My new Red Cheek Cordon Bleus!

[Queen_Bee]

Wow - after days of waiting, I finally heard from the seller and my husband picked up my two beautiful little RCCB's for me last night. What sweet little birds! So delicate and such beautiful colours. We're calling them Azure (the female) and True (the male). Anyway.... a few observations and questions.

The birds, I'm told, are approximately 2 years old. They have bright eyes, beautiful colouring and are very active (no pics yet - they're all blurry!!). They have come in their own tiny cage which has a wicker nest, but no nesting material, food dishes and some perches. They have been fed on a seed diet only. Their poop looks good. It is my understanding that until recently they had been kept separately so they didn't breed, and were being rehomed because the original owner had too many birds. My husband told me the lady who was selling them was very sad to see them go.

This is my plan for them... and please feel free to let me know if anyone has any better ideas or suggestions for me. I have a slightly larger cage I will move them to for the time being and give them some natural branches, instead of the standard perches. In the next month or two my husband will be building me a large indoor cage/aviary and this will be their eventual home. I intend to begin slowly introducing egg food, veggies, freeze dried bloodworms and eventually mealworms to their diet (thanks for the info in that thread - luckily I am not squeamish!!). I will also give them some nesting material to make their home more comfy (they slept in the nest last night), although I'm not expecting them to lay any eggs right away and that is not my primary concern anyway.

I do have a much larger cage that my Zebras inhabit, but I think, from what I've read, that Zebras might be quite pushy to the RCCBs and they should be kept separately. I am also concerned with quarantine. Is it enough for them to be in different cages or do I need to keep them in different rooms as well? How long should the quarantine last, especially if they are kept in different room?

Any and all info appreciated! I will try for pics soon, but I don't want to freak them out too much.

Jacqui

[Ursula]

It all sounds right to me. I especially like the part that they will eventually live in a large aviary.

Mine don't have nests in the aviary to sleep in, however, I have lots of greenery (fake ivy) where they can hide. They like to do that. If you put it some fake ivy they might like that even better than a nest. They would snooze in there during the day too and feel more secure when you approach the cage.

About quarantine: I think they should be quarantined in separate rooms.

[Sally]

Quarantine in a different room is best. Minimum two weeks, but actually four weeks is better. I wouldn't put them with the Zebras, they would get pushed around. They will LOVE the varied diet--it may take them a while to try everything out. Mine don't sleep in nests, just in there while they are incubating, etc., but yours should love a bit of fake greenery for some privacy.

[diinin]

Congrats on your new blues! We have a pair, and they are so entertaining. The boy is always singing and dancing for his beautiful woman.

Mine LOOOOVE mealworms! It's hard for the others to get any, because the blues are always there first and usually eat them all. I gutload them with Mike Fidler's soft food.

[annague]

Congratulations!!

I have 8 RCCB's (includes fledglings but not eggs) and 10 BCCB's (includes fledglings but not eggs).

Typically CB's are very social so they will feel more at ease if you put them in a large cage with a couple of other finches (but only non-pushy types not Zebras). They will appreciate fake foliage or other places to hide.

They will definitely NOT raise young without plenty of live food although they may lay eggs. Sounds like you're going about the process of introducing them to this type of food just fine.

They are amusing, lovely and even great singers (including the females). You will love them!

[cindy]

Congratulations on you RCCBs. Enjoy them! My pair are currently raising 2 young and have done so on ABBA92 dried egg food with ground Roudybush and dried insect treat, seed, pellets,dried powdered kelp and Herb Salad...mine have refuse greens and boiled egg and even mealies since I brought them home. The Gold Breasts and Owls willingly eat the boiled egg and greens that the RCCBs do not want! They are very attentive parents and the young are active and growing.

They are in a mixed aviary of Owls and GBs. There are lots of silks and greens and several different tyes of nests to choose from, they picked a large Canary bamboo nest that was built out by a pair of GBs. The GB moved to an ABBA plastic nest box next door to the RCCBs nest.

I had the pair in a 18x18x36 breeder cage, they just sat there...since moving then to a colony type of situation they have perked up and are more active.

Best wishes with yours...hope they settle in nicely for you.

[annague]

Wow. Lucky you! I've never heard of anyone being able to raise CB babies without live food successfully. My CB's start jumping around the cage and raising their voices to me in protest with the mealies get low. They also love the egg food but prefer the mealies once their babies get a little older.

[cindy]

I used to give my shaftails mealies, if their bowl got empty the male would come close to the side of the cage closest to me at screech. The next clutch I did eggfood instead.

[annague]

Funny! Birds can be so opinionated! I'd love to dump live food but am a little afraid to do so...

[Queen_Bee]

They have settled in nicely after a few hiccups at first (the male got a cut on his head when he was being transferred from cage to cage - I was so panicked, but he has healed up with no trouble). As for diet... They ate egg food once, have never touched the veggies I've tried them with, and LOVE,LOVE, LOVE freeze dried bloodworms. We'll give mealworms a try in a week or two.

My plan is to keep them with a pair of owls and a pair of gouldians once my indoor aviary is built (hopefully that will be completed in October). They came with a covered wicker nest which I threw out (filthy!) but have since replaced because they have shown no interest in roosting in the faux greenery I've provided. They love sleeping in the nest. I have hesitated to provide nesting materials, but they are so cute and bouncy and happy together I think I will just to see what they do.

I LOVE their song. What a happy sound to wake up to in the morning. They get in a few good notes before they are drowned out by the more raucous calls of the Zebras from the other room.

[cindy]

Sounds good....they will love the flight and company!