Red Crested Finches.

[PAUL HEARN]

Hello everyone,

I came home from work today to feed some Curly Winged Flies to the Japanese Waxwing and check that the chicks were OK and it appears that so far all is good.:D

I then noticed that the hen Red Crested Finch in the aviary next door was sitting on the nest, when I opened the door she came off the nest and I saw that she had laid her 2nd egg, I'm hoping she will lay a 3rd egg the same number her sister laid.

Talking of the sister Red Crest, I thought I should take advantage of the fact that she too was off the nest at the time, as soon as I looked in the nest I saw that all three eggs were missing,:-( so I will now have to wait for the three chicks to fledge before I can see the next round of eggs.:lol:

Now talk about counting your Chickens, I'm now trying to figure the best way of laying out the aviary block so that I can run four pairs of Red Crests next year.:roll:

Other good news is that the second round of Jacarini Finches also hatched today and the Blackbird nesting next to the tea hut at work hatched her first chick today.

All in all I'm a very happy chappie today, Paul.

[PAUL HEARN]

Hello all,

The good news regarding the first pair of Red Crested Finches is that the three chicks are being reared extremely well and they seem to be developing at an even rate.:D

The bad news is that it seems that the two eggs being incubated by the second pair are infertile,:-( but I still hope that further rounds from this pair may include at least one or two fertile eggs, if not this year, then hopefully next year?

Paul.

[Rogerb]

good to hear some good news nice one paul MR B :grin:

[Waxbillman]

well done Paul

i hope they'll make it all the way

Matthew

[PAUL HEARN]

Thanks Roger and Matthew,

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this could be the beginning of getting a reliable strain of these birds in my aviaries again after a long period of disappointment with other hens after losing my original George Coe bloodline.

I have found from various sources that there are a good number of keepers/breeders of Red Crests in the UK, I'm just hoping that I can get contacts from as many people as possible in order keep the bloodlines as diverse as possible?:D

Matthew,

I've yet to find a hen for your friend, but if you contact Pencil then he may be able to help, he knows someone who has a hen but is looking to buy a cock.:roll: I'm thinking that unless one of the two are willing to sell, then a breeding loan may be the answer?:?

Paul.:wink:

[kenny]

hi paul
nice to here you are having some luck mate ,with your red crested finches great news mate

ken

[Waxbillman]

hello Paul

i have actually located a spare hen, the only problem is, she is with KP, miles, and miles, and miles away, sods law

Matthew

[PAUL HEARN]

Hi Ken and Matthew,

Ken,

Many thanks mate,;-) it's been a long time coming, I just hope my confidence in this hen will pay off?

Matthew,

If you have located a hen with Peanut, then I'm concerned that he has either lost or sold the cock bird he once had.:-(

If I can help in getting this hen to you and eventually your mate, then I will do so.

Later, Paul.;)

[Waxbillman]

hello Paul

your wrong on both counts fortunatly, peanut has a pair and a spare hen, he wants to charge £80 for it, it is a bit high, though allot less then what you have offered, so i'm told.

my dad is going down to Cornwall in the next week or so to meet some customers, it would be good in a way if peanut could meet him there, and if he drives through your way, may be pick up the pekins for JW, as they are not that far away from me, compared to you anyway

Matthew

[PAUL HEARN]

Hi Matthew,

I have been told by ARB of FF3 that he recently sold Peanut a hen Red Crest, yes £80 is a bit rich in price, but it depends on how much your mate is willing to pay right now with the chance of breeding these birds?
It is true that I recently paid well over the current asking price of these birds, this was a personal declaration of my desperation in sourcing hens before it was too late to do so.

But my situation shouldn't become a marker of the current value of Red Crested Finches, the market price of a bird isn't the asking price, but what the consumer is willing to pay!

I know of other people who love the Red Crested Finch as much as I do, but they wouldn't ever pay more than £40 per bird.

Greed both here in the UK and on the Continent has reared it's ugly head, the fact is that certain species and their inflated prices will be paid by particular people, but other species will never sell at the overly inflated prices because of the lack of followers who wish to breed from them.

Paul.:wink:

[PAUL HEARN]

Hello all,

I have some bad news regarding the Red Crested Finches.

Today I found one of the chicks on the floor of the aviary laying on it's side motionless,:( luckily when I picked it up it was still breathing so I placed back into the nest, this caused one of the other two chicks to leap/fall from the nest a few seconds later.
When I looked into the nest from inside the aviary next door I saw the chick was on it's side again, I decided to remove it and attempt to hand rear it, but it seems the chick has some serious balance problems, it doesn't beg and twists it's head at times.:(
I know this bird is unlikely to survive but I will try my best in keeping it alive, thankfully the other two chicks seem to be OK, I just hope that these two don't end up in such a bad way as this one.:???:

I removed the two clear eggs from the second pair today, I just hope for at least one or two fertile eggs from this pair.

Paul.

[PAUL HEARN]

Hello all,

Despite the good news that two Red Crest chicks fledged today, the chick I removed for hand rearing didn't make it past late this afternoon.:-(

The last attempt at feeding resulted in the chick taking a mixture of Pro-Biotics in water from a paint brush but refusing to swallow the Waxworm I offered, I knew then that it was only a matter of time before this bird would die.:-(

It seemed cruel to keep the bird alive by force feeding at this point so I had to let nature take it's course.

Paul.:|

[PAUL HEARN]

Hello all,

It seems that my future plans regarding Red Crested Finches are falling apart, the youngest of the remaining two chicks of the current brood isn't developing as well as I had hoped.:-(

Despite the efforts of this hen in her first year of breeding she seems to be quite confused when her chicks fledge, it doesn't appear obvious for her to take on feeding duties in order of preference of her chicks needs.

The cock of this pair is also frustrating me regarding the lack of his feeding duties.:-(

I think I will be lucky to have the parent birds rear a single chick from this brood?:-?

Paul.:roll:

[Waxbillman]

what a shame,

i'm no stranger to the situation you are in either, as you know. frustrating as hell

Matthew

[kenny]

hi paul
i take it that they are novice breeders,insomuch that they have not reared any chicks before...which goes a long way into understand why they wont rear them themselves

ken

[PAUL HEARN]

Hi Matthew and Ken,

Well the good news is that both chicks are still alive,:) but the younger of the two still doesn't look as strong as it should at this stage.

Matthew,

I know of your own situation with your Pekin Robins, but let's hope we ALL crack it with them next year mate.;-)

Ken,

Yes both parents are 05 bred and this is their first breeding attempt, I know I should expect problems from a first round with any pair of birds, but everything had gone so well up until now.
It is slightly easier to cope when you lose chicks at only a few days old, but when they are past the fledging stage you tend to think everything will be fine and then you lose the first and when it looks as though you may lose two? As Matthew says it is so frustrating,:mad: mind you I let myself get carried away too soon as usual, I was picturing four pairs set up for breeding next year instead of the two I have right now.:roll:

Paul.

[Waxbillman]

hello Paul, your friend pencil has a red crested hen he wants that cock bird..

Matthew

[kenny]

hi paul
i think we are all guilty of expecting to much from our birds at times only to be dissapointed when things dont turn out as expected.literally counting our chickens i am as bad as the rest and its worse when it is something special...we can only persist in the pursit of trying to breed the near immpossible as that is what our hobby is for and i beleive that if all the birds bred first time with big clutches fledging we would soon get bored:wink:


ken

[PAUL HEARN]

Hi Matthew and Ken,

Matthew,

Pencil called me twice today and didn't mention Red Crested Finches.:roll:

Ken,

I would be very happy to be bored with easily breeding Red Crested Finches this year mate,:lol: it isn't so bad when you add up the cost of Eggfood and the time waiting for a result, but when you think you have the makings of a home run and have paid out the price of a small Planet on Livefood, only for your expectations to go out of the window it tends to hurt in a big way.:-(

In reality I should be happy with the single chick surviving to be bred from next year, but then again the chances of finding a suitable mate right now is quite remote.:?

Paul.

[kenny]

hi paul
i was quite glad to have bred one canary until my bengies came along,i know there are alot of javas sat on eggs but they may not come off....i know its not in the same realms as your stuff as you say you have paid out a lot but answer yourself this....do you do it for the amount the birds will cost when you come to sell them or do you do it just to see them on the sticks and to forward the future of that particular breed .if you say yes to the last then you know even the one or two chicks are better then nothing as you know you only need a pair to carry on the strain.........so you cant give it up despite the amount you have poured into them as you know that eventually something will come right and they will be ok after all thats why you got the birds in the first place................aint it!


matt.....judging by pauls last post you have been having some problems also....the same applies mate as we have discussed before!


ken8-)

[Waxbillman]

thankyou councellor Ken,

Paul, that is strange that pencil didn't mention that bird to you but nar problem that red-crestsed finch ain't going anywhere near his place where ever that might be

Matthew