It is pied and the dark markings on its head confused me. After I typed it I knew it had to be opaline, but the dark bars. When I typed it i forgot that the pied gene mixess everything up. The thing that clinched it again for me when I was looking at the young bird was the green that appeared in the wings. I thought maybe Mum wasn't but she is.

 

A picture I forgot to add

 

They are looking really nice, Dave!

We are having the mother of all thunderstorms here. It has been pouring on and off for the better part of 5 hours. There is flash flooding all over Sydney, including my aviary and my breeding room. Nothing on the ground in the breeding room, so water runs in one side and runs out the other. Nothing I can do at the moment for the breeding room until I do some further concreting over the summer.

 

The hail earlier would have been a new experience for the birds. Hail the diameter of 20 cent coins ricocheting off the roof of the aviary would have scared a few. Luckily the shade umbrella was still up, so that would have deflected a lot of it.

 

Meant to be a wet day tomorrow, so no chance of a repreieve there.

Jut checked on the birds, and this is where we stand

 

Pair 1 - Grey Cock to YF Grey Hen

 

Second round of eggs all infertile. I have removed the nestbox of these guys, I will give them a chance to get their energy levels up again, then they will return to the aviary.

 

Pair 2 - GreyGreen Cock to DF Yellow Spangle Hen

 

Previously they had 1 chick who is feathering up nicely. This chick will opbviously be a spangle, but I am thinking greygreen spangle. The good news is that another chick has hatched in this nestbox. I am keeping a close eye on it to ensure it is fed.

 

Pair 3 - GreyGreen Cinnamon Cock to GreyGreen Opaline Dommie Pied Hen

 

I had removed the nestbox of these two for a week, and then replaced it. All eggs were infertile in the first round, but the hen has just layed her first egg for round number 2. We will see.

 

Pair 4 - GreyGreen Spangle Cock to a DF Yellow Spangle Hen

 

All eggs were infertile in round 1 and it looks like the only 1 that was fertile in round 2 is DIS. THe nestbox will be removed tomorrow and the birds will have some time to feed up before returning to the aviary.

 

Pair 5 - Opaline Violet Cock to Green Hen

 

One egg layed off a perch and one egg layed and then consumed in first round. I am giving them another week before I call it quits with this pair.

 

Pair 6 - Green Cock and Green Spangle Hen (St Jude)

 

5 eggs layed, 1 fertile, a cinnamon spangle hen. St Jude also is a foster mother to a DF Yellow Spangle Cock, an Opaline Dominant Pied Hen, and a Opaline Sky Blue Dominant Pied Spangle Cock

 

Pair 7 - Violet Opaline Spangle Cock to GreyGreen Cinnamon Hen

 

Hen turned out to be an internal egg layer. Cock returned to the aviary, unfortunately hen did not recover and passed away.

 

Pair 7 - Sky Violet Opaline Spangle Cock to Green Opaline Dominant Pied Spangle Hen

 

3 young are currently being fostered by St Jude. Hen has layed 3 eggs now and she is sitting on the eggs. Hoping for more blues, but they are all loved equally.

 

I will try to get pics tomorrow.

 

I am also thinking of new pairs and who I will put down with whom.

 

I am thinking of a successful pair of the past - grey/violet/cinnamon cock to an albino hen - as well as a Sky Cock/Ino to a GreyGreen Hen, a Sky Cinnamon Cock to a DF Spangle Hen and maybe a few others. I will give it some more thought and post pics soon.

Sounds like your breeding has picked up Dave, pleased for you

What a hot weekend we have had. 33 here yesterday and 34 here today. Storms each night. Now is the time to stop the breeding season, so that is what I have been doing. Over the last week I have removed breedng boxes and given the bird the chance to rest.

 

Normally I would leave them in the breeding room longer, but this heat is not the best, so I have assessed them and then moved them to the aviary, where it is cooler.

 

4 pair remain in the breeing room.

 

St Jude with her hubby and the 4 young (3 fosters) - Light green/cinnamon cock with a light green spangle hen

 

Dumb and his Dommie partner have 4 eggs - Opaline Violet Sky Blue Opaline Spanlge with a Light Green/sky blue opaline dommie pied spangle hen

 

GreyGreen Cock and DF Yellow Spangle Hen have a dark green spangle cock and a baby who is yet to feather up

 

Cinnamon GreyGreen Cock and a GreyGreen Opaline Dommie Pied Hen have 4 eggs.

 

I will leave these birds in there as long as is necessary, but after that, I will remove all birds to the aviary (young might need to come inside for a while) as it will be too hot over summer, if November is anything to go by.

 

Pics to come.

Same here Dave, last week it was 33 and the babies were layed flat out spread everywhere the poor little things , I was sure I would loose them. the last 2 days it has been much better but the heat will be back.

I promised my selve this time last year I would not breed this late because last year the birds that bred in the heat nearly all got french moult and I had never had it before. $ I blamed the heat through stress. Someone told me it happens when the birds get tied but these pairs were thier 1st rounds so I am saying heat and stress.

My opinion only.

But also I have had enough too.

Can't wait to see the photos Dave

Same here Dave, last week it was 33 and the babies were layed flat out spread everywhere the poor little things , I was sure I would loose them. the last 2 days it has been much better but the heat will be back.

I promised my selve this time last year I would not breed this late because last year the birds that bred in the heat nearly all got french moult and I had never had it before. $ I blamed the heat through stress. Someone told me it happens when the birds get tied but these pairs were thier 1st rounds so I am saying heat and stress.

My opinion only.

But also I have had enough too.

Can't wait to see the photos Dave

I agree with you Splat on the heat and stress theory of french moult. When I had french moult go through a long while back it was during the hot weather.

Thanks Kaz. I am really worried because I have my white df spangle with 6 chicks and I really have big hopes on this nest but I am scared they will be all french moult because it is getting so hot.

A quick photo update.

 

St Jude's Nestbox - All together

 

 

 

Daughter - Light Green Cinnamon Spangle Hen

 

 

Lazarus - DF Yellow Spangle with Heavy Suffusion

 

 

 

Dark Green Dominant Pied Opaline Cock

 

 

Youngest - Sky Blue Opaline Dominant Pied - here is the problem - the markings are not cinnamon, if anything they look grey, very light.

 

 

 

 

 

DF Yellow hens Nestbox

 

Dark Green Spangle Cock

 

 

Dark Green Spangle Cock with little brother/sister

 

 

Eggs in other nestboxs - neither hen seems keen to sit so i am close to throwing them all.

 

I think these are all infertile

 

 

I think one of these is fertile

 

 

So there you have an update. Photos included.

Chicks look great Dave, I don't worry about the Df spangle because he might moult the suffusion out in his first moult. Last year I bred 2 yellow df sp from the same nest and they both had green suffusion as small chicks but after their 1st moult is was all gone and still is and the are at about 18 months old now. But saying all that some time they don't and it just gets worse as they get older like my yellow df sp my best cock he looks like a light pied now and he is 3 years old, each year the suffusion gets darker.

Good luck with them Dave.

You have some nice big headed babies in there Dave. Check Lazarus though..........looks to have undershot beak ? But it could just be the photo

Edited November 16, 201014 yr by **KAZ**

The photos don't look good do they

 

i will check him in the morning, but i have not noticed it, so I might be sloppy, or the photos might be deceiving

 

Splat, I do hope he moults it out. We will see.

 

I am interested in how the little one colours up as well.

Some sad news today, Lazarus lost his battle with life today.

 

Lazarus had a bit of an undershot beak. I had fixed it but it seems he had not been eating enough. I was supplementing his feedings with some hand raising mix, but I came home today and found he had not made it. Sad, since he had had a tough life.

 

The others are doing well.

 

St Jude was looking at laying more eggs, and she kept constantly cleaning out the box. She removed seed, millet, shavings, everything. I seperated St Jude. She may lay another egg off a perch, but no more nesting for her. She was a good mother, but she is getting a break over summer.

well a shame at lest you try to save him

Some sad news today, Lazarus lost his battle with life today.

 

Lazarus had a bit of an undershot beak. I had fixed it but it seems he had not been eating enough. I was supplementing his feedings with some hand raising mix, but I came home today and found he had not made it. Sad, since he had had a tough life.

 

very sad dave.........he did have a poopy bottom in that photo too

either a health issue or a poopy bottom also indicates not eating enough.

He was looking pretty good feather-wise too

Edited November 20, 201014 yr by **KAZ**

After the whole bleeding from the mouth when i found him stone cold, I was always worried.

 

I look back at those photos and I look at this feather growth and it look messy. I blamed the pooey bum on the fact that there were 4 little ones in the nestbox and everything I put in Mum (St Jude) removed.

 

I have put the Dommie Pied Hen and her partner Dumb back in the aviary, seperated St Jude and given extra millet and treats to the little ones, which I have seen them nibbling.

 

Pics tomorrow if I get a chance - taking my nephews to Harry Potter (saw it Thursday but this is for them, then taking them shopping for Christmas presents from me and from their grandparents - easier for me to take them then the grandparents.

okay, now the BBC is back up, update time.

 

St Jude has returned to the aviary. Three little ones still in with their Dad/Foster Dad.

 

Cinnamon Green Spangle Hen

Light Green Opaline Dominant Pied

Sky Blue Opaline Spangle Greywing Dominant Pied - still not sure of the greywing. Looks more grey than cinnamon, but that may be due to the fade out.

 

DF Yellow Spangle Hen with GreyGreen Cock

Light Green Spangle Cock

Spangle young one not yet feathered.

 

Only 5 suriving chicks in their tough breeding season.

 

Pics to come hopefully later tonight

Although I am the only one still writing in this thread, i will continue, if for nothing more than my own amusement.

 

Most young are going well. I am having a few issues with one little one I am calling George, as in Curious George, as he is always trying to get into new stuff. It seems that his foster father is not feeding him, and he is only still mastering it himself, so I have moved him into a new nest, his 3rd in his short life so far. All seems good so far. He was one of the ones that was thrown out onto the floor, so I am not sure if there was any long term damage from that. I do not think so, but I observed him today. Dad was feeding the others, but when he went in to get food, Dad pecked him away. He was thin when i picked him up. I tried to supplement hsi feeding with some hand rearing formula, but he was not playing nice. I still need to learn to crop feed (I know Kaz, I know!!!)

 

Anyway, he was moved in with the other young, with the DF Yellow Spangle hen. Here are some pics.

 

Son of St Jude - Cinnamon Light Green Spangle Hen

 

Daughter of Dumb - Cinnamon Opaline Sky Blue Dommie Pied Hen

 

Son of Dumb - Curious George - Opaline Light Green Dommie Pied Cock

 

Son of DF Yellow Spangle Hen - Light Green Spangle Cock

 

Child of DF Yellow Spangle Hen - Yellow based Spangle Cock

George is looking do much better. I checked him this morning and he appeared more responsive so the parents of this nestbox must have fed him. I will check in on him again when I get home but it all seems positive right now.

 

Hopefully Dad continues feeding the other 2 or I might need to move them. More pics over the weekend. I don't think George is a spangle, but I will have to check, his pied markings make things confusing.

You may be the only one posting but I always read your updates

 

By the way, is it just me or does that first baby, the Cinnamon Light Green Spangle Hen look like she's got the beginnings of french moult? Hope not given all the other drama.

 

I have a chick (a cinnamon opaline light green hen) the same age as curious george. Her foster father died 2 days ago and mum decided she would rather start chewing and cleaning the nest box than feed her 4 chicks. 3 oldest can feed themselves but the youngest hatched 6 days after the second youngest and is not fully feathered or eating by itself like the others. I taught myself how to crop feed yesterday as the only other cock i could put her with (has 4 chicks of his own) was trying to mate with her and refused to feed her for a whole day. Fortunately she survived as I was at work and had to drive to a friends place to borrow the crop needle...

 

The formula barely squeezes through the crop needle its not easy. Might have the wrong size but my friend lives a fair way away and i have no time to go back for a bigger one yet. Might not need to as this one does work (16 gauge i think).

The last update came as I was sitting in the Doctor's waiting room so now I am home, i can give a further update.

 

I was worried about Dad feeding the young, and he seems to be feeding only his own chick, not the fosters, so I have also moved the blue dommie pied hen in with the DF Yellow Spangle. They look to be going well in there. George looks great.

 

As for the possible FM chick, I am not sure. I hope it is simply because she is still feathering up but we will see.

Youngest - Sky Blue Opaline Dominant Pied - here is the problem - the markings are not cinnamon, if anything they look grey, very light.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dave, was this one born with plum eyes or black eyes?

Markings are grey not brown.

I do not remember the eye colour.

 

I thought the colour was grey too, but to get a grewying both of the birds must be split greywing or one could be split greywing and the other dilute.

 

I have never seen this before with these either or these pairs.

 

I will be interested to see what happens if these birds are paired up again.