Christmas 2006/7 - parents failed to sit
no more eggs laid, 1 by 1 birds died (presumably of old age)
gave last bird away at Christmas
November
18. 2004 - found rat's nest in aviary wall - lined
with Pin-tailed wings!!!!
Since, been rebuilding
to try Dutch system of selecting pairs to breed in large cages but...
only have 6 birds - but 1 pair laid within 12 days of being put into cage
January
1, 2004 - rat(s) entered main aviary over Xmas. All
Pin-tailed were in this aviary due to ongoing refit.
Rat gnawed hole through wall.Fourteen
3rd-generation Pin-tailed escaped.
Now only have 4 birds left!!!Distressing.
Latter
half of 2003 - complete refit of Breeding Factory
& main aviary to reflect Continental methods
July
12, 2003 - 3 parent-reared chicks fledged &
weaned i.e. to the perch. Success!!!Pin-tailed
can be parent reared.
May-
1 parent-reared to the perch. 3 had fledged but only 1 weaned. Problem
was inability to dehusk small seed.
Will supply large soaked
seed, (paddy rice & groats) as
next nest weans
December
- April - put advice
from Dutch & French breeders into effect with much help from Graham
Lee (UK). Mainly involved improvement in seed and major change to eggfood.
Ongoing rebuilding of cages & aviaries
Nov 16
- heard sound of several chicks - probably 2 or 3 days old
Nov 2 -
another nest - inside - not sure how long been sitting; should I try parent
or foster???
Nov 2
-
contrast with Pin-tailed - another 2 beautiful, fit parent-reared Blue-faced
- no problems at all.Why?
Nov 11
- chick not fed on fledging - died
Nov 2 - 2 died, dont know why, last one doing fine
Oct 23 - day 5 - 3 alive, well-fed, some
crop gas
Oct 19 - 4 chicks hatched from this nest
under Bengalese
Oct. 4 - disturbed hen nesting in pile of leaves
on the ground - back to the cold spots!
Oct 30
- after 9 days of hand feeding it gave up & died - never went near
a food pot - very frustrating
Oct 23 - smaller chick died, larger fledged
day 21 - stopped begging - not fed - hand feeding 3 - 4 times a day
Oct 19 - smaller chick unfed, larger 1 is
fine
Oct 18 - day 20, both chicks fine but scruffy
- hope they don't fledge in this state
Oct 12 - evening Oct 10 - both chicks on
floor, presumed evicted by another cock seeking the nest.
Hand fed & put back in nest. Both still alive Oct 12 - day 16 - feathering,
eyes open.
Oct. 10 - day 14, 2 feathering nicely. 3rd died
day 12 - first night parents didn't brood.
Oct. 5 -
day 9, all well, 2 very healthy, 1 underfed & probably wont make it.Parents
still brooding.
Sept 30 - sounds like 2 or 3 chicks.Parents
very attentive.
Sept 26 - returned from holiday to sounds of very
young chicks.Sensible
nest in box in bird room.
Taking no chances - turned temperature up to 28°C
(85°F)
Sept
19 - previous evening - cheeps, morning - silence,
chicks dead, 4, crops full of seed & softfood,
all died simultaneously, had to be very early evening with such full crops
can only be temperature - although never dropped below 23°C
(74°F)
Further thought - nest
was on ground at side of aviary where branch of Rhododendron grows outside
At that exact spot aviary side is only butyl rubber around Rhododendron
branch - coldest place in aviary?
Sept 15 - turned temperature right up on
hearing chicks - in second nest (built on the ground again)
Sept
18 - Pin-tailed
are seasonal breeders!
All 3 mixed colonies did nothing all summer.
No change at all in diet or conditions but in 1 colony all 3 hens have
nested/ hatched eggs within space of a fortnight.First
nest - dead chick at 'normal' 4 day old size but full crop - temperature?
April
13 - thank heavens that week's over - most birds
- both colonies - moulting
April 11 - despite
recent mouse proofing - mouse entered main aviary & killed hen nesting
on ground
April 9
- automatic watering system failed - lucky to only lose 1 cock
April
20 - 2 hatched under Bengalese - very different
ages - eldest survived & fledged
3 hatched under parents - usual story, not fed around day 4 & died
Mar 10 -
nest taken over by 2nd pair - 12 eggs!!Most
looked useless.Single
hen can't brood 12 eggs.
Put 6 under Bengalese in case any life left in any of them
Feb 24 - found nest in main aviary - 7 eggs
Feb 21
- tail feather protruding from beneath shed??Did
it move?Tiny
gap in foundations, totally dark
Cock gone under - to nest?My
finger too big/ gap too small, wife prised him out - he flew off happily
Feb 16 - of all
the stupid places - nest being built in main flight behind fan heater!Removed
it.
Feb
23 - hand feeding - looks scruffy but alive; evening
feed - chocked it - very sad
Feb 17 - left nest
Feb 16 - hand feeding - chick OK; we're very bored
Feb
10 - never do that, remaining Bengalese abandoned
chick!!! - hand feeding - oh no!!
Feb 9 - 3rd/ remaining chick fine; only 1 Bengalese
tending it - removed other 2 Bengalese
Jan 30 - 3 eggs 'full'; 1 failed to hatch, 1 died
on hatching (?), 3rd OK - being fed enough?
Jan 27 - Main aviary - nesting hen died suddenly, 5 eggs put under
Bengalese, 2 appear fertile
Sold all 7 of last
season's breeders, (the wild imports)
Feb 6
- 3rd hatched - not fed died (?), other 2 chicks
dead in shell (?)
Feb 5 - 2 hatched, not fed (?)- died - transferred
remaing 3 eggs to other Bengalese
Jan 30 - transferred 5 'full' eggs to Bengalese
Jan 20 - found
new nest in Egg factory
Feb
9 - totally ignored by Bengalese at day F5 (?);
all 3 hand fed, 2 now nearly independent
Jan 30 - 3 fledged - Jan 28; hand supplementing
- night only
Jan 13 - surprised to hear chicks in Egg Factory
- found 3 - 2 or 3 days old. Transferred to Bengalese
- hand fed twice before Bengalese took over
Jan
4 - 6 of the transferred eggs hatched but neither
pair of his Bengalese fed from day 1 (?)
Dec 9 - have 3
nests - 1in Egg Factory & 2 in main aviary.
Will be transferring these eggs to Graham Lee
to foster as I am going away for Xmas
Dec 1 - found nest in Egg Factory - 5 eggs
- abandoned or hadn't hatched
Nov 30
- all 3 dead - starved, large paddy rice seed in
each crop
Nov 25 - heard chicks
Nov 11 - first nest in 'The Egg Factory'
Nov
25- F12 - all well
Nov 20 - F7 - all is well (photo)
Nov 16 - fledged D19; 3rd day (F3) - strong flying
well, very inquisitive - beautiful
Nov 10 - D16 - other
2 fine; D15 - smallest died - not
fed
Nov 7- Day 13 - all is well -
last one
hatched still smaller
Nov 3 -
OK - 3rd chick hatched 1 day later struggling a bit
Noted a
few eggs scattered around the flight
Nov 2 -
water bath nest - 3 pink, healthy chicks, full crops, no gas -
25°C
(80°F)
Nov 1 - morning - where are Flight nest parents?
3
dead chicks - full crops - but cold night - temp. only 12°C
(54°F).
Not brooded at night? Turned
heaters up in
shed (where water-bath nest is) -
temp 24°C
(78°F)
Oct 30 - 3 chicks in water bath pale & weak,
gas in crops; Flight
nest has 2 or 3 chicks (photo)
Oct 26 - water bath - at least 2 chicks - being
fed - darn - away working all weekend!
Oct.
22 - water bath nest - 5 'full'/ grey eggs - lovely;
Flight nest - 2nd pair now sitting tight - walk past without disturbing
them, (photo)
Oct.
16 - 2nd
'crazy site' nest in flight moved to 50 cm (2') away from the path. Too
much disturbance for them when I walk past - are sitting very lightly.
Probably
clutch nearly full as cock has taken up duties.
Oct 14 - nest
completed in water bath (turned water off) & seem to be sitting well
Oct. 2 - 2
crazy nests in Main Aviary. 1 under the path in flight again. Another
in a plastic bath/ water holder which is automatically filled to 1/2"
6 times a day!!!! What
are they trying to indicate?
October 13 - news of parent-rearing in Canada -
7 chicks from 2 nests - same parents - hope to get more details.
Feb. 2002 - never got
a reply from this person to confirm or get details
Sept.
23 - only 1 chick hatched; Benglese
failed to feed it (?) -
hardly ever happened before
Sept. 17 - sitting
steadily; another pair trying to build in a water bath - Main Aviary
Sept. 10
- domestics first proper nest - 2 eggs - not yet sitting - Main Aviary
September 9 - cocks driving hens in all 3
aviaries/ colonies. Are they seasonal breeders?
One colony of domestics have a nest in Main Aviary |
