Baby Blue Fledges!!!

[Jen]

Two babies this morning practicing their flying! Cordon Blues are one of my favorites. I knew there was a nest but I kept far away and left them on their own. Looks like there were three eggs (one still left behind) and the other two hatched and fledged. I'm happy with these two!!! Yea!!!! These parents are terrific! The losses this season were from the cold, damp temps when the babies fledged. I'm praying that this time of year will be easier for them.

[Sally]

Congrats! This is a very difficult species to breed, so you have really gotten them set up so they feel very comfortable.

[Jen]

Thank you Sally! I'm so proud of these guys. I don't have any problem with them going to nest or setting. The biggest obstacle has been the "Texas weather". We'll see how they do with the Texas summer temps. Also banned them today with the new NFSS elastic bands....OMG...so much easier with these little guys! So happy you suggested these. Thank you!

[Colt]

Congratulations! I had two pairs (one now) that breed regularly. The pair I still have have fed chicks over a week and then stopped, so fingers crossed their singleton is going to make it this go around. The male has been brooding him and they are definitely eating eggfood.

It's so strange though currently both the male and the female are incubating eggs in two nests. The male had two fertile eggs and the hen has one. Both of his hatched and he's feeding one. The hen's eggs didn't look like it would hatch for another 4-5 days. But I've never seen a pair divide their attention equally between both nests before.

[jamezyboo21]

Congrats! They look good!

[Atbird]

What beautiful birds.

[Derk]

Colt
That's so interesting! Please keep us updated.

[MiaCarter]

Jen Gorgeous! I'm dying for a pair of BCCBs. I love their coloring. Not as fond of the RCCBs (but don't get me wrong - I'd scoop 'em if I could!)

How exciting to see them for the first time! I know they're super flighty and sensitive when breeding, and also very sensitive about food.

Colt How interesting!
I bet the male is cursing the hen "Darn, Wifey! You gotta think it out before you lay!"

Shame they're such a sensitive species. Any other species and I'd just spoon the eggs from one nest to another! But that's a recipe for abandonment in these guys.

[Jen]

Colt
Best of luck with your "split family"....how unusual!?!? Hopefully everything works out for the best. Keep us posted!!!

@MiaCarter jamezyboo21 Atbird
Thank you! I'm so excited to see these babies every time I walk by the aviary. They are sooooo cute!!!! One of my favorite species! I love to hear mom and dad singing out to their little ones. Their song stands out from all the others. Love these guys!

[MiaCarter]

Jen - What did you do to get them to breed?

I'd love a pair in the near future and I know I'd want to breed them!

I see you have a mixed aviary and I always heard it was tough in a mixed setting. (Which is obviously concerning to me since I've got lots of species....though I could simply keep them out of free fly for a while.)

What do they eat for insects while breeding? Is it commonplace stuff like mealworms and bloodworms?
Or did they need more fancy, hard to find stuff like waxworms and termite eggs and so forth?
Did they do only live or were they okay with dead? I know lots of waxbills only breed with live (which disturbs me! LOL)

[Jen]

MiaCarter
My Cordon Blues did not breed for me until I put them in my outdoor aviary. I gave them live mealworm (mini mealworms when I could find them or ...get ready...I chopped them up larger ones with scissors)...yep you read that right. I'd put a few over the top of their fresh greens then chop everything up at one time. Since then I found a rotting piece of wood that had tiny bugs and termites in it. When I flipped it over it was full of termites! So I use that now and put it inside the aviary and every once in a while flip it over and the RCCB's are perched close by ready to get them!

I also have nesting areas in corners of the aviary with lots of greenery to give them LOTS of privacy. And of course, lots of white feathers (which I found in the crafts dept.of Walmart). They do not like any nest checks!

Wishing you lots of luck if you decide to get a pair. They are so beautiful, whether they breed or not, I think you will love them!

[Derk]

Jen
Thank-you for that information. I recently acquired a pair of BC & RC Cordons and a single BC CB looking for a wife. I hope I can get them to nest. I think I also prefer the BC over the RC. But both are really inquisitive. They appear more interested in people and the household than some of the other birds.

[jamezyboo21]

Jen I'm hoping once I have my finches out in the aviary, there will be enough space and privacy between each other to have babies. I an on having several plants for cover.

[w.l.]

Being away from home and my birds, I got news yesterday that I also have a red-cheeked cordon bleu fledged.
Just one, but it's a first.
It fledged in my busy communal aviary, where the pair had previously laid eggs unsuccessfully twice.
I still don't consider my communal aviary great for breeding, though fun to look at and gives the birds lots of flying space.

[KarenB]

Wow, that's great! Congratulations! I wish my pair would actually raise their babies and quit tossing. I probably need to give them their own flight, but I just don't have any more room.