post that I had 5 chicks from the pairing of a TCB Cock x Lution Hen. Sadly only two have survived which is coincidently the same number that survived in this Hen's earlier nest. It appears two is her preferred number as the chicks that died were perfectly happy one minute then dead the next. I will certainly be fostering anything she produces in the future now that I have come to know her MO. On the positive side I have five chicks in a nest from my best Albino pair which is good. I will post a picture asap. My first round chicks from earlier in the year are nearing six months, so it will be good to reduce numbers to make room for all the new chicks. Cheers Patrick

Hi Ratzy, I see what you mean by the picture, but she's actually quite obliging as hens go. As for the eggs five were fertile, but I am happy with that after having a lot of big clutches in the earlier rounds. This hen had two surviving Lut chicks from a nest of six earlier with a Lut Cock. I am sure he was the reason for the deaths, so this healthy clutch is good to see. Cheers Patrick

Hi all, There hasn't been much to report of late in my birdroom. The remaining pairs from my earlier two rounds have almost left the shed. First round had 63 chicks, with the second on 111. Of the 10 new pairs put down on August 1st, 6 are now on eggs. The picture attached is of my Lutino Hen and her five chicks. She is paired with a good quality TCB from the same prize winning stud so hopefully they prove to be the same. I can't wait until they feather up. There is quite a gap in the chicks ages as the hen laid 9 eggs. Fortunately the youngest seems to be holding its own against the bigger chicks in the nest. Cheers Patrick

Hi all, So far 5 out of the 10 new pairs I have put down 14 days ago are on eggs. The signs are still promising for the other pairs with everyone appearing to get on well. My TCB Cock x Lutino Hen now have three chicks which I can't wait to see feathered up! The first two seasons which started out in March have now clocked up 172 chicks, 109 coming from the second round. By next month many of my first round youngsters will be 6 months old, so hopefully I can reduce the numbers and the seed bill. Cheers Patrick

Hi Taboo, Thanks for that, and good luck with yours as well. Cheers Patrick

Hi all, Pleased to say the first egg from my Spring round pairs was laid today. It was from a Cinnamon Grey Cock x Cinnamon Sky Hen. All this rounds new hens are now in and out of the nest box. I also put down two more pairs which are Split Lutino Cocks with Grey Green Hens. I used these hens as they were the best normals I had available and one of the Cocks is a good quality Grey Green as well. Also pleased to say I have my first chick from my TCB Cock x Lutino Hen. Really hope there is more to come and they raise them well. That brings the second round tally to 104 chicks. Cheers Patrick

Hi Finnie, For sure,it's on a bend in the road and they get over confident with their speed. We get a lot of P plate drivers who like to take their car for a spin and literally do spin out of control. It's also a good spot for cyclist as the hill behind our property is very steep to ride up. Hence very steep coming down! Cheers Patrick

Hi all, Thanks for the nice comments, hopefully the quality will be there as well as they develop. The birds have had a couple of upsets the last two nights as a result of two car accidents in the same spot would you believe, just behind my back fence. The accidents didn't make that much noise but the turn out of Ambulance,Police and Fire Brigade lit up the sky which tends to make the birds chatter into the night. Quite surreal as by morning it is all cleared away ready for the next one. Hopefully it hasn't disturbed the birds too much and I get eggs this week from the new pairs. Cheers Patrick

Hi all, I had my 100th chick hatch from my second round pairs today. In fact one nest hatched out 3 today and 2 yesterday which was a first for me. Cheers Patrick

Hi all, Pleased to say all the new pairs I've put down seem to be getting along okay, with a few of the hens already in and out of the nest box. The pairs now in their second round have 96 chicks between them along with 63 in the first round. As you can imagine that's a lot of noise and a lot of seed. I am hoping the TCB Cock x Lutino Hen that proved infertile in the first attempt may do better with the eggs due to hatch from the 8/8. Also a well bred Dom Pied from Sydney has not proved successful this far, so I am going to try him with another hen. Cheers Patrick

Thanks Splat, Much appreciated! Cheers Patrick

Hi GB Thanks I will keep that in mind. I'll see how everyone settles in over the next couple of weeks,who clicks and who doesn't. Cheers Patrick

Hi all, I managed to put down eight new pairs today. I paired them as I have done before according to the Harry Bryan book. Not very original, but it works for me! That's as long as I have available and in condition good quality birds to do so. Pair 1.Sky/Lacewing Cock x Yellow Lacewing Hen. I had hoped to pair him to another White Lacewing but she's not ready yet. Pair 2. Albino Cock x Albino Hen Pair 3.Grey Green Cock x Normal Grey Hen Pair 4. Sky Yellowface Cock x Opaline Yellowface Grey Hen Pair 5. Grey Cinnamon Cock x Opaline Cinnamon Grey Green Hen Pair 6. Grey Cinnamon Cock x Sky Cinnamon Hen Pair 7. Grey Green/Lacewing Cock Yellow Lacewing Hen Pair 8. Sky Dom Pied Cock x Grey Green Hen

Hi all, Had hoped to put down my pairs for Spring today but the weather and time has been against me so now it looks like being Tuesday. I will try and post pics of the chosen pairs asap. The current pairs in their second round have now produced 92 chicks. I would be rapt with half of that with the quality pairs I am about to put down. My 02 Spangle Cock has fathered 17 chicks this season alone which is amazing! Cheers Patrick

Thanks Nubbly I'm just trying to keep the enthusiasm that I had at the beginning of the year for the breeding season ahead. I have to give it to those of you that have been doing this year in year out. We've had a particularly cold winter in Adelaide which has made those early moring feeds and inspections a little more trying. Though the chicks make it all worth while. Thanks for having a read though! Cheers Patrick

Are you putting any birds in the inter club nest feather show between BSSA and NEBS? Gorgeous birds! All going well I will! I am putting some good quality pairs down the weekend so hopefully there maybe something suitable to show in a couple of months. I am still ringing birds from my second round that started out in March. 63 chicks in the first that survived and 90 as of today in the second. Funny some of these chicks will be almost be year old the minute they are born. Cheers Patrick Do you ring with open bands as well? I have a clearbody pair down, first egg today! If it hatches, it will be nearly perfect age for the show. What other varities do you breed? I only use the closed club rings at the moment. Good luck with the Clearbody! I have a Clearbody Cock down with a Lutino Hen which were infertile first round so here's hoping for the current clutch. Cheers Patrick

Are you putting any birds in the inter club nest feather show between BSSA and NEBS? Gorgeous birds! All going well I will! I am putting some good quality pairs down the weekend so hopefully there maybe something suitable to show in a couple of months. I am still ringing birds from my second round that started out in March. 63 chicks in the first that survived and 90 as of today in the second. Funny some of these chicks will be almost be year old the minute they are born. Cheers Patrick

Hi GB Nice to hear from you and congrats on your birds this season. You're right in saying when it's all going well it is a shame to break up a pair, particularly if they seem fit and healthy. I have an 02 Cock bird who has fathered his 16 chicks this season and I have let him continue on while he can. Next year he may be put to pasture. Running two breeding teams so to speak makes good record keeping more important than ever as so many pairs are at different stages in the cycle. Good luck with the coming season. I hope I can show you my Lacewing chicks in the coming months. Cheers Patrick

Hi all, My 81st chick of this my second round hatched out today which has meant re ordering rings this late in the year. I have promised myself that any pairs that go down in March next year will only get one round! It has been good freeing those pairs up that have finished and putting them back into a flight. The Cocks particularly look like they're been catching up with old friends. All going well I should have at least a dozen pairs to put down this weekend then another the following week. Cheers Patrick

Hi all, My plan to have a March /April breeding season was slightly derailed by the majority my pairs continuing to breed right up until now. Currently I have 75 chicks and more to come in this second round. I have been forced to take a number of the nest boxes away to prevent a third round and have begun splitting some of the pairs otherwise they will delay for the pairs I hope to put down in August, as well as wearing themselves out! The August pairs are made up of the outcrosses I have purchased through the year as well as some of last years youngsters that are now ready to breed. It will be the first time I can use a young Cock that I bred that is a Sky/Lacewing. I will only have a Yellow Lacewing Hen available as a mate for him as the more suitable White Lacewing is taking a rest as she bred up until recently, so maybe later as she is an Aunty to the split Cock and a good looking bird. Once I start to pair them I will let you see what I am putting down. Cheers Patrick

Hi Phillip Thanks for kind words and yes it has been a good season, kind of a practise run you could say. I only hope the fertility will be as good with the outcross birds I have purchased. One or two from good studs have already failed on me so I will be a little more cautious with and who I buy from in the future. But it's always a gamble I suppose. The Appleton bird is an 06, so I hope to put him down with a good hen in about a week so I will let you know how I get on. He does look good as do some of the other outcrosses I've bought in, so I would be rapt to produce a few chicks like their parents. Thanks again for having a read! Cheers Patrick

Hi all, I haven't had much to report of late as things have been kind of quiet in my birdroom. The weather in Adelaide has been very wet and windy of late and had put back my plans to move my first round youngsters into a flight. That said I moved all 61 of them today to make room for the second round youngsters which total 69 at the moment and my 40 + breeding birds for the spring. The youngsters aren't too sure of the outdoors and wouldn't you know it once they were settled the rain came belting down! I will add some new pics when the weathers improves. Cheers Patrick

Hi all, Chick no.64 of this my second round hatched today. Infact 63 and 64 from the same nest to be precise. They are my KK DF Spangle Cock x Ken Yorke Darkwing Hen. This pair had 6 chicks in their first round which are doing well. The pair with eggs I am waiting on are a TCB Cock x Lutino Hen which look like being infertile this round. The Hen has produced before so I am hoping the Cock is not a dud! Tends to make me cautious of auctions. Cheers Patrick