Blue is puffy

[Spreckles]

Babs Elana

How funny and yes the 70's an 80's were a blurrrrrrrrrrr which may be why we are crazy bird ladies with dogs and cats.....and memories like swiss cheese. My old Blue IS a rock star! I love that bird. I think he HAS been cold! He still eats a sprig of millet every day. Last night I draped off half of his cage with a warm towel. I put some soft cotton in his little half open nest he likes to sleep in. He went right in there and went to sleep and wasn't puffy anymore. I have a heating pad on high outside the cage near the mirror but it's not enough going to get a small heater and put it near them. It's weird the other birds are not acting cold at all. That is the one factor that bothers me for him. He is a mirror loving guy. I should have named him Mick. LOL. "Your so VAIN" but I want him to live forever! He is so totally cute and he has so much personality. Now that I see how other finches are it's the one in a million of them who like people and mirrors as much as he does!

Who knows maybe he has worn himself out with that young hen and has his feathers ruffled....

[lovezebs]

Spreckles

Hi Karen

I would get a goose neck lamp (or one of those clip on lamps) and park it near or on his cage, aiming it to one corner of his perch. This will provide him with more than enough heat and also a warm light (which they love to bask in). My guys enjoy 'sun bathing' under their lights (which are on from 8AM, till 9PM). You should see them all taking turns after a bath. They look like wet ragamuffin rats, feathers on end, all fluffing and puffing and stomping their little feet to dry off.

I'd be careful parking a heater too close to a cage (might make things way too hot for the little guy). I have a small fan/heater in my kitchen, but it's at a distance from the flights. It heats up my whole kitchen.

Glad to hear the little man is feeling more like himself.

[Babs _Owner]

Spreckles

I LOVE his mirror obsession. I would love to hear the conversations he has with himself. hee hee

I wanna see more pictures of him hanging out in front of mirror!

[Spreckles]

Babsie Elana

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have EGGS!!!!!! I don't know who the dad is or what kind of eggs but their are eggs!!!!!!!!!!!! I couldn't stand it anymore I had to peak in the nest those hens have been sitting in. I am going to try and take some pictures. I have a small lamp upside down with the light in the cage. It's holiday here so shopping is out of the question today. I am keeping the heater at a distance and they can always fly away. I have been giving them a ton of privacy lately. I can't believe I have eggs. Guess who is trying to hog the mirror now? My socie. Maybe she has Blue's feathers in a ruffle hogging his love life. Anyway i am boiling eggs to try to get these gals to eat some fresh egg food. The nest had 3 with a very quick glance did not want to freak anyone out. IF Nellie is sitting than Sadie is not they take turns and they are very faithful. I hope they are fertile. I really really really hope they are fertile. Both hens are in it at night. It's so lovely they did such a good job and the little eggs are just precious in there. I have to get a bigger cage....my obsession with feathered critters has just amped up.

[Babs _Owner]

Spreckles

Blue has loved another besides HIMSELF? Say it isnt so! What species are the hens?

**Edited** Okay I reread the post. And Nellie is the other cordon bleu and the other hen sitting is a society. Do you have a society male?

If no society male. You may very well have some of Blue's babies over there. Hmmm. Seems he can actually tear himself away from the mirror for a whole 2 SECONDS of mad love. Hahahaha!

[Spreckles]

Babs

Babsie slow down honey your so excited......Spreckles was a young socie male who did have a whirl wind love affair before my dog bit him. The fatal crunch, it was quite horrid. So now all free flight is behind closed doors with no other animals present EVER. I shut the doors on the bird cages before Bitsie can come in. whew

So it is possible these are socie babies it is also possible these are a mixed clutch because Nellie the cordon blue hen has had a black beak. That is if 8 year old Blue could manage 2 seconds of birdie love. I would beside myself to get baby birds from either pairing. And keep every single one of them!!!! The good news is I have two very dedicated hens so I hope they are fertile eggs.

[Spreckles]

Elana

If my dirty birds ever bathe it's when I am not looking. They have a nice big bowl of water for that purpose. Maybe I should just spray em with a squirt bottle huh???? the dirty little buggers. I have these cute small stain glass lamps and one is upside down on top of the cage that the light shines down in there. Seeing is believing and if I could ever get my picture transferring skills up to snuff over here.....

Can you believe I have eggs??????

Karen

[Babs _Owner]

Spreckles

I've had a TON of COFFEE today!!!!! I CANNOT SLOW DOWN! **snort!**

So before I crash off the 6-8 (whos counting anyway) cups I have had.....if I remember, Spreckles incident happened a few weeks ago. If its Spreckles (or at least one of them is), then those are due to hatch pretty darned soon.

Oh this is about as fun as the owl/star baby mystery with Elana. I love mystery eggs. I have had eggs...but I always know WHO laid them. Mystery eggs are much more interesting! I think I won the guess on the owl egg mystery.

lovezebs Elana, help me here. I need clues. Will a cordon bleu females even sit on another females eggs? The society sitting is not a surprise. But the other hen is sitting too.

[Spreckles]

Babs Elana

Blue continues to be puffy. He has a light actuallymoved his mirror to under the light. so what does he do? Leaves the cage and goes upstairs. looks like some feathers are getting loose to birds puff up for a molt? I dunnooooooooooo

Karen

[Babs _Owner]

Spreckles

Im not quite sure how that species acts when it molts. I'm surprised he isn't enjoying the heat and his mirror together. Maybe the light is too bright?

The pet store has some night 70 watt red bulbs (stronger than that may over heat the lamp).

The winter chill is finally hitting our area today and being a little drafty, Im headed out for a few red bulbs for the cages in a few minutes myself.

[lovezebs]

Spreckles

You may need to do some mathematics here (in regards to the eggs). I hope you're better in math than me (hopeless ).

Go back to the last day Spreckles was with us. If these eggs are Socie eggs, then they should have been laid around that time frame.

If they are Cordon eggs, then you have to think back to the last time these two blue kids, were errrr..... intimate, and that might give you an idea.

I have never bred Cordons (but Jen has, and is breeding them now). I am assuming, that Cordon eggs, are somewhat smaller than Socie eggs.

Other than that time will tell.

Karen, if you are so desperate for babies, you really need to pick up another male Socie somewhere.

[Spreckles]

Babs Elana

Spreckles died Nov 25th. Babs is right BOTH hens sit and they both are in the nest all night. They take turns. Nellie CB did chase blue around in the cage for awhile....The Socies probably mated they spent time in the nest together.

Tried putting boiled eggs out mixed with millet but doesn't look like they are too interested. The socie is more experimental with food she may get there. My light bulb isn't really strong he was under it tonight all puffy like he stuck his toe in a light socket. I spoke to him and he went completely normal. I hope this passes. Elana I am not really desperate for babies, but I would welcome them. I went to buy another socie but they got an order of zebras. I don't think now is a good time to introduce any adult birds. I feel bad for Sadie because she lost Spreckles. Socies are so friendly and she should not be an only. I would be over the moon happy for her to have some babies from him and also if I got some of Blue's babies if he was up to the job. These 3 birds have bonded well. It's much more fun to have a happy little flock. I adore Blue and if he reproduces himself before he goes to birdie heaven it would be a great gift.

There really are no suppliers of finches here other than Zebras and occasionally some Pied Societies. Flying birds in is cost prohibitive. If I was going to go on a road trip to obtain birds it would probably be to Texas and again I need a big cage and some serious money to get that going.

If these birds reproduce that would just be wonderful. If we get any baby Blues we can all dance a jig.....in front of the mirror

[lovezebs]

Spreckles

Hi Karen

Have you ever contacted any of these organizations, to see about getting more birds, or breeders in your area?

Central Mississippi Bird Club Ltd.
Myrlene Carraway,
131 Azalea Way, Florence
39073; 601-845-7639;
azaleaaviary@juno.com.

Heart of America Hookbills and Finch Society.
1807 N.E. Colburn Rd.
Lee's Summit;
Earl Courtz
816-554-3922

South Mississippi Cage Bird Society.
P.O. Box 7012, D'lberville 39540;
litdebee@i55.com;
http://www.smcbs.org.

South Mississippi Cage Bird Society
Box 6683
Biloxi, Ms 30530

St. Louis Canaries Limited.
Dianne Groves
314-576-4136;
discanaries@yahoo.com.

[lovezebs]

Spreckles

Oops, our posts must have passed by each other, lol.

If Spreckles has been gone since mid November, then I don't really see the possibility of these eggs being his.

If Blue and Nellie, managed to get together at any given time, then maybe, but.....

Have you had a chance to candle any of these eggs?

[Spreckles]

Elana

No I am afraid too. I don't want to spook anyone. The hens are just now getting where they are not terrified of me. All I can do is hope and wait. How long is it between mating and egg laying?