How tough are Ruddies?

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Mortisha
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Joined: 05 Nov 2011, 11:05
Location: Bathurst, NSW

I bought a pair of ruddies about 3 weeks ago and in that time they have built a nest (seems like half a chook's worth of feathers - don't know where they stuffed them all) and appear to be sitting. Is this possible?

I was thinking that they would be too disoriented in a new aviary this season to do this.

Also would they be pushy enough to keep a pair of canarys away from the nest if they do hatch something?
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Tiaris
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Joined: 23 Apr 2011, 08:48
Location: Coffs Harbour

Going to nest straight away if they're ready is absolutely possible as you have seen.

If their nest is thoroughly enclosed as it should be (& sounds like a good job from the amount of feathers used) it should hopefully be too tight & dark to interest or fit in the canaries anyway.

Something to bear in mind with canaries & ruddies in together is the possibility of ruddies contracting air sac mite from the canaries. Ruddies are one of very few exotic estrildid species to be especially susceptible to asm & canaries are very common carriers.
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Mortisha
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Joined: 05 Nov 2011, 11:05
Location: Bathurst, NSW

Thanks Tiaris - it is one of those small cane nests you buy at petshops so hopefully it will be OK.
Wasn't expecting youngsters! - guess I'll have to start the live food planning.

I quarantined the canaries before they were put together and treated them with moxidectin - the 3 zeb boys got a dose as well.

The male Ruddie does have a very slightly messy vent, i wormed them with praziquantel when i first got them. So i'm not sure why that is so. They sound OK - no rasping, etc
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dano_68
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Joined: 20 Jul 2010, 22:29
Location: Brisbane, QLD

I got a new pair of Ruddies once and put them into a my quarantine cage which is 1m sq by 2m high. This cage is completely sterile with no nesting receptacles or brush. They were in there with other species. During the quarantine I was feeding fresh grass seed. After about 2 weeks the Ruddies had used the grass seed stems and had build a nest on the floor, in the corner and the hen was sitting on 5 eggs!!! I removed the nest and the eggs until the quarantine (40 days) was finished.

Anyway, no problems because as soon as they went into the main breeding aviary they had a nest in 2 days, sitting and chicks 3 weeks later! And they haven't really let up...in 2 years this 1 pair have produced 36 young, but another pair from the same breeder, same age haven't even done half that in the same period!
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