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Emmy

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Posts posted by Emmy

  2. Posted · Report reply

    Hi Derek some of the recent cages I have bought can be fixed together to make a flight (that's when I can work out how to do this 'simple' thing:rolleyes:) but I don't need it meantime as I'm using the cages for  breeding -gouldians, owl finches and of course a variety of zebra finches.

    Last year was the first time I entered a pair of BC finches into our local show and they got a 3rd place.  My 2 canaries both got a 1st and one went on to get best novice in that section. But I'm not really into breeding for show type birds just like seeing all the different unexpected colours that sometimes get thrown up with birds that must have been split for another colour.

    The two pairs of my birds I'd really like to see the breeding soon  are my Madagascar Love Bird Parrots and my red winged amazon parrots - just got the nest box for the amazons tonight so I'm  hoping they like their new 'bedroom' :lol:

    So far this year I've not had any canary chicks although a pair have made a nest in the outside flight and have two eggs in it -just have to keep an eye on that one and keep fingers crossed they incubate the eggs.

    Hope everything works out for you please keep us posted re the birds you get.

    Emmy

    • Like 1

  4. Posted

    You will never believe this. Those Bengalese must have read my thoughts about putting another egg in their nest!

    When I was in the shed this morning all 3 of the Bengalese were off the nest. Looks like they have given up incubating the eggs.

    Will check again later just to be sure and if the eggs have cooled- I'll have to decide if I'll put them into the incubator. ??

    Very cold again here today just wonder if this has anything to do with this happening.

    Emmy

     

  5. Posted

    Thanks Clare but there is no other nest available just that one.

    The other option I have is to let it hatch out in the incubator then put it out it in the nest as a live chick but I doubt if it would stand a chance if their other eggs have already hatched  out. 

    The owl finches have laid another egg but they don't incubate them so if I put that fertile egg back into their nest the developing chick will surely die.

    Guess things are not looking good for that wee thing unless I can survive (and succeed)  doing another round of hand rearing    ;)

     I lost the chick that the other 3 were fostering it was doing fine but their own eggs are about to hatch and I think they may have been sitting too tight on the nest and smothered it because its crop was full and it was warm when I found it.

    I'll let you know what happens.

    Emmy

     

     

     

  6. Posted

    I have a cage with 3 Benglese in it Mum, Dad and their adult youngster.  I had 3 zebra finch eggs I knew I was going to need to foster out so to encourage the Bengalese I put 1 dummy egg in their nest then 2days later I added another dummy egg then soon after one  egg of their own was laid, when they started to incubate their egg I transferred the other three finch eggs into their nest.  So altogether  that was 6 eggs in the nest.

    When cleaning their cage today I had a peep in their nest and was pleased to see that 4 of the eggs had changed colour so they were probably  fertile and decided to bin the two eggs that hadn't changed colour. I removed them very carefully from the nest because I was I wanted to be 100% certain they weren't fertile -- before I binned them. 

    You will probably have guessed by now -if those eggs had been fertile it would have been a miracle- I had forgotten about the dummy eggs I had put in the nest.:rolleyes::lol:

    This is my serious question now and it relates to the above nest:, my owl finches had eggs in their nest but the stopped incubating them so I removed the eggs from the nest when I checked the eggs with the ovascope two chicks were dead in shell and the 3rd one looked clear. Just to  make sure the 3rd egg wasn't fertile I popped it into the incubator and on the 4th day the egg is showing it is fertile -heart beating and veins showing too.

    I don't really want to hand rear an owl finch chick,  their eggs look to be much smaller than the finch's eggs, do you think it would be possible to foster that egg into the Bengalese nest where they are incubating their own egg plus the three I have already  added. The owl finch egg would definitely be hatching out later than the ones in the nest and it will be smaller too.

    Be grateful for your thoughts on  this.

    Emmy

     

  8. Posted · Report reply

    I lost one of my Fife's last week too so I know how you are feeling. The first thing you always do is blame yourself but as your breeder said , 'these  things happen'

    I was blaming the change in the weather too  Outside Temperature all over the place the past  day or so.  

    Freezing here today hailstones, then sunshine and back to rain/hailstones again.

    Emmy

  12. Posted · Report reply

    Daisymay ,  Could it perhaps be the eggs were not fertile.?

    I know when I first got my Fifes I was told to separate them first using the divider and this encourages them to mate when they get put together. Worth a try to find out if it makes a difference.

    571554dde1ed9_IMAG3410-resized.thumb.jpgThis is a pair of my Fifes just before they were put together

    (Perches placed so they could get in contact with each other so cock bird could 'feed' the hen)

    Emmy

    (ps one of my canary eggs hatched out this morning(Tuesday 19th April) -the other one was dead in the shell)

    • Like 1

  13. Posted · Report reply

    Daisymay were the eggs fertile?

    I have bred Fife Canaries  and this is what I do. before I pair them up together I put the in the same cage but with a divider in the cage where they can see each other but can't get to each other. After a few days the cock bird will start to feed the hen through the divider. When they reach this stage I remove the divider and give them a nest pan and nesting material. I also gave them egg food daily. and so far most of the time that has worked for me. (perhaps you have done all that though.)  

    Saying that at the moment I have two fife canary eggs in my incubator because the pair had  nested  in the outside flight and after incubating the eggs for a few days she came off the nest I checked the eggs and two were fertile they are due to hatch out soon.

    Emmy

     

  15. Posted

    Sounds fantastic Clare. Do you need to get planning permission before you begin?

    Are you hoping to start it soon?

    I've just had fan extractors fitted to both y sheds today so hopefully that will help IF we have some good weather in the summer:lol:

    Please don't forget to take photos .when it's being built bet you will be feeling excited about it!

    Emmy

  20. Posted

    I think your aviary will be fantastic Clare, the bigger the better. If I had to do mine over again I would have had my two sheds as one big shed, still having one section for the cage birds and the other for the inside flight, storage for seed etc.  I did get two  doors in my first shed - the usual one to get into the shed and the 2nd door was directly opened into the outside flight, but must admit I don't use it much because my son built a section at the back of the shed with a safety door  into the outside flight so I have 2 options to get into the outside flight.

    With you choosing to have a solid brick structure at least you won't have to worry about painting it  every year.

    A lot of work in front of you but it will be worth it in the end.

    Emmy

  22. Posted · Report reply

    I'd like you all to meet little 'Speedy' my tiny Chinese Painted Quail.

    5702daaf32b15_April3rd2016thisshowsjusthThis photo shows just how tiny it is.

    It hatched out in the incubator on the 1st of April --(The  other egg I put into the incubator a few days later still hasn't hatched out yet.) but this tiny one is a fast mover -hence its name Speedy.  ;)

    5702dcd9d2a18_April3rd2016Speedy2daysold Speedy's food and water.

    5702dcb2e2d3d_April3rd2016cpqchick2dayso   Learning to drink without drowning itself :D

    Because it has been on its own it's becoming very tame and jumps onto my hand. When it first went into the brooder I gave it a tiny Teddy to cuddle into but now I have made a little 'igloo' from some soft material and Speedy goes in there to sleep.

    I think you may be able to guess where Speedy's permanent home will be !!!

    Not sure if the other egg will hatch. just need to keep my fingers crossed.

    Emmy

     

     

    • Like 1

  23. Posted · Report reply

    Hi Sarah, Not sure what I'll do with them. one thing I do know for sure it's going to be VERY difficult to part with them but there  will be more chicks emerging  soon and I think I've finally run out of space :o The 3 of them had a 'walkabout ' in the shower room this morning- safest place to let them out to wander about.;)

    5 hours ago, SarahR said:

    my baby budgies are starting to feather up now :)

    I think this is a nice stage of them growing every day you notice a difference.

    Emmy

  25. Posted · Report reply

    Thanks for answering,

    It has been a problem trying to work out what's been happening even more so since it happened to my friend's birds too.  The birds have lots of cuttlefish, egg food  etc etc. so its not a lack of anything in their diet.

    Since posting this I have been told its the zebra finches that are doing this.  Seems it happens a lot and has been seen happening.  They actually eat the eggs in the nest therefore no broken shells are found and when the other finches see this happening they join in too.

    My zebbies better watch out because if I catch them at it they'll get their 'wings clipped';)

    Emmy