Really, he started building some of the panels and the floor a couple weeks ago but this pas weekend was when we started screening everything and putting it together.
All we have left to do is build and screen the top and front panel, build and screen the doors and then attach the doors and fixtures.
Then I get to decorate it
Then the birds can move in.
For now, this flight will house the molting juvenile birds and when the CBs are done breeding they will go in here to rest.
I'm also considering Owls, in which case the Owl pair would go in the larger cage where one pair of CBs is now, and when resting, the Owls would go into this flight as well.
So it would be a community flight but only the juvenile Goulds for the time being.
Eric has come up with a concept for a fold-able fabric divider if I want to divide it at any time, but for now I think I'll leave it open.
You can see the door frame on the right panel, and there will also be another door on the front panel on the right side so I can access it from more than one location if necessary.
We had to move the cage(s) the CBs are in, and unfortunately the CBs in the larger cage were incubating. I really had no idea when the eggs would be hatching or whether they would be successful.
They didn't leave the nest during the actual moving of the cages, but we had to mount the lighting unit from the inside and at this point they left the nest.
I forced us to take a half hour break after the lighting was in place to encourage them to go back, but the change must have been too drastic because they abandoned the eggs.
After 30 minutes they were still out and the eggs had chilled. This happened on Saturday (the 20th)
My "virgin" society pair are already incubating 5 fertile eggs that the other pair abandoned, too.. so I gave them the four fertile eggs this pair had to them as well, knowing they'd be hatching soon, but not knowing exactly how soon.
The first egg hatched on the 22nd, and that same day I found a tossed egg that looks slightly smushed with a nearly ready to hatch baby inside, dead
The other two eggs hatched on the 23rd.
This photo was on the 23rd, unfortunately, I found one of the babies tossed and dead yesterday afternoon and I was hopeful since the other two weren't tossed they were alive and being feeding, and I think I was right!
When I checked them last night the two babies look good and I thought I saw food in their crop.
I believe the first one may have died because I wasn't expecting them to hatch that soon and I ran out of egg food and only had about a tablespoons worth left to give the Socs.
I didn't really consider that the eggfood would be just as important to them thriving with fosters as with their parents but it definitely seems to be just as important.
The other 5 eggs I am expecting should hatch no later than the 28th.
You did say they were "virgins", so they probably have to live and learn just like any other bird. Either way they are feeding the last two so that's great news. Hopefully they will use their new skills on the coming five chicks.
