Emmy

Welcome Martin I believe when you reach retirement age that's an excellent hobby to have.(as well as your other hobbies) Its good you have dog too and when you're out walking a dog I have found lots of people who would normally not stop and chat if they didn't know you very well do stop when the dog is there. (I have a Chihuahua but he is the BOSS!) I spend a lot of time with the birds I have and I talk to them non stop! (lol) I hope you enjoy the forum looking forward to reading your posts. Emmy

You've got some really nice colours there Penny. Bet you will have a lot more by the end of the summer Emmy

Dave just ask any of the people at the entry table most of them know me as Emmy too (lol) Would be nice to meet you. I'm usually at the tables on the left hand side as you come into the hall. Emmy

I thinking my 'mum' is neglecting telling you all about my progress so, as the title says from now on I'm taking over her Blog although I shouldn't say this I think she is on the 'Go-Slow' and shouldn't have so many birds (at least that's what I keep hearing her family say! - hope she doesn't read this or I may be the first to go- that's what I've heard people say, "The last one in is the first one out" Well, never mind-- 'Mum' is really OK so let's get on with my progress. I think I've got a secret admirer and her name is Tika but the problem is she is already sharing a cage with Tiko but she is the same colour as me but not the same type of bird, but now in this generation it seems that doesn't matter She is always coming to sit on the top of my cage and looks down at me and she has scared Tiko away when he came close but 'Mum' wont let me out at the same time as Tika -wonder why? This isTika on top of my cage. I've been getting LOTS of treats lately I think Mum is trying to discover what my favourite things are and she has managed to get me to fly onto her arm to get the sugarsnap peas - they are even better than the custard cream biscuit I sometimes get. I do love Chicory as well so most of my food is healthy food but no way will Mum let me taste the chocolate that she eats or the coffee she drinks - I can't understand why she wont let me get a taste of that when she eats so much of that herself and is never without a cup of coffee beside her! Me enjoying my Chicory I'm off to bed now -- I need at least 9 hours sleep every night because if I don't get that I can become a bit 'Grumpy' I think I heard Mum say my new cage will be arriving on Friday I'll tell you about that when it comes -Just hope I like it! Bobby

That's OK Dave just let me know and I'll help if I can. Thought this may be of interest to you. Maybe a bit too far away for you. There is another bird sale on the last Sunday of every month in Fife its held at the Queen Victoria Hall, (next to the bowling green) in Main Street, Coaltown of Balgonie, Fife, KY7 6HS. Entry fee £1 doors open at 1pm - you have to be there on time though to get the pick of the birds. There's also bird seed etc etc for sale too. It's usually over by 1.45pm. I go to that one every month (weather permitting - I wont drive if its icy or snowing lol) Emmy

Well this morning I'm getting the Madagastar love bird parrots (Agapornis Canus) prepared for breeding. I have separated the hens from the cocks (in the same cage but with a divider in place- just following instructions I was given) so Chico1 & 2 can still see Chica 1& 2. Maybe keep them like that for 2/3 weeks then pair them up. Because I will soon be having work done in the bird shed and the ' M. love birds' are very timid and get distressed very easily I've decided to keep their cage in the house (I'll be in BIG trouble because of this decision if I'm found out ) The two hens - Chica 1 & Chica 2 The two cocks - Chico 1 & Chico 2 (I think? Looks like they are beginning to moult just now ) Emmy

Sorry Gary and Sarah I seem to have missed the last two replies to this post Yes Gary another 4 new additions (5 counting Bobby the Amazon parrot lol) (They are DEFINITLEY the last) Sarah I know I just wont be able to keep any chicks they have. I just wont have the space and I need the extra cages for the canaries I need to pair up. but IF my Barrabands breed I will find it VERY difficult to part with any of their chicks - but the way things are going with them I doubt if I'll ever get any chicks from them. Tika (the hen) seems to prefer Bobby the Amazon parrot rather than Tiko her 'so called' mate- but he's moulting just now so perhaps she'll change her mind when he gets all his beautiful new feathers. Emmy

Hope all goes well in the future with the Fife Canaries. Shortly I'm going to be trying to catch some of my Fifes from the outside flight to pair them up, just keeping fingers crossed they will be agreeable (lol) Emmy

Hi the sand I have used has aniseed through it but I have also used the sand that is bought for nursery children to use in their play sand pit - so there would be no problem about it being safe for quails. Emmy

The main reason I take Bimbo into the store with me is because I wont leave him in the car on his own -- it could become too hot or too cold in the car in a very short period of time. The other reason is -when I was already at the shopping centre, it was silly to drive all the way home with him and then have to drive all the way back again to do the shopping so I asked at the store if it would be OK to bring Bimbo in with me and it was no problem because he was in his carry cage. (Bimbo has to go to the vet once a month to get his beak trimmed and after he has been to the vet that is the only time he gets to go shopping with me )--good job too he spends too much money!! Emmy

He finished up getting me to buy celery, mangoes, courgettes, cucumber, pineapple and a water melon-- (not joking here that was just for the birds/parrots!!) A real healthy diet for them. My list was slightly different: a few nice pastries, a selection of ice-creams etc etc. you will just have to guess what the etc etc were Emmy

Bimbo going shopping in Lidls after his visit to the vet to get his beak trimmed. He's thinking, "Will I have Irn Bru or Crisps?" (lol)

Wishing you a Very Happy Birthday Andy Hope you had a nice day sitting back and enjoying the party Emmy

I have 2 of the vision cages (I can join them to make one big cage like yours -- as I said before you got a fantastic bargain there Sarah -those cages are not cheap ones! it looks good -Did you get the stand as well? Off to take Bimbo (cockatiel) for his monthly meeting with the vet to get his beak trimmed and then Bimbo gets to go shopping with me before I go home-- (I wont leave him in the car on his own and he enjoys going round the supermarket -but in his carry cage Emmy

You got a real bargain there with the teils and the cage. You got it wrong Sarah you'll need 3 more cockatiels (hens) you can't just let one of them have a partner Things looked a bit better today-- Bobby not allowed near them-- and both Tika and Tiko were out for a while no fighting!. I had a good look at the nest box I had bought for them and decided to put it down on its side and Tika immediately became interested in it - so fingers crossed -hope this works out. Tiko is determined to get 'built up' so he can stand up to her bullying him so he thought he would begin with some 'Irn Bru' ( BUT Tika is keeping an eye on him.

Thank you. Re the photo competition Andy puts up a post saying when entries should be submitted to his email address (he posts this email address) Think its later on in the month. The rules for the competition are printed in the section 'Photographs' if you choose 'Browse' and go down the selections you will find it. Emmy

It never ends Zebrahead until you run out of garden space and even then I doesn't stop --There's still inside the house Emmy

Thanks for posting more photos Beringu (You'll need to keep some and post them in Andy's monthly photo competition) The reason thought the white one was a Chestnut Flanked White female was it seemed to have some darker feathers on its head and I didn't think a white zebra finch had that. Maybe it Trevor sees this he will be able to confirm what mutation the white one actually is. but at the end of the day whether it is a White or a CFW I don't suppose it matters because it still is a lovely bird. This is a white cock bird I just bought last Sunday Emmy

Welcome to the forum Zebrahead, Your aviary looks great and I bet the birds will be happy in there. So far you have 12 birds and plan on getting 7 more? = 19 Thinking back when I got my aviary I had just about the same birds as you have to begin with (I didn't have the Java sparrows) but I also have cockatiels and Bengalese. The number I have now?? well all I can say its difficult for me to count just how many I have at present and I now have another bird shed too! Be interesting to find out if the same happens to you Please let us know how you get on. Emmy

You have three lovely birds there I may be wrong but it looks like you have a fawn female, a pied male and the white one I'm not sure about but it looks like a Chestnut flanked white female. Be interesting to know what others think the colours are. Thanks for posting the photos. Emmy

Maybe Tika knows more than me for I don't even know the sex of the Amazon (lol) but the person I bought the Barrabands from has given me a bit of advice. I should stop interacting with Tiko (male) he was the tamest of the two but its so difficult to ignore them when they are tame and come to you. The other advice was to remove all the other birds away from the Barrabands and only go to their cage to feed them and clean the cage. I'm sure he said that they only breed once a year but I'll need to check on that. If that doesn't work then I may take your advice Sarah and get in touch with Jeremy Kyle -- now that would give a different slant to that programme (lol) "Seems like some naughty birdy has her eye on a better prize" Clare if 'she' doesn't mend her ways and if she keeps attacking her partner I'll just send for the 'police' and get her arrested for cruelty. but I'm removing 'temptation' out of her way and meantime the conservatory will be out of bounds for Bobby. Hopefully come the late Spring I may hear the fluttering of tiny wings and if that happens there will be tears to follow if I have to part with them ps I had a peek in the cockatiels' nest this afternoon and one egg has hatched 3 more to go! Emmy

I have a pair of Barraband parrots Tiko (male) and Tika(female) I also have Bobby the Amazon parrot (sex unknown). Today I let Tiko and Tika out to free fly in the conservatory -lots of space. Bobby's cage was on the floor in the conservatory while the other two were out flying. (haven't tried letting the three of them out together yet) Tika landed on the top of Bobby's cage and started 'chirping' to Bobby - it looked as though she wanted in beside him. Next thing really surprised me she flew off Bobby's cage flew towards Tiko and started to attack him- pulling at his feathers etc and had him squawking. Poor thing was terrified. Anyone have any idea if this is normal behaviour for parrots. I have just put a nest box in Tika &Tiko's cage but I'm thinking I'd just be as well to remove it if she has taken a dislike to her mate. (She is definitely NOT getting in beside Bobby!!)) Emmy

Hi Cheryl Welcome to the forum. You will get a lot of pleasure from having the zebra finches What colour are Mindy and Meme ? Emmy

Thanks Clare and Allan, So far that pair are still incubating the 3 eggs but the other 3 pairs of gouldians are not even looking at their nest box and the two pairs of owl finches don't seem to be interested in their nest boxes either. Hopefully one day they will give me surprise Emmy

I've finally got one pair of my goudians incubating 3 eggs. This time I've just used an ordinary nest box, same as I use for the zebra finches. Last year I did buy a special nest box for them where they had to step down when they went into the nest box but of all the eggs laid I only got one chick. Be interesting to know if anyone else breeds gouldians what type of nest box they use. Emmy