New cut throats

[BigBear0007]

Thanks but one of my gouldian pairs have that name.

I am thinking "Abelard and Heloise"
They were to lovers that could never be together!
He was a priest and she was nun.
They wrote love letters to each other, but could never be together.

It's Abelard and Heloise!!
I wil keep those other names in mind for ant future birds!

[BigBear0007]

Had a bit of a scare today with the hen.
She looked all stressed trying to pass an egg.
She was flying back and forth and the male was
bouncing back and forth from the nest box.

The good news is she passed the egg, or just the shell.
At first I thought it was poop, but it was the shriveled
egg shell.

These birds are cousins to the Red Headed pair I had and
lost the hen from.
It seems these hens have problems with eggs.
She is fine now, but I will keep a close eye on her.

Maybe that's why we don't see that many of them for sale here?

[kenny]

hi
lovely pair of cuthroats ,and they look at home already ,good luck with the breeding


ken

[BigBear0007]

Here is a picture of the two eggs and the soft shell egg,
looks like they nibbled on it.
I am so glad she was able to pass it!
I would have hated to lose her too like I did the Red head hen!

[JohnBoy]

Jerry, my female cutthroats always have trouble passing their eggs and I give them every source of calcium that is available to them. I never lose them but it is scary seeing them having difficulty. Don't quite know what it is but evidently there is something missing from the diet that causes this.
When I see my females are getting ready to lay I make sure a heat source is available to them in the form of infra red bulb. The females spend much time soaking up the heat. It helps tremendously and makes it easier for her to pass the eggs.
BTW, I noticed this morning that a male fledged. This is the first male I have gotten in almost a year. They have all been female.

[BigBear0007]

Jerry, my female cutthroats always have trouble passing their eggs and I give them every source of calcium that is available to them. I never lose them but it is scary seeing them having difficulty. Don't quite know what it is but evidently there is something missing from the diet that causes this.
When I see my females are getting ready to lay I make sure a heat source is available to them in the form of infra red bulb. The females spend much time soaking up the heat. It helps tremendously and makes it easier for her to pass the eggs.
BTW, I noticed this morning that a male fledged. This is the first male I have gotten in almost a year. They have all been female.

Thanks for the info JohnBoy, I will give them a lamp and see if it helps.
I see her constantly on the cuttle bone, so she is getting enough calcium.
Also I will get some meal worms, see if extra protein may help.
She looks good today, all bouncy and happy.

The red head I lost had a broken egg stuck inside her.
The person I bought the pair from did an autopsy and that is what she found.

[CandoAviary]

Even if there are plenty of sources of calcium available to the hen, she will not be able to absorb it if there is a lack of vitamin D. This can be given in suppliment form and exposure to direct sunshine will allow her to make her own.
Also , do you know her recent history before you got her? Could she possibly already had several clutches? Do you know her age? Many times overbred hens will produce soft eggs.
I have found old and young hens easily experience egg binding problems but rarely soft shelled eggs. The soft shells are most always the result of imferior diet or overbreeding. Also hens kept in cages where they could not get proper excercize to tone muscles is a big problem.
Soft shell eggs are a very hard to pass as the contractions simply squish the egg as opposed of expelling it. Very exhausting for the hen. Good she was able to pass it. Most breeders/vets recommend to remove the nest and give the hen a rest with good diet including the calcium and Vitamin D before allowing her to breed.
I sure hope this is the end of her troubles. Best wishes.

[BigBear0007]

Even if there are plenty of sources of calcium available to the hen, she will not be able to absorb it if there is a lack of vitamin D. This can be given in suppliment form and exposure to direct sunshine will allow her to make her own.
Also , do you know her recent history before you got her? Could she possibly already had several clutches? Do you know her age? Many times overbred hens will produce soft eggs.
I have found old and young hens easily experience egg binding problems but rarely soft shelled eggs. The soft shells are most always the result of imferior diet or overbreeding. Also hens kept in cages where they could not get proper excercize to tone muscles is a big problem.
Soft shell eggs are a very hard to pass as the contractions simply squish the egg as opposed of expelling it. Very exhausting for the hen. Good she was able to pass it. Most breeders/vets recommend to remove the nest and give the hen a rest with good diet including the calcium and Vitamin D before allowing her to breed.
I sure hope this is the end of her troubles. Best wishes.

She is a young hen, both are young actually, 2010 birds.
they were in an aviary with zebras and a menagerie of other finches.
I was told they tried to build a nest but the other finches kept destroying the nest and maybe any eggs in there.
She has two eggs so far that are good, so I hope they sit on those at least, if they don't have anymore.
I will try and locate some vitamin D and meal worms and see if it helps.

[BigBear0007]

I use a multi-vitamin by Hagen:Prime
It's water soluble and added to the egg food.

[BigBear0007]

Well I checked on the CT's this morning and no more eggs laid.
So I will give them a break and let them rest.
The two eggs that were in the nest, one had holes in it.
Looks like the shell was too soft ?
So I took the one good egg and placed in a nest box of a pair of goulds that just started laying.
The eggs look a like , so I used a felt tip marker to id it.
Also if it does hatch the chick will be almost black, so no problem there in identifying the chick.
Wouldn't that be something, a CT raised by goulds?

[BigBear0007]

Wouldn't you know it, they tossed the egg out of the next box!
Clever little birds!

[CandoAviary]

Guess it just wasn't meant to be. Glad to hear your ct hen is back to normal, hopefully she will give you chicks in the future

[BigBear0007]

Guess it just wasn't meant to be. Glad to hear your ct hen is back to normal, hopefully she will give you chicks in the future

Thank you Candace,

I saw them doing the deed again today!
So there should be more eggs to follow.
I bought some crushed oyster shell and gave it to all my birds.
Also extra D vitamins today in the water yesterday.
I saw another pair of CT's today and almost bought them.
Do I really need more birds?
Lol lol lol lol!

[finchmix22]

That is my biggest problem! LOL. I just want more and more finches, especially when I see a species I don't have and they are either very colorful or great singers! I have to hold myself back as I don't have room for any more!

[CandoAviary]

We may not need more burds but I know for me...I always want more birds...everytime I see a species I have never kept

I have a pair of Cut throats at the store that I bought back in April. They went through quarentine here then went to the store finally in August... they are now courting like mad... the male is so beautiful and vibrant. I am thinking maybe I should just bring them home and let them try a clutch...... The CT's are some of my most favorites but haven't actually kept any in over a decade!