Andyn

Hi Mal, welcome to the forum. There is a big bird sales day at Newark on Sunday where you probably would find what you want. http://www.embba.co.uk/ Or PM a member on here 'Norfolk Flyer'. Hope you find what you'r looking to get. Enjoy them!

Kev, I don't have Penguin so can't really answer your main question I'm afraid, but any chicks/birds with white tail or white in their wing flight feathers are Pied. So perhaps Pied Penguin. I see one with an ordinary tail, so, if no white flights in wings it could be a normal Penguin. Smart looking birds though.

Your new bird looks to be a Fawn Pied hen and seems to be quite dominant. Apart from separation (which defeats the object of having two I guess) you could just let them get on with it but obviously keep an eye on them in case it gets too aggressive. They should settle down with each other once the pecking order is established. The other thing is, if you buy males you will need two otherwise the two hens could start fighting over a single. You could take the new hen back to wherever you bought her and tell them it is a hen and you wanted a Cock. Which should have reddish cheek patches, a thick chest bar and red & white speckling along it's flanks. Much the same as the bird in the following photo. This is a Black Breasted but you get the idea what it looks like There are variations depending on the mutation of the bird and a Pied would have broken patches, chest & flanks. Avoid White as both sexes are same colour and you would need to see it singing to know it was a cock. Don't be afraid to ask questions on here

The 'Blotches' are part of the Pied make up and I see a white patch on the Fawn and. If it has white flight feathers somewhere then that's a Pied too.

That picture suggests that it is a Pied. I believe the best way to tell a pied if it's not obvious is by looking for a white bib just under the bottom part of the beak. Some times you get just one white flight or tail feather. Some call these splits but technically they are Pied. As it is a recessive gene it takes two to make one. So both parents need to be carrying the Pied gene. When you say 'Blotches' is it on their backs or tummy. Photos would be useful Kev.

Sorry to hear about the chick Kev. I know about the Sparrow Hawks. It seems that August is the time for the young to 'Go it alone'. We have a football rattle for when we see them/it around. They do get the idea that there is no free lunch and eventually leave us alone. They do buzz the aviary now and again though. Like it's 'Just for fun'.

So both parents are Normal Penguin then. But what colour is the chick in the top pic? It looks kinda Fawn but that could just be the lighting (and my eyes ?) Perhaps post a clearer shot of that one if you could.

Bottom one will be 'Normal' but can't quite determine the colour of top one Kev, If it's Fawn then that is the colour it'll be. What colour/mutation are the parents?

Hi Jo, and welcome to the forum. Some of us have experience of hand rearing but my own is limited to crop feeding for only a few days before the parents took over, but member 'Emmy' is the queen of hand rearing. So, when you are ready to ask your questions go right ahead. There is also a pinned article on here on how to make up a syringe and soft tube for feeding. I'll try and find it and give you the link. Enjoy your birds!! Here's that link. -

So will try and help here Penny. I think if you go on 'Efinch' site and see the difference between Lightback and Silver and the Fawn to Cream. The cocks in Cream are are creamy body colour and the Cheek patch is lighter than Fawn. The only way I can tell a hen cream is that the body colour is lighter than Fawn and the tail and tear marking are a lighter colour than Fawns ones. (I only just started with cream this year). Your Pied Penguins would be shown in Pied Class. (it's a Pied in the first description) In the description of Normal Hen the underparts (belly) should be 'Buff' but the Normal Cock 'White' but may be 'fawnish' near the vent. I've only ever bred Lightback Pieds but they were noticeable from the lightness of the grey on their backs. Description says 'Silvery Grey with 'White underparts with 'Pale Orange' cheek patch. A Silver description says Pale silvery grey on head and neck with back and wings 'Silver Grey and 'Pale Orange or Cream cheek patches. Hope that helps. I knew the Chris Blackwell book would come in handy. But if you are concerned bring them to the SW&SCZFC Summer Show on 12th August and we'll get the more senior members to check you have them right before you enter the cages. (it's enter on the day) See you there maybe.

I know this might sound obvious but have you seen other birds doing this to her and then she is trying to tidy her self up. Unfortunately, the sight of blood does seem to make others peck at it more. Mine are usually tails and if there is blood more pile in. Have to separate, wash staining etc. off and let bird rest for a couple of days on it's own. It might all be down to breeding and nest building so the under dog is plucked for the nesting material. Hope that helps. Andyn

Hi Claire and welcome to the Forum. When you have sorted your birds out you might want to try a trick explained to us by member Emmy- Tie parcel string in bunches of strands around the cage/aviary. This will hopefully distract any feather pluckers by them going at the string instead. And if they get a bit off it can go into the nesting material. Andy

Absolutely BRILLIANT. It could only happen with Emmy. Lovely story!! Andy

I'm going to have to pass on this one. I'm not into mutations very much. Sorry! I know a member who is and I'll drop him a PM and ask if he can help. Andy

Hi and welcome to the Forum. I'm sure there are members who would be able to help you. It would also help if you could post photos of the bird in question, but also include a close up of it's head and tail. andyn

Hi Matt, and welcome to the world of Zebra Finches. I have pairs that refuse to go into any nest box I provide and also tried a Canary Nest Pan. Some pairs took to that but others built on the cage floor. (took all the nesting material out of the box to build it though. (daft or what)) Can you fix your box high up so that there is no space on the roof? Also what type of entrance do you have?. If it's a round 'bob hole' perhaps change it to a full open one. (letter box opening) Usually half open fronted. Hope that helps Andyn

Absolutely Brilliant!!!!!!!

Here's to a great day for a great friend and mentor. Enjoy your retirement Peter.

I love that photo. Shame you've already posted it cos I recon that would have done well in our monthly photo competition.

At a first look I would say that it is a White. The beak usually change to the Orange/Red when they get older. If it is a White then both parents are carrying the Pied/White gene which is recessive and requires two to make a visual one. (hope that makes sense) Sorry, just noticed that the parent cock is a visual White so the hen is carrying the gene.

When you say 'Orange' beak was it more a 'Bone' colour? If it was/ is then it could be a White/Pied. If it was true yellow then it could be a member of the Yellow Beak variety. Your other chick (if that is the one in the photo) looks to be a Grey or Black Cheeked mutation. Hope that someone else helps out here. Andy

6 weeks is only 1 week on from being removed from parents and providing there has been no feather plucking it would be another 2 - 3 weeks maybe. If you think that the White one might be a cock then watch carefully and you might catch it trying to sing and the beak should go red.

That's 3 x sex linked so how would that work out. All hens would be CFW. But which of the Sex link would be the dominant factor? would it be some CFW/Fawn cocks or CFW/Light Back or Light Back/CFW or Fawn/CFW. Strewth!!! Trevor... Help!!!!

Hope you have a good day Andy.

Thanks Lee. Feeling a little better today too.