FINCHforum

I just couldn't let Cindy have all the Owl chicks in the south. I just have to present my 4 new Owl finch chicks here in the north too. I banded these 3 days ago on Sunday and today I checked to see if any had wiggled out of their bands. They were very good chicklets and kept them all on so I took the op to grab a few photos. These are from a male Owl I got from Janine on May 22nd and a female Owl I got from Igor also on May 22nd - at the Great Canadian Finch Meet!! Those Owls are great parents and have been taking very good care of their babies as you can see. Some of the babies are starting to open their eyes. Thanks again Igor and Janine for a wonderful day! I can't wait for them to fledge!!

They are just georgeous Liz
Congrats

Congratulations Liz!! Wait until they start feathering out, they are absolutely cute!! You WILL want more!!!

Pure cutenss in the palm of your hand.

They look great. Sure didn't take that pair very long to fall in love and set up house Igor and Janine are raising them right

Yaaay!! Very very cute lil guys!

very nice Liz, congrats.
keep an eye on the parents though as owls will breed like zebras if given a chance.

mickp wrote:very nice Liz, congrats.
keep an eye on the parents though as owls will breed like zebras if given a chance.

Congrats Liz!! Too cute!!

Congrats on the little ones Liz. What a pleasure to see.

mickp wrote:keep an eye on the parents though as owls will breed like zebras if given a chance.

MICKP I cannot say I believe you . 4 pairs and nothing! LOL I've given up trying to breed them.

Monique...I can't remember have you tried to cage breed just a pair? Some pairs will lay eggs and then move to another nest while other pairs stick to a nest they like.

Each time there has been a good successful clutch it has been using an ABBA nest box...don't know why but the seem to prefer it.

Thanks everyone! I'm so very pleased with this pair of Owls - such a feeling of contentment when they do it right the very first time!

mickp wrote:very nice Liz, congrats.
keep an eye on the parents though as owls will breed like zebras if given a chance.

Special thanks, Mick - very nice to see you here again! I hope the Owls prove you right (a little bit).

cindy wrote:Monique...I can't remember have you tried to cage breed just a pair? Some pairs will lay eggs and then move to another nest while other pairs stick to a nest they like.

Each time there has been a good successful clutch it has been using an ABBA nest box...don't know why but the seem to prefer it.

I have this pair in a 30x18x18 breeding cage and gave them a tube nest which they fiddled with, in the beginning. Then I added an Abba nest box which they dove into... and they decided to stick with the tube nest! Once this clutch is fledged and weaned, I'll remove the tube nest as I just cannot check it for the life of me and it's sooo difficult to get the chicks out of it for banding. I'll leave the Abba box on for any subsequent clutches.

Thanks everyone!!

I don't get ABBA nestboxes. I will blame it on that! LOL

No I jest. In reality I know that I am not supplying the owls the environment they need, a seperate environment from each other and possibly others is what they need. Basically with them all in a mixed aviary there is so much squabbling between males that I don't think they give the females the right time to mate etc. I will be keeping one pair. The rest are going to be rehomed as I don't want to go into cage breeding owls and Gouldians. I won't have the space.

Congrats though on everyone elses success. We each need to keep what works for us.

Liz keep an eye on the littlest one, in a tube nest it may get crowded out with all the wing begging going on as it gets older...I lost the youngest of the first clutch due to tube nests.

What I have set up right now in the pair that produce so many is an ABBA box which they breed in and a tube nest which the parents stripped of all nesting material. When the chicks fledge they all migrate to the tube nest and hang out there. Since I wanted the owls to breed again the box remained up since they all including the parents slept in it at night. Eventually the babies slept in the tube nest while the parents tended the eggs. The father continued to feed the young as mom sat.

In my baby cage there are a few tube nest for the young to go to when placed in the cage, no nesting material just a little cozy comfort on the bottom...they sleep in those at night. I am careful now that the clutch is other that there is not hanky panky going on...once I see any hint the girls and boys will be separated. I kept them together because sexing is hard to do when young and for security reasons.

Monique, in the large aviary I noticed that if a pair attempted to mate with each other one of the males would dive bomb the couple and interrupt the courtship...jeoulous little dude!!!

You have it right on the money Cindy. That is exactly what happens.