2016 Gouldian Breeding Season - Australia

[wildbill]

lovezebs
especially for you I decided to take the camera in a get a photo.

photo 1. 3 young with the mother

photo 2. the nest box in question

photo 3. too much talking on my behalf with little action. Too late they have started to hatch. so far appears to be 2 or 3 blues amongst them so too late to try anything now failed again

[wildbill]

forgot to mention that top purple coloured chick is more vivid in colour - I used the flash. that's the first young hatched this season of new mutation from the lime and blue cross.
I have never been able to keep them alive for long and with a clutch this big ....it doesn't look good

[lovezebs]

wildbill

Oh dear..... look at those little cuties.

Is there any way the parents can feed all of them, if they all hatch?

Once they do all hatch, is there a way to offer some of the chicks to a pair with clear eggs in the hope that they can be fooled into raising them?

Keeping my fingers crossed over here

[wildbill]

in most cases its just a waste of time. they might feed them for a day or two and after that just let them die. checked a nest swap today where I placed one young. it was dead and the other 3 still alive -their young.

better news still. in total 22 young hatched out today. also in the aviary that I class are the not too importants well they have been a surprise with the 2 limes. today I checked another nest one greenback and a blue. fully feathered and probably about 5 days from the jump.
so I'd better stay away from that nest

[lovezebs]

wildbill

They are all important , every tiny wee speck of life

I'm really curious to see if all your big batch hatch, and how the parents will manage with the feedings. If I was closer, I'd borrow some and supplement feed them, sigh....

[wildbill]

lovezebs

point taken on the young. that's one reason why I hate doing a nest swap. as to that nest of 12 eggs and the 6 hatched -top photo. I plan to stay well clear till Wednesday to give them a bit of peace and quiet its a very important nest with definitely 1 or on a closer look at the photo -could be 2 of the new mutations.

meanwhile I plan to look about the aviaries and see if I can hunt down the 2 emerald tailed hens from last breeding season. I have given them little thought but I am now curious if they still about and in what aviary..... could be any 1 of the 3 aviaries I moved the possibles too.

[lovezebs]

wildbill

I'd been wondering how the Emeralds were doing, but you haven't mentioned anything, so I'd thought maybe they didn't make it.

Looking forward to finding out how they turned out

[wildbill]

they should be still in there somewhere. I have not picked them up off the floor so that's a good sign

[lovezebs]

wildbill

Well, hope for the best.
It'll be interesting to see how they colored up, and if they remained that interesting shade of green.

So happy hunting (and don't forget a raincoat or an umbrella when you go I there... lol).

[wildbill]

lovezebs

as of today 28 young flying and I am still looking for the emerald tail units....lol on another note I decided to by-pass the owl finches and arriving in 3 days are 2 pair of dna sexed tri coloured munias ready to breed so I will see how that venture goes.

[lovezebs]

wildbill

You like those tricolor munias, eh?
I have to admit, they are pretty birds.

What decided you about cancelling the Owls? They are awfully cute little guys.

Hopefully those Emeralds show up. Is it possible that when they coloured up, they coloured into normal greens?

[wildbill]

lovezebs

just a spur of the moment purchase. I can get the owls anytime but the tri's are more difficult to get. dna sexed birds even harder. at least I know I am buying 2 pair and not 4 males.

now the emeralds. they would look exactly the same as the normal bar the odd colouring on the rump. therefore I thing compared to the others a rogue gene is at play. so its just a matter of finding them and go from there.

its also possible these hens are setting on eggs. roughly 20 pair have bred or on eggs so eventually I will get to the bottom/rump of things...lol

[lovezebs]

http://www.aviariovera.com/the-gouldian ... el-lutino/

@wildbill

Have you ever seen some of the mutations that these guys are breeding?
I find it fascinating, how people manage to come up with all these different colors.

Any new developments with the magnificent twelve?

[wildbill]

lovezebs

we only have a small number of mutations here. blue dominates the lot. reference to the hen with 12 eggs I think 7 or 8 hatched and she lost 1. good news the 1 or 2 I'd class as the possible new mutation in blues are still alive and well. they have changed colour to a much darker skin tone. if all is well I might try for a photo in a couple of days.
better news too. I went in to feed them about half hour ago and one young flew straight at me then dropped to the floor. closer inspection...ANOTHER LIME! this bird came from my possible lime and blue splits. hereis the photo of the lime and the mother coming to its aide.

[lovezebs]

wildbill

Well congratulations! What a cutie

My little sausage Uno, is growing like a weed. Look at this chubby burger

The reason I mentioned the mutations on the site above, is that I have never seen these different shades anywhere before. Quite fascinating.