Yea I started a new one,

my other one was getting a little lengthy.

 

Anyway, this is what I've got so far:

 

#1 Normal Cobalt hen x Opaline Cobalt cock = Laid an egg off the perch today, hopefully she gets it right the next time.

 

#2 Cinnamon Grey hen x Normal Grey cock = Second round, 4 eggs. None are showing fertile and has been about 10 days since the last one. Will take them out soon.

 

#3 Cinnamon Grey Spangle hen x Yellow DF Spangle cock = Second round, 5 eggs, 2 showing fertile

 

#4 Cobalt Opaline hen x Normal Cobalt cock = Nothing yet, if nothing in the next week will replace one or both of them.

 

#5 Normal Grey hen x YF Dom Pied Opaline Cobalt cock = 2 eggs (maybe, she seemed to be laying when I checked on her this morning)

 

#6 Light Green Cinnamon hen x Sky Greywing cock = 2 eggs, too early to show fertile yet

 

I have two more breeding cages that can be filled. It seems to be the time of year where the boys in the aviary are getting a little rowdy. I just need to confirm the ages of four of my birds and I can get a couple more pairs in.

Edited July 9, 201113 yr by Maddy

Did you put pics in the other thread? What about putting a link to the old thread so we can see the pics if they are there?

 

Any plans for pics in this one?

No pics yet Been failing with my time management lately.

These pairs are in my new cabinets which are working a treat, much more manoeuvring room for me.

 

#1 Normal Cobalt hen x Opaline Cobalt cock = Laid another egg off the perch useless hen. But this one wasn't broken and I put it in the nest, so she has 1

#5 Normal Grey hen x YF Dom Pied Opaline Cobalt cock = 3 eggs, 1 showing fertile. Very exciting

#6 Light Green Cinnamon hen x Sky Greywing cock = 3 eggs, too early to show fertile yet. This was a hen that worried me as her second egg had blood on it. But egg number 3 is fine

I will get some pics hopefully tomorrow. Day off WOOO!

Good luck

I've changed the numbers on the pairs as I added one, but the pairs are the same.

 

#1 Normal Cobalt hen x Opaline Cobalt cock

 

The second egg she laid off the perch that i put in the nest was broken the next day.

I've problems with this hen eating her eggs.

But now she is up to 3 and sitting on them (somewhat) so fingers crossed

 

 

#2 Cinnamon Grey hen x Normal Grey cock

Took all four eggs out as they had nothing in them.

She has yet to lay more but she is in the nest. I got a bloody finger getting her out for the photo

#3 Cinnamon Grey Spangle hen x Yellow DF Spangle cock

Had 5 eggs with 2 fertile, now has 4 eggs with one fertile.

I have a sneaking suspicion she ate one of the fertile ones.

#4 Grey Green Rec Pied hen x Dark green Opaline cock

This was the pair I added in. They were already bonded and I decided to give them a go.

She's lacking in backskull, mask and a bit cut off at the bum.

But I'm hoping his features will mix in and I'll at least get some big chicks. No eggs yet, but she's kicked most of the nesting out.

I was actually worried she wouldn't fit in the nest box hole she's so big lol

#5 Cobalt Opaline hen x Normal Cobalt cock

She lacks backskull, but they both have a nice outline and decent masks.

No eggs yet, but I think she's getting a bit of an egg bum.

#6 Normal Grey hen x YF Dom Pied Opaline Cobalt cock

Had to get separate photos as she seemed to be concentrating on her eggs

This pair I'm excited for as she is a really good quality hen with length, blow, width and mask and so is he.

They have 3 eggs with 2 fertile.

#7 Light Green Cinnamon hen x Sky Greywing cock

I didn't realise my camera had focused on the bars and not them, so blurry town.

They have 4 eggs, none showing fertile. But they are both first timers so I'm cutting them some slack.

He lacks in width but has awesome backskull. They both have decent length but she has the better outline (when she sits straight)

I paired these 2 mostly for experimentation with colour though

 

 

Now my plan is to remove the white shelving I have in the bird room side and put in my other set of cabinets.

The white shelving I will keep but for now will be used to hold my bird stuff in my dads shed to give him some of his space back.

So then I will have 5 more cages that will be ready for pairs, but also able to hold chicks and hens when they are done.

I also took on of my 3 show cages and hung it up in the aviary.

This one I got for free when I was just starting out, so its missing patches of paint.

The birds treat it like a little cubby house, flying in and out of it all day long. I was a bit worried as one of my hens started to treat it like a nest, but she's lost interest.

Edited July 17, 201113 yr by Maddy

Very Nice Maddy i hope you get some lovely chicks

Thanks for the pics

Looks very organised Maddy, good luck with some lovely chicks.

Another unexpected death today.

 

The hen from Pair #5 was found on the bottom of the cage this morning.

I'm no expert, and I can't remember the actual term for it, but I think she may of had an in-laid egg.

So thats a real bummer

 

So thats minus another hen.

 

I did a count today of usable hens and cocks to get an idea of numbers and what I need to replenish them.

 

These are whats it the flight at the moment:

 

Hens = 8 (1 hen has proved useless, and 3 are on the small side and won't produce anything show worthy)

 

Cocks = 7 (4 cocks are on the small side and I really don't want to breed with small cocks.)

 

As with the breeding cages, I don't expect anything real special from pair #4 or #7.

They are merely experience pairs so that I can learn a bit more.

 

So as you can imagine, this is getting really frustrating and taking away some of the joy of it all

 

However...Pair #3 produce their first (and probably only) pinky today. So fingers crossed it lives.

But in saying it may be their only one, the hen laid 2 more eggs after the initial 4, so there may be more later on.

Sorry to hear that Maddy. Hopefully you still get some great chicks

Maddy she may have been egg bound? Hens are more inclined to get egg bound during winter.

I'm waiting for the weather to warm up before pairing mine up.

All the best with them and I'm looking forward in seeing some pinks

Another unexpected death today.

 

The hen from Pair #5 was found on the bottom of the cage this morning.

I'm no expert, and I can't remember the actual term for it, but I think she may of had an in-laid egg.

 

 

Internal egg layer ? You usually see signs of it in plenty of time. A non productive hen in the box with a distended yellowish lower belly to vent area.

 

Sounds like she was eggbound. Did you feel for an egg ?

I did feel for an egg, but there was nothing there.

I don't claim to be 100% sure on what happened. But I had no other explanation for it.

 

However, to ensure it doesn't happened again I'm getting me some cal-civet and everyone is getting a dose. Can't hurt right?

 

I know its not nice to lose birds, but I'm lucky in this case as the two recent deaths were no where near my best birds. So its giving me a chance to learn.

Its just funny that they were both young hens, neither old, and neither over-used. *scratches head*

 

 

However, to ensure it doesn't happened again I'm getting me some cal-civet and everyone is getting a dose. Can't hurt right?

 

 

 

You cant be breeding without a medicine cabinet of essentials........and calcivet is an essential.......amongst other things.

They have a constant supply of vitamins in their cage, and I'm pretty sure there is calcium amongst other things in it...I'm just not sure of the quantity.

 

But an extra dosage won't kill them

They have a constant supply of vitamins in their cage, and I'm pretty sure there is calcium amongst other things in it...I'm just not sure of the quantity.

 

But an extra dosage won't kill them

 

 

Please dont put all your faith in a multivitamin with a smidge of calcium.

Its not that (sorry I'm kind of skimping on info )

Another breeder in my club uses this stuff as well, and they have had no problems. I did ask if there was enough calcium to ensure a smooth breeding season from it, and it is always on constant supply (and the birds love it)

 

However, I feel that a dose of calcivet every now and then will ensure egg binding and internal layers don't happen. But because I'm not exactly sure if that happened this time, at least if another hen dies and they had the calcivet plus the vitamins, then I know for sure there is something else wrong.

 

But my pan is to get the calcivet, as well as some breeding aid formula to put in the breeders seed. Just to help them that little bit more.

Its all a learning curve for me.

 

On a brighter note, Pair #6 had a pinky hatch today.

A tad bigger than the one in Pair #3's box which is good as they are bigger birds (and the eggs were bigger too)

Must of only been fresh as the two halves of the egg were still in there.

Edited July 24, 201113 yr by Maddy

Just a quick update (sorry no pictures yet )

 

Pair #3 still has their little chick. Growing well, peeping away. They also have 2 eggs that are fertile, laid about 3 days before the pinky hatched. I'm not expecting them to hatch as they have a while to go, and I did contemplate fostering out the chick. However, the only other pair available was Pair #6, and I have never bred with that hen before (no has anybody) so I wanted to make sure she saw the job through to the end before I trust her with another hens chick

 

Pair #6 has two babies now. Rung the oldest today. The oldest is looking like an opaline.

 

Pair #1 was disbanded by me as the hen ate all of her eggs and I was just getting frustrated with her. I know you can fix it, but she's really not that good of a hen to waste my time with

 

Pair #4 has 4 eggs, 3 are looking fertile which is fantastic. And Pair #7 has nothing since I took out their eggs

I like your pairs Maddy, and you are doing fine, already some pinkies, sorry you lost one of your hens. But as the saying goes, where there is live stock there will be deaths. Well that is what I get told every time I loose a bird. lol

Yeah mdd keep chirping away

I know how you guys love pictures of little fluffy babies....

 

This is the only chick in the cinnamon spangle and DF spangle nest.

He/she has some yellow feathers coming through so I'm hoping for another DF

 

This is my Grey hen and YF Dom pied opaline nest.

This hen won't let me out of her sights which is why I had to take the picture with them still inside the nest.

Its also why the nest is not been cleaned yet lol (she bites)

But I did manage to ring them without having blood drawn so thats an achievement right there

 

The oldest chick has clear flights so it looks like a Dom pied.

The younger one has dark flights so it will be a normal. Both are blue based birds by the look of it, but whether they are grey or blue I'm yet to find out.

I'm hoping I'll get a YF out of this lot.

 

 

 

Once I'm finished my renovations I have plans to use this green hen.

She's only young (purple ringer) but not too young...there is no way I'm risking her life.

I got her for free from the chairman of my local club, as well as 2 cocks and another hen of lesser quality ( but good none the less)

I want to pair her to the grey green cock directly beneath her. I got him from the local pet shop, so I'm happy with him

 

oh what adorable little chicks, Maddy your birds in the aviary look good too, some nice birds there.

They look all great,

Update for today

 

Pair #4 (Rec pied hen and dark green cock) have all 4 eggs fertile.

Now I just have to cross my fingers that all 4 hatch.

Its the first time I've had the entire clutch be fertile. Its like a milestone.

Its also never a bad thing to find out you have a nice fertile male

 

The chicks I have are still growing.

At the moment I stick by what variety I called them

A yellow DF spangle, Dom pied (I think grey) and a normal (Colours on the last two are still questionable)

 

Pair #2 has 3 eggs, too early to show fertility yet

 

and pair #7 has 1 egg, laid today

 

I also did a bit of sprucing up and re-did some of my budgie records.

I made up my own sheet based on the one I saw in the book 'The Challenge'

(Great book, I recommend it)

 

If anyone wants to use it as well, I've uploaded it to my photobucket.

I like this one because it lets me put how many rounds (max of 3) they had and the success of each.

http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z474/Pink-Budgie/Screenshot2011-08-07at75532PM.png

Where did you get the book the challenge. can you buy it or local library. who is it by.