tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5494114951266176145.post7967288599051636501..comments2024-03-14T07:12:55.402-07:00Comments on The Splendid Bourke Bird Blog: Splendid Bourke Parakeets, or those Moody Bourkes & SplendidsGail A. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17399530965328058077noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5494114951266176145.post-63986225121950607762011-01-27T19:45:39.908-08:002011-01-27T19:45:39.908-08:00Lauren also says she wants to add Splendids. These...Lauren also says she wants to add Splendids. These little clowns are wonderfully active fun birds. HOWEVER, be prepared for a lot more work! They foul their water almost as soon as they get it. I give them extra containers of water, hoping it will stay drinkable for a full day. Still, it begins to get yucky within an hour or two and after 24 hours may smell. <br /><br />I like to put newspaper in the bottom of my cages to keep them cleaner and can change the paper more often than clean the wire on the cage floor. Splendids make short work of newspaper. They shred it, play with it, put it in their water. They chew more than Bourkes, and sometimes toss small things out of the cage and onto the floor...like fresh vegies, for instance. They are fun, beautiful and take more time and trouble. Bourkes are quieter, cleaner birds... That's why I have so many more Bourkes than Splendids. Smile.<br /><br />Both varieties are sweet-natured and make good pets.Gail A. Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17399530965328058077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5494114951266176145.post-26074817610544816132011-01-27T19:38:01.803-08:002011-01-27T19:38:01.803-08:00Hi Lauren, Sorry I didn't notice your comment ...Hi Lauren, Sorry I didn't notice your comment sooner. Baby chicks should be fed as soon as their crop is empty. If newly hatched, check them every couple of hours. If they are a week old, I'd feed them before going to bed, and set an alarm to get up at least once in the middle of the night to feed them again...maybe at four-hour intervals over night. Once they're feathered you can skip the night feeding and probably feed them three or four times a day. The younger they are the more often they need to be fed. Crops need to be almost empty in order to be sure it moves on through. Parent birds feed the babies until they look like they will explode, so feed them until they look very, very full or refuse to eat more. If you see a bulge over their shoulders from the back, they're probably getting enough. Exact handfeeding formula gives good instructions on density of food by age of your babies. Good Luck. <br /><br />As an aside, my Bourke parents when young often reject more than two babies. Sad. However, as they've aged, they've raised up to four, but never five. I've learned to check the babies every morning, afternoon and evening. If they don't appear to have been fed, I pull them to hand feed. Sometimes I've put them back with the parents to keep them warm...they feed the first two and I feed the last two. Temperature for a box or fish tank? If it feels warm to my hand and the babies are warm, it's probably okay. Eggs need to be at 98 degrees, so that's about right for babies. I've not used a thermometer with babies, but trust what I feel with my hand. If the house is 72 degrees, I put a small space heater near their box. When old enough they move toward or away from the warm side of the box. If possible, hand feed more than one baby at a time and they will help keep each other warm.Gail A. Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17399530965328058077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5494114951266176145.post-80628075556519565732011-01-14T13:34:49.262-08:002011-01-14T13:34:49.262-08:00Questions!!
I have a pair of normals, both split ...Questions!!<br /><br />I have a pair of normals, both split to Rosey, who are great regular breeders for me. But...they lay 5 eggs, only seem to raise 3 even if all 5 hatch. Last clutch they raised 4 although one did die about two or three weeks after fledging. They were still with the parents.<br /><br />They have just hatched another clutch, 5 eggs, 4 hatched. I was prepared to pull a couple babies, have a fish tank brooder warmed up and ready to go. Unfortunately I was hoping to wait until the chicks were a couple weeks old. I didn't check the box yesterday and found today that two chicks were dead. So I've decided to pull the remaining two and had raise. <br /><br />What temp do you like for week old chicks? How often do you feed week old chicks?<br /><br />I have a pair of Roseys too. They gave me two clutches last spring but both were infertile. I think they were young. Since then the male(up to now could only tell by behavior) has developed some blue on his face. Not much but it's there. The pair are feeding eachother and I think are ready to try again. Last time I never witnessed them breeding. I'm hoping they get it right this time.<br /><br />I want to add Splendids to my collection but need to save some money for them.<br /><br />any advice would be appreciated.<br /><br />Lauren<br />lschlick@pacbell.netAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11874912615470644459noreply@blogger.com