2017 Breeding season

[Birdy43]

Just out of interest, how is everyones breeding season going?
Currently have a clutch of 6 possibly 7 approx 9 day old chicks in nest - split blue parents.
Had a successful clutch of 4 late Feb (male and female blue and a pair of normals possible splits) followed by a single chick (presume was a blue as had white middle nodules) which didn't make it much past 10 days age - which coincided with a severe drop in overnight temperature.
Am now feeding soaked seed (on recommendation from another member) along with dry seed and fresh Veldt grass daily.
Am in SA - with an outdoor, fully roofed, north facing avairy, enclosed on 3 sides and no artificial lighting or heating.

[elferoz777]

Mine are starting to fire now.

Its been a weird season but its good they are firing for you

Hopefully you will get some blue ones

[Birdy43]

Mine are starting to fire now.

Its been a weird season but its good they are firing for you

Hopefully you will get some blue ones

The consensus on the forum seems to be don't count them until completion of the first moult.
Fingers crossed this clutch makes it to fledge, has been 4 days since last nest inspection - am trying to not disturb them too much. Parents busy feeding and can hear lots of chirping from the nest at feeding time. Exciting yet nervous time - at least overnight temps forecast here not to get below 9 degrees for rest of this week.

[elferoz777]

If you have any with the pinky grey skin n white nodules you have blue birds.

[Birdy43]

Mine are starting to fire now.

Its been a weird season but its good they are firing for you

Hopefully you will get some blue ones

The consensus on the forum seems to be don't count them until completion of the first moult.
Fingers crossed this clutch makes it to fledge, has been 4 days since last nest inspection - am trying to not disturb them too much. Parents busy feeding and can hear lots of chirping from the nest at feeding time. Exciting yet nervous time - at least overnight temps forecast here not to get below 9 degrees for rest of this week.

Definitely 7 in the nest, overnight forecast temps next few days here in SA; 5, 3, 3 & 8 hoping they make it through, this clutch due to fledge by mid next week? Don't like this winter breeding, very nervous...

[Tiaris]

The breeding season is pretty good so far but the colder nights are just about to arrive & we have had a late start to them this year. Have 35 fledged currently & plenty more in nests. Very happy with the size & consistent body type of the young out so far too.

[arthur]

Definitely 7 in the nest, overnight forecast temps next few days here in SA; 5, 3, 3 & 8 hoping they make it through, this clutch due to fledge by mid next week? Don't like this winter breeding, very nervous...

If there are 7 and they are reasonably feathered (a bit older than about 10 days) they will probably be right

But if not, and parent not brooding I would be thinking about overnighting in the house

3 degrees is pretty cold

[Birdy43]

Definitely 7 in the nest, overnight forecast temps next few days here in SA; 5, 3, 3 & 8 hoping they make it through, this clutch due to fledge by mid next week? Don't like this winter breeding, very nervous...

If there are 7 and they are reasonably feathered (a bit older than about 10 days) they will probably be right

But if not, and parent not brooding I would be thinking about overnighting in the house

3 degrees is pretty cold

They're 14-16 days old, seem reasonably feathered. Parents have been off nest for about 5 nights or so now. Nesting box fixed to another timber beam so can't move it without major disturbance.
Only good thing I guess is they're all still in the nest box all together and not out and newly fledged.
Will be closing the nest boxes up or removing for the winter after this clutch. Too stressful.
Fingers crossed now!

[Birdy43]

Got through the first night of 3.2 degrees - can hear the chicks at feedtime so presuming all made it through the night - the suns just hit the avairy now.
Will do a headcount later this morning when in the avairy. I can count them through the nestbox hole from a distance now.
Spent most of the evening going through all the threads on cold nights/freezing/temperature etc.
Now to get through the next week...

[E Orix]

It was - 2C this morning and my young Gouldians are squawking their heads off.
Luckily all nests have at least 3 chicks to keep each other warm.
Cold frosty night/morning followed by a beautiful blue sky and full sunshine.