2010 Breeding Season

[Laraine]

One little Red Rump has hatched. Another Red Rump was sitting on 3 eggs but 2 have disappeared, put the remainder one under a budgie, I think she was kicked out of her box. Tonight I noticed her in it again...

[Noddy]

So excited as the Plumhead eggs have started to hatch BUT now I am finding 2 of the day old chicks are dead. One died in the box and I found the other dead on the floor. AND today I found another on the floor but just alive. I put it back in the nest. Probably won't survive the fall. I took the cockbird out and put him in the adjoining aviary. What is going on??. I have read that some cockbirds drag the new hatchlings out. Why would they do that? I did not see him do it but can I assume it would not be the hen. So now I have an injured hatchling and an unhatched egg remaining. Not looking too good now. I am am so disapointed, I have waited two years for this...Should they all hatch together or only one a day which appears to be happening here. What do I do now with this pair The cockbird is beautiful and I would like to keep him but I feel so sorry for the hen.

[avinet]

Hi Noddy,

I assume the pair were in their own flight, not shared with any other birds, and that it is their first attempt at breeding?

Assuming the above, my guess is it just first time breeding inexperience. And I wouldn't automatically assume that it was the male - hens can do this as well.

My own experience with Pumheads has been that they were good parents initially, but I did have problems with them deserting the babies at 3 to 4 weeks and having to be hand reared from that point.

I certainly never has issues like you describe, which makes it difficult to make a suggestion!

My feeling would be to leave them together, accept that this clutch is a learning exercise on their part, and hope that they go down again for a second clutch this spring - it is still early for them.

I would certainly persevere with them together until next year's breeding cycle before accepting that they may need separating, but I would want to know which one is causing the problem first. A nest box camera would be ideal in this case.

cheers,

Mike

[Laraine]

I know how disappointed you are feeling Noddy. I have had similar experiences (not with Plumheads), birds do the strangest things. Hopefully they will go down again for you this season.

[sypher]

I would pull the remaining chicks for handrearing and as Mike has said, see what happens next time, hopefully with a second clutch this year, but would definatley wait till next year before I would do anything with them.

I was told not to look to often in the nest of a plumhead as they can throw the chicks out, same with Slateys. my plumheads have two chicks and doing well so far. I only look when she is out of the nest every few days. She is rarely out of the nest.

I also have 6 slateyhead chicks going well with one still to hatch. I pulled the 3 biggest and am handraising them now as 6 would be a big ask on the parents.

I havent posted for a while so will give a quick update also.

I have a fertile major egg in the incubator as the hen didnt sit after laying 3 eggs. I waited close to a week. Hopefully they will go down again. I have two eckie chicks in the nest under one pair and another pair had two fertile eggs that were overdue to hatch......long story short I now candle ALL EGGS!

Moustache are on eggs, suns, Alexs and gangs look to be doing all the right things.

I have a few new birds. I have an 18 month old Magnificus Black cockatoo (Banskii) which I am in the process of finding a mate for, a young pair of Naso Black Cockatoos are ready to be picked up this week. Also have had redcaps, but lost one to night fright. Very flighty species. had and sold yellow rosellas...NEVER again.

Thats a quick update. Good to hear most are having a good start to the season

Shaun

[Noddy]

Hi Shaun
Maybe I looked too often. It's hard not too, but I would never have thought they would have thrown them out. She is always in the nest when I go in to have a look. She comes out a couple of times each day but not for long. One again this year she seemed to have trouble with the last egg. Is there much chance they will go again this year? there is no more to hand raise. They threw 3 out and the last egg did not hatch. I think the egg remains had what looked likes hard bits of yoke.

[Laraine]

You certainly are having a good start to the season Shaun, must be something in the water, can you send some down to me. lol.

So far I have 2 show budgies fledged, another budgie sitting on eggs, one red rump baby, thought more would hatch, but she is still sitting. Blue red rump female had 3 eggs but they disappeared, she is in the box again but no egg yet. 3 budgies hatched but died in a cold spell. Cockatiel sitting on eggs. So far Princesses, Superbs, Eastern Rosellas and GCC aren't doing anything. They are the only ones I have separated, don't have room for Kaks and Plumheads this year.

[Laraine]

I have just come home from a week away. I was expecting that the baby red rump would be dead as it was crying a lot......surprisingly it has grown and is feathering up, its a lutino. Three tiel eggs, show budgie is sitting on eggs again and another budgie still sitting on her eggs, should start to hatch soon, might candle them on the weekend.

[Noddy]

Eggs again, my Plumhead hen has started laying again. It is her second clutch since her day old hatchlings were thrown out of the nest a few weeks ago. Only problem is that she is not sitting on the egg at night. She is in and out of the box during the day. I hope she lays a few more and does incubate them. I intend to pull the male out when the eggs are about to hatch. I just can't risk him doing it again. Comments appreciated.

[Robyn]

Hi Noddy, sad to say yes i have come across this sort of thing happening. No i haven't an answer for you either. A guy i hand rared for had the same problem with his pair of plums, he used to bring each chick to me as they hatched. Same thing they were thrown out of the nest. Didn't know which one did it but it happened clutch after clutch. I think he ended up selling them on.

I have another friend with a pair of Alex's that are killing their chicks as soon as they hatch. I have no idea why. Is so hard to have to H/R a chick from hatch & i don't have the heart to say no. So i have another 3 day old alex to feed.

As Mike has already said some parrots don't tolerate nest inspections & will destroy eggs or chicks. So we have to learn to keep clear until the chicks have a week or so growth otherwise we risk losing them. Or have a pair of foster parents on hand should anything go wrong. I know a few friends are lucky enough to have birds that will look after any species of chick.

Sorry i don't have a solution for you Noddy.

Robyn.

[Robyn]

I also meant to give an update as to what is happening with my breeding. In the nests i have 3 GCC chicks + 3 eggs to go. 2 Eclectus chicks hatched a few days ago. Gypsy & Precious are sitting on eggs....AGAIN....I am just weaning off her last 2 boys. Am H/R a hen eckie for a friend, not one of my birds. The baby RBT2 is doing well although i did lose a sick one i was trying to save. Someone else was feeding it & got into trouble so i tried but failed. Oh & must not forget the 3 day old Alex. LOL.

Hey Shaun lovely to see you around again.

Robyn.

[sypher]

I have been checking in regularly but havent posted alot. I cant stay away! I have been raising a major mitchell from the egg and have another in the incubator. Very interesting time. have learnt alot about incubation and what to do with a young chick.

I will post up a bit of what I have been up to lately in the next week or so

Shaun

[vankarhi]

I will be interested in your incubation and raising from day one........I think I am ready and when we move will prepare myself for next years breeding season. Shrekie layed 4 eggs in 1st clutch this year. 3 were fertile, 2 only hatched but one died a few days later and one was DIS and the other not fertile at all. I am raising their only survivor since he was 2 weeks old hoping they would double clutch....and they did. I thought she was on only 2 eggs and they are due to hatch any day now.....but she is actually on 4 again.

[Laraine]

How is the moving going Tracey, are you still getting the original house you mentioned?

[Laraine]

Came back from being away yesterday and was expecting the baby red rump would be dead, but no he is looking very healthy. I am still wary of this female as last year she had 3 babies and 2 died when a few weeks old.

Show budgie was sitting on 5 eggs, but they have disappeared. Disappointing.

Two tiels are sitting on eggs. This afternoon I put a different shaped box in with the Princess Parrots. I also put the one egg that didn't break under a tiel. Fingers crossed. Quail sitting on 5 eggs. I had to bring the female blue red rump in as she was getting pecked on the head.

She immediately laid an egg which broke. There was another one in her box which I put under a tiel.

It has been a horrible day, windy and cold.

[sypher]

Just put an update up in Sqawk talk.

Laraine, good news about the baby red rump. Looks like they have it sorted this time around. Not so good news about the budgies though, that would have been very disheartening.

Shaun

[Laraine]

It was disappointing, I came home thinking they would be starting to hatch. The Elegant laid an egg then promptly moved into the nest next door (the show budgies nest). But this morning she was back in her own one. So hoping.

Two tiels sitting on eggs. Put another box in with the Princess Parrots on Saturday, but so far no interest.

[Laraine]

Pink Bourke parrot has laid an egg. I'm especially keen for this one to breed as she is split to Cream. Holding breath.

[sypher]

Sounds promising Laraine, fingers crossed!

Shaun

[madaussie]

One little Red Rump has hatched.Laraine you selling this one ?
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