Cleaning Nest Boxes and Bourke Parakeet Egg Laying Habits

For her first clutch this year, Fuchsia laid five eggs. The first two didn't appear to be fertile. She hatched three. Those three are now out of the next box, but not yet weaned.

 

Flame has taken over their feeding and Fuchsia went back into the box and started laying a second clutch. The box needed cleaning, so I removed her three eggs today and emptied out all the pine shavings and replaced them.

 

She hesitated about going back inside, standing outside the entrance and looking in. It was different in there. I wonder if I should have left well enough alone. Only time will tell. However, as you can see from the photo she did return and is covering her eggs again.



Fuchsia's nest box cleaned and ready for her 2nd clutch.
Fresh pine shavings in the bottom. She's covering 3 eggs.

I noticed when I picked up the eggs that I could feel one of them "pecking" against the shell already. Amazing. She usually lays five eggs, so will probably lay two more. At least the box is clean and sweet smelling again.

 

Since they are in the house, I like to clean the boxes between clutches. However, I noticed she had turned the shavings over and done a fair job of making it nice herself. But, there was stuck food on the sides that had started to mold, so it is better to have it clean, I think. Hopefully, the eggs didn't get cold. I cleaned very fast and they were warm when they went back, but her hesitation to immediately return is bothersome.

 

Being tame I expected her to recognize the cleaning routine from previous years and go right back. If all the eggs don't hatch, that will tell me I did the wrong thing. It's been okay in the past, but usually I was able to clean sooner. This year she was in a hurry to begin her next clutch.  ;-)

 

Rosie laid and hatched four eggs with her first clutch of the year. The three oldest babies left the nest, but little one in the photo below remains. Notice how dirty the box has become. I wanted to clean it today when I cleaned Fuchsia's. But, with a baby still in the nest, I'll wait until he leaves. Hopefully, I'll get a chance to clean it before Rosie begins laying more eggs! She and Pretty Boy have been mating and I feared she'd have eggs too, but there are none as of today.

 

Bourke hen in back is Rosie. Her last of four babies
is still in the nest. He's in front. The nest box has
gotten pretty dirty. Hope to clean it and add new
 pine shavings as soon as this baby joins
his siblings outside the nest box.

 

Cherry's two babies are still in the nest box. They hatched later than Fuchsia's or Rosie's. Cherry laid four eggs and hatched all four. However, the first two had red eyes and both died within a few days.

 

Many of the red-eyed babies don't seem to be as healthy as those with dark eyes. Yet, those that do survive must have a different set of genetics than their less lucky siblings. Out of the same pair, Cherry and Rhett, I have a red-eyed male from 2011 that is large, strong and gorgeous. His photo is below.

 

My "Sweetheart" Rosy Bourke.
He is an opaline fallow with red eyes.
 

As an FYI: My Splendid (Scarlet-chested) parakeets have always waited a while between clutches. Not so, the Bourkes who go right back and begin again ... often even before the previous clutch is completely weaned.

 

Peace and Blessings.

 

 

 

Lineolated Parakeet in Cobalt Blue, Our Newest Bird

Acquired Sunday, a cobalt blue Lineolated parakeet.
Call me "Mr. Blue." Looking for a yellow hen.

I decided to try Lineolated Parakeets and this pretty boy is my first. A lovely cobalt blue.

Unfortunately, before he came to us he lived in a room with Lovebirds. And, since Linnies are great mimics, he can sound like them. Typically Linnie's aren't supposed to be loud, but sadly he sometimes yells like a Lovebird.

My preference for indoor birds is that they be quiet — my hearing is very good and anything loud is difficult to endure. My favorite birds are still Bourke parakeets.

I hope "Mr. Blue," as we call him, will begin to mimic the Bourkes and Lady Gouldians and forget about the Lovebirds — now many miles away. He tries to talk and seems to say, "pretty bird," and he can wolf whistle. His greatest achievement however is mimicking our new puppy!

If I hear the puppy cry (he's still a baby), I go running to check on him. More often than not it's the Linnie. He can sound exactly like our new little puppy.

The author of the article reproduced below on Lineolated Parakeets is posted with the author's permission. A lifelong bird breeder extraordinaire, he is now retired and prefers to avoid any more publicity that might lead to more contacts. I'm so grateful he's been willing to impart some of his wisdom to me over past years.

*****

 

Originally published in the 2000 Convention Proceedings of the American Federation of Aviculture.

 “Of the various smaller parrots and parakeets that I've been privileged to keep and breed over the last 56 years, the charming little Barred, or as it is more commonly referred to in the U.S, the Lineolated Parakeet has become one of my favorites. The name Barred Parakeet was apparently given due to the fact that there is a distinct black barring on the feathers of all colors except the lutino and cream albino mutations.

 

My first experience with the species was in 1957, when I was able to purchase 4 birds from a dealer in South California. I was told at the time that they had been captive bred. I later learned that these were probably contraband birds, and were almost certainly l. lineola from Mexico. These 4 birds eventually died, without reproducing.

I did not personally encounter the species again until 1992, when I was able to acquire some domestic-bred stock from Europe, through a broker in California, of the l. tigrinus subspecies. These birds have proven quite easy to breed, and have been very prolific. The have the wonderful characteristics of being both quiet and steady pets, while readily learning to mimic human speech, and whistle tunes. We have had several start to whistle tunes before they were completely weaned from hand-feeding!

BREEDING

Even though some people believe this species to be visually dimorphic, in that there is supposed to be more black present in the central tail feathers of the male bird, I have not found this method of sexing to be always reliable. When I first started working with this species, I "lost" an entire season with 2 pairs, due to improper pairing by the visual guidelines given. I now always DNA sex them to be certain. I would certainly recommend that others do the same. With the modern technology available to us today, there is no longer any reason, or excuse, to guess about the sex of any bird!

The Lineolated is a very peaceful bird, both with its own kind and other non-aggressive species. I have been told that in European aviaries, it is not uncommon to view them in a mixed environment containing finches, canaries, and neophema grass parakeets.

 

A Lineolated playing with a baby Amazon parrot.

Although I have never personally tried it, I know of at least one Aviculturist here in the U.S. that has had good results breeding the Lineolated in a colony setting. As with other species, it would be advisable to supply at least 3 boxes for every 2 pairs of birds, when breeding in a colony. These little birds do not seem particularly "fussy" about their nest boxes, and I know of people who breed them in standard Budgie nests. Since I have been fortunate enough to see pictures of European breeding facilities, we have chosen the horizontal style nest box that is sometimes used for Budgies, but is more often favored by many breeders of Parrotlets. This is the style that seems to be preferred by the more successful breeders in Europe.

For breeding cages, we have found 14" x 14" x 36" long to be quite ample and comfortable for this species. The nest is positioned at one end, on the outside of the cage, to facilitate easy inspection. As is the custom with us, for all species bred in cages, the birds are separated by sex and allowed to live and exercise in larger flights during the "off" season.

Even though we have never experienced problems with this species accepting mates that are chosen for them, it seems reasonable to assume that breeding results could be further enhanced by allowing them to choose their own partners. This, of course, is often not possible when working with color mutations, and smaller groups of birds. There are, many times, simply not enough unrelated birds available to a smaller breeder to make natural selection a viable option. I do firmly believe, however, that with any species natural selection, if it can be allowed, will result in increased positive breeding results.

This species has the fascinating habit, when nesting, of using coconut or palm fiber to make their nests more private, and presumably more comfortable to occupy. They seem to like a very thin layer of pine shavings in the bottom of the box for starters. Since the boxes already have a concave in the bottom, I only add about ½" of shavings. I have had people tell me that they have problems with their birds burying eggs. We have never experienced this problem. I can only guess that they are putting too many shavings in the box. Also, it is possible that they are simply disturbing the birds too much! If they are given additional materials, in the form of coconut or palm fibers to work with, they will create a dome of sorts over the actual nest cavity where the eggs are deposited. Some pairs save enough to place in front of the entrance when they are inside, rather like closing the door behind them! I feel that this habit further demonstrates their need and desire for privacy, and reinforces my theory that nest inspections should be kept to a minimum.

With regards to nest inspection, the protocol we observe with the Lineolateds is the same as with all species. Nests are checked once each week, usually on the same day, until the first egg or eggs are observed. The records are then noted, and further inspection is delayed until after the eggs should have started hatching. I believe the incubation period to be 18 to 21 days, depending on how soon incubation actually starts after the first egg is produced. Some hens seem to "set tight" immediately, while others will wait until 2 or 3 eggs are in the nest. Over the years, I have found these variables to be true with several species. It is a bit difficult to be precise, since I do not believe these birds should be disturbed daily for unnecessary nest inspections.

MUTATIONS

Thanks to the skillful handling of these little charmers in European breeding programs, there are now several lovely color mutations available.

Currently, we are working with lutino, cream albino, cobalt, sky blue, mauve or slate, and cinnamon.

 

Dark green and green Lineolated parakeets.

 

Young green and cinnamon Lineolated parakeets.

I have seen photos of some very nice pied birds in the past, but have been informed that this may be due to age and dietary inconsistencies, and are not to be considered true mutations at this point in time. The pictures I've seen were all of green pied birds. I can only imagine how lovely a nice blue, or mauve pied might be! In this species, as with most species, the lutino and cream albino mutations are sex-linked, and the blues are recessive. The mauve or slate is dominant.

PET QUALITIES

Since they are comparable in size to Lovebirds, the Lineolateds are perfect candidates for pets in a small home or apartment. They are absolutely ideal for that situation where space is restricted, and excess noise is a problem. They are in fact, in my opinion, much more desirable for a pet than a Lovebird. It can honestly be said that they have even more attributes, and virtually none of the drawbacks of the Lovebird family. They have soft voices, which they readily use to mimic human speech and whistle. It has also been our experience that they have far fewer tendencies to nip or bite than the average Lovebird, upon reaching the age of sexual maturity.

WE HAVE FOUND THEM TO BE CONSISTENTLY CHARMING AND AFFECTIONATE PETS! When removed from the parents for hand feeding at 2-3 weeks of age, they grow into enchanting pets that seem never to be offensively noisy and loud. They learn to "speak" readily, with incredible clarity, and learn to whistle tunes with very little coaching! One little girl I've kept as a personal pet, mimics the beeping of the microwave so convincingly I've often asked my assistant what is in the oven?!

Blue and cobalt Lineolated parakeets.

 

DIET

These wonderful little birds are relatively easy to care for with regards to diet. Since I am a firm and passionate believer in a varied diet for all birds, I perhaps make it a bit more difficult than is actually necessary! The "Linnies" in our aviaries are provided with a good small seed mix of canary, millet, niger, buckwheat, hemp and paddy rice. To this seed mix is added a small pelleted food, making the total seed content of the mix about 60% and pellets or crumbles about 40%. We use pellets or crumbles that are of the size intended for consumption by Cockatiels and smaller hookbills. There are many brands to choose from that I have found to be quite similar in nutritional content. Cuttlebone and a good mineralized grit mixture containing oyster shells is always provided.

A germinated mix, consisting of black oil sunflower, safflower, red wheat, whole oats, (NOT GROATS) paddy rice, sometimes simply called un-hulled rice, and buckwheat is also given daily. Chopped apples and thawed frozen peas are added to the germinated mix each day, and broccoli florets seem to also be appreciated in small quantities. We adjust the portions of each food offered according to the variable demands of each pair of breeding birds. When a pair of birds of any species is feeding young, we observe closely to determine their dietary preferences, and feed each pair accordingly. Upon close observation, it will usually be obvious that their preferences change as the youngsters grow and progress. During the breeding season, the germinated portions are increased, and the dry portions are reduced.

As per information obtained from European breeders, a good egg food mix is given daily during the breeding season. I also like to provide a small dish of Petamine in each breeding cage. The egg food recommended by the European breeders is CeDe, with fresh hard-boiled egg added and mixed well. To this mix grated carrots are also added daily when young are being fed. It will be found that some pairs will also consume extra peas when feeding a nest of hungry offspring.

It is my sincere hope that these above guidelines will aid you in the enjoyment and captive management of one of nature's most charming and delightful creatures!”

 

I hope you enjoyed this article as much as I did and I look forward to future posts about Linnies.

Peace and Blessings!

 

 



New Pet in the House, A Puppy Not Much Bigger Than a Bourke

In the past I've written about cats and dogs getting along in households with birds. I've also written about losing our wonderful old Lab/Malamute mix, Chinook, that we got as a 7-week-old puppy in 1999.

Well, three months later we have a new dog. Although people keep telling me he more or less resembles a rabbit.

Considering "Sasha" as a name for him.

On Friday, May 3, we picked up another 7-week-old puppy. Meet our Peke-a-Tzu. Dad's a Pekingese and Mom's a Shih-Tzu. And, please pronounce it "sheed-zoo." People are even spelling it incorrectly these days, as well as pronouncing the name like a naughty four-letter word. Wrong.

When he's full grown he will be about the size of our Chinook when he was seven weeks old. We thought maybe a small dog would be easier for us to handle since we're older now than we were 14 years ago with Chinook as a puppy ... not as much energy and balance as when we were younger.

We didn't expect to get such a peanut, but he is fun and has brought smiles and laughter back into our home.

Now, to teach him to be safe around the birds. Chinook was 100% reliable. Will this one be? Hope so, but he has a lot of love and training ahead of him.

Peace and Blessings.

 

 

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Peace and Blessings.

What to Feed Bourke Parakeets, A Question

 

Very young Rosy Bourke learning to eat. She is on a dish
 of nestling food. Spray millet and budgie seed behind her.

Question:

Dear Bourke Birds,

 

Our family recently purchased two Rosey Bourkes, one three months and the other seven months old.  

 

These two young Bourkes are hand fed, but also have easy to
eat food available for them. Nestling food, spray millet and
the typical Budgie mix. All available as they're being weaned.

We were sold two seed mixtures: Goldenfeast Australian Blend and ABBA 1600 parakeet seed; would you recommend any other brand(s) as preferable to these?

 

We read on another website that the Bourkes enjoy some cooked quinoa and brown rice?  I have both organic quinoa and organic basmati brown rice and could sprinkle some cooked in with the fresh vegetables.  Do you recommend it?  If so, about how much and how often?

 

For the boiled egg food that you mention on your website that contains the ground eggshell, should this be offered daily throughout the year, along with the vegetables?

 

Can organic carrot be grated raw or should it always be cooked? 

 

If possible, thank you so very much for your reply anytime that this may be convenient.

 

Gratefully, Catherine, New Jersey

----------------------------------------------

 

Rosie's four babies on April 28, 2013.

Answer:

I don't recognize the two seed brands you list. Check their ingredients and whether they are enhanced with vitamins. I have no reason to recommend the brand I use, but it seems fine. I buy Hagen budgie seed and get it online from PetSolutions. I usually order two 25 lb. bags at a time and store it in an airtight container. There are many brands and most are fine. They should be fresh and not stored on a discount store's shelves for months at a time, so I'd avoid grocery store boxes of Hartz Mountain seed. Hagen seed is vacuum sealed and drop shipped from the plant so that it will stay fresh. 

 

I've never given my birds quinoa or brown rice, although it should be okay occasionally. The thing to avoid is giving them too much starchy grains which will make them fat (corn, rice, etc.). Green vegetables are best. Fresh Kale (we chop ours), or pieces of fresh broccoli are both good. Avoid spinach...not good for birds. I like to give them mixed vegetables that we boil first (add no salt). That way they get peas, carrots and corn. Our birds LOVE cooked corn. But, it is high in starch, so it needs to be limited.

 

They would be happy to have vegies every day, but mine get them several times a week, but not daily. The most important time to make sure they have these additions is if they are breeding. Parent birds need extra energy, so that's a good time to add small amounts of corn and/or brown rice. Carrots can be cooked or shredded fresh. Although my birds aren't very fond of fresh carrots, they prefer them in the vegie mix when they're cooked and softer.

Cherry with her 3 babies on April 28, 2013.

In the winter, my birds get fewer vegies and extras. But, I'm careful to be sure they get more in the spring and summer when they are about to breed and are raising clutches of babies.

 

So, everything you asked is okay to give. But, give it sparingly if it's high in starch. A few years ago I was giving my birds safflower seeds because they loved them so much. I no longer do that. I lost a 3-year-old hen due to obesity. Had no idea that was a problem, as a an overweight Bourke doesn’t appear fat. However, an avian vet did an autopsy on her and told me that was the cause of her death.  

 

After that I quit giving safflower and reduced the amount of corn they get. Although it's okay for parents feeding babies because they need extra fat.

 

Seeds are fattening too, but necessary. Always have budgie/parakeet seed available for them. Don't ever let them run out. Everything else is secondary. Fresh vegies are very good, especially for pairs you intend to breed. Whether you breed or not, make sure they have cuttlebone and a mineral block. Wise to also add oyster shell and a rabbit mineral salt block (reddish brown in color. It has iodine in it). They will use as much of it as they need.

Fuchsia with her 3 babies on April 28, 2013.

 

You can offer fresh fruit if you wish, but mine never touch it. Bourkes seem to prefer vegetables and don't relate to fruit. At least none of mine do.

 

About the egg food. I offer it to breeding birds in the spring and summer. I don't bother with it in the winter. You can offer it to others, but it's not necessary to do so daily unless your hen is laying. Then it's good, but not a requirement if she's using her cuttlebone. We give it daily during breeding season only.

Splendids eat on the ground and like to scatter their seed.
Lining the cage with newspaper keeps more available to them.
They also enjoy finch seed, maybe more than Budgie mixes.

We have a lonely bachelor Bourke in a cage on my kitchen table so he'll get more attention since he is by himself. He's very tame, and at breakfast I've been giving him a corn flake, or a bit of bagel or toast, depending on what I'm eating. He has started begging whenever we sit at the kitchen table. I'm careful to only let him sample what I know won't hurt him ... like a piece of lettuce, particle of bread, or a vegetable or two. He has plenty of good food in his cage, but he likes the personal attention.

Thanks for asking.

 

Peace and Blessings.

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Preparing EGG FOOD for Breeding Birds

 

Flame and Fuchsia's 3 well-fed youngsters. Photo taken today,
April 24, 2013. Babies growing strong with added egg food.



Egg Food is inexpensive, nutritious and easy to make. My birds love it and I feed it to them throughout the breeding season. The American Egg Board tells us that eggs contain many essential vitamins and minerals along with high quality protein. They are one of the few foods naturally rich in vitamin D, which plays a role in calcium absorption and formation of strong bones. So it’s good for Mama and her babies. In case you’ve never made Egg Food before, we’ve created a detailed step-by-step pictorial for you to follow. Remember, this is a supplemental food and should not be fed exclusively! If given in the morning, remove it in the evening, or sooner if the weather is very hot. Keep it fresh, and always have parakeet seed available, as well.

 

Before We Begin…

The first problem you’ll encounter when feeding hard-boiled eggs to small birds is getting it into a form that they can eat. Most of them don't pick up chunks of food. So your first task, after you’ve boiled your eggs is to convert them into a fine enough form that your birds will eat them.

We’ll accomplish this by mashing the cooked eggs and combining them with dry bread crumbs. When mashed, the yolks tend to become gummy and the dry bread provides texture. The laying and rearing process takes a lot out of the mother bird. Don’t be surprised if they begin to appear noticeably thinner. Bread flours are typically enriched, so the crumbs you mix in provide nutritional benefit as well as calories for energy. Be sure to save the shells when peeling your eggs; they are an important source of calcium.
 

You may be tempted to use a blender or food processor to make your Egg Food. I try to make mine in small batches so that it remains fresh and I’ve found the quantities involved to be too small for the blender to process efficiently. I also use a small coffee grinder to reduce the egg shells to a floury consistency. It’s probably not necessary, but it disperses in the mix easily that way. Be sure to dry the shells in the microwave or oven before grinding them.

With that out of the way, let’s make some Egg Food…



1. Gather Everything You'll Need

Egg Food is definitely a Lo-Tech project. All you need is a bowl; some fine, dry bread crumbs; your eggs, a fork, a potato masher, and a way to grind the shell. Instead of using a grinder, you could also put the dry shells in a plastic bag and go over them with a rolling pin.



2. Peel Your Eggs and Save the Shells

3. Coarsely Mash the Eggs

4. Use a Fork for Finer Texture

Keep working the tines of the fork through the mixture to break up the larger pieces of egg white and combine it with the yolk.



5. Oven-Dried Shells Ready for Grinding



6. Add the Shell and Blend

Spoon the powdered egg shells over the top of your pulverized eggs and use the fork to disperse it throughout. It is much easier to do this while the egg mixture is still a little gummy. The addition of dry shells will help give the mix a better texture.



7. Add Dry Bread Crumbs to the Mix 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You'll find recipes for Egg Food that give specific quantities of crumbs to eggs. I prefer to add a little at a time and test always following the cook's motto that it's easy to put it in, but hard to take it out. As a rule of thumb, I add about as much bread crumbs as eggs. You'll notice that I use a commercial product. You can, of course, make them yourself from bread crusts and loaves going stale. However, it's more work and saves very little money.
 

Store your Egg Food in an air-tight bowl in the refrigerator to keep it fresh. As I said earlier, I try not to make too much at a time so my birds always have a fresh supply. 





Close-Up of the Final Texture

The Result -  Happy and Healthy Birds. This is Rhett.

Rosie and Pretty Boy's four offspring. Also benefiting
from added egg food. Photo taken today, 4/24/2013.

Rhett and Cherry's three babies. Photo taken today, 4/24/2013.
Baby on top has pink eyes. Others have dark eyes.

 Peace and Blessings.

 

 

Raising Bourke Parakeets, a Question on Eggs



QUESTION:

I have been looking through your blog but can't find info about when a bird lays too many eggs and I don't want to breed her. It's too soon after the first clutch when she went right back to laying. I removed some of them but now that she keeps going I just keep them in the cage. I wanted her to take a break, I don't believe in over-breeding. So I left the eggs on the bottom of the cage thinking she'd realize no nest, no eggs. Well she sits on them a lot now. I don't even know if they are fertile but I doubt anything would hatch because they've been rolling around on the floor of the cage. My question is, what should I do? There are four eggs (three previous ones had been removed). Should I just put up a nest box and put the eggs inside? Thank for your help! I have been feeding her cuttle bone, eggs with shells and marine sand for calcium. -- Melissa

p.s. the two babies from the first clutch are doing great! They are 4 months old and have their own cage now.

Both are Rosy Bourkes, but notice the color difference.
Some would call the lighter one a "pink" Bourke.

 ANSWER:

Hello Melissa,

 

Yes, I'd give her the nest box back.

 

 

Bourkes typically go right back and have a second clutch and often a third. There is no rest period in between like with some birds. They have all their clutches one right after the other.

 

It's normal for Bourke hens to lay more eggs when you take the others away. That is more physical stress to a hen than being able to sit on the clutch.

 

Young birds may even want a fourth clutch, but that's too many (although Fuchsia did get away with a 4th clutch one year and it didn't hurt her any). However, two clutches is the minimum, not one. Your poor little hen is doing such a good job. I feel sorry for her trying to sit on eggs on the floor.

 

With my oldest hen, I only allowed her two clutches last year and she was willing to quit when the nest box came down. However, with a young healthy hen, three clutches is fine.

 

People who raise canaries will sometimes replace eggs with plastic ones to let them brood so they won't lay more eggs. I suppose that could be done with any bird. However, Rosy Bourkes seem to be in demand just about everywhere, so you shouldn't have a problem finding homes for any youngsters you don't want to keep.

 

If you are adamant you don't want your hen to breed again, you'd need to remove the male in the spring and summer. However, single hens will sometimes lay anyway. The eggs simply aren't fertile.

 

Restricting light helps too. Long days promote the urge to breed, so artificial lights in the house after dark stimulates breeding desires too. When days are short, you can move her to a dark room. Or, in the early evening of summer days try light darkening drapes over all windows in their room to shut out light (but not all day long!).

 

Good luck. She sounds like a sweet bird who is a very good mama. I'd let her have three clutches a year, one right after the other. If she's getting plenty of calcium she should be okay.

------------------------

Update on my own Rosy Bourkes

 as of today...

 

Cherry, my oldest bird, was the last to lay her four eggs.

Fuchsia is my most prolific. She laid five eggs.
Her first egg hatched yesterday, so second will probably
hatch tomorrow as Bourkes usually hatch every other day.

Rosie's first egg hatched today. Notice the piece of shell?

 

Peace and Blessings.

 

 

 
 

Bourke Parakeets on Eggs

Fuchsia is on three eggs so far...



Fuchsia's box opens on top. Lid is hinged to open to the right.

 

Fuchsia asks, "Who's peeking in at me?"

 

Rosie, below, is also covering three eggs as of today with more to come.

Rosie's box has a sliding door in front. She's chosen a spot off
to one corner of the box. Her entrance opening is at the
upper left corner, unfortunately not shown in this photo.

 

It helps to have tame hens. They don't get frightened when I take pictures of them. However, even Bourkes that haven't been hand fed will typically remain in their nest when you peek in at them. Most Bourke mothers are reliable and will stay with their nest. Cherry is one of those. However, she and her mate, Rhett, are getting up in years and I wonder if they will reproduce again this year. Cherry has been in her box, but no eggs yet.

 

Our outdoor wild bird feeders. Aren't the daffodils lovely?
This year the feeders are popular with chipmunks and
deer...even more so than with migrating birds. Smile.

 

Peace and Blessings.

 

 

 

Mating Rosy Bourke Parakeets, a Video

This is Flame and Fuchsia, our highly successful breeding pair of Rosy Bourke parakeets. It's their third season together and they've raised many young birds. They're good parents and very fond of each other.

I took the video. My husband did the editing and added the music. It's also on YouTube.

Peace and Blessings.

Installing Parakeet Nest Boxes

Three nest boxes went up on Sunday. Before that, however, the cages came down and were thoroughly cleaned, including laundering the skirts, and cleaning nearby windows, walls and counter. Smile. Boxes are also clean and have new pine shavings inside.



Removing Duct tape that covered the hole after a nest box
came down last year.  Clean and ready, they're going back up.

Husband preparing nest box opening as Rosie watches eagerly.
 

The side of a cardboard box between cages keeps males from strutting and warning one another away instead of focusing on their mates. I leave it off except when they're preparing to mate or raise young.

Clyde sitting outside his nest box while Rosie is inside, just four days after the boxes went up.
I expect that she will be the first to lay and hatch eggs.

Rosie in a box with a sliding door on the side.
She's rearranging the pine shavings to her liking.

Fuchsia has been quickly in and out of her box. However, Cherry, who is much older than the other hens, has peeked in but not ventured inside yet. She and Rhett are interested, but for several years now I have wondered whether it would be their last year to reproduce. They've surprised me by continuing as long as they have. I limit them to one or two clutches a season because of their advanced age.



Flame and Fuchsia immediately after the box was attached.
Actually, Fuchsia kept landing on my husband's arm and
tried to see into the box while he tried to install it.



Fuchsia getting a closer look at the box opening. Taken
before she'd been inside. She has been since.



Three boxes on four cages. Two in front, one off to right side.
Birds in lower right are young and still unmatched, or unmated.

Limit the number of clutches you allow your birds to have in a 12-month cycle. Bourkes go right back to lay more eggs shortly after their last clutch has left the nest, and often even before they are completely weaned (eating on their own). Dad's take over the feeding when Mom goes back into the nest to start another clutch.

Young birds can tolerate three clutches a year if adequately fed and watered. Laying hens drink lots of water, so keep it fresh and readily available, both for drinking and bathing. Clean boxes between clutches if you can. I've even removed eggs, cleaned a box and put them back without a problem. Better to get it cleaned as soon as the babies leave it, however -- before new eggs are laid.

Although I clean cages often, once a year I take them down, let the birds out and clean EVERYTHING in or on the cages. Also clean all around them...counters, walls and windows. Skirts designed to catch extra seed are shaken out and laundered before being put back. I like to have everything very clean before the birds go back to raising their families. Odds are, I'll do this process again in the Fall.

Peace and Blessings.

May all your eggs hatch and your birds produce beautiful, healthy babies!

 

Hummingbirds, an Observation on Torpor

Dusk and time to replenish for the night.

You probably already know that hummingbirds survive cold nights by lowering their metabolic rate to conserve energy. This results in a state of torpor that makes them unresponsive. Except that they hold tightly to a branch, they may appear dead. In fact, if found on the ground someone might think they are dead. Don't toss one into a trash receptacle!

It may take up to an hour for a hummingbird to awaken from a state of torpor. But this post isn't to discuss the whys and wherefores for torpor. There are many other sites that cover that topic. This is about hummingbird behavior.

One morning I awoke to see a hummingbird in torpor sitting on our feeding. This had never happened before and I assume he arrived late while migrating, was very hungry and as it grew dark he had no time to search out a safer place to sleep. Although on the north side of our house, this feeder is in a sheltered corner.

The sheltered feeder where a hummer spent the night in torpor.
He slept later than others, but was left undisturbed.

I left the hummer alone, but watched as other hummers awakened and came to the feeder while he continued to remain immobile, unmoving and unaware. All seemed curious about him, but none disturbed him. This amazed me since typically one hummingbird decides a feeder is his and attempts to intimidate and chase away all others. All the visiting birds scrutinized the statue-like bird, but none of them touched or threatened him.

Hummingbird protocol? An unwritten law that you don't disturb a fellow bird during torpor? Probably.

If you want to know more about hummingbird torpor, I found this site enlightening.

A Link to "Lisa's Garden" about hummingbird torpor

Not the best choice in feeders.

Compare these two hummingbird feeders. The one below and to the right has a perch that circles the entire feeder. That is one advantage, but there's more. It also separates so that every bit of it can be cleaned. The one at the left (with birds) does not entirely come apart and it's impossible to get into every area to adequately clean it.





A recommended feeder that unscrews completely to allow
thorough cleaning of every nook and cranny.

Since mold is a problem in our area, a feeder that comes completely apart for thorough cleaning is very important. I recommend only hummingbird feeders that dismantle completely to allow every part to be cleaned between each refilling.

Peace and Blessings.