October 26, 201014 yr I also enjoyed your narrative Dave. You have a great way with your writing. Its like we were there with you
October 26, 201014 yr I also enjoyed your narrative Dave. You have a great way with your writing. Its like we were there with you Agreed. My heart was in my throat, worrying that you were going to step on one of the missing chicks!
October 26, 201014 yr Yes Dave I agree also, your writing was so good I actually had to check myself numerous times while reading your post and remind myself that it was actually not a great novel I kept getting lost in, it was you explaing to us what happened to you and your budgies one night. although with all this wonderful feedback about your writting maybe it is time to put the teaching on the backburner and get into writing novels
October 26, 201014 yr Enjoyed the read Dave but sorry you lost a chick but you did save 2. Dave the same thing happened to me a couple of years ago. I went to the bird room and it was winter and I was doing my usual check and I thought hey where's the front of that nest gone, any way dad was flying and around mum was in the cage but there were no chicks, there should of being 4 chicks there, all around 3 weeks old, so a little feathered up. There was a bucket below that cage luckily with a towel in it and to my surprise there were 2 chicks in the bucket, soft landing. But there were 2 chicks missing couldn't find them anywhere. The cages sat on a box with the opening at the back so I went and got the drill and drilled a hole and then the hand saw and started sawing away and there were my little chicks cuddled up in the farest corner. They were all alive covered in spider web I was horrified. I cleaned them up, they were okay but very hungry so I put them back in with mum and dad and quickly made a new front for the nest. I sawed the whole top front off that box so if it happened again I could find them straight away. One of those chicks when on to be best young beginner bird in show so you could see how desperate I was to find them, he is my yellow DF spangle. Edited October 26, 201014 yr by splat
October 26, 201014 yr Author Thanks for all the positive comments. Rung 2 of the moved birds (checked the ring number on the bird that is not fostered to avoid future confusion). All chicks are good, fed, warm and active this morning. I am thinking that for names for the birds involved. I am thinking the foster mum will be named Jude as St Jude is the patron saint of lost causes As for the 2 who looked dead and survived maybe Lazarus and somethign else, depending on gender
October 29, 201014 yr Author Update on the bubs. The 4 bubs in the one nestbox are all doing well. The original chick in this nestbox looks like she is going to be a green cinnamon spangle. Lazarus - the eldest foster chick looks like he/she will be a DF Spangle Unnamed - the second eldest foster chick looks like being a dommie pied spangle - all yellow Youngest chick - no discernible colour yet. Also some very good news is that the first little chick of a possible 4 fertile eggs (2 eggs look infertile) has been born to the pair of GreyGreen Cinnamon Cock to a DF Yellow Spangle Hen
October 29, 201014 yr good to hear the babies are doing well and I think the name Jude is a great name for the hen
October 30, 201014 yr Author I got some pics All together in the nestbox Lazarus - DF Yellow Spangle Cock Cinnamon Spangle Hen (Non foster) Dominant Pied Spangle - legs do not appear splayed despite pics Too young to tell Little Chick Newborn - Spangle (mum is a DF spangle) Hoping for a fertile egg out of this lot but not hopeful Protective Mum More pics tomorrow - possibly Edited October 30, 201014 yr by Dave_McMinn
October 30, 201014 yr Author Terrific.......photos at last One showing fertile in this clutch It is very frustrating when they lay so many eggs only to only get 1 young - if I am lucky.
October 30, 201014 yr One showing fertile in this clutch How can you tell from that photo? If I was going to guess which one it would be the top (as in top of the picture) middle egg, but I have no idea why I think that one... it looks slightly, ever so slightly, lighter than the others...
October 30, 201014 yr Fertile eggs go pearly white. Unfertile eggs look pale peachy coloured. Correct egg guesswork Jimmy
November 6, 201014 yr Author Update: There are five young from the last round. All look good. I will get some photos later today, but an update so far. St Jude's nestbox Light Green Cinnamon Wing Spangle Hen - this is the daughter of St Jude DF Yellow Spangle/blue - the oldest of the fostered chicks Light Green Opaline Dominant Pied - definitely not splayed legs Sky Blue Opaline Dominant Pied Spangle (?) - I was pleasantly surprised to see that the wing feathers are white, not yellow. This means that the mother hen is split blue, something I was unaware of. Dumb and Hen After suffering the tragedy of the problems with the nestbox and getting a new nestbox, two new eggs been layed in the nestbox. GreyGreen Cinnamon Wing and DF Yellow One chick and doing well. All other pairs appear to have infertile eggs. For some, this is their second round of infertile eggs, so the nestboxes will be removed and the pairs will have a chance to improve their health before returning to the aviary.
November 7, 201014 yr Author Weekends have meant very little to me recently. I have been working 6 days a week and 14 hours a day. Sundays were used to let the body recover before the next week started. Although I am going to get pics now.
November 7, 201014 yr Author Here are the 4 chicks in St Jude's Nestbox Light Green Cinnamon Wing Spangle Hen - this is the daughter of St Jude DF Yellow Spangle/blue - the oldest of the fostered chicks Light Green Dominant Pied - definitely not splayed legs - both parents were opaline but this one is not. Sky Blue Opaline Dominant Pied Spangle - guessing here The little chick on its own is yet to feather up Dumb and his hen have 2 new eggs So there you go. More pics later in the week - hopefully.
November 7, 201014 yr Lovely photos Dave. Seeing some really nice chicks there Light Green Dominant Pied - definitely not splayed legs - both parents were opaline but this one is not.
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