Looking Forward..

[laurab]

A bit early I know, but you know what they say....it is all in the preparation :lol:

Looking forward to this years breeding season, what foods should be increased or added to help the birds prepare?

[Waxbillman]

hello Laura

with one or two pairs, i have just started breeding already!!

Matthew

[laurab]

But all of my birds are outside!

[Waxbillman]

start giving them more protein in the form of livefood of eggfood, depending on what species we are talking about, do this very slowly, once a week eggfood for example then more frequently until you get into may time then get into the swing of things, when the birds are in outdoor aviaries, the lengthening daylight and increased temperature also has a massive factor

Matthew

[laurab]

Thanks Matthew:razz: Will the birds you are breeding from now be allowed to continue breeding throughout the year or will you rest them for a period of time?

[Waxbillman]

hello Laura

they will be rested after 3 rounds, though some birds have other ideas...

Matthew

[Diane]

I'm looking forward too -to the the possibility of my star finches finally breeding and to my pied zebra finches managing to rear more than one baby at a time! (all the other zebs are multiplying - so it's only the pieds that are making such hard work of it).

No problem with the budgies - 7 hatched in one nest already and the other hens all have eggs.

I feed egg food once a week to the non breeders - but the budgies are just hoovering it up at the moment. They get it ad lib.

One question though - whilst I was giving the zebras their daily maggots, one maggot dropped into a budgie cage and the budgie ate it? Is this normal? Never thought they would like maggots as a treat (the white ones from the fishing tackle shop).
This was last week and the budgie is still alive and kicking, so I don't think I've poisoned it.

I will be careful not to let it happen again until I hear otherwise. Any advice on carniverous budgies most welcome :shock:

[Waxbillman]

hello Diane, thats unusual but i can't see it harming them, just abit of extra protien, some members of the parrot family certainly eat meat to supplement their diet in the wild.
did you 'clean' the maggots first?


Matthew

[Diane]

Thank you for the reply.

Yes, the maggots were cleaned.

[PAUL HEARN]

Hi Diane,

It is perfectly safe to feed your Budgies (or any other Parrotlike) cleaned Maggots, nearly all birds change their diet during the breeding season in order to increase their protein intake to rear chicks.

Considering commercial eggfood isn't available in the Australian outback, then any Insect grubs will do in the wild.:lol:

I used to look after a friends Senegal Parrot when they went on holiday, crickey did he love the Mealworms I used to give him?:shock:

Paul.;-)

[kenny]

hi laura
i am going to concentrate on my cream javas,i need to find out why or where the lack of cheek patches has come from..unlike my fawn javas they have no cheek patches whatsoever..and of course i now have a wife for my hecks so i am giving him one of those long funnel wicker nests to start with and go from there..of course i am putting some canaries inside as i bought some really small irish fancy clear yellow canaries which i want to experiment with ..as you know i lost my green singer hen and have been promised one from where i got the hecks from but in the mean time the hen canary is going out in the aviary with him to see if he takes a fancy to her...i do know that he is attractive to canaries,as last year i hung my border hen on the aviary wire in a cage to dry of in the sun as i had sprayed her and wanted her to dry out before roosting..he saw her and started to sing and her tail went up in an instant so i know he has something the canaries want!;)

ken

[cooltom28]

i have gouldians on eggs atm a dilute cock to a blue hen. i will be able to concentrate more time on them from the end of may so might have a late start. my new cages finally arrive next week so might break up the pairs which arent doing anything

[PAUL HEARN]

Hi Ken and Tom,

Ken,

I find the information you have posted regarding your Cream Java's lacking white cheek patches very interesting mate, you may be aware of a small number of Normal Java's also lacking white cheek patches gaining the obvious names of Black Headed or Black Cheeked Java's?
There still remains some confusion regarding the full facts explaining why some Java's lack the white cheek patch, some theories are that it is diet related and others are that it could possibly be a genuine mutation?:roll:

Could you PLEASE post some photos of your birds, so that I and others can see exactly what you have there?

There may also be good news on the horizon regarding finding a mate for your Green Singer cock if your contact doesn't come up with one for you?:grin:

Tom,

I wish you the best of luck with the Gouldians you have with eggs!

Paul.;-)

[cooltom28]

:lol: i hope so to but im not expecting anything at least both of that pair have parent reared before i think the cock is split blue as well so get some visuals

[kenny]

hi
paul
i will get some pics up tommorow if i remember

ken

[PAUL HEARN]

Hi Ken,

I hope you remember mate I would love to see what you have there.;)

Als on the subject of Cream Java's I have also seen a number of birds showing patchy crown colouring, do any of your birds have this problem?

Paul.

[kenny]

hi paul
a few of my normals have white patches on thier heads but they are not pied if you know what i mean i e wing tips and other parts white ...as i said i will get some pics up if they will stay still


ken

[kenny]

hi paul
i found this..but i had not put it up as its not very good but this will give you an idea of what i am talking about this is one of the javas


ken


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