Unfortunately on two notes I didn't think about nesting materials until after I put the eggs into the nestbox, and I can't bring the birds inside as we are looking after a couple of cats for a friend and they personally are mean looking things that I wouldn't want anywhere near my birds. I do have some wood shavings like you get for rabbits and I was looking at putting that in after the chicks hatched, but I'm starting to rethink a lot of things.

Do you think I could put porridge oats in now without touching the eggs? I have some oats in the freezer (will defrost them first)

 

Seriously this was not the plan, there were no nestboxes in the avairy but she made her own nest in the plant and I honestly thought they were both going out of breeding condition, guess I was wrong.

 

 

If they are dry porridge oats, allow them to get warm and you can lift the eggs with a spoon, put the oats in and replace the eggs all in one movement quickly while she is out of the nest.

Do you have a spare room you can put the cage in away from the cats ? All this based on your concern about keeping them warm

The only room I have would be my closet. A little too dark I think for their liking. I have sat down and considered alot of places that I could put them but taking into account the cats and my children (one is 2yrs who likes to run around the house opening and closing doors all the time), well not many places would keep them safe. Where they are now I know there are now draughts and they get covered at night to help keep them that little bit warmer. It's just always a worry as we all know how quickly the weather can go from cool to cold overnight. I actually thought maybe I could put a little blanket of some sort in there but then maybe the eggs would too hot, I really don't know.

 

The oats I have are Lowan Whole foods Wholegrain rolled oats. Will this be suitable? What would I do if she decides that she doesn't like them?

That's a mouthful and a half. He is paired with a YF grey/green cinnamon opaline, which is one of my original birds I had when I joined this forum. That is what everybody said she was anyways.

I saw only one person say YF and all others said opaline cinnamon grey green not yellowface. I would say not YF.

Why did you choose that pairing ?

 

 

My I ask if this would be a bad pairing for colour? I was considering changing pairs and have Blizzard paired with Sky (after chicks and in summer) hoping with their colours I should get something nice, then I was going to pair my two greens not sure on that one. Can anyone give me a run down all their colours just so I know.

 

Cheers

Anne Marie

Hi, Is you aviary covered? Is your cage still within Aviary? With nest box's under cover I found the heat generated in nest box with a few chicks was amazing. Mine bred Aug. last year only lost one because Mum hadn't covered it overnight. If she's only just laid it will be into mid July when they should hatch. My theory is if Mum keeps eggs warm during winter she should also keep chicks warm. Since it's already in progress just take it as it come's I'd say. I added wood shavings when my chick's started to hatch.

Good luck with it, I know you can get some hum-dinger frost's around your area, finger's crossed it's o.k. :bump:

The first egg is due to hatch around 10 july. She just laid the fourth one today and is now spending quite alot of time in the box. Yes the cage is now in the avairy and as I was having troubles with leo I decided to cage the other birds and put Leo back with her boyfriend and into the avairy also in a cage. So basically all birds are in the avairy but in cages. How sad to see them like that but Budge and Sky really stuffed up my grand plans and I couldn't leave the quails completely alone. The front of the avairy has a blind that I can pull down to stop any wind and what not and as it is winter I have been adding a blanket to cover their cage and then covering the avairy. Hopefully this will be enough.

No frosts yet thank goodness.

 

PS Is there a way to tell if the eggs are being kept warm enough?

Hahahaha! I think I commented some time ago that people on here LOVE to see YF.... oh and violet too.

 

Budge is definitely not GF but looks to be either a olive or a violet green. Breeding results will give you the answer to that one.

 

Violet cheek patches are the normal colour for budgies. Dark factor birds and violet darkens the cheek patches to very dark sometimes almost black. Grey lightens the cheek patches to a steely blue to grey colour.

 

Oops sorry a bit behind the posts aren't I..... I do that ALLLLL the time .... sheesh :bump:

Edited June 27, 201014 yr by nubbly5

The first egg is due to hatch around 10 july. She just laid the fourth one today and is now spending quite alot of time in the box. Yes the cage is now in the avairy and as I was having troubles with leo I decided to cage the other birds and put Leo back with her boyfriend and into the avairy also in a cage. So basically all birds are in the avairy but in cages. How sad to see them like that but Budge and Sky really stuffed up my grand plans and I couldn't leave the quails completely alone. The front of the avairy has a blind that I can pull down to stop any wind and what not and as it is winter I have been adding a blanket to cover their cage and then covering the avairy. Hopefully this will be enough.

No frosts yet thank goodness.

 

PS Is there a way to tell if the eggs are being kept warm enough?

 

Hi Annie, just caught up again,(visitors), sounds like you are doing everything you can, now it's up to the bird's. Mum will keep eggs warm. I'd just continue on and wait until eggs hatch. Which they will if mother nature says so!!

Once chick's hatch, if they hatch overnight and aren't covered you may have a problem BUT one step at a time. It should be a bit warmer if they are in cages within aviary anyway. Don't worry until there's something to worry about. Know you did your best and that's all you can do. :rofl:

Keep us posted with results. :question:

Thanks for all the replies.

 

I feel really stupid at the moment letting Sky lay these eggs, I should have got rid of the ones she laid in the plant and be done with it. Unfortunately I couldn't bring myself to do that. I believe that if Sky wanted to have babies and I prevented her from doing so she would get upset even depressed (all animals have feelings and emotions, so I believe anyway). So now that she is laying and sitting and waiting I figure I had better do everything that I am able to do to help her.

 

Do the eggs hatch around the same time of day that they were laid? If so, well I would be looking between 2:30pm and 5:00pm as somewhere between these times is when she has laid all of her eggs. Still mostly daylight I suppose.

Maybe if I wrap an extra blanket around the actual nestbox to help keep the chicks warm, do you think this would help or scare the birds? Just a thought.

 

Again thanks for the help it is much appreciated.

 

Anne Marie

Hi Annie,

Can't help with what time eggs hatch. Mine seemed to hatch early to mid morn but that could just be coincidence. More abservant breeders may be able to tell you. I don't think you need extra blanket. Once chick is hatched and Mum feed's it she should cover it, that's all warmth they need. It's only if you get one hatch that isn't noticed and not covered you might have trouble. Adding wood shavings, oats etc. will help with warmth as well. Check as early as you can each day during hatching, if you find a chick in trouble you may be able to help if your quick enough. Warming it in hands, blowing warm air on it, I even gave one that I found gasping, a couple of drops of warm water and sugar from eye dropper, which it took, put it back under Mum and it survived.

Hi Robyn,

 

Thanks for the help. I do believe Sky is heading for egg seven today, I hope not I just want her to stop laying before she runs out of room.

 

I really hope I don't have to do any life-saving but if needed I will do what I can.

 

Anne Marie

Hi Annie,

I had some clutch's of 9 & 10. That's a bit much for birds to manage, I fostered out a couple, one pair still raised 8 on their own.

It will depend on how many eggs are fertile, you may only get a few hatch or all. Either way they should be fine. :laughter: It's all a good experience for future breeding. One nest is easier to manage than a lot of them at once. :laughter:

Hi Annie, It's just about hatch time, don 't forget to keep us posted with any results.

Hi Annie, It's just about hatch time, don 't forget to keep us posted with any results.

 

 

Hi Robyn,

 

Its 2 days past due date and nothing. Hopefully as GB said in another post the cold weather delays hatching so I may still end up with one or two. Heres hoping anyway.

 

Anne Marie

Hi Annie,

If Mum is still sitting etc. still looks good. Depends which of them are fertile.

Did she end up with 7 eggs ?