Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[Anniebee]

Good morning folks

Welcome to the thread cheep82, nice to meet you.

SilkieChickStar I am sorry you had to say goodbye to Jim but pleased that you found somewhere that sounds ideal. He is a beautiful little man.

Anniebee that is great news that the girls seem to be getting along in the ‘neutral zone’

Lots of happenings in the garden over the weekend.

Chucky the Butcher Bird paid a visit yesterday and bought along a black and white friend. Chucky is still that original colour so I am guessing (s)he is a Grey Butcher Bird but then it seems strange that his/her friend is a Pied

Chucky makes me laugh. (S)he is definitely not a vegie eater and when (s)he picks up some meat, if any lettuce is tuck to it, (s)he vigorously shakes it off the meat and/or drops it repeatedly until they separate.

The Magpie-lark pair who raised our visiting Koel last season are still in residence. I am interested to see if they have young of their own this time around or if they end up raising another Koel.

We do not see a great deal of Magpies here but I appear to have also befriended one of those. (S)he visited during the week and very much enjoyed the couple of meal worms I tossed [Dusty was not watching

lol] and came back on Sunday to have some more meal worms and cooked mince. I am hoping to teach it to eat off the outdoor table as it is tricky tossing it food while ensuring that the girls are not watching. Five bantams bearing down on what looks like a youngish Magpie is probably quite intimidating

We have 4 large goldfish in the lower pond; 1 black, 1 gold and 2 x Shubunkins. One of the Shubunkins is female and the remainder are male. I know this because at spawning time, the other three push the female around the pond. I recognise the female because she has a large area of red on her head. Hubby had an eye roll moment when I was explaining that the boys like redheads

Anyways, as per goldfish breeding cycles, they started in on her at sun up yesterday and did not quit until just after lunch. Lots of pushing and splashing and excitement which prompted a “Gees guys, give the poor girl a break” from me

I do not have a spawning mop or the like but live in hope that one day, may be just one of the eggs/fry does not get eaten.

On the chicken front, not much news of note, they appeared to have a wonderful weekend in the garden, as did I

Chucky sure is fascinating - and am wondering if s/he has picked up with a 'mate' for breeding purposes - now or a bit later ? You will know as time goes by I guess. Did read ( I googled - again !! ) .... that some of the same species can have slightly different markings on them, which gives rise to some questions by observers.

I gather the cooked mince was for the girls ? .... currawongs, magpies, butcherbirds will eat mince raw, very happily. My dear Bungwing used to toddle over to the car when I came home from shopping, and peer into the shopping bags to see what he could find, when I put them on the ground. If I had fresh mince there, I'd keep the bag in the car, while I dug some out for him - or he'd have helped himself to it - plastic wrap covering and all. Bung was a white backed magpie which most are, here and in Tasmania - but north of the Murray River however, most all magpies are black-backed.. The whitebacked male magpies' plumage is magnificent in breeding season - shiny blue black with the purest of clean white all over the back. ... The females don't change much, and are easily identified as they have white backs, but look like they have rolled on their backs in grey ash. So their backs are a spattered with grey, white.

Don't think I have posted Bungwing before - but here he is :



It's been some years now, but I still miss him so very much. 25 years is a long time to have a wild bird friend.

Cheers, ...

 

[Teila]

Howdy folks

Hey cheep82 how is Rainbow Dash today? I hope she is not continuing to give you cause for concern and is back to her usual self.

Congratulations on the cheeping incubator sjturner79 .. wonderful news and I look forward to the pictures!

Anniebee yeah, Chucky is definitely fascinating. [PS. I am just going to use 'he' as all this trying to be gender nonspecific is a hassle

] He visited yesterday but was alone. He does have me scratching my head. Because his colouring has not changed, I am no longer thinking juvenile and strongly leaning towards Grey Butcher Bird but not sure if his little friend would be a mate because it is Pied. I have no idea if they would mate and Google was not really able to help me.

I will just watch and observe … maybe the Pied is Chucky’s body guard he hired to protect him from the crazy lady who does not stop watching him and talking to him

I was sweeping the path yesterday and looked down to see Chucky only a foot or so away from me, helping himself to dinner and with the girls also not very far away either. They seem to have accepted him and do not chase him off as often as they used to. He also seems quite comfortable with them and me; the fact that I was sweeping right next to him did not seem to bother him one bit.

Yeah, the cooked mince was for the girls, leftovers from hamburgers.

Bungwing was beautiful and I can only hope to continue the friendship I have with some of the wild birds for as long as yours with him. I loved that he would rummage through your shopping .. ‘whatya get me? whatya get me?’ lol.

 

[sjturner79]

Howdy folks 

Hey cheep82 how is Rainbow Dash today?  I hope she is not continuing to give you cause for concern and is back to her usual self.

Congratulations on the cheeping incubator sjturner79 .. wonderful news and I look forward to the pictures!

Anniebee yeah, Chucky is definitely fascinating.  [PS. I am just going to use 'he' as all this trying to be gender nonspecific is a hassle ] He visited yesterday but was alone.  He does have me scratching my head.  Because his colouring has not changed, I am no longer thinking juvenile and strongly leaning towards Grey Butcher Bird but not sure if his little friend would be a mate because it is Pied.  I have no idea if they would mate and Google was not really able to help me.

I will just watch and observe … maybe the Pied is Chucky’s body guard he hired to protect him from the crazy lady who does not stop watching him and talking to him   

I was sweeping the path yesterday and looked down to see Chucky only a foot or so away from me, helping himself to dinner and with the girls also not very far away either.  They seem to have accepted him and do not chase him off as often as they used to.  He also seems quite comfortable with them and me; the fact that I was sweeping right next to him did not seem to bother him one bit.

Yeah, the cooked mince was for the girls, leftovers from hamburgers. 

Bungwing was beautiful and I can only hope to continue the friendship I have with some of the wild birds for as long as yours with him.  I loved that he would rummage through your shopping .. ‘whatya get me? whatya get me?’ lol.

Pics will come once they are out of the bator. About half are pipped now, so someone should zip by tonight.

 

[cheep82]

Look forward to the baby chick photos.

Yeah Rainbow is back to normal. She laid a soft shell yesterday so I'm guessing that was her problem. I saw her sitting on it and then she decided to stand on it, it popped and she ate it. She's on calcium supps with vit D but she lays one every now and then. She's been a grumpy cow today and tried to charge me so I'm guessing she's making up for yesterday. She backs down pretty quick when I don't move

 

[Fizzybelle]

Laying the soft shelled eggs can make them feel a bit off colour I've noticed, my Annabelle was that way a few days ago. How does laying such eggs make them feel a bit sick?

 

[Teila]

Laying the soft shelled eggs can make them feel a bit off colour I've noticed, my Annabelle was that way a few days ago. How does laying such eggs make them feel a bit sick?

My guess would be that because the egg is soft shelled the muscles have nothing to grip onto and push, it just gives under the pressure. This means that they have to exert more energy and also feel very uncomfortable until they can get it out. All that effort can probably make them feel off colour for a while.

 

[sjturner79]

First 5 bubbies drying off in the brooder.
Another 10 are open and will be out sometime tonight. 10 eggs to go, but at least some of those are chirping so the might all be open by morning.

 

[Anniebee]

Pics will come once they are out of the bator. About half are pipped now, so someone should zip by tonight.

stjurner79 - - - I always read with fascination - the efforts put into incubation of fertile eggs. The turnings (?) ... the lock-down. And the great anticipation as to what will emerge - and when.

So wish I could join in this endeavour, but have absolutely no room whatsoever to raise young chicks, or accommodate them later. ... As for how many roos' one might get - that would have me sleepless at night.

Which brings me to ask - can roos' be castrated in some way - chemically or otherwise ? ..... If one wanted beautiful pets only - ( the roos I presume would keep their unique plumage ) - they would cost no more - and probably way less, than keeping dogs and cats as pets. And they would be more docile, therefore trainable as cuddly pets ?

Anyone with any ideas on that ? ..... Just askin' ( for the moment ).

Cheers ..........

 

[Fancychooklady]

stjurner79   -  - -  I always read with fascination - the efforts put into incubation of fertile eggs.   The turnings (?) ... the lock-down.   And the great anticipation as to what will emerge. 

So wish I could join in this endeavour, but have absolutely no room whatsoever to raise young chicks, or accommodate them later.   ... As for how many roos' one might get - that would have me sleepless at night.  

Which brings me to ask - can roos' be castrated in some way - chemically or otherwise ? ..... If one wanted beautiful pets only - ( the roos I presume would keep their unique plumage ) - they would cost no more - and probably way less, than keeping dogs and cats as pets.   And they would be more docile, therefore trainable as cuddly pets ? 

Anyone with any ideas on that ?   ..... Just askin'  ( for the moment ). 

Cheers .......... 

Hi Annie, there is a procedure called ' caponizing ' . Not something for the light hearted .

 

[Anniebee]

Howdy folks

Hey cheep82 how is Rainbow Dash today? I hope she is not continuing to give you cause for concern and is back to her usual self.

Congratulations on the cheeping incubator sjturner79 .. wonderful news and I look forward to the pictures!

Anniebee yeah, Chucky is definitely fascinating. [PS. I am just going to use 'he' as all this trying to be gender nonspecific is a hassle

] He visited yesterday but was alone. He does have me scratching my head. Because his colouring has not changed, I am no longer thinking juvenile and strongly leaning towards Grey Butcher Bird but not sure if his little friend would be a mate because it is Pied. I have no idea if they would mate and Google was not really able to help me.

I will just watch and observe … maybe the Pied is Chucky’s body guard he hired to protect him from the crazy lady who does not stop watching him and talking to him

I was sweeping the path yesterday and looked down to see Chucky only a foot or so away from me, helping himself to dinner and with the girls also not very far away either. They seem to have accepted him and do not chase him off as often as they used to. He also seems quite comfortable with them and me; the fact that I was sweeping right next to him did not seem to bother him one bit.

Yeah, the cooked mince was for the girls, leftovers from hamburgers.

Bungwing was beautiful and I can only hope to continue the friendship I have with some of the wild birds for as long as yours with him. I loved that he would rummage through your shopping .. ‘whatya get me? whatya get me?’ lol.

Thanks so much Teila .... for your lovely comments about Bung - and I rather suspect you will have a long friendship with Chucky - who ( I agree ) has to be gender specific for future commentary here. So Chucky is a 'he' !!

Have had a thought, that Chucky is 'adopting' his other new found friends - your hens. ( or they are adopting him whole-heartedly ). Birds will imprint on anything - human, other birds and animals - if left bereft at an early age. But - they have their natural urges too. They have remarkable memories I have found. He is certainly very comfortable with you - to trust you with a broom in your garden.

Hope you have many more stories about Chucky in the future - would love to hear them. From googling - my guess is Grey Butcherbird too. Is he still singing by the way ... birds change their tunes when in 'mating mode'.

Cheers .........