More Strawberry babies! Handfeeding.

L in Ontario · Post by **L in Ontario** » Mon Jun 16, 2008 9:37 am

They look fabulous!

Post by **Hilary** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 1:01 am

Congrats Sally! So glad you're having luck - I only get clear eggs from my berries.

And you're so lucky that the societies are both sitting and feeding! I have a pair that will sit until the cows come home, but just won't feed. Glad also to hear that the banding tool trick worked for you! I'll never do crop feeding when the "tool" works so well! Too bad I can't see pictures on this computer - I'll need to come back to this thread to check them out!

Post by **Sally** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 2:11 am

Yes, I am very lucky! The president of the Ft. Worth Bird Club, who has been breeding finches for decades, told me that usually Societies won't feed Strawberries. And I, too, will never use a crop needle again--that was so scary, thinking you would either aspirate or poke a hole in its crop! That banding tool works great--thanks for posting that hint! My second clutch of Strawberries are under a male/female pair of Societies, and I am having to supplement. When I check their crops, they have food in them, but they are not stuffed, like Felix and Oscar did with the others. I am watching them carefully, the Societies don't seem to have the interest they should in these babies, so I have to make sure they don't just stop feeding completely.

Post by **Hilary** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 2:21 am

Just having a pair that will even keep them warm is a blessing, though, and minimal feeding is at least some of the pressure taken off of you. I did find out when I had a couple of tossed gould chicks that I can keep them warm enough in a nest placed under a heat lamp - something I don't want to do, but will keep in mind when I set my RCCBs up again.

Did you do anything special for your berries to get them in the mood? One of my pairs lays clear eggs like crazy (though they do love to sit on them), and the other pair has never shown any interest at all in breeding. I'm considering switching them out to see what happens, but if you have a secret (Barry White, candles, champagne) to get them going I'd appreciate it!

I can't imagine why people crop-feed, except that it's faster. If you're patient, letting the chicks eat what/how much they want at their own pace is so much safer and more natural (in my opinion). For anybody reading this and wondering, they'll accept food (I use watered-down egg yolk to start) from the banding tool about a day after hatching....

Post by **Sally** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 12:15 am

I really didn't do anything special for these Strawberries. They used a wicker hooded nest (not the really small one), lined it with coco fiber, padded it with white feathers, and the next thing I knew, they were sitting. I wasn't sure if they were sitting at first, as they came off the nest as soon as I came in the birdroom, but after a while, they would just stay in the nest and watch me. I used to try not to disturb the breeding cages (didn't clean so often, in and out of the birdroom as fast as possible), but now I go ahead and make some noise. I did offer them a bath dish just about every day, plus putting the eggfood, etc. dishes in the cage meant pulling out the tray several times a day, and they seemed to tolerate that.

I offered lots of mini mealworms (which they mostly ignored), homemade eggfood and veggies (which they ate). This pair also seemed to like Abba's 92A nestling food, I kept a small dish filled all the time.

I got this hen off craigslist, a woman had Gouldians and wanted to rehome the other finches. She said this hen had been laying eggs in the cage, as she was the only one that small. The hen had a male Shaft-tail as a buddy. I first set her up with my little male that looks like a vulture, he is so bald, and she did not like him at all. So I had this male Strawberry shipped from San Diego, and they bonded right away.

They are such a good pair as far as fertility, not one clear egg yet. I am doing a huge shift in my bird population right now, so I moved this pair to my most private cage. The move upset the hen something awful, scared me, as she didn't look well for a day. Then she laid an egg on the floor of the cage (I hadn't given them their nest back yet). Now they have their old nest (it is clean, since they never raised any babies in it), but I may have messed everything up by moving them.

If I could ever get them to raise their own babies, I would be in heaven! The male/female pair of Societies that are raising the 4 Berries are just OK--I have to supplement. They don't consistently feed all four, one will have a fairly full crop and another empty, but I have yet to see the stuffed crops like when Felix and Oscar fed their little charges. I agree with you, I'd never use a crop needle again. It is definitely slower with the tool, but so much safer. I got tickled today, after they eat, they stick their tiny tongues out like they are licking their lips!

Post by **Hilary** » Sun Jun 22, 2008 2:19 am

Sally -

Do you just feed the Abba food dry? I've used dried insectivorous eggfood, but they never seem to pay any attention to it. Hmmm......

Post by **Sally** » Sun Jun 22, 2008 10:35 pm

Hilary, at first I added the Abba nestling food to mashed hardboiled eggs, plus some cornmeal, since my birds like their eggfood pretty dry. Then I started keeping a dish of dry Abba 92A in the breeding cages free choice. I first noticed my Gouldian weanlings (soon after weaning) starting to look a little off, and they were gobbling up the eggfood. When I offered the dry Abba free choice, those guys inhaled it and quickly started looking better. I think the nestling food helps get them thru that time from depending on parents to being fully independent. Some of the juvies don't eat it, but most do. Abba suggests feeding it moist, but it is so hot here in Texas, if I left moist food free choice, it would be disaster.

I've also used some of the dry insectivous foods--some birds will eat it, and others just poop in it! My BCCB and Strawberry fledglings are eating it.

Post by **Hilary** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 12:19 am

Thanks Sally! I've fed other eggfood mixes dry, but haven't tried the Abba since it's so fine. My RCCBs and fire finches like the insectivorous dried, but not the berries. I'll try the Abba!

Post by **Sally** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 2:53 pm

Just a quick update on the Berries--their foster parents were not feeding on a regular basis, so I had to supplement with handfeeding. Eventually, the fosters quit feeding completely. I tried the babies with Felix and Oscar, but they are still feeding 8 fledglings, so they didn't want any more. I tried other Societies, which are still feeding their own fledglings, and again, no luck. So I am now Mom on a full-time basis, and this afternoon, it became official--not only am I greeted with 4 open mouths, but they are becoming very vocal, and today, while I was feeding them, suddenly a wing shot straight up in the air, trying to get my attention--feed me next! Their eyes are open, wing feathers growing, starting to grow some breast feathers. Before you know it, I will be sending them off for their first day of school!

dfcauley · Post by **dfcauley** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 4:45 pm

oh Sally, what an undertaking! But strawberry finches are certainly worth it.

Well good luck to you and keep us posted on how they are doing. You are now officially their mom. I am so glad that they are letting you feed them.

jamezyboo21 · Post by **jamezyboo21** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 4:57 pm

Hey Sally, a breeder i know has bought a pair of strawberries for me and i will be getting them as soon as i get back down to pensacola. I will try to breed them so we can get another bloodline of strawberries.

mickp · Post by **mickp** » Wed Jun 25, 2008 12:19 am

Sally it sounds like you need a timed lock on your bird room door.
it would help in two ways, you may get your housework done or you could be locked in there lol either way you win

Post by **Sally** » Wed Jun 25, 2008 7:28 pm

jamezyboo - that is great news about the Strawberries! Be sure and try to breed them, we need all the Berry babies we can produce!

mickp - welcome back, and yes, I do need a timer on my birdroom door! I have been moving some cages and birds in my house, and that may be a mistake--I spend way too much time just sitting and watching them--isn't it wonderful!

mickp · Post by **mickp** » Wed Jun 25, 2008 9:18 pm

I know what you mean Sally, wish I could afford the time to sit and watch them at the moment. seems to be a list of jobs a mile long to be caught up on. amazing though how many of the jobs are in the backyard in thevicinity of the aviary

Bonzo · Post by **Bonzo** » Sat Jun 28, 2008 9:51 pm

Please keep the Pics coming, its great to see them growing up.
THANKS