First one of seven new babies out of the nest.

L in Ontario · Post by **L in Ontario** » Sun Jan 04, 2009 10:52 am

FeatherHarp wrote:Have you ever wondered how many birds you have raised from when you first started having finches?

I know you're asking Donna, but for me, yes I keep a database in which I record each baby with all it's pertinent information including parents and grandparents as available. Particularly since I close-band babies and if whoever I sell it to - if they rehome it and the newest owner contacts me for information on that bird - I have it all on computer and backed up.

dfcauley · Post by **dfcauley** » Sun Jan 04, 2009 12:24 pm

That's great Liz!
Unfortunately I am not so good in that area. First I do not close band. Second..... this is not ANY type of a business for me.

That is not to say I am not going to sell any of them. I just enjoy breeding them. But I am careful not to have any related pairs.

There are four now out. The two yellows and one green are still in the nest. Here they are on the swing. That is Spice with them. He is not the father, but he feeds all the time. He is gong to be a great dad when he does have his own clutch. He is not even quite a year old yet.

L in Ontario · Post by **L in Ontario** » Sun Jan 04, 2009 12:47 pm

It's not a real business for me either - just doing it for the enjoyment but I like to band as well for genetic and future tracking. I'd forget too quickly who belonged to whom.

dfcauley · Post by **dfcauley** » Sun Jan 04, 2009 12:49 pm

L in Ontario wrote:It's not a real business for me either - just doing it for the enjoyment but I like to band as well for genetic and future tracking. I'd forget too quickly who belonged to whom.

I forget things too Liz. Sometimes I forget what I was going to do next.

But since I have only two pairs and one extra cock it is easy to keep up with. I do not keep any of the babies.

FeatherHarp · Post by **FeatherHarp** » Sun Jan 04, 2009 4:52 pm

To Peek-A-Holic...um I mean Donna

.....I just love that circular bird perch....and it looks like the birds do too!

And Liz.....so you say you keep records of your birds....I want NUMBERS.....how many have you raised....hundreds....thousands?

L in Ontario · Post by **L in Ontario** » Sun Jan 04, 2009 4:59 pm

LOL - not quite thousands Deborah... more like exactly 30 successfully raised since December 24th, 2007. Can't say I'm a "bird-mill".

I guess that's not too bad for my first year.

There must be others that raise a lot more than that in a year but I wouldn't want to breed a lot more - just different mutations would be nice, like silvers or pastels.

dfcauley · Post by **dfcauley** » Sun Jan 04, 2009 6:04 pm

L in Ontario wrote:LOL - not quite thousands Deborah... more like exactly 30 successfully raised since December 24th, 2007. Can't say I'm a "bird-mill". I guess that's not too bad for my first year.

There must be others that raise a lot more than that in a year but I wouldn't want to breed a lot more - just different mutations would be nice, like silvers or pastels.

Liz, when you say pastels , do you mean dilute? Is that the same thing?
I was hoping to get a blue out of one of these, but it didn't happen.
My two males are split to blue.....

I would say this year I have raised about thirty also.

Maybe a few more.... It has been fun.

L in Ontario · Post by **L in Ontario** » Sun Jan 04, 2009 6:36 pm

Yes Donna, I do mean dilute blues and silvers.

I also currently have two "split to blues" sitting on 6 eggs and I too hope to get a blue or two out of them but possibly can get all greens as you did but they too might be split to blue but we'll never know just by looking at them.

dfcauley · Post by **dfcauley** » Sun Jan 04, 2009 6:42 pm

ahhhh... okay. Genetics make me crazy. I know for sure that one of these new ones is a dilute. It is so pretty. I am going to try and get a picture later of it.

L in Ontario · Post by **L in Ontario** » Sun Jan 04, 2009 6:44 pm

Ha! You're just making me jealous of ALL your dilutes... again!

GOULDYGIRL · Post by **GOULDYGIRL** » Sun Jan 04, 2009 6:45 pm

I just wanted to say I'm in love with Spice Donna!! Can he come for a visit? LOL

Renee

dfcauley · Post by **dfcauley** » Sun Jan 04, 2009 6:59 pm

Thank you. He is the sweetest little bird. He is the one that made me fall in love with the white breasted gouldians. I traded two little gold breasted that I had raised last summer for him. It took him forever to color up and when he did he was a beauty. And he wants to be a dad so bad! I am going to have to get him a hen.......

ah.... Liz, If you lived closer I would give you one of mine for sure.