I lost the Sky Blue Opaline hen on the right of the picture about a week ago, I found her in the nest box dead, she was laying & had lain two eggs of the batch, it could have been from being egg bound, but there was no sign of her being sick. She was never what I would call a healthy bird, but was massive, she barely could fit in the hole in my nest boxes & I had to provide a step for her to get up into the box. Her first nest of 7 eggs was infertile with a cock I bought with her at the bird sale in June. After that I put her with one of my males a smaller bird, as I thought she was too large. I took the first batch away from her as she got injured, only two of these eggs were fertile & one hatched, but I was unsure that it was hers or the fosters chick. That's why I have waited, but I'm glad to say now the chick has got feathers it was one of hers. So at least I got one of her blood, here is hoping that it turns out a nice bird. It's a Green Opaline Spangle, as she was paired with a Green Opaline Spangle cock.

 

The other two cocks in this picture have been failures so far & are flying in the aviary at the moment for another chance later, the Green Opaline is quit old 6 or 7 so don't know if he will come good.

Edited October 16, 200717 yr by Norm

Thats very sad, Norm. I am sorry to hear that. Has been known to happen when a hen has been sold for previous issues with egglaying...prior trouble with eggbinding or calcium issues....things you may have been unaware of when you bought her. Pity you have had some hopes dashed here, though

Sorry to hear that news Norm......I recently Had a lovely hen that was sitting in 8 eggs ....one morning she was dead on the bottom of the breeding cabinet...

 

Who knows what happens....very disappointing thought

little one

Thanks guys...she was a "big one" Elly...big Mumma. The biggest bird I had.

I know I always call them little and he's ....you will have to show us picture of her chick that survived.

I know I always call them little and he's ....you will have to show us picture of her chick that survived.

 

Yes I will Elly, when it gets a bit bigger, it actually doesn't look that big as babies go, but it will be interesting to see how it turns out. Hopefully it will make it.

 

I have actually moved it, at first it was the largest chick in it's fosters nest, but I thought they weren't growing as good as I hoped, so now I moved it to another nest, where it's the smallest, but those chick look better than the previous nest.

Edited October 17, 200717 yr by Norm

sounds hopeful (fingers crossed)

Did you manage to save the 2 eggs she had laid already? Fingers crossed they're fertile

Did you manage to save the 2 eggs she had laid already? Fingers crossed they're fertile

 

Yes I tried that Pie, but it looks like their infertile...sob...sob...sob. Oh well at least I got one.

Here are some pictures of the one & only chick that I got from that Sky Blue Opaline hen & the Green Spangle Opaline cock, before she died. He has a dirty tail, as he loves playing around near the water. As with others I have bred from "improved" show type birds it was very slow in flying, it has just now got up to the perch, but is not a good flyer.

 

 

 

Here's a picture I found that illustrates what I have noticed when visiting some show breeders of late. Note that a good percentage of the birds are on the floor & they are not feeding. This to me seems to happen when you breed for directional feather & birds with long "fluffy" feathers. The feather quality has deteriorated so that the birds have trouble with flying & some can't fly at all. This I think is what will stop me going into showing birds again, as the "ideal" seems now to not be obtainable without the birds suffering like this. If selection was more rigid & wasn't only for traits that win on the show bench, maybe it could be done. The problem is that a bird on the show bench can't be judged as to whether it can fly or not.

 

 

Edited November 8, 200717 yr by Norm

that is an interesting point Norm, I didn't realize that they couldn't fly because of their feather condition.

that is an interesting point Norm, I didn't realize that they couldn't fly because of their feather condition.

 

Not all Elly just some.

right I knew what you mean but thank you for clarifying

Its a very beautiful chick Norm. I rarely see birds on the floor in an aviary of a show breeders birds and they are breeders going for "feather" so maybe where you have been its some family lines that are causing the issue. Even my buffier birds can fly. Strange.

Its a very beautiful chick Norm. I rarely see birds on the floor in an aviary of a show breeders birds and they are breeders going for "feather" so maybe where you have been its some family lines that are causing the issue. Even my buffier birds can fly. Strange.

 

Even some of my buffier birds that I have bred myself & some breeders told me those are the birds you need to breed have had trouble to fly & when they moulted they lost almost all the main flight feathers at once & couldn't fly for weeks, not like other birds that only loose a couple at a time & can always fly. One of my birds I put a photo on here some months ago, that people said was a good type bird I had trouble with & now I paired him with a hen & all the first eggs are infertile.

 

I guess your not suppose to do it, but that photo I showed was off the net some overseas aviary, but I've seen it here as I said.

Not mentioning any names, but one of Ozs top breeders whose avairies I visited reasontly had birds on the ground just the same.

Edited November 8, 200717 yr by Norm