FINCHforum

As some of you may recall, some weeks ago I came home with a wonderful and unexpected gift of five free Java Juvies.

Well the kids have been doing very well, eventhough they are still very flighty.

I decided to snap some pictures of them, and share them here with all of you.

lovezebs, I LOVE them!! They are coloring out so nicely!

My chick takes the cue from his parents about whether or not to be freaked out when I have my hands in the cage. The parents are so calm. Mom (Princess Leia) doesn't even come out of the nest when I clean the cage or change out the food/water. She watches me but only comes out when I add treats to the cage. Then, she fusses at Dad (Java the Hut) to go sit on the eggs while she eats. She's a bossy one! LOL!

Are any of your kids singing? I still don't know Vader's gender. *He* is about 2 months old now.

lovezebs

Are there feathers coming in? Those pretties molting now? I simply cannot wait to see their colors

Shannylee

It's no wonder that your Princess Leia, is calm....the Force is strong in her, lol.

As to my guys, I occasionally hear someone singing, but in my Bird Room, everybody is always singing and chirping, and meeping and beeping, and whistling and so on, so there is no way of knowing who is doing what....

Babs

There are colours showing up here and there, and there are little grey feathers everywhere, but they don't really look as scruffy as some species do when moulting.

I can see little spots of bluish grey on some of them, and a bit of black in some places around some of their heads.

For the life of me I can't tell them apart, other then Rudolph (the white one).

lovezebs wrote: Babs

There are colours showing up here and there, and there are little grey feathers everywhere, but they don't really look as scruffy as some species do when moulting.

I can see little spots of bluish grey on some of them, and a bit of black in some places around some of their heads.

For the life of me I can't tell them apart, other then Rudolph (the white one).

Totally agree with this! My little guy is just starting to color out. *He* has little black patches on his crown and is just getting black feathers on the edges of his wings. Once they get their grown up feathers, you will be able to tell them apart.

Rudolph...love the name!!!

lovezebs Shannylee

Oh boy! Sounds like both your kids are all molting! Just a few more weeks. Tick Tock Tick Tock!

Shannylee Babs

The name Rudolph, came to mind because of his shiny red beak.
Then I thought....
Dasher?
Dancer?
Prancer?
Vixen....?

Why not? They arrived close enough tio Christmas, right? And the names, can fit both sexes as needed (more or less).

The problem as mentioned before, is that I cannot tell them apart.
Hopefully you're right Sharon, and I'll be able to figure it out once they are older.

lovezebs

I love the names! If they as flighty as my java you could go with, Twitchy, Spaz, Petrified, Aghast.....

My java sings, has a grand ole time. As long as I'm not around the cage. Then he yells "MONSTER!"

Babs

Chuckle....

Yea, not quite sure why they are so spazzie.

Every time I walk into the room, it's ...."INTRUDER ALERT!!! THE 'THING' IS BACK!!!! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!! DANGGGGGERRRR!!!!

The only thing I can put it down to, is that they haven't forgiven me for catching them all in the first place .

lovezebs

Why don't you put colored split rings on your identical looking finches to be able to tell who's who?
My Javas have always been flighty, too.
I guess it comes from being wild-caught or in your case aviary bred?I do findbyoung Javas ugly, so it's a real gain when they finally change into adult plumage.

w.l.

You know, funny you mention that, I have actually thought of the split rings just the other day even had them in my hand. However, the poor things just about have a heart attack every time I come near, so I didn't have the heart to scare them half to death just for that, (although I'll probably have to do it sooner or later).

I honestly don't find them terribly unattractive, lol. They sort of have a half baked look about them. Now fully molting Gouldians on the other hand . Talk about your Ugly Ducklings

I hate to stress flighty birds by catching them, too.
But you know, better catch and ring them while they are still flighty anyway, then have to do it later when they are just becoming a bit more trustful.
They'll survive it, and the naming dilemma will be solved, too.
They can be called Green, Red, White, etc...

Once you have an idea about their sex, are you planning to add one (or more) to have complete pairs, or rehome the odd one(s)?

w.l.

They already have names, lol, just don't know which bird belongs to which name, or rather which name belongs to which bird (except for Rudolph).

For now I'll just keep them as a little Java flock.
If at some point I decide to breed, I would pull the individual bird into a different flight and get a mate from elsewhere. Although 2 are from one set of parents, and 3 from another, I am not sure at this stage who is who, and wouldn't want to take the chance of breeding two headed babies or something like that.

INTRUDER ALERT!!! My java pair were flighty until they figured out that I am the treat lady. When I put goodies in the cage, Java the Hut (male) cocks his head to eyeball whatever deliciousness was just delivered and hops down as soon as I close the door. My societies are the ones that sound the intruder alert if I come near and everyone goes bananas if I reach my hand in the cage.