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jonmpope

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Posts posted by jonmpope

  1. Posted

    Are they young birds? Could be down to lack of experience. I try to pair young birds to older more experienced where I can. This sort of thing usually happens with the first clutch.... don't get too disheartened they'll figure it out

  6. Posted

    Faraway from my perspective it's plain and simple. Some birds click and get on great together and others fight like mad. Every relationship human bird whatever has its ups and downs and if birds are caged they can't escape from one another. If it were me I'd split the pair up and try them with another possible mate and see if you get better results. I've paired up 20 pairs this season and expect to only get chicks from half of them as some will click and do well and others won't. It also comes down to their experience in my view. I've paired young to older birds for years working on the assumption that the older one will have the experience. Saying that I've paired young to young bird's this year and they've clicked and are doing really well as parents

  10. Posted

    Well folks

    We've turned a corner! After throwing out around 40-50 dead chicks I've now got 6 nests that are being very well parented. There's 5 more nests due to hatch at the weekend and 8 more pair are on fertile eggs. They were clearly waiting until March!!!! Hope others are getting better results too.

    • Like 2

  11. Posted

    Hi dave w I've certainly done that before and a single parent has reared them fine. I've had it both ways when ahen has died the cock has reared the chicks and ssimilar to you Ive removed a cock and left the hen to rear her young.

    Luckily for me the two latest hatches are both being fed so happy days. I think that now there's the noise of begging babies in the bird room they're getting their acts together!

    good luck folks!

    • Like 2

  12. Posted

    Thanks everyone for the words of encouragement and advice. There's another 4 nests due anytime so fingers crossed they make it! It's strange how lots of us seem to have rubbish first rounds. I've purposefully paired 2014 birds to older birds so one of them have experience- perhaps they just forgot what to do! I'm going to split the initial 6 pairs up and try again in a couple of weeks. Appreciate your comments everyone. Thank you

    ps the LB cock from you is on fertile eggs... chicks due tomorrow!

    • Like 2

  13. Posted

    Well I'm proper titsied off. Had 6 nests hatch over the last few days and found today that every single chick is dead. They've either chucked them out the nest, smoothed them or not fed them . I've tried not to interfere too much and let nature take its cause as I'm a great believer of parent reared. For the last 3 years I've had similar disastrous starts. Fingers crossed for their next attempts! I've not used bengies as foster parents so far but it might be the way forward this year!

  14. Posted

    It seems to be the same as previous years with some having good starts and others not so.

     

    I've had two chick fledge and before the weekend just gone I had an abundance of clear eggs in almost every nest. this was much the same last year and I kind of expect to have a slow start. As usual I've since had fertile eggs and then they've not fed the chicks. Anyhow they seem to have turned a corner and I now have two pairs with chicks and 6 or so pairs all on fertile eggs.

     

    Paul- don't get disheartened maybe we should swap a pair and see if it freshens things up in our bird rooms!

     

    Jon

  16. Posted

    Well after checking nests and candling today I'm now much happier with at least half of them on fertile eggs. A mouse proof fortress lol that made me smile not to mention the pigmy shrew!

    nick I'm doing cream to normal this season too with one pair and a view to getting silver!

    • Like 1

  17. Posted

    Peanut butter as mouse bait I'll have to remember that one! luckily not had vermin for a long time touch wood. I'm having mixed results with breeding so far but always find the first attempt to be a disaster. I try as best I can to pair older birds to younger birds so as one has experience. So far I gave 2 chicks from my best pair too and 4 nests with fertile eggs out of 18 pairs!!!!! As nick says its still early. Intrigued how your getting silvers nick have you bought in silvers or put cream to normal?

  20. Posted

    So im in the process of refurbing the bird room with new breeding cages. I'm having 18 x 12 inch universal cage fronts and trying to decide between 15 or 18 inch depth. I'll be having nestboxes inside the cages

    Any opinions/advice that I could learn from people?