So the second clutch finally happened.
As for the first clutch, once again there were 8 eggs.
Six cicks were born between August 12 and August 20 and all seem alright.
As for the 1st clutch, there was 1 egg with the chick completely developped, but which I found dead, as for some reason it seems he wasn't able to get out, despite the fact apparently the process was started as there was a good hole on the egg. (Question: any reson for this to happen? Eggshell too hard? Too much calcium or not enough?)
There is still 1 last egg in the nest box but my guess is this one is probably empty.
I do have a couple of questions, so any help would be .
- How many clutches kakarikis can have per year?
- How many would be too much?
- As it seems to me this is quite an effort specially for the female, I guess 2-3 clutches/year would be ok, but more could perhaps be harmful for the hen, so is there any safe way to avoid more than 2-3 clutches/year? Or no matter what we do (such as removing the nestbox), if she's of the kind of having more than 3 clutches/year she will do it anyway (even laying the eggs on the cage floor) ?
I found dead, as for some reason it seems he wasn't able to get out, despite the fact apparently the process was started as there was a good hole on the egg. (Question: any reson for this to happen? Eggshell too hard?
I have a therory..nature looks after its own when chicks, particularly in capitivity with good food and conditions... weak birds
Many breeders will artifically save as many chicks as they can, possibly resualting in weakening future breeding stock.????
Or still be able to sell as many as they can..
We have never breed off a weak bird (because they die before breeding age...never had a bird leave our avairies and die, and I know several other breeders in NZ /Aussie who have similar reputations with their stock.
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- How many clutches kakarikis can have per year?
We had apair knocking out a batch of chicks every 8 weeks for almost a yr, and had to force to stop....good balanced diet is absolutly critical to maintain a heathy hen...even with ideal conditions diet, the hen was showing signs of getting run down, loss of plumage colour, not as active...movement appeared more like a senior citizen...we made the call more on gut feeling after 5 batches
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- How many would be too much?
I dont know see above..3 or 4?
We stopped by moving the current chicks/eggs to other pairs, and separated into different avaiaries till next breeding season. _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
I have a therory..nature looks after its own when chicks, particularly in capitivity with good food and conditions... weak birds
Guess you're right. If those two didn't manage to survive, they most probably weren't strong enough, so better now than later.
After all on the 1st as well as on the 2nd clutch this only happened to one chick among 8 eggs layed, so I guess I'm taking good care of them as far as food and conditions are concerned: the best quality pellets in the morning, then after lunch time, sprouted seeds, veggies and fruits. Now since the hen started laying, also eggfood with probiotics and enzymes available all day. Following your advice quite some time ago, I often offer them some chicken or porc bones, and they love that!
As for calcium they always have cuttlebone available, and from time to time a mineral mix available in a separate recipient (the mix contains crude ash, calcium, phosphorus, sodium) as well as some water-soluble calcium base once or twice a week during this breeding season.
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I dont know see above..3 or 4?
That was also my feeling. It's only my feeling but I guess more than 3-4 clutches/year would probably be too much for the females.
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We stopped by moving the current chicks/eggs to other pairs, and separated into different avaiaries till next breeding season.
By "separated into different avaiaries till next breeding season" you mean you separated the male from the female, right?
Anyway, that was safe and the female didn't start laying eggs all alone, or even find another male, right?
For lack of space I simply wouldn't be able to do that as I only have one cage (one of those shown in a previous post) available for the kakarikis. So what about removing the nestbox after an eventual 3rd-4th clutch?
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