First eggs of the season

[avinet]

Discovered the first eggs of the new breeding season today.

A pair of ringnecks (Lutino male, white female) had paired up in an aviary in our shop, and were seen mating, so about 3 weeks ago we moved them into their own small separate aviary in the shop, complete with a nest box. The hen was straight into the box and over the last week has hardly left it. So today I had a look in and saw at least 2 eggs. This is the earliest we have had ringneck eggs - usually it is late July before we get the first ones.

Being in the shop of course means that there is a lot of activity around the aviary and some of the hens we have had breeding previously have been too curious to stay on the eggs, however this hen is pretty keen and is only coming out to feed from the cock..

I don't have a photo of this pair but I am including a photo from last year of a blue lacewing pair using the same aviary and nest box. That hen was too easily distracted and the eggs failed to hatch.

cheers,

Mike

[norwichfinchman]

Congrats Mike,
Ringnecks are very popular in the Uk. Lets hope your pair breed well?
keep up the good work!

[madaussie]

Yes congrats that is great too hear your birds will go down in the shop just goes to show how well you keep them hear there are two blue in a pet shop plucking them self as they can not sell them well here the market for ring necks has dropped i cannot even sell them for $20 .
j

[Robyn]

That's cool Mike. I checked the green cheeks yesterday they have 7 eggs, they must think it's spring up this way.

I don't think any of the ringneck breeders up here have eggs yet. Might be a slack season for them. Normally is when the weather is so mild.

Robyn

[avinet]

Jun 28, 2009 8:04:30 GMT 10 madaussie said:

hear there are two blue in a pet shop plucking them self as they can not sell them well here the market for ring necks has dropped i cannot even sell them for $20 .
j

Ringnecks here are hard to sell as well - which is one reason I let this pair breed since they were for sale as a pair and nobody was interested. Of course now they have eggs there is interest.

Hopefully if we get babies they will all be yellow. If the cock is not split to blue that is what we will get, but if he is split to blue then we get both yellow and white babies. I have found that white ringnecks are very difficult to sell as HR pets - we had several last summer and they were the last to sell - while yellows sell the best of all ringneck colours as pets, followed by blue.

cheers,

Mike

[norwichfinchman]

I went to my local bird auction today and they had a pair of green ringnecks which were listed as a breeding pair? They sold for £51 for the pair. That's 74:34 AUD. They were nice looking birds and I nearly bidded myself but to many people in the running!

[Laraine]

My budgies have just hatched 4 babies. I thought they were last seasons, but maybe they are early this season instead. LOL.

[sypher]

Any news on the eggs?

Shaun