New Year Budgie Update

I've been remiss in keeping this story current but so much has happened in the past couple of weeks that it's been difficult!  I can't say I remember what order everything has happened in, so I'll just try and remember everything so it's all included.

The Babies

The chickies are growing like crazy.  At about a week of age the youngest of the three died for no apparent reason leaving Momma Bird with two loud, rambunctious chicks! They opened their eyes about a week ago, started growing their feathers, received their names, and have started being taken out of the nestbox to be held and played with in an effort to make them sweet, tame, loving little budgies. In  keeping with the Christmas theme I wanted, suggestions made by a reader, and the chicks own personality, the babies ended up with the names of Dasher and Blitzen.  The oldest chick with the yellow on his head is Dasher.  I think he'll end up looking like a normal green bird just like his daddy.  Blitzen looks to be taking on more of a light blue or violet hue right now.  

Dasher, first day with eyes open.

Dasher and Blitzen

So far my attempts at letting the parents feed the babies while my husband and I socialize the babies daily seem to be working.  Both babies seem to be quite relaxed around us.  Of course, it's still early in the game so who knows how things will turn out later.  There are proponents for both methods of taming and this seems to be the easiest and safest way to progress at this point.  And if it works?  All the better!

The Bird Room

The bird room is coming along, though right now it's an absolute disaster!  I was finally able to order my cages and stands, though due to unforeseen circumstances I was not able to order from LL Cages for my initial order.  I've spent the last two days putting together cages, rearranging furniture, cleaning, and moving birds all while trying to cause as little stress on my nesting birds as possible.  During the process of moving the birds into their new cages, I was finally able to put together the pairs I've been wanting to put together for a long time.  I have a few birds I'd like to get a DNA confirmation of their sex, and I've got a few birds who are still too young to be breeding.  Those birds are together in larger flight cages, just hanging out.  

Lucy and Ricky

Lucy ended up laying EIGHT EGGS!  As expected not all of them are fertile, but still, eight eggs is a fairly large clutch for a budgie.  I tried taking one of her infertile eggs and fostering it out to Momma Bird to see if she'd brood it, but Lucy turned around and laid another one.  Apparently she thinks she needs eight eggs, no more and certainly no less.  That's something to remember about Lucy.

Lucy and Ricky

It's been 14 days today from the date she laid her very first egg, the one that was infertile.  I expect the rest of her eggs to begin hatching starting in about four days from today.  It'll be fun seeing how many chicks come from that clutch - and if I need to pull and handfeed any of them.

The Finches

The Finches continued laying and eating eggs for several days.  I consulted with my bird mentor who advised me that it was likely due to a calcium deficiency.  So I started supplementing their diet with eggs and powdered egg shells which seems to have stopped the egg-eating behavior.  However two days ago I returned home from a trip to find one of my hens on the bottom of the cage unable to fly.  She was puffed up and when she would try to fly she would get about 10 inches off the ground flapping madly then fall back to the ground. I grabbed her and gave her a good once-over and couldn't find anything obviously wrong with her other than a few small areas where it looks like she'd been plucked. Thinking that a period of observation was in order, I placed her (and her mate) in the heated hospital tank where she's done fine for the last two days.  I'll probably be moving her back into a regular cage today or tomorrow and see how she's doing.  I suppose it's time to separate my little finch couples now, it seems that they're not getting along very well. 

Well, I suppose that's it for now.  I'm sure that there's quite a bit I've forgotten, but it must not have been that important!  

Until nest time, keep on chirpin'!