Cherry finches (Plumheads) update 4/5

[MLaRue]

Paula would be made aware if Donna sells them - this was brought up on the group before and Paula was fine with it either way.

Sell them to who ? local friends? There are no shows in our state. I really don't see the big deal why it would be so bad to trace them back to me or Donna. IF they are traced back to me at some point then I would tell that person they were bred by Donna and if they have any questions they could contact Donna directly.

I AM NOT banding all her birds - a few Forbes which stayed with us and a few Cherries which will likely stay with us. Other than that she will continue to band her babies with her split bands.

[dfcauley]

okay.... let's just forget about the banding. I just wanted to show off the babies.

Thanks Misty and anything else we do I will certainly be keeping it between ourselves.

And for the record.... I will NOT be joining NFSS.

[Domenic]

The only reason I will ever band will to be able to tell parents apart from siblings, and one clutch of chicks apart from a different clutch of chicks. I just breed for the enjoyment.

Who cares anyway, those chicks are cute!

[dfcauley]

The only reason I will ever band will to be able to tell parents apart from siblings, and one clutch of chicks apart from a different clutch of chicks. I just breed for the enjoyment.

Who cares anyway, those chicks are cute!

Thanks Domenic. Same here..... just a hobby and for enjoyment.
I also color open band so I know who the parents are.

I think there are alot of people who choose to not close band.
I did decide to go ahead and do this with the Forbes and these Cherry finches due to their not being very available.

BTW... the babies are here at school with me. For some reason the parents are not feeding very much food. I thought I had discovered the problem yesterday and everything was going to be okay. But .... again today they didn't feed. I ran home for a minute to check on them this morning and "empty crops". They are eating very well for me and already begging loudly for me. I hated to do that worse than anything, but can't chance loosing them at this point.

It could be due to lack of mealworms, but they raised the last baby without and eating only the dried insects from Laraine.

[cindy]

Donna, good luck with the little ones. It is good you took them "under your wing" and are feeding them out. They are adorable.

As far as banding goes I just use colored bands esecially if I have more than one pair of a species. I can tell whose young is whose. Also in some cases so I can tell the parents from the young.

[MLaRue]

Donna,

If they breed a third time - I think we shouldn't band them at all until they fledge to see if that changes the outcome.

[dfcauley]

Donna,

If they breed a third time - I think we shouldn't band them at all until they fledge to see if that changes the outcome.

I agree.... I have put them back into their nest in the aviary when I got home. Mom and dad went immediately into the nest to see them. They are still there. IF I have to I will take them with me to work and return them at night as long as they are in the nest keeping them warm. Maybe they will start feeding again.

[Sally]

Donna,

If they breed a third time - I think we shouldn't band them at all until they fledge to see if that changes the outcome.

That might help, if the banding is disturbing the parents. Worth a try anyway. All you have to do to band at fledging is go up one size from the recommended one. By the time the babies fledge, the parents should continue feeding till weaning. Good luck with the little ones!

As far as NFSS banding, towards the end of the year when the stock of bands is all out, there is a lot of swapping of bands--those who have plenty left sending them to those who are out and need some. And I would not be at all surprised that not all those swaps get reported to Paula. They are just NFSS closed bands, not registration papers.

[dfcauley]

Thanks Sally!

I think I will leave them alone when they go again. No bands....until fledging.

Looks like it is up to me now to help these babies. Parents seem to have lost interest. I have put them in a small cage under a heat lamp and I will handfeed them all the time now.....
Hopefully they are far enough along that they will be okay.

[Sally]

You are lucky that they will take food from you still. My little handfeds quit taking food from me, once the Societies started feeding, but the Societies actually have not been feeding enough. I just have to hope they can get thru till they start eating some on their own.

[dfcauley]

You are lucky that they will take food from you still. My little handfeds quit taking food from me, once the Societies started feeding, but the Societies actually have not been feeding enough. I just have to hope they can get thru till they start eating some on their own.

They are gobbling up the food from me. I also was surprised because their little eyes are all opened and they are just looking at me....the big monster. This is one reason I decided to keep feeding them. I don't want them to stop eating from me and as long as they know the food is coming from me hopefully they will keep eating away.

[dfcauley]

This is day 3 that I have been feeding them. I am amazed at the changes I have seen in the past three days. They are eating really well and growing quickly.

Hopefully we will have continued success.

[cindy]

Donna, they look so good! Congratulations. Looks like they are full and growning nicely.

[lovemyfinch]

They appearing to be thriving under your wing Donna

[L in Ontario]

Cute - very cute!