Gouldians laid their first egg!

[Madcat]

Babs I have a feeling you're going to be head over heald with goulds within the nest year...

[spn1979]

Madcat
Do they have a nest yet? My pair was bonded. He sang to her and they perched together at nite. She was just not interested into going to nest. The male looking outside the cage is had and I've read one breeder post they e never gotten eggs from a couple where the male wings outside the nest. I had a male doing that eaaier this year. So I traded him with another keeper. My new pair hit it off immediately and I had eggs at 18 days. The other keeper however had to try him with a dozen hens before he settled on one.

[Madcat]

spn1979 ok this is what happened...I had a plastic nest box with wide opening and flip top for viewing/outside mounted for the longest time. NOTHING. So I separated them. He sang to her like crazy. So I switched nest and used bamboo/wood closed nest. He built it like crazy. She started going in. He started going in. Now I don't know what's going on in the nest because it's closed top and inside. Not the outside mounted best box.

[spn1979]

Madcat
I have a variety of nest selections but none are mounted outside or have a flip top. I have success perfoming nest checks with my cell phone camera.

[Madcat]

spn1979 wait....how do u get inside and take a pic without disturbing the parents sitting?!?!?

[spn1979]

Madcat
One pair I don't do checks once they start incubating they hate it and can tell if any material is out of place and are reluctant to go back in. The others I wait till both are out or sometimes I can get them out if I'm comfortable with the pair. If I can't get the phone in the nest I can angle it in a manner to get a good pic.

[Madcat]

Holy cow. .. I have never had success like that. That is wonderful. If I have success with this bamboo nest , this will be the first. I've only used plastic peek top/ outside mounted mounted nests before. And you've had so much success with the others? !?!?pics please. Add a new thread if u have to. Not to take away from babs. This is amazing spn1979 !!!

[spn1979]

Madcat
I started a nest thread.

[lovezebs]

Babs

WHAT'S HAPPENING ???
Seems you got lost along the way here somewhere.

Any more eggs? How are Bri and Audi doing???????

[Babs _Owner]

lovezebs

Gooood Morning! I went to bed and slept in this morning Its just after 11 am here.

I was just watching them from the hallway without entering the living room. There is a lot of activity around the nest, so I am sure there is a 3rd egg this morning.

The conversation between them looks like this

Audy, "Well, watcha gonna do with all those things?"

Bri, " I dunno, what are YOU gonna do with em?!, I know they belong here....."

Audy, " But I didnt PUT them there YOU did"

Bri, "Well we gotta do something!"

Elana, this is really reminding me of the noodlehead nestbuilding fiasco.

[Babs _Owner]

lovezebs

PS, I just non chalantly put out some millet, cracked opened the nestbox when they werent looking and there are still only two eggs this morning.

She bounces in and out, but not for longer than maybe a minute.

[lovezebs]

Babs

Sometimes they take a one day break. Sometimes, they lay a couple of empties before they get down to serious business.

Patience

I love the 'noodle head ' phase.

-Honey, we need more nesting material!
-No, we don't.
-But honey....
-No more nesting material, sweetie, we already have more than enough, and can't you see I'm busy watching the Society Game?
-That's all you want to do, watch sports, while your eggs go cold.
-It's a long weekend for Pete's sakes, can't you cut me some slack. I've been working my tail feathers off all week on that darn nest.
-Darn nest? This is our children's nursery......
-Children? All I see are these white things.
-Those white things, are your eggs.....
-They're not mine....
-Ohhhh, what are you insinuating? You're just horrible....
-Awww Sweetie, you know didn't mean it like that. I'm sorry.
-If you were sorry, than you'd go and get some more nesting materials.
-Right after the Socie game is finished.
-That's what you always say....
-Oh good grief, I'm going, I'm going!
-Fine then, make sure it's the good soft stuff this time...
-Yea, yea, yea.
-Oh that bird. He's got me so upset now, I think I feel another egg coming on. AUDY, AUDY! Where is that bird? Never around when I need him...

[Babs _Owner]

lovezebs

I laughed through that whole thing!! But this part almost made me pee!

"-Those white things, are your eggs.....
-They're not mine....
-Ohhhh, what are you insinuating? You're just horrible.... "



Elana, I can BET that's about how its going in there. These newlyweds really are a hot mess.

Shes still gnawing on cuttlebone and egg so I take it thats a good sign. Plus I add a few drops of calcium to her water as well daily (cant hurt).

[lovezebs]

Babs

Glad you got a kick out of that .