Look what JohnBoy sent me!

[cindy]

I've got new pictures...I really need a bird room/aviary though!!!!

I have been bitten for sure!!!

[Hilary]

Cuties!

[JohnBoy]

Cindy, I am glad you are pleased with the birds. The pics are lovely.

[cindy]

And some more....the overnight trip didn't set them back at all.

They are lookin' good!

JohnBoy, thank you again. Your birds are really healthy, beautifully feathered and are singing up a storm. The fawn male has not stopped singing all morning. He's just a happy guy. The societies and zebra cages are near my desk and the fawn male comes right near me and sings. Everyone got baby romaine and carrot with a side of wheat germ.

All the new singing in the house has gotten my RCCB male singing and dancing the dance!

Oh, my shaftails have an egg(s). Can't see to well in the nest. The female looked heavy last night and has not left the box except to eat and then the male takes over.

[cindy]

John, I have to tell you the male silverbill is singing. The sexing by tail shape and size is correct.....hooray. They are darling. I love them.

[Meagan83]

The sexing by tail shape and size is correct.....

I have not heard of this. What is the method?

[JohnBoy]

I had not heard either. Before I sent the birds to Cindy she sent me an article on possible ways of sexing Silverbills. One was the center tail feather of the male is pointed and the females is rounded. I had 4 in a cage. Of the 4 one had a pointed tail and three had rounded tails. So I told Cindy if this method is accurate she should have a pair.

[cindy]

Meagan,
I found this article:

http://www.avianweb.com/africansilverbills.html

The one with the more narrow pointed tail sang and is still singing!

[Meagan83]

Wow! That's awesome. I will have to try this and see how it goes.
Thanks for the link and the input!
I had to seperate my breeding pair and then put a band on my female in case something were to happen to one I would never know what sex I still had! Atleast with society finches, once you determine sex, you can usually remember that birds color pattern. Silverbills all look identical so it can be difficult.

[cindy]

Let us know if this works for you. Silverbills are one of the sweetest little birds, good luck with yours.

[Meagan83]

Yep! Good luck with you new fids as well! They are cutie pies!

[CandoAviary]

I noticed none of the finches have bands. You may want to band them before you have more. How does Johnboy keep the offspring straight to insure that you do not get related birds? He stated that they came out of the same cage so the seperate cage system isn't how. Just curious. Do you plan on breeding?
I knew one breeder who didn't band but held the clutches in different cages. Before the bird fair they would take the birds out of cage A and cut the tail feathers blunt at the end, out of cage B they were left natural. That works.... until the feather grows out...LOL

[JohnBoy]

I do not band my birds because I have a disability & don't have the steady hands to do so. The societies and zebras come from different aviaries and are not related. Cindy is aware that the Silverbills have a 50% chance of being related. There are 2 unrelated pair of Silverbills in the aviary. They both had a clutch of 4. I caught the birds and put 4 to a cage. Cindy is going to get a pair from her breeder at the next fair and pair them up so that she will have unrelated pairs.

[dfcauley]

Don't you worry about that Johnboy..... I don't like banding either. I keep it straight my way and if someone wants my birds fine.... if not fine......

[CandoAviary]

There's lots of ways to keep bloodlines straight... I number my cages and write down who is who. I also plastic family band to help me keep it straight. But I have had my red throat parrot finch remove the plastic bands. .... I have never closed banded but am considering doing it next year. I think most hobby breeders like us don't mind not having closed banded or banded birds and if there are any questions then you can always buy a different pair and swap them around. This is how I sell my goldbreast. They are too small to band so there is no gaurantee that they are not related... though I have 6 different pairs as breedstock the odds are good on making a nonrelated pair..... just a gamble.

John,
I am sure you keep up with your birds, you have always struck me as one of the more knowledgable people on this forum. I wasn't questioning you as I figured you would not sell related birds without pointing out that they may be..... 50% chance. I was questioning Cindy as it sounded like she was sure she had a male and female...PAIR, so I was just asking if she was going to breed them. But I guess you answered that for her

Donna,
I'm sure people don't mind buying your birds without bands. It is just when they go to bird fairs and sold/traded the people purchasing them have no idea if they are brother and sister. I am sure Floyd would tell them but like us all...who remembers what we are told in the excitement of buying birds Hopefully people don't buy 2 which happen to be brother and sister and go home and breed them I have found most request for my birds has been for an unrelated pair...especially with the red throated parrot finches. So That is where I come into the hobby. I breed few species but several unrelated lines to provide pairs. I know yours are mostly one pair of many different species and are kept as pets so any offspring are simply traded in for a new species. We have totally different goals to our hobby.... both with good merit...so relax, and keep track of your birds the way you want to . The key is to buy from breeders you trust.......afterall anyone can slap a band on a bird and call it what they want

Cindy...sorry the post got hijacked. Was just asking you a question.. Next time I will PM