Bad news another baby dies at 3 weeks, can't work it out, they have been treated for yellow belly all had a 7 day dose of doxy, they have all been treat for canker. What a bad year. I know I have only lost 2 at this age but when most of the eggs are clear 2 is to many. Especially out of my best nest.

I am considering having a large cull as Greg is sick of my budgies, SAD i know but if I do i will just keep a hand full of my favorites

I dont have an answer about the chicks, mate BUT you have to know that culling the birds to please Greg is no answer and you will have huge regrets soon enough after that to make you wish you hadnt

Yes I know Kaz but at the same time I need to keep the peace here and his additude last night was awful "I ask him to have a look at a baby and he said knock on the head, he reckons he didn't say it as I said I think it is an olive not sick."

No I think I might cull big, I can always start again later.

I am sorry to hear about the troubles you are having. I really do feel your pain.

So sorry to hear about your problems Both with the birds and keeping the peace! Such an uphill battle sometimes. And you have such wonderful birds...

Thanks Dave and Dean, I think I am just down in the dumps at the moment, Kaz just gave me a stern talking to I am still going to cull I think and get rid of at least half the birds, I will see.

earlier I was looking in the aviary at I have heaps more cocks than hens but the later I looked in the baby aviary and I have 16 hens and 8 cocks so maybe I shouldn't be too hasty.

 

But to keep Greg happy I need to get down between 50 and 70 birds in total.

which up until last year that's what I use to have.

If I want to keep breeding I must sell some to make room or he will put a big stop to everything.

 

I can see his point

It is hard deciding what to cull. i am going to do that myself in the next few weeks.

 

Simple rule as i understand it is don't do anything that is going to harm yourself, long term.

I'm really sorry to hear you're having a rough patch Splat.

 

However, I agree with Kaz on this one- don't just cull because you are under pressure. By all means reduce your numbers to a comfortable level but do so with a clear head and make sure you don't do anything you may regret later.

 

Best of Luck!

 

ps Can't help you with your chickies dying, have you considered an autopsy?

Starting to sort them out now. Gee it's hard when most of them are good :angel:

Aww i am so sorry you are having troubles and i hope the peace returns soon. I feel your pain :sad:

Take care of you and only cull what you are comfortable with as resentment will only make it worse for yourself. :angel: babe

Edited October 13, 200915 yr by **Liv**

Splat, I have only had random three week deaths once in my aviary in New Zealand. All chicks were dying with full crops and no obvious signs of illness at all, except for the fact that the nestmates were squashing them once they were dead. At first I thought nothing of it, passed it off as bad luck, but then thought, why would full chicks with nothing outwardly wrong be dying at three weeks?

 

That year, I had 18 out of 30 chicks I bred turn out with french moult. So I did some research, and one of the things I learnt was that often chicks that are infected with french moult, either survive through that period and as they grow older drop their flight feathers, or, if they are weaker and not able to push through that period, they die.

 

I am not going to come out and say that's what it is because I don't really know any of the history or anything, but it will be something you can keep an eye on. How many remaining chicks have you got in that nest? We can wait and see if this whacky theory of mine is correct when they fledge ...

 

I would say the chances of me being correct are very slim, but at least it is something to explore regarding your chick survival.

 

Alternatively it could be that the parents just haven't really clicked genetically and their chicks are just weaker and more susceptible to the diseases and things floating around the aviary?

 

Finally, last piece of advice, get someone to help you with the cull. Get a friend who knows budgies and do it over a couple of weekends. There is nothing worse than making impulsive culling decisions and thinking back in a months time and wondering what could have been! It is better to be cautious and keep the peace whilst remaining happy rather than culling things you don't want to and resenting the fact you had to cull! Keep your head up though buddy, breeding animals is like that, good seasons, bad seasons, it is all part of the fun and the heartache that makes us love this hobby so much :angel: All the best!

splat if your going to cull birds with half a heart in it everyone's right take time and keep what is going to produce u the good birds even maybe think about what variety you prefer and or which one your having more success with

 

i was given this advice in an e mail from a well established breeder whom i wont name as i didn't have time to ask permission to quote them

 

 

keep it simple............deportment or showmanship ( stance & blow) & good backskull, cull from show cage..............u never stop learning, anyway.

 

i know you have a great hand standing by you but remember in the end they are your birds and you know what you want to breed look wise

so remember visual counts as much as bloodline so don't just keep the better bloodlines keep the birds your happiest with after all you arnt going to injoy looking at your flock if their all not to apealling visually are you

remember you dont need hundreds of birds to breed good ones and you only need a few good ones to breed a hundred

and in the end you will always get a bird worth benching and taking out a place

you have some very beautiful birds and this will be a big decicion if you follow through on it

i think you should sit on it for a month then decide thats my opinion but what ever you do take your time about it

Edited October 14, 200915 yr by GenericBlue

One or two of the top of the top show breeders here have culled too hard and now are struggling to get certain lines back. All it takes is some extra misfortune and you end up wishing certain birds had not gone.

 

PS How many pigeons does HE have ?

One or two of the top of the top show breeders here have culled too hard and now are struggling to get certain lines back. All it takes is some extra misfortune and you end up wishing certain birds had not gone.

 

PS How many pigeons does HE have ?

 

thats so true anything can cut your flock in half not just culling

why dont you just keep them flying and rest on the breeding side for a whlie afer all its not a space issue here is it

mabe cut back to breeding half what you do now

 

i have 19 cages but only breed thee to 4 pair at a time stagering the next pairs as soon as the first chicks are close to hatching second stager when chicks are two weeks this keeps me with three pair or four pair with chicks continulously

mind you not always are the birds i e

right now i have 3 pairs with two week old chicks and 4 pairs with chicks just hatching first one today actually

and resently i just put up three pair and i have 3 other pair with eggs due early november

and some cages spare

this works for me although my flock is around what you want to cull so i know their is a massive diffrents

but do please think hard before giving in as you are feeling down

**** i almost just let mine all out only three weeks ago as i was over it all i wasnt even going to cull just open the door and let them fly so frustration is felt by all at sometime or another

One or two of the top of the top show breeders here have culled too hard and now are struggling to get certain lines back. All it takes is some extra misfortune and you end up wishing certain birds had not gone.PS How many pigeons does HE have ?

Kaz you made me :rofl: with that "how many pigeons does HE have?" just as many or more than me but you see he looses most of his in his races and he thinks their so good. but he does try hard.

 

Thanks Liv and Hamish for your kind thoughts it is making me think hard about it. hamish I hope I don't jinx myself but this is my 4th year of breeding and so far I haven't had any french moult. I don't think there is anything wrong as I have only lost 2 but if anymore die then I will be panicking.

I am just so down at the moment that for 2 to die is 2 to many when I am getting so many clear eggs.

 

One or two of the top of the top show breeders here have culled too hard and now are struggling to get certain lines back. All it takes is some extra misfortune and you end up wishing certain birds had not gone.PS How many pigeons does HE have ?

thats so true anything can cut your flock in half not just culling why dont you just keep them flying and rest on the breeding side for a whlie afer all its not a space issue here is it mabe cut back to breeding half what you do now i have 19 cages but only breed thee to 4 pair at a time stagering the next pairs as soon as the first chicks are close to hatching second stager when chicks are two weeks this keeps me with three pair or four pair with chicks continulously mind you not always are the birds i e right now i have 3 pairs with two week old chicks and 4 pairs with chicks just hatching first one today actually and resently i just put up three pair and i have 3 other pair with eggs due early november and some cages spare this works for me although my flock is around what you want to cull so i know their is a massive diffrents but do please think hard before giving in as you are feeling down **** i almost just let mine all out only three weeks ago as i was over it all i wasnt even going to cull just open the door and let them fly so frustration is felt by all at sometime or another

Thanks GB I know what you are saying and your right, but if I do cull hard and only keep a handful it will be the best I am keeping, for example my violets line are staying along with the DF and spangle line :rofl: which means they all stay. No i will keep the best out of that line.I gave a lot to think about.

Edited October 14, 200915 yr by splat

Thanks GB I know what you are saying and your right, but if I do cull hard and only keep a handful it will be the best I am keeping, for example my violets line are staying along with the DF and spangle line :laughter: which means they all stay. No i will keep the best out of that line.I gave a lot to think about.

 

but if I do cull hard and only keep a handful it will be the best I am keeping, for example my violets line are staying along with the DF and spangle line :laughter: which means they all stay.

 

i do hope you keep going with them all

 

but i will be honest i will be first to put hand up for any you do cull but you know that quiet well enough :sadsorry: i would :bliss: all the way to your house if i have to and id even go for a weekend away after all i have never used toughs free train travel tickets you get every year :rofl:

but seriously all jokes aside

take your time and dont be hasty specially with thoughs spangles they have some the best marks ive seen for a while

and your violet spangles to die for :rip: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

 

you will know the right thing just study your books and see what has produced for you well and the lines that you have breed keep the ones that most resemble the foundation stock or the ones that have features you want to better thats what im going to do

as i still dont have good foundations for all my stock i will be keeping everything see what it produces then cull back after i place with few hens see the potancy produced from each cock then go from their

take a few years but i need to give everything the best chance to prove its potential

One or two of the top of the top show breeders here have culled too hard and now are struggling to get certain lines back. All it takes is some extra misfortune and you end up wishing certain birds had not gone.PS How many pigeons does HE have ?

Kaz you made me :laughter: with that "how many pigeons does HE have?" just as many or more than me but you see he looses most of his in his races :sadsorry: and he thinks their so good. :laughter: but he does try hard.

 

 

Methinks Greg needs to do some map book training for his pigeons

Hang it there Splat, everybody has their up's and down's don't be too hasty and regret it later. You always seem to encourage others take a bit for yourself eh!!

Yes your right Robyn maybe I should listen to my own advice But my white Df spangle dies this morning, the one the mother attacked. And last night I found my best pied the father of my nice babies dead on the floor. He didn't look sick or anything he has 4 eggs with a hen and they are fertile, he was active and jumping from perch to perch he was 5 years old maybe all the budgie sex was too much for him. Anyway I was very upset when I found him.

Oh mate

If it's not one thing it's another with budgies huh! Sorry to hear of your continuing trouble! I guess in a macabre way, thats at least one bird you wont have to make a decision about culling... Kinda hepful in a terrible way? Keep the best babies anyway and move forwards!

If it's not one thing it's another with budgies huh! Sorry to hear of your continuing trouble! I guess in a macabre way, thats at least one bird you wont have to make a decision about culling... Kinda hepful in a terrible way? Keep the best babies anyway and move forwards!

 

I wasn't going to cull him Dean he was very handsome plus he cost $100.00 at his age. :thumbs_up: I only had him since middle of this year.

is it possible somethings frighting them at night i know birds do just drop but thats odd ?????

i would be installing cameras i have cameras :thumbs_up:

Probably a rotten mouse, I have no evidence of any but I am sure they are around lust waiting to pounce, rotten little things :rofl:

Are there traps down? What about that new trap that Kaz showed, that she bought at Bunnings. I can catch multiple mice in it.