Update!!!! My first breeding experience

[jellybean]

He's a beauty Darren 

[budgiefriend]

Exciting times! Arne is so handsome. We want more photos, please.

[Budgies Retreat]

I hope Arnie keeps his (her?) baby blue colour, it's so gorgeous. He still remains outside his gazunder, and seems to prefer to sleep behind it, strange birdy.

Mildred's chick is doing well. I had a little worry on the first night as it didn't look like she had fed him by 10pm as he still had an empty crop. In fact the crop was empty every time I looked throughout the day, so I decided to break out the Kaytee Exact. From what I have read, it can be up to 15 hours after hatching before the hen will feed it, but having recently seen Arnie from birth, his crop was full every time. I was now getting concerned and was worried to go to bed not knowing if he will be fed.
My train of thought was that if I feed him, then at least I have tried and done what I could, and Mildred won't be able to overfeed it, as it will only take what it wants. I mixed the Exact as per the instructions, to a ratio of 6:1 water/formula. I found that once mixed (using water that had boiled and allowed to cool) because of the very watery consistency, it had to be regularly stirred as the formula just sunk in the water. I've not had any experience of other formulas, so I just had to keep stirring it.
I have a shallow rectangular dish which I lined with 3 sheets of paper towel doubled over, and picked up the chick. I basically held the chick so that it's neck rested between my thumb and index finger and picking up a small amount of formula on the bent spoon, offered it to it's beak. He opened his beak when I tapped the spoon against it, and you could see him taking some in. You have to allow the bird to breath as you don't want the bird to take any into it's lungs, so only hold it there for a second, remove for a few seconds, and bring it back. Remember to replenish the spoon every time so that the formula is warm. It cools extremely fast on the metal spoon, so between every sip I picked up a new amount.
He soon had a full crop, and he was placed back with mum. That was Sunday night, and now I have seen a full crop several times when checked, so I have not fed it anymore. I'm glad I did feed it, because if I hadn't and he didn't get fed then I would've felt really bad.
Did I enjoy doing it? NO! I have felt more relaxed standing in front of a hostile crowd being pelted with bricks and bottles. However, having done it, I will be (hopefully) more relaxed now that I have worked out the best way to keep the formula warm and having the right equipment if I have to do it the next time.

[steve05412]

It with seem worth it eventually, just at the time can be very stressful.

[suesbird]

Well done Darren, lovely little guy.

[skysmum]

Arnie is a beauty . Thankfully i never had to feed chicks and tbh the thought terrifies me so well done you, you also have to watch for air bubbles in the crop

[Budgies Retreat]

It doesn't look like the other 3 eggs of Mildred's are going to hatch I will remove them and let her concentrate on her 1 baby. He's getting quite big now, and as he is from two large exhibition birds, I reckon he'll be bigger than Arnie, but Arnie had his own gym, so perhaps not

Lol Arnie made me laugh. He fledged the nest, and remained mostly behind his gazunder, and after a few days he was climbing up onto the roof of the gazunder, and then a few days later managed to get up onto the perch. He then learnt how to get up onto the nest box perch, and now he's back inside the nest Lol. He does come out regularly, and seems to be eating much more on his own now.

I will have to get some new photo's up because his wing colouring is white and grey, and yet I would've thought with mum being a normal blue and dad being a normal green that his wings would have black markings???

[Budgies Retreat]

Baby Arnie



This is Tom, Mildred's OH



And dear ol' Mildred tending her little chicky

[FFG]

Sorry for your loss mate however Arnie is a beauty! Best of luck with the others, you are doing a great job there! I will keep checking in for any updates

[suesbird]

Beautiful Arnie, such lovely colours

[skysmum]

Arnie is a throw back for sure with his markings, i love this bit as you can see what his grandparents or even his great grandparents were like, you never know what you are going to get

Are you going for a second round with Mim Daz, its just that its not uncommon for the dad bird to attack a youngster if he is going back in the nest box. I had this problem, George attacked JoJo quite badly when he tried it so i removed the box.

[Budgies Retreat]

Hi skysmum, yes they are already in by 3 eggs, probably 4th tomorrow.

Dad attack Arnie? More likely to be the other way around. Arnie is as big as dad already All joking aside, I will keep my eye on them all as I was expecting that Arnie would've been kept out, but they clearly have no issues (at present) with him being in there, but it is one that I'll watch.

I'm kid of hoping that Tom and Mildred's baby will be a grey spangle perhaps? Tom looks so fierce in his photo but he again is such sweet natured, just like Mildred.

[skysmum]

All good then good luck with the three new eggs

[Budgies Retreat]

It's 4 now skysmum. She delivered it late yesterday evening, so there could be another tomorrow!
I can't keep up with all this laying malarkey. Thankfully this is the second round for both, so once Mildred's baby has fledged then her nest will be closed, and once weaned and she's rested then they will go back in the flight. Mim's round will also be her last, so again, once these are weaned and she's rested she too will go back in the flight.
Mildred's other eggs haven't hatched. There is clearly a solid mass in all, but they are so long overdue, one by 12 days, one by 10 and the other by 7. I have decided to throw them away. Best she concentrates on the chick.
I was hoping for better from her, but this is her first breeding season, so perhaps next time will be more productive for her. As I've said before, I'm not breeding to sell; I am only breeding for my own collection, so there is no rush.

[BudgiesBuddy]

First breeding attempts can be even more difficult, and less productive. Yours was acceptable

There are better products than Kaytee Exact.

I prefer to feed a day or so old by placing them on their backs.