ISO female blue cap cordon bleu

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lovezebs
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Re: ISO female blue cap cordon bleu

Post by lovezebs » Fri Oct 13, 2017 8:49 pm

isobea

Hi Iso,

I've been looking and looking, and can't find the information you're looking for, darn it.

All I could find, is thst they should not be bred under 12 months of age (but that's no help at all.

Found a bit of info about them though...

"Breeding tips
A full breeding diet should be started about 1 month before the breeding season, and should include a large amount of live food, soft foods, green foods, and dry seeds. Red-cheeked and blue-breasted cordon bleus can be paired for breeding as early as 6 months of age, but the blue-capped cordon bleu should be at least 12 months old due to problems with younger birds and egg-binding. These birds make use of ample hiding opportunities, especially during breeding. Therefore a fairly well-planted aviary or spacious flight with plenty of seclusion will do nicely. Breeding birds should be limited to a single pair per flight/aviary for best results. Avoid placing other cordon bleu pairs in adjacent enclosures; the sight of conspecifics will distract the breeding pair. Provide half open nest boxes, wicker nests, and hanging wire baskets stuffed with brush for nesting. Birds tend to build their nests three to 7.5 feet (1-2.5m) off the ground. Coconut fiber, fine grass, moss, and pale or white feathers should be provided for nesting material. Make sure these materials are available throughout incubation, as pairs will often add feathers to the lining of the nest around the time the young hatch, and may even place a feather to provide privacy at the nest entrance.

Cordon Bleu Pair Cordon Bleus may engage in "sexual chasing" where the male pecks at and chases the female he is bonded to, especially if their courtship display is interrupted by another male. This is thought to occur in order to drive the hen away from the presence of possible rivals. In the courtship display, a male will hold a piece of nesting material (usually a long piece of grass or a white feather) in his beak; he will perch near the female with his tail angled toward her and sing while bobbing up-and-down and throwing his head back each time he rises. If the female is on the ground, the male may hop around her as he displays. Females may also mimic this courtship display. As long as the female is receptive, most courtship displays result in the female crouching and quivering her tail to solicit copulation; the male may peck at the hen's head (not in a harmful way) just before mounting her.

Ample live food (such as mealworms, waxworms, termites) is essential for breeding birds to successfully rear chicks. You may additionally provide "insectivore diets" and dried ant eggs. Once chicks hatch, dishes of insects (live and/or dried) will need to be refilled several times daily. If the birds sense a shortage of live food, they will abandon their young or toss their chicks from the nest. Absolutely no nest checks should be performed as these birds scare easily from the nest. Several stressors may increase the risk of premature fledging or nest/chick abandonment, including: nest checks or disturbances, sudden diet change, shortage of live food or rearing food, administration of medication. If premature fledging occurs, do not attempt to replace the fledged bird to the nest as this may result in the siblings fledging prematurely; instead, fit the enclosure with a small brooder under which the fledges can huddle to stay warm at night, or bring chicks indoors (to keep them warm) overnight and release them back into the aviary in the morning.

Chicks hatch with reddish skin and fawn colored down. Parents cease brooding the chicks around the 9th day of age, so it is important to keep the enclosure sufficiently warm during this time. Parents may encourage the chicks to fledge by withholding food and calling loudly from outside the nest. Once young fledge the nest, they tend not to return to it, even during the first few nights after fledging. Because young birds are especially susceptible to the cold and dampness, these birds should only be bred during the warmer months unless the aviary/flight can be heated and kept dry. Within a week of fledging, it may be possible to distinguish young males from females as the males tend to be marginally deeper blue. Nest hygiene is poor, so the spent nest should be removed after fledging, and the parents given an opportunity to build a fresh nest for the next brood. Juveniles should be left with the parents for 4 weeks before removing them to their own enclosure to ensure independence.

Red-cheeked cordon bleus may be quick to accept a new mate if necessary; blue-breasted cordon bleus are more reluctant. When not breeding, birds should be placed on an austerity diet consisting of dry seed, minimum greens, sprouted seed, and only a small quantity of live food or egg food.

Life Cycle
Clutch size: 3-6 eggs
Incubation date: After the third-fifth egg is laid
Hatch date: After 12-14 days of incubation
Fledge date: At 18-21 days of age
Wean date: 4-6 weeks of age (about 2 weeks after fledging)
First molt: 3-5.5 months of age"

I'll keep looking #-o
~Elana~

Linnies~ Canaries ~ Zebras ~ Societies ~ Gouldians ~ Orange Cheeks ~ Shaft Tails ~ Strawberries ~ Red Cheek Cordon Bleu ~ Goldbreasts ~ Red Brows ~ Owls ~ Budgies ~ Diamond Firetails ~ Javas ~ Forbes Parrot Finches ~

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Re: ISO female blue cap cordon bleu

Post by isobea » Fri Oct 13, 2017 9:59 pm

lovezebs - Thank you so much for all this info, Elana! Some of it I had already found in different sources, but some of it was new to me. I sure appreciate the time and effort you put into your research. I have searched high and low trying to find out how long the females might be fertile but no success yet.
I wonder how long Andy (a_gouldian) has had his blue caps. Maybe he could shed some light on this.
Iso

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Re: ISO female blue cap cordon bleu

Post by lovezebs » Sat Oct 14, 2017 1:44 am

isobea

I couldn't even find an actual number to give us an idea as to what their life span is :roll: .

Let's tag a_gouldian, and see what he has to say on the subject.
~Elana~

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Re: ISO female blue cap cordon bleu

Post by Stuart whiting » Sat Oct 14, 2017 4:16 am

isobea wrote: lovezebs - Thank you so much for all this info, Elana! Some of it I had already found in different sources, but some of it was new to me. I sure appreciate the time and effort you put into your research. I have searched high and low trying to find out how long the females might be fertile but no success yet.
I wonder how long Andy (a_gouldian) has had his blue caps. Maybe he could shed some light on this.
Iso
You only had to go onto the finch info centre as all the info that Elana has put up is just copied from the blue Waxbill page,

I constantly have the species page of the site on me home page,

This isn't difficult to find,

Hope yer find the hen yer after :thumbup:

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Re: ISO female blue cap cordon bleu

Post by Stuart whiting » Sat Oct 14, 2017 4:34 am

I've got a screen shot of some info that you'd be interested in about blue cap waxbills but unfortunately can't get the pic up because of the picture loading facility of the forum is currently down at the moment whilst the change over of ownership is in operation,

However try looking at birdcare.com.au

All you'll need to know about blue caps is on this website :-BD

Be lucky

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Re: ISO female blue cap cordon bleu

Post by Stuart whiting » Sat Oct 14, 2017 11:29 am

Blue cap waxbills info :

Maximum life expectancy: 7-9 years

Breeding expectancy: 2nd - 5th year

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Re: ISO female blue cap cordon bleu

Post by lovezebs » Sat Oct 14, 2017 11:31 am

Stuart whiting isobea

The Finch Information Centre is presently off line.

Here is the information, which Stuart mentioned off the Australian Site. Thanks Stuart :-BD I have never seen this Site before.



***** "Scientific Name: Uraeginthus cyanocephala. Largest of the 3 species
Sub Species in country / area of origin: ?
Origin / Distribution: Small part of eastern central Africa.
Habitat In Wild: Generally occupy dry semi-desert areas.
Status In Wild: ?
Status In (Australian) Captivity: Secure
Age To Sexual Maturity: about 8 months
Adult plumage: attained at about 4 - 6 months.
Best breeding years (estimate): 2nd - 5th year
Lifespan (estimate): Approx 7 - 9 years
Sexing: Monomorphic / Dimorphic
Mutations: No
Availability: Pet shops & bird dealers
Temperament: Popular aviary bird.
Cost (Victoria) Per Pair: - Normal colour (Approx.) $300
Description Of Adults:
Length: Approx. 130 mm (or about 5 inches) Mid size of the 3 species.
Colour ( "normal" colour ): Refer photo/s above if available.
Weight: Approx. 13 gms (or about 1/2 ozs)
Red cheeked Cordon Bleu Waxbill

Scientific Name: Uraeginthus bengalus
Common Name/s: RED CHEEKED CORDON BLEU WAXBILL, RED CHEEKED CORDON BLEU, RED CHEEKED WAXBILL.
Sub Species in country / area of origin: 5
Origin / Distribution: Across central Africa
Habitat In Wild: Dry woodlands and will forage in farmlands, villages, parks and gardens.
Status In Wild: ?
Status In (Australian) Captivity: Secure
Age To Sexual Maturity: About 8 months
Adult plumage: attained at about 4 - 6 months.
Best breeding years (estimate): 2nd - 5th
Lifespan (estimate): Approx. 7 - 9 years
Sexing: Monomorphic / Dimorphic Cock bird the broad crescent shaped spot on each cheek. The hen does not have the cheek spot.
Mutations: Yes, includes white and pied.
Availability: Pet shops & bird dealers
Temperament: Popular aviary bird. Can be housed and bred as a colony in a large aviary. Cock birds can be territorial.
Cost (Victoria) Per Pair: - Normal colour (Approx.) $60
Description Of Adults:
Length: Approx 120 mm (or about 5 inches)
Colour ( "normal" colour ): Refer photo/s above if available.
Weight: Approx. 11 gms (or about 1/3 ozs)
Aviary Notes:
Read notes on "Finches - Non Australian" web page and use in conjunction with details outlined on this page.

Level Of Knowledge Required: Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced / Specialist Breeders Only.

Government Regulations & By-Laws: Refer to "Government Laws" web page.

Housing Requirements: Click on "Housing birds" web page for general details on the housing of Non Australian Finches or read on for specific details for this finch.

Do not mix the Cordon species as they will easily hybridize.
Cordons can be housed in a planted aviary but can also be bred as one pair per large canary style cage. Best results are achieved in a planted aviary. Minimum aviary length should be about 2 metres (7 feet) long.

Best breeding results are usually with one pair per aviary or one pair of Cordons in a mixed species finch collection.

They can be bred in a Canary style breeder cage of about 900mm long x 400mm high x 400mm deep (36 x 16 x 16 inches). Only one breeding pair per cage.

In a colony of Cordons the dominant pair will be the most productive and the lesser dominant birds may fail to produce young.

Diet / Feeding: Click on "Feeding birds" web page for general details on the nutrition of Non Australian Finches or read on for specific details for this finch.

In the wild these birds usually forage on the ground for seeds and insects. They will forage for foods in villages and urban areas.

The Cordon bleu waxbill requires a good quality finch mix, seeding grasses and some fruits (e.g. apple), vegetables and green leafy vegetables. Live food is essential especially at breeding season. Mealworms and small crickets are commonly used. Sprouted or soaked seed if available.

Basic seed mix should include Canary seed, White French Millet, Japanese Millet, and Yellow and Red Panicum.

Nesting: A basic overview only.

Roosting nest: Yes / No
Nesting months: May breed year round. Spring to early autumn is preferable.
Nesting receptacles: Will build a nest in shrubs, dry brush or in a half open nest box. Will also use a wide variety of nest types when bred in a cage.
Nest: Both parents build a dome shaped nest with an entrance at the side, out of grasses, moss and coconut fibre. Nest is lined with feathers and soft fine grasses. November grass and Swamp grass are favourites.
Who incubates the eggs: Hen / cock / both share.
Generally unwise to do nest inspections. The nest is difficult to access for a nest inspection without damaging the nest. Adequate new nest material must be available for the parents to build a new nest for the next clutch or to modify an existing nest.

More details on finch nests and a selection of finch nest photos can be located on the "nests", "finch nests" and "finch nest photos" web pages. Click on "Up" then "nests" then "finch nests" and "finch nests photos" in the navigation bars.

Breeding: Egg Colour White/ivory. Clutch/s per year 3 - 4. Eggs per nest 4 - 6. Incubation approx. 12 - 14 days. Fledge approx. 19 - 20 days. Independent approx. another 14 - 21 days. Leave with parents till about 4 weeks of age. The extra time will allow the young to learn some of the social and behavioural skills that will help them be better parents when they are fully mature.

The Cordon bleu waxbill hens should be allowed time to fully mature before commencing breeding. Best results are achieved if the hen is 12 months old prior to starting breeding.

The young may be left with the parent birds after the next clutch has been started, but if any aggression is shown to any of the young, the young birds should be removed to another aviary. The adult cock bird may show aggression to a male young bird.

A leg ring can be placed on the leg of the young bird as soon as it leaves the nest.

Do not house the different types together as they may hybridize.

Young birds (when they become fully independent) must be removed when bred in a cage. Generally safe to remove the young from the parent birds 4 weeks after they have left the nest.

Artificial incubation, hand rearing or fostering will not be covered on this web site. It is too complex and diverse in nature to be attempted here. Refer "Specific References" as listed below and "General References" listings.

Health Issues: Refer "Avian Health Issues" web page for information and references.

Worming and parasite control and Quarantine requirements of new birds or sick birds are considered to require veterinary advice and therefore not covered on this web site. Refer above option - "Avian Health Issues" web page.
Avian medicine is advancing at a rapid pace. Keep updating your knowledge and skills.
General References: Refer to references listed on "Book References" web page."
*****
~Elana~

Linnies~ Canaries ~ Zebras ~ Societies ~ Gouldians ~ Orange Cheeks ~ Shaft Tails ~ Strawberries ~ Red Cheek Cordon Bleu ~ Goldbreasts ~ Red Brows ~ Owls ~ Budgies ~ Diamond Firetails ~ Javas ~ Forbes Parrot Finches ~

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Re: ISO female blue cap cordon bleu

Post by a_gouldian » Sat Oct 14, 2017 11:41 am

isobea wrote: lovezebs - Thank you so much for all this info, Elana! Some of it I had already found in different sources, but some of it was new to me. I sure appreciate the time and effort you put into your research. I have searched high and low trying to find out how long the females might be fertile but no success yet.
I wonder how long Andy (a_gouldian) has had his blue caps. Maybe he could shed some light on this.
Iso
We received our pair about 1.5 years ago. Have no idea how old they are. When they first started laying eggs they were producing fertile eggs for I believe around 4-5 months. After 5 months we removed all nests and nesting material from their cage. They tossed chicks from the first two clutches and then we gave the eggs from the last three clutches to our Societies and ended up with 10 Juveniles from three clutches. Currently, they have built nests but she is dropping eggs randomly on the cage floor. She may not go into full breeding mode until Nov or Dec if it's the same as last year.
Gouldians, Red-faced Stars, Owl Finches, Blue-capped Cordon Bleus

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Re: ISO female blue cap cordon bleu

Post by Stuart whiting » Sat Oct 14, 2017 5:22 pm

lovezebs

Elana, the finch information centre is NOT currently off line, just because the link is not showing on the forum it doesn't mean that it's off line,

Just simply Google it and it'll come up,

As already mentioned I have the species page of the website currently on me homepage of me iPad along with the Aussie birdcare.com.au and many more sites :roll:
I currently have 4 different pages on me iPad of some of the worlds best bird keeping websites :YMSMUG:

This is a message that everyone else should realise about the finch information centre :-BD
Last edited by Stuart whiting on Sat Oct 14, 2017 5:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: ISO female blue cap cordon bleu

Post by lovezebs » Sat Oct 14, 2017 5:25 pm

Stuart whiting

Hi Stuart,

What I meant, was that it was off the Forum, sorry for my mistake in wording.
~Elana~

Linnies~ Canaries ~ Zebras ~ Societies ~ Gouldians ~ Orange Cheeks ~ Shaft Tails ~ Strawberries ~ Red Cheek Cordon Bleu ~ Goldbreasts ~ Red Brows ~ Owls ~ Budgies ~ Diamond Firetails ~ Javas ~ Forbes Parrot Finches ~

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Re: ISO female blue cap cordon bleu

Post by Stuart whiting » Sat Oct 14, 2017 5:31 pm

lovezebs wrote: Stuart whiting

Hi Stuart,

What I meant, was that it was off the Forum, sorry for my mistake in wording.
No worries Elana,

I just felt that because the finch information centre is not on the links of the forum dosen't mean that it was off line and didn't want people to get the impression that the website is not available because I know how valuable this site is to many as a reliable source,

It must be good Elana because even I use it :thumbup: .....lol

By Googling it one can eaither save it onto their home page or put onto their book marks or reading list for permanent use :-BD

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Re: ISO female blue cap cordon bleu

Post by isobea » Sat Oct 14, 2017 6:39 pm

lovezebs, Stuart whiting, a_gouldian - You guys are awesome! So this is what happens when I spend the day working in the yard - you get busy to help me. Thank you so much for all the info you found and gave me. My big German book on African finches has a solid three pages on blue caps and yet, you guys found even more. I will have to take some time tonight or tomorrow morning and slowly go over everything again.
So it seems like this female the guy has (at least 5 years old) might or might not be fertile anymore... I am tempted to get her any way - if he decides to sell her to me. I have no other options at this point. What do you think?
Iso

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Re: ISO female blue cap cordon bleu

Post by lovezebs » Sat Oct 14, 2017 9:03 pm

isobea

I would opt to get her Iso, if for nothing else then as a companion for your little boy. I'm funny that way, I like these little guys to have at least one other of their own species to chum around with.

And who knows, they just might surprise you :-D .
~Elana~

Linnies~ Canaries ~ Zebras ~ Societies ~ Gouldians ~ Orange Cheeks ~ Shaft Tails ~ Strawberries ~ Red Cheek Cordon Bleu ~ Goldbreasts ~ Red Brows ~ Owls ~ Budgies ~ Diamond Firetails ~ Javas ~ Forbes Parrot Finches ~

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Re: ISO female blue cap cordon bleu

Post by Sally » Sun Oct 15, 2017 11:47 am

isobea I would also opt to get her. You never know, she might just still produce eggs. If nothing else, she would be a companion for your present male.

Lots of information provided. I would add my own experience with cage breeding, which is more difficult but possible. One pair per cage (as large as you can give them), no nest checks, lots of live food, plants for privacy. Mine often built their nests in the plastic plants tied to the cage walls, using hay and white feathers.

I adore CBs, as they have such brilliant coloring, and both sexes sing. The female will also court the male sometimes, using the piece of grass or hay in the beak, hopping up and down, and singing.

I think that a lot of the waxbills are still programmed to breed in our winter months, because that is summertime in their homeland, and these birds are usually either wild-caught or only a generation or two away, so they haven't adjusted to our schedules as much. Of course, you can always have the exception, that will breed any time of year, as long as the live food is being presented--they think that it is time of plenty.

It is too bad you can't get one of a_gouldian's youngsters, because you would know it is young. I encourage anyone breeding this species to closed band the youngsters, so that in future, possible owners will know exactly how old they are. Since this species isn't being imported now, some less than honest people will try to pass off their aging stock as young.
3 Purple Grenadiers, 1 Goldbreast + 1 cat.

National Finch & Softbill Society - http://www.nfss.org

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Re: ISO female blue cap cordon bleu

Post by isobea » Tue Oct 17, 2017 11:55 pm

lovezebs and Sally - thank you so much for encouraging me to get her. And Sally, thank you for sharing your experience breeding them with me. I agree, they are great birds. I just love my male. I don't know how to describe him but he is not only beautiful with really strong coloring, but big and healthy looking and almost has something like a 'presence'. Not sure how to explain it. Even when I first saw him at last year's bird mart in a cage with other birds, somehow he stood out.
Anyway, enough of that. I have called the prospective seller twice in the last few days. First time I left a message, then today I talked to him briefly (he said he was in the middle of a meeting and promised to call me back). Nothing yet. I'm still hopeful that he might call tomorrow.
Iso

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