How long after nest building will eggs be laid?

[LamarshFish]

I opened my loft this morning to find that somebody started building a nest. I provided a bundle of tobacco stems in the loft about a month ago, but they went untouched (as expected, this early on), but this morning I noticed that stems were being assembled into one of the nest bowls. Yes, there are only a handful of stems in there now, but there were NONE last night, so I am impressed at how quickly and industrious they were in this regard. Only a few moments after I noticed the nest construction, I notice two birds that I suspected were becoming a pair in the nest box together.

I just wonder how long after nest building will they mate? How long until eggs? These two birds were born approximately in early April. I know most say 6-9 months before mating, but I have heard from plenty of people that it often happens sooner. Some of my birds occupy v-perches, and some of my birds simply hang in the nest boxes (they each have their own designated "spot")--and these two birds usually occupy the top two v-perches in my loft, not the nest boxes, but here they are, in a nest box with a bowl in the process of becoming a nest. I imagine my other young birds that occupied that nest box simply as their "spot" will be getting into some squabbles with these two lol.

 

[biophiliac]

So exciting!!! They make a lovely couple . Where did you get the tobacco stems? Why do they like tobacco stems so much,.... do they repel mites? Did you see them courting?

 

[LamarshFish]

So exciting!!! They make a lovely couple . Where did you get the tobacco stems? Why do they like tobacco stems so much,.... do they repel mites? Did you see them courting?

I ordered those tobacco stems from Foy's. I want to say they were around $20, but they provide you an entire banker sized box of them, which I imagine will last quite some time.
Yes, you are exactly right, fanciers use tobacco stems as an alternative to straw and/or pine needles because they repel parasites, and I think they are also bacteria and fungi resistant. The stems smell IDENTICAL to Red Man chewing tobacco lol.

When purchased the stems a month or so ago, I fastened two 8" 1"x1" pieces to my loft wall, towards the floor, and fastened a piece of plywood to the top, and stuffed tobacco stems in the cavity created by that construction, so as to act as a nest stem dispenser. The stems sat in the dispenser untouched until today. Apparently these two birds didn't have any trouble figuring out how to use the stem dispenser!

I have not personally noticed any courting. I know what courting looks like, I've seen ferals do it a ton--the cock constantly tries to walk in front of the hen with his neck puffed out and his tail feathers pushed down in a fan shape sort of sweeping the ground. I have not seen this behavior yet, but I have been working almost until midnight every day for the past few weeks, so I haven't had the chance to watch them much.

 

[biophiliac]

Was any of your other birds using that nest box before they moved in? or was it vacant? Did they roost on adjacent v-perches before pairing? If you are working so late, how 'bout installing a 'Nest Cam Outdoor' in the loft so you don't miss any of the action and you and your fiancee can monitor the drama from your I-Phones!

You might even record the mating itself!!!

 

[Hokum Coco]

I know what courting looks like,

In a perfect world (if they are not a gay couple) you can expect eggs 10 days after copulation. Eggs will hatch in 19 - 23 days. Squabs will take flight in 30 days.

 

[LamarshFish]

Was any of your other birds using that nest box before they moved in? or was it vacant? Did they roost on adjacent v-perches before pairing? If you are working so late, how 'bout installing a 'Nest Cam Outdoor' in the loft so you don't miss any of the action and you and your fiancee can monitor the drama from your I-Phones!

Yes, a few of my newer, younger birds were using the nest box simply as a perch or resting place. They all have their spots, and it seems the younger birds first go through a phase of just resting in nest boxes when not in the aviary, and eventually gravitate to desiring an actual perch. I would imagine this has something to do with the familiarity they have with a nest box and bowl (some of them actually seem to enjoy sitting in the nest bowls).

Yes, these two birds (#3 and #6, my only two remaining originals) roosted on v-perches (the very top v-perches) directly adjacent to each other. I believe dominance or some kind of pecking order is sort of expressed in who gets the top perches.

I have thought about buying some kind of wireless camera for my loft. I will be running an extension cord out there in the next few months to prepare for my winter set up (heater for water, heater for some nest bowls in case of reproduction, etc) and at that point I might install a camera just for fun.

My fiance works from home, and goes out to the loft several times a day to look at them and talk to them. She likes talking to them.

 

[LamarshFish]

In a perfect world (if they are not a gay couple) you can expect eggs 10 days after copulation. Eggs will hatch in 19 - 23 days. Squabs will take flight in 30 days.

I am somewhat confident #3 is a hen. I am very confident #6 is a cock. He nonstop coos, and fluffs up his neck feathers. He has a large head. #3 coos rarely, and when she does it is quiet. Her head is smaller and more rounded. She does not puff up her neck feathers.

Of course, this is only speculation, and anything is possible I suppose.

Strangely, since the very beginning, #3 has never really took interest in flying about (although she has a few times). She usually just sits on my lawn and pecks at the grass by herself, and eventually traps back in. However, as of lately, I have noticed #6, who otherwise loves flying around, accompany her and not leaving her side. I didn't realize what was happening before, but now I think I get it!

I will post a pic of #6 in the next post

 

[LamarshFish]

Here is a pic of #6, who I am pretty sure is a cock bird.

 

[biophiliac]

Looks great! I see you have him tamed up also
Peanuts??

 

[BaJa]

that's a cockbird