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amf1975

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Posts posted by amf1975

  2. Posted

    17 hours ago, Andyn said:

    Oh! Sorry to hear that Andy, is it anything specific? or just feels like a waste. Share it mate!! We might have others who are in same boat.

    1st try lots of clear eggs.. I did get 5 pairs to go down with full eggs but hatch rate was very low only got 9 to sticks/weaned. so took the boxes of the clears left them paired, baths an treats for a week so I in theory re set them. 2nd try got good numbers of full eggs but had a lot of dead in shell or pipped not hatched,,, the few that did hatch I lost at day old an 3 at 6 days. managed to save one an foster under a pair of Bengalese. I did split 4 pairs up completely after 2 clear rounds they have had a rest for a month.  3 have gone back up I switched some cock birds round and are on eggs and most full. I still have 7 pairs split all in indoor flights as I decided to change the cocks out from the pairs that did raise chick to try with other hens. anther week or so and I will start to put them back up..... whilst this was going on I had 2 pairs of nls ( chick had fledged)  start laying on the cage floor( I take nest boxes down when chicks jump) so I have fostered eggs out under my reset fawns and reset cfw as they are about the same age and I had set my old solider pair of choc & white bengies who have only every laid one clear egg and the cock bird is 4 years old to use as fosters for most of the eggs from the cage floors most off these eggs are full so it was a good idea to pop them under something else.... another pair of nl's Young hen started laying before the chick had jumped 3 full eggs again not hatch and this pair have now laid again( eggs look good). very very frustrating as I paired young birds to old bird and am using adult birds that have all filled eggs and fed an raised there own chicks. my feeding plan and water tonics are all the same as is my egg food mix. my shed heated on a digital thermostat  at 10-11 degrees I have full spectrum uv lights on from 6.30 am till 9.30 pm. every thing the same as I did last year and I got 58 to sticks  of 7 pairs. yet I am sat with 9 weaned and 1 foster from 14 pairs this year.... does not make sense... maybe I went to early? my cock birds were not as fit as I thought they were???????? one thing I have decided is next year I wont put them up till mid January at the earliest. But hay that's exhibition zebs for ya an I have hope for the eggs I have and the new pairs that I will be putting up. as I type my glimmer of hope and what is keeping me sane is I have 12 Bengalese chicks all doing well and a pair of fawn an whites that have gone down again( they already raised 2 and are young birds) an even better I have my rescue African gray Bertie to talk my stressed mind off F499

    • Like 2

  7. Posted

    mine have to go down this weekend before they rip each other to bits.... I have had to split all the cock birds up  to stop them fighting an I only had 2  per double breeder.!!!!!!.. I have about 10 pairs ready of of 14 I plan to put down.... the other 4 are not quite there.. I did loose one of my best nl cocks 2 days ago!!!!  fine in the morning dead buy tea time absolutely gutted he was a top top bird.

    I did mess with removing the eggs last year on my second round and I did manage to breed twice as many as round one, did the same in my 3rd round but that was worse then the 1st!!!!!. so that leads me to think it was condition related..... opposed to removing the eggs... 

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  8. Posted · Report reply

    welcome to the addictive world of zebra finches an good to see new people taking the plunge an trying the bench.... good luck..

    p.s if you have birds on eggs now it's a tad bit early for the 2017 zfs rings to come(if you do join) for you to be able to ring them and CYOB show them next year as rings wont come till the 6th jan at the earliest. you could still show them in the adults classes. also it is better to sell excess birds that have closed year/identification rings on.. again good luck an enjoy  these wonderful little birds.

     

    Andrew

    • Like 1

  9. Posted

    it's quite common for the cock birds to sleep outside the nest box. and at 10 days old the chicks are well on there way to feathers so they will be fine.... one thing I always say on this kind of post it!!!! the birds no better then us....... the less involvement we have the better.... try your best just to let them get on with it

  10. Posted

    sorry to here she flew off... the cock bird will call for her!!!!. he should however keep feeding the chicks. I would over feed him if you no what I mean give him access to more food then he could possibly need( lots of egg food) is it possible for you to open a door or window when the cock bird is in the cage with the chicks? his call or the chicks begging may just bring the hen back. worth a try.

  12. Posted

    Andyn  has got it bang on... You do need to try hold them back if you are after 2017 rings on them. I try put mine down starting 3rd week in December. That 10 days befor I up the calcium an protein for the hens especially. Also light an a constant temperature are vital. After my last show around 5th November. My birds get put in flight or open breeder. You don't eat the cock birds too fat!!!! After bonfire night week!!!! I shorten my lights to what I have them at normally ( on at 6.30am off at 10 pm)  try shave an hour or so of both sides then as you get closer to d day work the lights back up to normal. In the week running up a hammer the egg food up to at least twice a day sometimes 3... Get then used to having lots off food light an heat. They then should!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Get down too it quite quick.

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  16. Posted · Report reply

    I spy chicks!!!!  they look very fit an well.... as so it begins 1 pair turn in to 8... 8 into 15... 15 in to 30 an then it's ohhh I need a bigger cage then I need a bigger shed. the addiction to these wonderful little birds takes over.... enjoy

  17. Posted · Report reply

    tell me about it!!! Daisy... the only reason I ask is I have a 2014 cock who has thrown me 3 cocks and what looks like a hen from silver cock x nl hen an two  cocks lookdiffrent to the last two... I plan to sell them all so wanted the info to advertise and price them properly.

  19. Posted · Report reply

    ok being trying to find out how you tell dominant to recessive silvers an my head is now fried from the confusion!!!!!!!! any ideas you lot.??????????

    I have a 2014 cock who has throw me over two rounds 3 silver cocks and in this last clutch what looks like a hen. an can you breed silver to silver? not that I will as if it's a hen then the 3 2106 birds are half brothers.. I plan to sell them all any way (I think lol)

  20. Posted · Report reply

    that's the beauty of Bengalese they will raise almost anything for you... from my own experience of using them to foster a couple of clutches of exhibition zebbies this season!!! they don't seem to feed as well as parent  raised which in turn seems to slow the development of the chicks. however live chicks are bet then dead and although a bit slow both clutches are getting there now.

  21. Posted · Report reply

    welcome to the forum and welcome back to our wonderful feathered addiction!!! like you I left for a few years(20) always had it in the back of my mind to come back.... lots of changes particularly to the shear size of the birds an some wonderful new mutations. have fun an keep us informed of your new bird room.

     

    Andrew

    • Like 1