New Cordon Blue Babies to start 2016!

[wildbill]

then there's the pied variety in grizzle and set. I had these for several year but without live food -very hard to get them on the perch

[Spreckles]

I have never heard of these or seen them before they are beautiful!

[Jen]

wildbill

These are such beauties!!! Do you still breed these pied CB's? What is the "renegade" species that was bred with the CB's to get the pied coloring? Has anyone on the forum bred these guys?

[wildbill]

Jen

like most mutations they just popped up from normal aviary bred birds, if you have access to termites I wouldn't bother with mealworms they are a very long way second best. you will breed a lot more cordon on termites guaranteed
termites are the number one live food here for African species. given the opportunity cordons would easily eat a few hundred a day...lol and fight other species which go near the termite bowl but if termites are not available then you have no choice but supply whatever is available.

[Jen]

wildbill
Funny you should bring this up....the things we do for our birds! OMG..my neighbors see me going from one tree stump to another late in the evening (when I get home from work) digging at the base of these stumps to unearth termites...so does that make me the crazy bird lady??? But you are very correct! This is what works for these guys. I've tried mini meal worms but nothing works like termites. My CB's know when I'm entering the aviary with goodies for them. They are waiting for me!

I found a sight that gives instructions on burying a plastic "shoe box" type contained buried near a tree stump (where termites have been seen) with wet cardboard inside and holes drilled for the termites to get to these cardboard "treats". I'm going to give this a try....VERY far from my home....and try to get a "termite kabob" going for my waxbills. I will let you know how this work out.......OK.....it's confirmed, I'm the crazy bird lady....

[wildbill]

Jen

better still dig out one complete nest and take it home and put it in a garbage bin with lid on. you can use the same idea to lure them out and that bin of termites will last you a few weeks. don't dig to the bottom of the nest as you will get the queen and the colony is gone for ever.
just get a good supply then cover the nest over and trample the soil compacted on top and I mean hard!. you can come back in 3 months and do the same again. always look ahead as once you destroy a nest regardless of plentiful supply or not - believe me they will not always be plentiful and you will regret not looking ahead.
I wiped out the easy stuff and when I was collecting them to feed cordons it was a 120 mile round trip. years earlier it was about 20 miles total

[Jen]

wildbill
I find myself looking for old tree stumps on other folks property on my drive home from work! Some people drive and admire other people's nice yard, front porch, flowers.....not me! I look for an old ugly tree stumps and wonder if they would mind me digging around it to get the termites! LOL I will definitely keep your suggestion in mind when looking for the termites....always looking for the nest harvest!

[peter121378]

wildbill

Whoa! Those are beautiful CB's!!

[wildbill]

they were something different - I always liked the look of the hens best.