Setting up Juvenile Cordon Bleus

Post by **Sally** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 9:34 pm

This is the first year I have had CB babies, so I'm not sure just how to cage them. I know adult CB pairs cannot be in one cage, as the males will fight. What about CB juveniles? I have 4 Red-cheeked youngsters, 2 males and 2 females, and I have 4 Blue-capped youngsters, 3 males and 1 female. The boys are starting to court their sisters, also starting to squabble with each other. If I put all the boys in one cage and all the girls in another, will the boys still fight with no females present? I'm sure the females will be OK together in one cage.

BTW, I have one more RCCB baby, it just fledged yesterday, and it is so tiny. I didn't get around to banding it in the nest, nor yesterday, so I did it today, and it is so small, I was able to put on the size band you normally use when they are only 7-10 days old.

Post by **Hilary** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 10:12 pm

Way to go, Sally! I only have my one little handfed BCCB, and you're producing them by the cartload!

I don't have first hand advice, but if you saw my other post a friend had her juvies together and they killed each other. Not sure if it was a problem by sex (just boys), or overall. Sorry not to be of more help. Let us know what you do and how it works out!

Post by **Sally** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 10:16 pm

Yes, I saw your other post, and so I am keeping a very close eye on them. So far, it is little squabbles, like little kids will do, but over quickly. I hope I don't have to put each one of these boys in a separate cage--that's 5 cages! Of course, I would combine them with other males, like Stars, etc.

williep · Post by **williep** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 4:17 am

Sally, mine are still with their parents in my large aviary but I'll have to move them soon as I don't want them cross breeding with their parents Both are females though so no real problems there.

The breeder I bought them from kept them all together when there was 100+ birds in a large cage but split the males and females when he only had a couple of pairs left to reduce fighting and they lived in peace together. They were not even kept in the same room so the boys could not see the girls and start fighting. Although I have not experienced this first hand I think this will be your best bet.

Good luck and keep us posted

Post by **Sally** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 2:06 pm

Thanks, williep - I also had a response on another forum from someone who has had CBs for 17 years, and he said the males will usually get along in a male-only cage, especially if there are some males from other species to distract the CBs. This will work out great for me, as I have a young Fire finch male which is courting his 3 sisters, and I have a few Goldbreast males, so all these should get along well.

This is such a learning curve for me, as I have never bred on this scale before. First, you're thrilled to have all these eggs, then babies, then fledglings. Before you know it, you have a bunch of teenagers with raging hormones--I have been shifting birds around with dizzying speed, trying to keep everyone happy!

williep · Post by **williep** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 2:11 am

Sally, sounds like your birds are keeping you young and active. At least the 100s of teenagers shows your breeding programme is a success. Good luck with all the shuffling.