season over for me with the split blues

[wildbill]

today i decided to pull all breeding boxes out as the 3 pair of split blues i have look a bit on the scruffy side. as first time breeders they started off pretty bad and all lost their first nests of young.
after that i thought - same old story with the blues so they can stay in the worst aviary where they have been for the past two years. now back to their first year -upon arrival the weather had turned cold in january and they went into an immediate moult... that year gone!
this season between the 3 pairs they have bred 15 young - 6 of which are blue and out of them 2 or 3 are pastel. the remainders are either yellow or green.all young stayed with the colony all the way threw the season.
like i said earlier nothing special was given to this lot. a couple of areas leaked continuously when raining and apart from soaked seed and lettuce - nothing apart from seed and water.....and NO medication!
i decided from the start if they got sick - and we all know what i'm talking about - it would be party over. either healthy birds or nothing!
some of the young are now starting to moult so it will be interesting how well they will sit on the perch in the next month or so. whatever happens i will give it a better go next years.
although this time around i had only split blues i have played with the straight colours - with little or no luck.
this year was a good training exercise so i'm happy with that and next year hope to get more serious.

2 green back split blue hens
1 yellow back split blue hen
3 single factor split blue cocks

here's a few photos. not the best but i don't want to stress them chasing a photo.

[elferoz777]

NICE!!

I am hoping to get my first splits this year

[finches247]

Nice Work

[Diane]

Its great when you have success like that, good looking birds.

Ive got some at the same stage as yours too. Also aviary bred and no meds other than the normal moxi plus.
Like you I also said

i decided from the start if they got sick - and we all know what i'm talking about - it would be party over. either healthy birds or nothing!

Since I got blue young its has been very depressing seeing some on the floor but I said right from the start "its no good molly-codling them, I want parent and aviary bred blues who haven't had heat or meds, they need to survive and thrive in the same conditions as normals, otherwise what is the point"
Took a while but this current crop are still on the perch and looking good with a few of the adult blue feathers coming through now.

[wildbill]

it's been pretty windy and cold her the past few day so i think over the next 6 weeks it will either make or break them.

[ColouredFeathers]

Hi wildill
well done with the blues but one question why do you not ring your birds how do you know which bird come
from what parents
cheers flavio

[wildbill]

in the beginning i wasn't expecting to breed any as they all lost their first round of young. that part of the aviary was then and still is divided into cubicles so most nests of young ended up being a bit of a surprise.
i've pre purchased several pairs of blues so will do a mix and match and work out that problem and swing my birds across to the new bloodline.
next season i will be better prepared and will have 10 aviaries running 2 pair per section plus the odd diamond sparrow tossed in.
regards

[Mr Tino]

Hi there wildbill I see that you breed all those split blue,But I hated to tell you that those young are breed from parent which are split blue,so the young you have are possibile and some true split blue,so you have try them all out the hard way around to see which are split blue. Good luck ,bye for now.


Cheer from Mr Tino

[wildbill]

thanks for the info but 3 years back having 9 pair of blues and splits i'm aware of that problem and breeders who sell "possibles" as split blue. these birds are not counted in my next season run of breeding pairs but i will use the parent splits and blue young.
on another note a pet link guy from qld rang me after fawn pied diamonds and offered blue and silver gouldians for $150 ea -many as i want. only problem they were raised under bengalese.
told him i wouldn't take them for $10 ea and he paid the freight. if there not dead by xmas i bet he is saying "thank you ronivet"
two breeders in sydney are also shooting out bengalese bred blues. i really don't know why these guys have the guts to tell you that they have eggs under bengo's and get back later for a good price.
so if i was new to breeding blues and wanted some you'd be very stupid if you didn't buy SOUTH of the NSW/VIC border...........or beware of bees and a good stinging!
my only reason to try the blues again is there is not much i can do with the diamond sparrow mutation.....that is unless some-one can sell me a yellow tail job and if so i will throw a very good deal their way - cash or bird exchange.
then again its the same there - loosers out there raising diamonds under bango's too. i can honestly say all 70 or so of my diamonds wouldn't have the "guts" to use a nestbox so at least i'm doing that right
regards

[gouldianpaul]

thanks for the info but 3 years back having 9 pair of blues and splits i'm aware of that problem and breeders who sell "possibles" as split blue. these birds are not counted in my next season run of breeding pairs but i will use the parent splits and blue young.
on another note a pet link guy from qld rang me after fawn pied diamonds and offered blue and silver gouldians for $150 ea -many as i want. only problem they were raised under bengalese.
told him i wouldn't take them for $10 ea and he paid the freight. if there not dead by xmas i bet he is saying "thank you ronivet"
two breeders in sydney are also shooting out bengalese bred blues. i really don't know why these guys have the guts to tell you that they have eggs under bengo's and get back later for a good price.
so if i was new to breeding blues and wanted some you'd be very stupid if you didn't buy SOUTH of the NSW/VIC border...........or beware of bees and a good stinging!
my only reason to try the blues again is there is not much i can do with the diamond sparrow mutation.....that is unless some-one can sell me a yellow tail job and if so i will throw a very good deal their way - cash or bird exchange.
then again its the same there - loosers out there raising diamonds under bango's too. i can honestly say all 70 or so of my diamonds wouldn't have the "guts" to use a nestbox so at least i'm doing that right
regards

Hi Wildbill,

I agree with you regarding the bengo's....stay away from Gouldians raised under bengo's....at least the breeder in question informed you the birds were fostered...so many cheats out there who treat their birds like "chickens" claiming they are parent raised, outdoor avairy bred, etc, etc. I think it's about time some of us starting posting examples of breeding results achieved from the purchase of birds from genuine breeders. We need to promote other breeders when we achieve great results from the birds we buy.....and maybe take it one step further to warn AFF members about breeders who do not tell the truth about fostered birds....because personally I'm sick of hearing about this hidious practice....when different species are used 99% of the time it is for financial gain!!!

Cheers
Paul