We have eggs...two for Winston and Hedwig...two for Stuart and Sunshine...so far. (first pair -English Budgies, second pair American Budgies)
Stuart and Sunshine have had eggs before but not fertile ones. that's pretty normal for the first time around. So ....maybe this time.
Hedwig and Winston have had one clutch of three before Christmas. If these eggs are good then this pair of parents will be on rest time 'till next fall...fingers crossed (:>}=
Approximate hatch date: first day of spring!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Weaning Age for Lovebirds
I'd like to put a little note here about weaning hand fed lovebirds.
I normally let my lovebirds go between eight and nine weeks old. I must be satisfied that not only do they know how to eat solid foods -but they are eating enough volume and variety to thrive.
I start the weaning process weeks before this...
When the oldest baby in the clutch is three weeks old I start offering little tiny pieces of avicakes . Avicakes are a combination of seed and pellets and have added vitamins. They are chewy and delicious to birds and can be broken into little pieces. These little pieces are put into the bird's mouth and he/she automatically knows what to do with them. Of course it still takes practice to be able to keep these in the mouth and "chew" them up without dropping them. The next day I add a little broccoli to the diet. I cut the very tips of the flowers with sharp scissors so that the pieces are as small as seed. Usually the next thing I offer is pellets and seed, followed by fresh corn and finely chopped snow peas, frozen mixed veggies -still including avicakes a few times a day. After about eight days or so the birds start eating plain cereals such as cheerios(multi-grain and plain), rice krispies, puffed wheat and musli. Cheerios and puffed wheat double as toys. Brown rice and whole wheat and regular pasta is added into the mix as well.
This is what is known as "abundance weaning". All the while I am still handfeeding the babies with Kaytee Exact hand feeding formula. As the birds get older and start to fly -approximately five weeks of age - they start taking less and less formula and more and more solid foods. But it is still a "process" and not an abrupt switch .
When the babies fledge(start flying) they naturally lose a little weight. That is why it is critically important to make sure they are eating enough to not lose a dangerous amount of weight at this time.
I find this whole weaning time a lot of fun. I notice that individual birds end up having their own favorite foods and I will tell the new owners what these are.
That is why it takes up to nine weeks to safely have a truly weaned baby lovebird.
In the wild the babies come out of the nest at six weeks of age and the parents "teach" them how to feed themselves over the course of the next few weeks. I should add here that the odd little one takes more than nine weeks - sometimes up to eleven weeks. That is not usually the case but I say...why rush it? You want the healthiest baby you can get. It seems like a long wait when you are so excited about getting your new bird. Lovebirds can live up to twenty years -if they are healthy.
Just for the record -budgies wean faster and in most cases are ready to go in six weeks. I follow the same process with them but it all happens just a little bit faster.
Hand feeding baby birds is one of the most enjoyable and satisfying things that I've ever done (:>}=
I normally let my lovebirds go between eight and nine weeks old. I must be satisfied that not only do they know how to eat solid foods -but they are eating enough volume and variety to thrive.
I start the weaning process weeks before this...
When the oldest baby in the clutch is three weeks old I start offering little tiny pieces of avicakes . Avicakes are a combination of seed and pellets and have added vitamins. They are chewy and delicious to birds and can be broken into little pieces. These little pieces are put into the bird's mouth and he/she automatically knows what to do with them. Of course it still takes practice to be able to keep these in the mouth and "chew" them up without dropping them. The next day I add a little broccoli to the diet. I cut the very tips of the flowers with sharp scissors so that the pieces are as small as seed. Usually the next thing I offer is pellets and seed, followed by fresh corn and finely chopped snow peas, frozen mixed veggies -still including avicakes a few times a day. After about eight days or so the birds start eating plain cereals such as cheerios(multi-grain and plain), rice krispies, puffed wheat and musli. Cheerios and puffed wheat double as toys. Brown rice and whole wheat and regular pasta is added into the mix as well.
This is what is known as "abundance weaning". All the while I am still handfeeding the babies with Kaytee Exact hand feeding formula. As the birds get older and start to fly -approximately five weeks of age - they start taking less and less formula and more and more solid foods. But it is still a "process" and not an abrupt switch .
When the babies fledge(start flying) they naturally lose a little weight. That is why it is critically important to make sure they are eating enough to not lose a dangerous amount of weight at this time.
I find this whole weaning time a lot of fun. I notice that individual birds end up having their own favorite foods and I will tell the new owners what these are.
That is why it takes up to nine weeks to safely have a truly weaned baby lovebird.
In the wild the babies come out of the nest at six weeks of age and the parents "teach" them how to feed themselves over the course of the next few weeks. I should add here that the odd little one takes more than nine weeks - sometimes up to eleven weeks. That is not usually the case but I say...why rush it? You want the healthiest baby you can get. It seems like a long wait when you are so excited about getting your new bird. Lovebirds can live up to twenty years -if they are healthy.
Just for the record -budgies wean faster and in most cases are ready to go in six weeks. I follow the same process with them but it all happens just a little bit faster.
Hand feeding baby birds is one of the most enjoyable and satisfying things that I've ever done (:>}=
Lovebird Babies Hangin' Out
This is why they are called "LOVE" birds =o)
These babies are starting to be real snugglers.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Spa Day for Lovebird Babies
After their first real bath these babies are wrapped all cozy in their "towels" and put back in their warm brooder. They must have been feeling good as they stayed that way-cocooned-for about an hour. Then they emerged all nice and fluffy.
Emm Has Babies
Emm is sitting on three tiny babies -hatch dates: feb 11,13, and 15th. There are two more eggs left in the nest which will likely hatch tomorrow and the day after tomorrow.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Hatchi and Sydney A Valentines Story
Sydney...meets...Hatchi a love story.....
A few weeks ago I had English Budgie babies for sale. I only had two and - I'm very happy to say - they both found great new homes.(I kept one baby as I could not part with them all). One of the new baby owners - France - told me that she had a new female Gouldian finch named Hatchi. She had this little finch girl and she was tame - how cool!
When France came to pick up her new English budgie baby - Kiki -she noticed that I had a single male Gouldian Finch -Sydney.
France loved her new baby =O)) Then she had an idea. What if she gave me Hatchi and as soon as I had baby budgies available I would give her one. Wow...what a great idea. So, four days ago France brought Hatchi here and we introduced her to Sydney. Well...now they are stuck together like glue. They are a pair. Now when all the little finches snuggle in for the night - in pairs - Sydney is not left all alone looking sad. He and Hatchi have each other :o)
I have put up two new nest boxes and they are checking them out a little bit. Who knows maybe there will be some little Hatchi s and Sydney s in the future ???
Their other friends and cage mates are: Snowy the white Bengalese female, Benny and Jet - the male Bengalese finches and Dusty the female Zebra finch. I'd like to add a pair of Java Temple birds and also get a male Zebra to keep Dusty company.
Then they'll all live HAPPILY EVER AFTER (:>}=
Looking at Real Estate
Looking at Real Estate
Friends Together
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
New Lovebird Babies Play on Blanket
Happy, smiling babies... :o) So lovable!!
Here's the four new little cuties. The oldest two are 21 and 20 days. They are pied. The next one is 18 days - lutino(yellow with red eyes). The youngest baby is17 days old. He/she is dark -maybe normal green but we'll have to wait and see.
Ozzy and Piccadilly Make Friends
Ozzy and Piccadilly play together nicely. Ozzy speaks human to Pic saying "good budgie, c'mon good budgie" Then he kisses the new baby...who is bigger than he is LOL.
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