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Emmy

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Everything posted by Emmy

  1. The owners of the shop/post office in the village keep ducks and one day when I was in the shop they were telling me their ducks had eggs but as they didn't want the eggs to hatch --they pierce the eggs with a pin and this stops them hatching but they hadn't done that yet. Then they remembered that a few years ago I had been given a duck egg from their dad and I had hatched out that duck egg in my incubator. Next question was "Do you want any eggs to put in your incubator before we pierce them?" My answer was "NO thank you-- I'll be in big trouble if I put duck eggs in the incubator" but after we had chatted for a while I agreed to take just ONE egg. Now I didn't get back to the shop for a few days and the next time I was there the owners were out, so now it was over two weeks since I had agreed to take an egg. Next time I was in the shop (May 4th ) I apologised and said maybe it was just as well I hadn’t managed to collect the egg then came the bombshell! He told me he still had the FOUR eggs in the shop for me but he also told me that he had read that after eggs had been away from the nest for 7 days there would be little chance of them developing. and those 4 eggs had been away from the nest for almost 3 weeks so feeling relieved that they wouldn't hatch I said "OK I'll pop them in the incubator and let you know" After a few days it was obvious nothing was happening with the eggs so early next morning I decided to put one of them into the bin in the kitchen, then later on in the afternoon I binned two more, I don't know why I still left one in the incubator but that night about 11pm I made up my mind that I would switch off the incubator and bin the fourth egg but for some reason unknown to me I decided to check it with the ovascope before I binned it and that's when I got a shock this egg was showing the first signs of being fertile!! Without a moment to lose it was quickly returned to the incubator. Now it was panic stations what if those other two eggs that had been binned in the afternoon had been fertile too? Very carefully I searched the bin found the two eggs I had binned in the afternoon (they hadn't broken) I washed them and then checked them and Yes they were showing signs of being fertile too. Very quickly those two eggs were back in the incubator too. I felt there was no sense looking for the egg I had binned early that morning because it had been without heat for over 16 hours so I went to bed -- but all night I couldn't settle thinking about that other egg still in the bin so I got up at 6am and eventually found the 4th egg at the bottom of the bin and it too was still intact but cold. So it got washed and when I tested it? Yes! Unbelievable it too was showing signs of being fertile so it went back into the incubator too. The surprising thing was all 4 eggs were developing normally so I numbered the eggs 1 to 4 (number 1 being the one that never left the incubator, 2& 3 were the two that had been binned in the afternoon and No 4 was the egg that had spent 16 hours in the bin! -- they have been named already No .1 - is Lucky No. 2 - is Binny No. 3 - is Bucket and no. 4.- is Miracle because it is a miracle it has survived and developed. First signs of development in the egg A few days later. Showing heart beat in one of the eggs 28th May 2018 Those ducklings will definitely have a story to tell if they hatch out and survive - They not only beat the deadline of 7 days but had a short holiday in the kitchen bin before getting down to the job in hand (lol)
  2. There is a long story to go with these three latest arrivals but at the moment I'm a bit short on time to write it just now (I'll do a Blog ' later). (I'm also hand rearing 6 baby zebra finches)- Please meet 'Lucky', 'Miracle' and Binny -- sadly little 'Bucket' (it was marked egg no 3 when put into the incubator)died in the shell just before hatching. By the law of averages these 3 wee beauties (Cal ducklings)should never have hatched but I'll explain it all later
  3. Fantastic Andy Just what I needed right now|! I'm so sore laughing just very grateful to find out I'm not the only one needing to get locked up. No doubt when Bobby spies this he'll be desperate to get to the computer again ( I don't know if Bobby is a girl or a boy but I guess it wont matter (lol)) but I hope Bertie's not going to teach Bobby any new bad habits Bobby has enough already. Guess this could be the start of a 'Best Seller' --'book' containing advice for other parrots and about Bobby and Bertie's adventures Knowing the pair of parrots that they are wouldn't be surprised if they'll be charging members a fee to read their posts Emmy
  4. Hallo again everyone. It's been a while since I managed to get to the computer without my 'Mum' seeing me. (I do have a 'Blog' on here but this is just a quick note) This morning I got a good opportunity to get what I spied I would like after my 'Mum' had let me out of my cage and she had gone to get something. Fortunately for me she left the plate with the toast sitting near my cage and she had cut off the crust (think it was meant for Rabelou (the Chihuahua) but he gets plenty anyway so this was going to be mine- ) Good ! she's not back yet. Now I'm getting a lecture about stealing, so I'm off!! 'Mum' can't reach up here -so! I'm going to have a nice breakfast too even although I've stolen it I'll be back again sometime -that's if 'Mum' hasn't 'imprisoned me or sent me to a new home!
  5. Thanks Andy -- I'm still as daft as ever and soon it wont be Bobby that will be getting 'locked up' it will more than likely be ME!! (lol) Emmy
  6. Hallo again everyone. It's been a while since I managed to get to the computer without my 'Mum' seeing me. (I do have a 'Blog' on here but this is just a quick note) This morning I got a good opportunity to get what I spied I would like after my 'Mum' had let me out of my cage and she had gone to get something. Fortunately for me she left the plate with the toast sitting near my cage and she had cut off the crust (think it was meant for Rabelou (the Chihuahua) but he gets plenty anyway so this was going to be mine- ) Good ! she's not back yet. Now I'm getting a lecture about stealing, so I'm off!! 'Mum' can't reach up here -so! I'm going to have a nice breakfast too even although I've stolen it I'll be back again sometime -that's if 'Mum' hasn't 'imprisoned me or sent me to a new home!
  7. Best wishes for your birthday Peter. Emmy
  8. Sorry I forgot to update earlier. Its in the Brinsea eco glow now with another wee one that hatched out a few days later. Tried to add a short video of the two of them showing how the 2nd one when I added it into the eco glow how it tried to get underneath the slightly older one and followed it all the time. Guess it looked on it as its parent. Fascinating watching them. This is the model 'mum' I made for it Emmy
  9. I reckon that photo would have 'topped the lot' Fantastic photo Emmy
  10. Hi Gary It hatched out on the 22nd March but I find its more difficult getting them to peck the chick crumbs /water if they are on their own, better if there's a clutch or if it was with the parent birds. They run under the parent birds so that's why I put in 2 teddies. Now I'm considering 'making' an adult CPQ from material and feathers (lol) (I'll be getting 'locked up' soon with having all these daft ideas) I've had to take it out from the brooder/hospital cage now and its now under the Brinsea eco glow and I cant put the teddies below that so when it comes out to feed the teddy bears are still there for it. Emmy
  11. Best Wishes to you on your birthday. Emmy
  12. This is the latest addition to the 'family ' Hatched out in the incubator on the 22nd March and it is on its own but it hasn't been long in adopting a New Mum 'Charlick' and its adopted 'Mum' (It's a Chinese Painted Quail) Emmy
  13. Sorry this is late Andy but hope you have a very Happy time on your '2nd birthday ' and that you'll be feeling much better then. Emmy
  14. Welcome to the forum Kev. I'm not much good at working out colours but sometimes this happens and you get different colour of chicks in a nest I think it has something to do with the 'genes' the parent birds may be carrying. Maybe the colour isn't visible in the parent bird but they could be 'split' for another colour (some gene/colour that has been carried down from a previous generation.) Fingers crossed some other member will jump in here and answer your question in case I've got this all wrong. (Bet you will be more confused that ever after reading my answer but that's what I blame it on when I don't get the colours I wanted/expected to hatch out Emmy
  15. Really beautiful chicks Trevor you have the patience of a Saint Trevor but you WILL there. Emmy
  16. Hi Sarah, How time 'flies' (much faster than the birds ) Looks like you have totally spoiled Dudley but I don't blame you I do the same with my birds especially the cockatiels, but so far they haven't reached my bedroom (lol) That was sad losing the 12 birds but I know there have been sudden changes in temperature here as well - I have heating on in my bird sheds 24/7 and one morning when I went in the water in their drinkers was frozen - that was a first. I'm trying to cut back on the number of birds I keep but its so difficult to choose which ones to part with. Looks as though Budgies are still your main birds. I hope you have great success with the kakaikis -- recently they seem to be becoming very popular here in Scotland as well. I've just had a baby zebra finch hatch out tonight (cage is in the house) This is the 2nd clutch from Shadow (the finch I hand reared) and Snowy his mate. If all goes well there's another 3 eggs still to hatch and I have cockatiels with two young in the nest and another one sitting on 4 eggs on the floor of the inside flight. Now that's a problem for me to solve when they hatch out Must go now and give my baby cockatiels their last feed for the night (Been hand rearing those 3- had to bring them in because of the low temp. in outside flight been hand rearing them since January. This is a photo of Timmy, Susie and Pooch approx. 7weeks old now If you have time please let us know how the breeding goes (good luck with the studies too) Emmy
  17. Does anyone have first hand knowledge about the breeding habits of Barraband Parrots. I've read a lot about them but sometimes its better 'talking' to someone who has actually bred them. At the moment my two are in a slightly smaller cage than before(not much in it re the size) but they get out to fly - but lately they are both making different sounds -especially Tika, the female ----and both are ripping up the newspaper from the bottom of their cage into tiny pieces (could this be nesting behaviour?) last year I had a nest box in their cage but no eggs were laid. Yesterday I put the nest box into the cage and Tika has had a look inside it but that was all - (guess it didn't come up to her expectations ) The other thing that is different is Tiko the male was always very friendly with me when I went towards the cage and he 'chatted' etc and liked his beak stroked -- has become a little aggressive -not like him at all. Grateful for any ideas why this is happening - Think they are just over 5-6 years old This is Tika and Tiko Emmy
  18. You'll get there Trevor!! The chicks are just beautiful. Emmy
  19. Fingers crossed for you Trevor. Emmy
  20. He is still tame Andy, (Snowy isn't) I can't remember the pair that laid that egg(Shadow) I had thought in the future if I paired him up with a 'proper' BC female and all the chicks were BC then the pied would be coming from Snowy. BUT the two of them get along fine and I really would feel bad splitting them up. They are excellent parents. Emmy (Just noticed that Shadow has a white part on his wing so he must have the pied gene.)
  21. Reading over the Blog 'Hand Rearing Birds' which featured Shadow & Co. it was hard to believe that was in May 2016 and its now February 2018. Shadow is still with me and he is still in the house () Shadow January 2018 He now has a mate (a white zebra finch) and they have just finished rearing these 6 lovely little chicks. A 'Family' photo left to right: Shadow, two of the chicks , Snowy (the mum) and the other 4 chicks. Guess there's no chance of Shadow and Snowy going out to the aviary now Emmy
  22. Very bonny chicks Trevor. What is your target Trevor? Emmy
  23. Sorry Fraza I'm hopeless at identifying colours in young birds I'm sure when other members read your post they will be able to help. (Trevor and Andy are good at identifying colours) Emmy
  24. Welcome to the forum Fraza. It's nice to get some new members and share experiences. I remember the day when I could have named every bird I had but since getting my outside/ inside aviary a few years ago - plus another shed for breeding cages that is impossible now I have a variety of other birds too -(not just zebra finches and Bengalese). I have a variety of mutations/colours in my zebra finches (in the outside flight I let them choose their own mate) but I do breed BC finches and one got a 2nd place in a bird show a week ago. Who knows maybe you will be able to get in personal contact with some of the members on the ZFF who may come from your area in England. Look forward to reading your posts. Emmy
  25. Lee your just jealous - me I'm frustrated with the M. L. Bs !!! I've still not managed to breed a BC CFW and I'm not going to resort to doctoring photographs but from somewhere I've bred a BCBB zebra finch -wished it had been a female and I would have paired it up with a crested bb z finch. I was just hoping someone would read the post about the love birds and may have bred M.L.birds or knew someone who had and would give me some feed back if they had had success. I suppose the fact that one of the males is singing to the female is a good sign. Freezing here tonight - birds are warmer in their sheds than I am in the house PS Lee please note this is posted in the proper place: Other Birds Discussions about other species.