Two hens on eggs

Includes Species Profile
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SamDavis
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Posts: 2578
Joined: 03 Jan 2011, 14:01
Location: Douglas Park NSW

Hi Anthony,

Mine are in a mixed aviary with 5 other species so they get the works. I was surprised at the amount of maggots they eat as it wasn't clear to me that they were big livefood eaters - based on the number of maggots consumed I suspect it would be difficult to fledge young without them. They don't seem so interested in termites. I don't feed egg (it always seems to go off in about 20 minutes in my view) but I know others who do and have had success. They're also keen on green leafed stuff. I use those bags of mixed salad leaves from the supermarket and dice it up. They also love dandelions (roots and all). I also have a separate container of just canary and niger and in terms of seed this is pretty much all they eat.

I also feed sprouteed seed, diced fruit/veges (I also have eclectus) and assorted seeding grasses (I just cut handfuls of whatever's seeding down the paddock) but I haven't noticed the siskins eating much of any of these.

Both my hens are back on eggs again, so fingers crossed!

Best of luck with yours.
Sam
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Finchster
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Posts: 96
Joined: 26 Mar 2010, 10:28
Location: Essendon/ Melbourne/ Vic
Location: Western Suburbs, Melbourne

Thanks for all the info ill try all those things see how they go.
Good luck aswell.
:)
Anthony keeping Blue faced Parrot Finches/ normal yellow & Yellow fawn stars/ Melba's/ Red Faced Pytilia/ Fawn St Helena.
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SamDavis
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Posts: 2578
Joined: 03 Jan 2011, 14:01
Location: Douglas Park NSW

Anthony, I just noticed you've got Melbas and Red Pytilias. I've just got my first ever pytilias (Yellow Wings), maybe you've got some tips for me?
User avatar
Finchster
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Posts: 96
Joined: 26 Mar 2010, 10:28
Location: Essendon/ Melbourne/ Vic
Location: Western Suburbs, Melbourne

SamDavis wrote:Anthony, I just noticed you've got Melbas and Red Pytilias. I've just got my first ever pytilias (Yellow Wings), maybe you've got some tips for me?
I have just sold my one pair melbas and atm this is my first season with RH Pytlias not much luck atm 2 clutch's both with 2 dead chicks.
Tiaris advised me that they are more of a dry seed bird so im tryinmg to organise some Greens N Grains. I have also been told they will be hard to breed just on maggots
and few mealies.
So maybe we can learn more together lol :)

Also wen feeding your siskins dandelion and milk thistle how do you feed it? Chop it up first or just hang it in the aviary????
Anthony keeping Blue faced Parrot Finches/ normal yellow & Yellow fawn stars/ Melba's/ Red Faced Pytilia/ Fawn St Helena.
User avatar
SamDavis
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Posts: 2578
Joined: 03 Jan 2011, 14:01
Location: Douglas Park NSW

Finchster wrote:
SamDavis wrote:Anthony, I just noticed you've got Melbas and Red Pytilias. I've just got my first ever pytilias (Yellow Wings), maybe you've got some tips for me?
I have just sold my one pair melbas and atm this is my first season with RH Pytlias not much luck atm 2 clutch's both with 2 dead chicks.
Tiaris advised me that they are more of a dry seed bird so im tryinmg to organise some Greens N Grains. I have also been told they will be hard to breed just on maggots
and few mealies.
So maybe we can learn more together lol :)
Sounds good. I too was planning on getting some Greens N Grains from Elenbee. Nests, fertile eggs and chicks is a pretty good start. Maybe it would be worth the drive to collect some termites. They keep for ages if you collect the right species and nest size. Probably wont need to feed too many if maggots are your main livefood.
Finchster wrote:Also wen feeding your siskins dandelion and milk thistle how do you feed it? Chop it up first or just hang it in the aviary????
I just chuck whole plants on the floor (I can hear some OOOOOHHHHHHs and a few BOOOOOs from the gallery!)
User avatar
Finchster
...............................
...............................
Posts: 96
Joined: 26 Mar 2010, 10:28
Location: Essendon/ Melbourne/ Vic
Location: Western Suburbs, Melbourne

SamDavis wrote:
Finchster wrote:
SamDavis wrote:Anthony, I just noticed you've got Melbas and Red Pytilias. I've just got my first ever pytilias (Yellow Wings), maybe you've got some tips for me?
I have just sold my one pair melbas and atm this is my first season with RH Pytlias not much luck atm 2 clutch's both with 2 dead chicks.
Tiaris advised me that they are more of a dry seed bird so im tryinmg to organise some Greens N Grains. I have also been told they will be hard to breed just on maggots
and few mealies.
So maybe we can learn more together lol :)
Sounds good. I too was planning on getting some Greens N Grains from Elenbee. Nests, fertile eggs and chicks is a pretty good start. Maybe it would be worth the drive to collect some termites. They keep for ages if you collect the right species and nest size. Probably wont need to feed too many if maggots are your main livefood.
Finchster wrote:Also wen feeding your siskins dandelion and milk thistle how do you feed it? Chop it up first or just hang it in the aviary????
I just chuck whole plants on the floor (I can hear some OOOOOHHHHHHs and a few BOOOOOs from the gallery!)
Im goona look into termites again the hard thing is knowing which ones are the right ones to feed.
Cheers for that ill try putting whole plants (weeds) in pots growing see if they take to it :)
Anthony keeping Blue faced Parrot Finches/ normal yellow & Yellow fawn stars/ Melba's/ Red Faced Pytilia/ Fawn St Helena.
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