Breeding season in Australia

[lovemybirds]

Hi Everyone,

I was just wondering how the breeders are going here in Oz?

My female IRN has been preparing the box for a few weeks now & the male has been feeding her and dancing to her as well . 2 days ago I was out on the back verandah, watching the birds (as I do) and I managed to catch them 'rubbing bums' I'm hopeful that my first year at breeding IRN's will be successful. (This pair is a proven pair & have bred twice for the previous owner)

What are your birds up to? Are they showing the signs? Just curious

Cheers!

[Gemstone]

you gonna have eggs soon me thinks

[pinkdevil]

My Ringies are displaying the same way lovemybirds

I have seen 2 "couples" feeding each other and caught one of them "in the act" yesterday.

My handraised girl is ready as well but not with another bird.....with ME!! I have a nice young fella in there with her but she wants no part of him lol. Oh well plenty of time yet.

Plus a few other "couples" have been looking and spending time in the box but no eggs as yet. Maybe just around the corner.

I was told this year will probably be a bit of a later breeding season. Last year was an early one.....well here anyway.

We will have to compare notes and stages when they do eventually have bubs.

[TD]

Mine are sleeping in the nesting log each night. The hen (albino) spends time in there throughout the day, whereas the male (blue) doesn't as much. I assume she is preparing it. Haven't seen them feeding each other yet, but I don't get to see them during daylight hours for 5 days a week, only the weekend as it's dark when I leave for work, and dark when i get home!! In saying that, I am still unsure as to whether the 'male' is actually a male because it's only due to get the visible ring after next moult. So my fingers are crossed!

[Stacy]

Hi there. I got my very first egg this morning. I too am in Brisbane. My other pair are eagar to go down now as well. Have yours laid anything yet.
Stacy.

[lovemybirds]

Oh, how exciting! I don't have any eggs yet, but they are still doing their business.

Keep us up to date with your egg count. I can't wait for my birds to start laying. Hopefully it won't be long now

[pinkdevil]

I have eggs at last!!!! lol
The lutino pair are currently sitting tight on 4 eggs.....have been for almost a week now.

My green pair had 3 eggs last check yesterday.

My other pair have been feeding each other still but no eggs as yet.

Shouldn't be too long lovemybirds. I was told around 2-3 weeks after mating is usually when eggs are laid.

[TD]

My albino hen is very clucky, she is the one doing all the courting, getting down low and making sounds like a chicken towards the blue male.
The male looks at her as if to say “what drugs are you on” then pretty much tells her to bugger off with a sharp peck!
I've only witnessed this once though, as I'm rarely home in daylight hours.
In saying that, they sleep together in the log, and he is always sitting on the perch outside the log keeping an eye on her when she's in there throughout the day while she's working the nest. They definitely like each other.
My only guess is that he’s too young to know what is going on. I think he’s about 2 years old.
Unless they have gotten busy when I have been out, and he’d had enough! Who knows. Typical bloke I guess!
My fingers are crossed though.

[lovemybirds]

I'm being really patient!! I know it shouldn't be too long now.

TD my hen is the same. She has been getting down so low she is almost falling off the perch. The male doesn't always show interest in her, but I know they have been 'at it' He also sits outside of the box while she is in there. Hope your birds have been busy while you haven't been around.

Congrats pinkdevil! Hope your other birds lay for you soon.

[TD]

Thanks lovemybirds. You have restored my faith!! The only reason I noticed the hens behaviour was because I was putting my son's swing set together, and I heard the unusual sounds. The male was fully aware that I was there, so maybe he wanted some privacy! Will see how they go!

Cheers

Tim.

[TD]

OK so she’s layed 3 eggs!! That’s a good start. Is it normal for both of them to be still sleeping in the nest together at night during incubation??
Tim.

[pinkdevil]

Fingers crossed for you soon lovemybirds.

And congrats on your eggs TD
Maybe he did just want a bit of privacy

Oh I want an Albino IRN...you are soooooo lucky TD

Still the same egg count as last posted.
I thought the green hen may have laid at least another one as last year she had 10 all up!!
I guess she is taking it easy this year.
I will only let her have this clutch this season. Give her a rest.

With other pair, the hen has now been going into the box alot and they have been in a "feeding each other" frenzy lol.

I thinkyour turn might just be around the corner lovemybirds. Fingers crossed for you.

[lovemybirds]

You could be right pinkdevil!!! When I was feeding the birds their vegies this afternoon, the female IRN was in the box & stayed there until I went away. She also stayed in there a fair while this morning & throughout the day too. Fingers crossed there will be a surprise waiting when I get around to checking the box.

Congratulations on your eggs Tim! How exciting .... oh, I can't wait to join in the fun

[TD]

Cheers pinkdevil, I guess I was in the right place at the right time to have my albino, she's a fine example as well, credit to her previous owner. Be patient, because you want one so badly you'll get one!! That's how it happened for me!
Sounds like lots of breeding activity at your place as well.

Thanks Lovemybirds, it definitely sounds like she's getting ready to lay. I noticed exactly the same behaviour before she stayed in there full time! Looking forward to your next successful post....

[Razsringnecks]

Hello everyone,
Thought I'd get in on the fun.
I am in Victoria and it is very interesting to hear about the happenings all over Australia. My birds all seem to be doing the right things....still a little early for us down south.....however I had my first 2 chicks hatch today. I am waiting on her other two....in the next few days or so.
Talk soon and all the very best

[pinkdevil]

Congrats on your new hatchlings Razsringneck!

Gotta love this bubbie time of the year.

[Razsringnecks]

Hey Guys....
Just thought I'd give you an up date.
My four babies have hatched and mum and dad are feeding them well. Great to hear for a maiden hen Tomorrow I have the fun chore of starting to ring the first 2......this always makes me alittle nervous but we seem to get it done.

My lacewings have just laid their 2nd egg.....so we will have to see how many she lays. Great
Keep you informed.........

[pinkdevil]

Thanks for the update.

I agree with you on the ringing. I get all nervous as well.

Congrats on your lacewing eggs.

[lovemybirds]

Great to hear your hen is doing a great job at being a mum! This is my first breeding season, so not sure how I'm going to handle ringing them, but I'm sure I will be fine.

As far as I know, I'm still waiting for eggs . We did check after my last post, but there was nothing there yet. The hen is still showing the same signs as before, going into the next box etc. & I caught them mating again yesterday. I also noticed the feathers around her vent are missing ... she has a bald patch a little smaller than a 5c piece. Is this normal??

Hope all your birds & eggs are going well!

[lovemybirds]

This morning I have caught my IRN pair 'at it' twice . I've only been up an hour!! Maybe I'm still a few weeks away from eggs??

[pinkdevil]

well with the risk of sounding like a perv...thats good new to see that lol

Fingers crossed that eggs will soon follow.

My Lutinos had 2 bubs hatch yesterday....only 2 eggs to go

[lovemybirds]

Well, I'm feeling like a real perv now I caught them yet again!!! I even took a video of it it's for my husband (he doesn't believe me that I keep catching them) . Now I have proof

[Fah]

Grats Always fun (sounds so bad) to see it happen the first time, and actually makes you feel all warm and fuzzy every time you see a new / young pair at it heh.

I have several clutches going at the moment, youngest clutch is now 2 weeks of age, eyes all open and active. Cant wait for them to fledge.

[Lauren]

Oh I feel part of the breeder bunch now that Jibs and Lola have eggs! So happy to hear of all the hatchings and mummy and daddy birds 'getting down to business'! Congrads to everyone!!

I havnt checked the nestbox since I counted 2 eggs. I'm sure shes got more in there. I just dont want to disturb her and Jibby is doing a great job defending the nest. Gives me the evil eye if I come to close, he just wants me to put his plate of vegies down and go away!
Lolas doing well and comes out of the nest for a 5 second stretch and a (gigantic) poop once or twice a day.. oh my didnt think of the poops!!! My gosh, theyre ATOMIC! and shes got a habit of flying to me when she comes out for her 'stretch'. Ive had to resort to ducking out of the way when shes flying straight for me, because I'm too scared of being bombed by her atomic poops! She looks so 'ratty' too.
Surprisingly they have still stayed as tame/or even more tame since they we saw our first egg almost 2 weeks ago. As long as I stay clear of the nest, they seem quite happy to have me around. Lola pokes her head up when I say 'good morning/good night Lola.. love you' and Jibby wont leave me alone.
Such an exciting time. I feel like an expecting mother! LOL. We'll see what happens soon!
GOODLUCK and CONGRADS to everyone!

[pinkdevil]

Well, I'm feeling like a real perv now I caught them yet again!!! I even took a video of it it's for my husband (he doesn't believe me that I keep catching them) . Now I have proof

So you are taking rudey movies for your husband?????



That just sounded soooooooooo bad lolololol

I have a young male (aprox 2 yrs) in with a older hen. He is having all sorts of troouble getting "it" right lol

I saw him yesterday doin' his "lurv" dance, then he climbed on her back. I got excited until I saw him enjoying the scenery from a higher point of view! He just sat there lol I guess I should be happy he made it to first base lol

The this afternoon I saw them feeding each other. I said to Shane that he is feeding her, then I corrected myself and said he is probably BEING fed by HER!!!! lol Knowing how inexperienced he is would not surprise me lol

Gee lovemybirds, yours can't be too far off from laying.

Play some romantic music, soft candlelight, and show them the rudey movie you took of them and threaten to do it again if no eggs soon!!!!!!

[Razsringnecks]

lovemybirds.....Sounds like they are doing a great job Now alittle time and then eggs I hope.

Fah.....have all of your birds gone down or are you still waiting on some?

Lauren......Its o.k to let them do their thing....they know what they are doing....we just like to peek sometimes they are best left. I wish I could stay away

pinkdevil......Your Male....at least he is trying....wait another week and I bet he will be doing a great job. I had a cock bird, first he put one foot in the middle of the hens back......I soooooo..... wanted to yell out the window....Climb on.... but after a week or so he was doing a fine job.....

So 4 eggs with my lacewings and the other 4 chicks all doing well.
all the best guys.........

[lovemybirds]

WOO HOO!!!! I have an egg! I just got my husband to check the nest box & he said we have an egg. She must have layed it this morning. I noticed yesterday that she was looking uncomfy, so thought it wouldn't be long.


I'm excited!!

[pinkdevil]

Oh thats great news

I am sooooo happy for you.

Congrats "gran"

Isn't it exciting to finally find what you have been so waiting for, for such a long time.

Hope more eggs for you and they are successful!

[TD]

Congrats lovemybirds! Sounds like it was a long time coming though, with all that mating and 'home movies!'

Maybe they were having so much fun that they forgot about the actual reason why they were mating?

Good luck, looking forward to your updates!

Tim.

[lovemybirds]

Thanks guys

Another check of the box today shows that she has at least 3 eggs. That's all that we could see, as she was still sitting in the box. She has been in there all day today. It looks as though she is doing the right thing.

It seemed to take forever for her to lay eggs, I started to wonder if they were just doing it for fun.

How is everybodys eggs/babies going?

[pinkdevil]

Wow 3 eggs congrats on them

Well busy egg laying here at the moment.

The lutinos had 4 chicks and they are doing well, the greens had 3 hatch and the cinnamon has 4 eggs, while the shy hen has 3 but I think one egg is cracked. And late this afternoon I noticed that my blue hen who has been in the bx for like 3 weeks now has laid and egg, only problem is she laid is while she was sitting on the perch so it is broken on the ground
Not sure why she laid it while on the perch as like I said, for the last few weeks she has been constantly in the box and has even make herself a hollow in the nesting material. I was wondering if she was having a bit of trouble passing the egg and it popped out while she was out.

Will keep an eye on her over the next few days and see how she goes. Not sure what to do if she makes this into a habit.

Anyway, back to your news, hope all goes well and they are a successful hatch.

[Razsringnecks]

Hi all,
I know it seems early....however.....my cock birds have been displaying for some time now.
I am located in Victoria.
One pair have been mating now for the past week or so.
I have not heard of this in Vic.... any ideas?
I do think we are in for an early season........look out.........

[pinkdevil]

My boys have been trying to get fresh with the girls since Christmas time, but no go for them yet. lol

It could be an early season hey.

[Razsringnecks]

Great to hear from you Pinkdevil.....
That was a fast reply.
I did purchase the cock and the hen from up NSW.
Maybe they just think they are back home. Anyway.... I will let you know if I get eggs in the nest. That would be a bonus to get in first before the NSW MOB.......

[lovemybirds]

I've just put my boxes in last weekend. I don't expect anything to happen here too early, but the cocks are definately checking out what's on offer!!!

[pinkdevil]

lol Razsringneck, that's me....quick as

Seems like a bit of competition who gets eggs first might be in order!

Oh, I might be living in NSW for the moment, but my heart will always be in the "Sunshine" state of QLD, my real home.

Lovemybirds, keep us updated on your birdies progress to.


The race is ooooonnnnnnn.......

[lovemybirds]

No pressure is there?

I've had to get new birds this year. One pair that was sold to me last year as a male and female, turns out to be male and male this year. So have had to get 2 hens. And my male from last year went legs up just a few weeks ago. So, I've had to replace him as well.

Fingers crossed they will all get on nicely! They seem to be interested, so we'll see soon enough

[U.S Marine]

Ha ha, two males would be a nice surprise as a house pet.

[lovemybirds]

Well, as it turns out, my house pet is a male too . He started getting his ring. Gotta be happy with that, as the ppl who sold him to us, said they thought it might be a girl.