My new Kids arrived!

[Rosa]

Beautiful birds, wish you luck with breeding.

[hanabi]

wilkifam

Lori, how are your CBMs going? I've just purchased a pair imported from Europe (around $300 here in Japan), so I'm going through the threads on CBMs here trying to learn all I can.

Have your CBMs made a nest yet? When I view your photo of three at the top of this thread I see three males as they all have the same coloured deeper-hued chestnut breast, but remember I am a complete novice when it comes to CBMs. Does your fourth CBM have the same chest colour? My pair have chest colours that are distinctly different, with subtle differences in back/rump colouring too, so I'm hoping I have a hen/cock pair. I believe the male is the one at the top of this image.



Lori, I am also wondering what type of nest(s) you provided?

Cheers,

[hanabi]

My pair have chest colours that are distinctly different, with subtle differences in back/rump colouring too, so I'm hoping I have a hen/cock pair. I believe the male is the one at the top of this image.

Just a quick update: both my CBMs are hens, so the darker chest colour does not necessarily indicate a cock.

[wilkifam]

Mine have not bred for me. I have one that sings, and 3 that sit and adoring look at him while he sings. So, I think the other 3 are hens. I've had one egg, but that was never sat on, so I don't even know if it was fertile or not. Going to give them another nest box so they can give it another try soon.

[hanabi]

wilkifam

Hello Lori,

Mine have not bred for me. I have one that sings, and 3 that sit and adoring look at him while he sings. So, I think the other 3 are hens. I've had one egg, but that was never sat on, so I don't even know if it was fertile or not. Going to give them another nest box so they can give it another try soon.

Well you definitely have a hen and cock so you are almost there. In all of my cages I provide a variety of nesting sites and I feel it has made a significant difference to breeding success. In my 90cm wide cages I provide between 4 to 7 nest sites using 4 different nest types. Most are high up but some are lower down, effectively double-stacked. Once they choose a nest I remove most of the other nests. This video shows the four nest types. I provide mesh around the top half of my canary nests because my finches have a lot of trouble arranging and fixing the nesting material without it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOdnaqojk78

So yes, try another nest and in particular of a different nest type, or two or three if they will fit without cramming. Variety is the spice of life, as they say. Good luck!