Some of you may know the story about Big Grey (BG).

Here is a recap for thoes who don't :hap:

He is a very nice grey spangle that I purchased from a petshop about 2-3 years ago.

 

I really wanted to breed from him but He has never ever been interested in any hens :hap:

So i just assumed he was an old bird who was sold by a breeder to get rid of him....One day, to rub salt into an open wound... i then found that his ring stated that he was from 1994 (making him 14 years old!!!)

 

Well after expert advice (from THIS forum :hap: ) and learning that he was rung wrong and probably only 4 years old tops (YEAHHH!!!) he has finally decided to like the ladies...

 

The only problem is I colony breed and i wasn't expecting him to choose the smallest hen i have to mate with....

 

I never actually saw them mating and i have seen other males try and be with this hen too (she is very popular with the boys hehehe)... I have not seen her mate with any male so i am not 100% sure that BG is the dad even though he is doing ALL the fatherly duties......?????

 

She is the little white DF pied.

 

 

 

 

So anyway, They have eggs AND a chick!!!! :oliveb:

 

 

What types will the babies be if they are BG's????

The other 2 males that were interested in her were normal dominant pieds.....(if that helps)

 

Thanks

Liv

Edited August 15, 200816 yr by **Liv**

l'll let the experts on genetics answer this one, l'm still trying to figure them out

l can hardly wait to see the outcome of this clutch. please keep us updated.

Well she appears to be a DF dominant pied if that helps :hap: so all chicks (presuming she did mate with bg) Will be Sf dominant pieds 50% spangles 50% normal dom pieds... all blue series :hap: i think by rules they're meant to be cobalts good luck i hope he's the daddy :hap:

I am very excited for you they are both gorgeous birds, I am interested to see how the chicks feather up

Fantastic news. I can't wait for more little ones. I bet they're proud as punch!!!

Congratulations Liv . Can't wait to see al the other bubs.

I must have been around when you got him because he looks very familiar to me.. They actually make a very cute couple

Great news Liv

Awesome Liv.

5 more to go . . . .

 

Can't wait to see their colouring

great news, it will nice to see what colours they turn out.

Do you have any other Spangles in the cage Liv, if not there’s a good chance you will get some Spangles if he’s the Dad or Greys & that would prove he’s viable …then later you could mate him to a nice hen In a cabinet, as he looks a good type…good luck anyway…

Thank you everyone for your replies I will keep you posted :hap: It's really exciting and i hope they ARE his!!!

 

Well she appears to be a DF dominant pied if that helps so all chicks (presuming she did mate with bg) Will be Sf dominant pieds 50% spangles 50% normal dom pieds... all blue series i think by rules they're meant to be cobalts :hap: good luck i hope he's the daddy :hap:

 

Thanks Libby. If i get normal dom pieds they could be BG's or could be another males and i will never know. Hopefully there are some Spangles in the clutch so i can know for sure

 

 

Do you have any other Spangles in the cage Liv, if not there's a good chance you will get some Spangles if he's the Dad or Greys & that would prove he's viable …then later you could mate him to a nice hen In a cabinet, as he looks a good type…good luck anyway…

 

He is my only spangle It has turned out to be a test to see if he is viable. I didn't really want him with that hen, but thats who he chose and he seems to be very picky as he has NEVER shown interest in ANY hen before now. I am currently looking for a show type hen for him - blue spangle, normal or opaline.

Liv, find him a nice Yellowface hen for next time so you can aim for YF grey spangles ...check out feathers YF grey spangle.

Liv, find him a nice Yellowface hen for next time so you can aim for YF grey spangles ...check out feathers YF grey spangle. :hap:

 

Oh, YF grey spangle sounds pretty Kaz

I like it :hap:

Another Chick!!!!

It has just hatched and hasn't had its first feed yet.

Why do I always miss seeing them hatch! I STILL have never seen it for my own eyes

WOW how much they grow in a day (Laughing out loud)

Edited August 15, 200816 yr by **Liv**

Check their eyes Liv. The eyes look plum to me. Are they plum coloured or black ? Plum indicates cinnamon babies or recessives.

Edited March 3, 200817 yr by KAZ

Kaz - AKA - Super woman with X-ray eyes (Laughing out loud)

 

I had no idea what you were talking about. How can you tell the colour of the chicks eyes when they are shut tight.

 

I then I looked at a day old chick from another box that i know doesn't have recessive babies and...

OMG your right they are 'plum'... well not BLACK like the chicks from the other nest

 

Dose That mean BG's not the dad????

Kaz - AKA - Super woman with X-ray eyes lol

 

I had no idea what you were talking about. How can you tell the colour of the chicks eyes when they are shut tight.

 

I then I looked at a day old chick from another box that i know doesn't have recessive babies and...

OMG your right they are 'plum'... well not BLACK like the chicks from the other nest

 

Dose That mean BG's not the dad????

 

Well, LIV...you ARE colony breeding arent you ?? ANYONE can be the father as budgies bonk each other well before you get out of bed and watch them BUT in saying that....either parent could be carrying cinnamon or recessive. Please tell us the other possible Dads in the aviary though.

 

PS Next time put him in a breeder cage so you can be sure he has become a father

 

 

When I used to colony breed....many moons ago

I had this devoted pair

Casper

 

and Spook

 

and they had this baby

 

and this guy was in the aviary with them

 

 

 

who was the Daddy ???

Edited March 3, 200817 yr by KAZ

looking good yes i agree definatly plum eyed congrats

Well, LIV...you ARE colony breeding arent you ?? ANYONE can be the father as budgies bonk each other well before you get out of bed and watch them

 

:hap: :hap: :hap: :hap:

You crack me up!!!!!

 

 

BUT in saying that....either parent could be carrying cinnamon or recessive. Please tell us the other possible Dads in the aviary though.

 

Could be her previous partner "Buster" who looks JUST like your male pictured here. B-B-B... cant remember his name, starts with B though dosen't it...? (Bruce???)

 

PS Next time put him in a breeder cage so you can be sure he has become a father

I will!! I need to get him a hen first though - Still been too chicken to join a club (Laughing out loud)

 

 

 

THIS IS THE DADDY of your cute chick hehehhe!!!!!

Liv....you gotta know...that if you wanted to know if Big Grey could be a father...you should have bred him in a cabinet and not in a mixed aviary. You will not really know for sure now unless the babies parentage is too obvious by the way they turn out.

Round two in a breeder cabinet ?

 

Yes i know :hap:

It just happened... i didnt know what he was upto until it was too late. like i said i never saw any 'bonking' :hap:

 

Anyways, he is taking good care of her and the chicks so even if he is not the biological dad he is getting lots of practice with parenting for when he has chicks of his own :hap:

In the end only the 2 chicks hatched - 4 didn't It's really odd because this hen only EVER has 2 chicks at a time

 

Anyway here they are. one is 8 days old and the other is 7 days. The older one looks like it will be a dominant pied. Dont know about the younger one.. cant see any black markings yet... perhaps a baby spangle **Fingers Crossed **

 

 

If BG is not the dad of the older one then these are the other two possibilities:

 

 

This is the Hen and her original partner (Buster) - but after their "rest" he was disinterested in her. He however has the same "spot" on the top of his head, as the older chick. :grbud:

 

 

 

This is the pair who produce Cinnimon chicks. He is the other possible dad. he was quite interested in my little hen after the "rest"... but he is currently fathering 5 chicks to the opaline hen you see here (her last clutch before she retires in the oldies home hehehe). These two have had about 15 babies so far had 3 Cinnamons. Why would i not get one single opaline from these two

 

Edited August 15, 200816 yr by **Liv**

How exciting!!! As to her always having two chicks... maybe she knows she can only look after two very well, and something in her body etc makes only two fertile eggs (that sounded better in my head :grbud: )?????? They both look really good. Can't wait to see how they turn out.

Did you break open the other eggs that didnt hatch to see if they were fertile ? I have found some hens dont sit on the other eggs once a certain number of chicks arrive and therefore the other eggs dont hatch...chick dies in shell.

Will be interesting to see who fathered who at the end :grbud: