The 53rd chick hatched today and pleased to say my Opaline YF hen and Cinnamon Grey cock have produced their first chick.

 

My nest of seven is doing well which is great to see!

Not much happening this week except feeding and cleaning etc etc.

 

I know have 58 chicks, with five nest still with potential chicks to hatch.

 

Of the 20 pairs originally put down 16 have laid and 13 of those have chicks.

 

I replaced the hens in the other four nest and two of those have now laid.

 

Better late than never I guess!

 

The first chicks turn 3 weeks on the weekend so I will update you with some pics as feathers start appearing.

 

There appears to be some intersting results.

 

My nest of seven and three with six are going strong.

 

I hace been lucky this far, with only the deaths of four Lutino chicks.

 

Fortunately I still have two survivors.

 

I optimistic the round will end well but cautious not to count your chicks so to speak!

59 chicks as of tonight and my first egg from my pair of Ken Yorke Dark Wings which is great.

 

That gives me 19/20 nest that have late this round so the pressure is on this last pair of slackers!

Who are the slackers?

Thanks for asking,it's another Dark Wing Hen paired with a nice Black eyed Yellow Cock bird.

 

They appear to like each other but nothing more than that. (Taking it slow you could say)

 

I may have missed out on her condition wise and will wait till Spring as I don't want to drag this round on to long.

 

I'll wait and see

 

How are all of yours going?

Edited April 16, 201015 yr by jetrick57

any pics on the way?

any pics on the way?

 

Hi Dave

Yes for sure!

I've been trying to avioid bothering them all this week, but as the chicks are looking more likely to make it out the nest box I will start getting snap happy again.

61 chicks as of this morning!

 

Glad I ordered those extra rings.

 

Their food intake is huge!

Their food intake is huge!

 

That would be the understatement of the year!!

Their food intake is huge!

That would be the understatement of the year!!

Hi Jimmy I'm needing to feed them three times a day at the momentand it appears to be keeping every chick fed.Just don't want the big chicks hogging all the attention.Most have been rung on the 7th day and appear to be a good size!

 

http://i744.photobucket.com/albums/xx85/je...57/P1020708.jpg

 

My nest of 7 chicks earlier in the week.Mums a White Lacewing and Dads a Normal Grey.

Edited April 17, 201015 yr by Dave_McMinn
please ensure pics are no bigger than 640 x 480

Alot of chicks in there... Nest could do with a clean out but they all look very nice and well feed...

Alot of chicks in there... Nest could do with a clean out but they all look very nice and well feed...

 

Really!

I deliberately didn't remove anything from the nest until the last chick was rung.

While I use all wire cages which are great for cleaning, I think you need to let a degree of what happens in nature still take place, and not annoy the birds unduly.

 

Also I have added extra wood shavings in some nest such as this one for comfort and to absorb some of the messs.

 

Good luck with yours!

Hey Patrick, the chicks look just great

 

A suggestion that may help you and one I employ for all my chicks in nests these days ....in this topic http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/index....showtopic=22446 is using seed in the nestboxes. At the age yours are now, the older ones start to help the younger ones eat too :yuck: and from the age of two weeks with seed as bedding in the nestbox the chicks who pick around the nestbox anyway learn to feed themselves a little extra as well as parental feeding thus taking some of the load off parents in larger clutches. they all exit the nestbox able to feed themselves and knowing what seed is. Since I began this practice I havent had any backward fledged chicks who wont feed.

 

Ps if you check some of my nestbox pictures from past topics and posts you will see the same level of nestbox " mess" or not ...as yours and in some the seed in nestboxes as I have done. A chick does pick at droppings in the nestbox as does a parent eat droppings before going in to feed babies....this way they have their immunity system becoming established and a natural gut flora is also implemented this way. Too clean a nestbox doesnt help that.

 

Keep the pictures coming. :glare:

Edited April 17, 201015 yr by KAZ

Hey Patrick, the chicks look just great

 

A suggestion that may help you and one I employ for all my chicks in nests these days ....in this topic http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/index....showtopic=22446 is using seed in the nestboxes. At the age yours are now, the older ones start to help the younger ones eat too :yuck: and from the age of two weeks with seed as bedding in the nestbox the chicks who pick around the nestbox anyway learn to feed themselves a little extra as well as parental feeding thus taking some of the load off parents in larger clutches. they all exit the nestbox able to feed themselves and knowing what seed is. Since I began this practice I havent had any backward fledged chicks who wont feed.

 

Ps if you check some of my nestbox pictures from past topics and posts you will see the same level of nestbox " mess" or not ...as yours and in some the seed in nestboxes as I have done. A chick does pick at droppings in the nestbox as does a parent eat droppings before going in to feed babies....this way they have their immunity system becoming established and a natural gut flora is also implemented this way. Too clean a nestbox doesnt help that.

 

Keep the pictures coming. :glare:

 

Thanks Kaz for that, sounds like a good idea.

I rung my first Lutino chick this morning.

There are two survivors from six that hatched.

The hen is looking after them on her own.

Compared to my other nest they are developing a little slower.

 

The 62 chick hatched today!

I would like to make 66 the same number as my initial flock.

http://i744.photobucket.com/albums/xx85/je...57/P1020735.jpg

Edited April 19, 201015 yr by KAZ
please remember to edit pikjs to allowable sizes so we dont have to change them to links.

Well done Patrick, what a fantastic result,I don't know how you keep on top of all the extra feeds for the birds i only have one nestbox with 4 chicks, and every time i look to see how the veggie and softfood is going it needs to be replaced . Looking forward to more photo's when you have time espicially of the Lutino's :camera:

 

Libby.

I had to change my vegies twice yesterday... but today I gave them extra so they are fine.

Well done Patrick, what a fantastic result,I don't know how you keep on top of all the extra feeds for the birds i only have one nestbox with 4 chicks, and every time i look to see how the veggie and softfood is going it needs to be replaced . Looking forward to more photo's when you have time espicially of the Lutino's

 

Libby.

Thanks for that Libby, I have probably taken on too much with working full time but the success this season

so far has made it well worth it.

I have had other times where there has been a drought so to speak.

You're right about the soft food, mine just love it too!

I get up at six and do two hours in the bird room before work and the soft food and green they had at 6.30 am could be topped up an hour later.

 

As I don't want to loose any, particularly from the bigger nest ,you almost have to play surrogate.

 

It's great to see them fattening up!

I am now at 63 chicks and think that will be the last for now not including the five pairs with eggs that were paired with other partners

or infertile the first round.

 

Though I can't rule out some of the other eggs with hens already with chicks.

 

Everyone seems to progressing well though my Lutino and her two chicks are a little questionable,

given that her four other chicks died already and she didn't like having the Cock back when I reintroduced him after being in the hospital cage.

 

I't was as if she felt he might have a bug and didn't want him around the chicks after two days away.

 

She probably also knew 2 chicks was more manageable than six.

If the cock was not all that well and had to be treated that can definitely affect chick health and livability. Even if the hen herself is not affected they can both pass anything onto the baby chicks when feeding them and they are pretty fragile little things.

 

But your overall results are astonishing - very satisfying I would imagine. Will be exciting to see how all the babies develop! Good job!

If the cock was not all that well and had to be treated that can definitely affect chick health and livability. Even if the hen herself is not affected they can both pass anything onto the baby chicks when feeding them and they are pretty fragile little things.

 

But your overall results are astonishing - very satisfying I would imagine. Will be exciting to see how all the babies develop! Good job!

 

Thanks Nubbly

I agree, the cock's health changed during the round and I think he may have passed something on to the hen and so forth.

 

I can't grumble but it's unfortunate to loose them like that!

 

She didn't lay fertile eggs last year so at least it's a step forward knowing she can.

I will look at getting her a new suitor for the spring!

Still on 63 chicks this morning and more importantly all doing well!

 

Five nest have 17 new eggs from later pairings.

 

On a different note, I also met Liv from the forum last night at the BSSA meeting, and was lucky enough to take home five of her lovely birds for future breeding.

 

Thanks Liv!

All is well in my shed with all of this seasons 63 chicks doing well.Pleased to say my second Ken Yorke Dark Wing laid her first egg today!She's paired to a Black Eyed Yellow as suggested by Ken.There are still five hens on 25 eggs in total,who are the late starters or second choice pairs.I should have some good pics to post from now on as the chicks feathers start appearing.

 

http://i744.photobucket.com/albums/xx85/je...57/P1020784.jpg

 

This is a picture of my 02 Spangle and his 6 chicks.He was certainly a surprise of this round!His now affectionately called "Hef" for obvious reasons!

Edited April 23, 201015 yr by Dave_McMinn

Wow, an 02 spangle who has successfully fathered all those chicks. That is pretty amazing.

 

Your birds sound like they are coming along very well and the pics are great. Too bad they are so big and they have to be changed to links.

Thanks Dave, he was certainly a surprise as he came with an aviary I bought and I thought he would see his days out in that aviary.

 

Also sorry to all about the picture size,I obviously loaded it without re sizing.

 

On photobucket what measurement is is best to select ?

 

Have a good weekend!

 

Go The Anzacs!

 

Cheers

 

Patrick