Third Times A Charm
by: John Perez
Classifications:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Waxbill Estrildidae
Genus: Uraeginthus Cyanocephala
Specifics: Cordon-Bleu capped or Bleu Headed
Distribution: Eastern Africa
Habitat: They are found in Savannas and tropical forest regions.
Disposition: Peaceful, quiet, when not breeding.Description: Both male and female are about 4 3/4 long from beak to tail. Beak color is a pinkish rose getting darker at the tip. The legs are also a pinkish color. Both birds have the center tail feathers slightly elongated.
Male: Sky blue on face and head, upper chest tail darker in color. Body and wings are like a mossy brown. The male has a nice strong song when in breeding condition that he will sing.
Female: She is just as beautiful as the male. Her colors are slightly duller with less blue over all and yes some females do sing. At least my females do.
Diet: I feed my birds a diet of Abba brand Finch mix, Cuttlefish bone, grit, with a small amount of charcoal, crushed egg shells, boiled corn, green’s, like spinach, Roman lettuce and chickweed. I also feed apples and add vitamins to the drinking water. Some mealworms are given daily.
When my Finches are breeding I feed my own high protein soft food. Here is my secret recipe which I will share with you.
- One small jar of strained carrots (baby food).
- One hard boiled egg.
- Four crushed Premium unsalted crackers.
- Three pieces of Monkey Chow, boiled, but not too mushy.
- Six table spoons of Bevo nesting food.
- Two table spoons of Vionate powder.
- Two table spoons of Isomil Soy Protein (baby formula).
- One table spoon of Iams beef dog food.
- One table spoon of wheat germ oil.
- One table spoon of Cod Liver oil.
Mix all of the above ingredients in a bowl. Add a little water to make a paste-like consistency. Serve it to the birds in a small cup, (enough to last only one day). Remove what is left over at the end of the day and refrigerate the rest. It will keep up to 5 days. You may add more or less depending on how many birds you have breeding at the time. This recipe is good for about 20 to 25 pairs of birds.
Breeding: The need plenty of hiding places, especially during the breeding time. I use a lot of fake plants in their cages. No time for the real plants-to busy trying to take care my birds. Plus the fake plants look just as good as the real ones today. I also use nest-baskets, for some reason my birds will not use a nest box. But I do supply both. Hey you never know!
The following discussion relates to the breeding of this bird in captivity. (Cordon Bleu Capped).
Breeding the Cordon Bleu is not easy, you will soon find out why. The female will go to nest at a young age, usually at 6 to 8 months of age. Be careful not to breed her at this time. Wait until they are at least 10 months to a year old.
I breed my birds in a box-type cage. Measuring 23 1/2 inches wide by 18 inches high by 19 inches deep. So much for the "well planted aviary". I offer a nest box or nest basket type, like I stated before. I fill the nest halfway for them with burlap, dried grasses, palm leaves, cotton and canary nesting string. My birds usually choose the basket-type nest.
The male will perform or display a little dance by moving its head up and down with a piece of string or burlap in his beak on the perch. And a beautiful song along with it. At which time if the female is ready she will shiver her tail and mating takes place.
The female lays between 4 to 6 eggs. Incubation can last from 12 to 14 days. When the young’s hatch that’s when all the problems begin. Well at least my problems!
For some reason both parents refuse to feed their young after day 1 and tossed their babies out of the nest the first time. Boy was I disappointed!
The second time the pair bred I feed more mealworms then usually, same high-protein soft food diet. But no luck. Three days later - same results, babies tossed out of the nest. But this I had a pair of Societies with chicks about the same age (3 days old). I managed to give them to my societies, who at the time were raising there own young.
You hear all the time how my societies foster other birds and saved my dying chicks. For some reason the society pair only fed them for 3 days and stopped feeding all 3 chicks. At which time they died.
Boy was I disappointed again for the second time! (Does this sound familiar to you guys).
By now most people would have given up but not me. You know the third time is a charm. That’s when I said to myself "I need help".
After reading several articles, Kerri McCoy’s article and Mr. Robert Black’s article, I was ready. Thanks Kerri and Mr. Black couldn’t have done it without you guys. I knew that I was not going to be able to hand raise them like Kerri. So I was ready again for the next breeding.
After resting the pair for 2 months I was ready, but this time I had a little surprise for them (Cordon Bleu). I would beat them at their own game. "So you like live food when breeding?"
I ordered meal and wax worms, and fly larvae from Grubco. I ordered ant-eggs and bugs-n-berries (Avico) from Cuttlebone Plus. From Birds-2-Grow I ordered Bevo Pellet food and Bevo Insect food. So I was ready again for the next breeding with the above foods.
On July the pair bred again and I started to feed the above items. Plus soaked seed and Spray Millet. This time she laid 5 eggs. 14 days later I could hear the sounds of baby birds in the nest.
All 5 eggs hatched. I lost one young out of 5. As of Aug. 1 (3 weeks later) both parents were still feeding their young.
My daughter, Francis, and I refilled their food cups several times a day. Boy can they eat! It has been 3 weeks and both parents were still feeding their young. And still doing fine.
I hoped and prayed all day that they kept feeding their young. My Cordon Bleus are feeding their 4 young in the nest like if their never was a problem before.
Now I have managed to raise young from a wild pair of Cordon Bleus.
On Aug. 3 the 4 baby cordon Bleus left the nest. They looked like Don King because they still had fuzz-like hair on top of their heads and black beaks. They look like their parents but the color is dull. I cannot sex them yet. I just finished banding my 4 chicks.
Yes you can band the young after they leave the nest. They are still small enough to do so. The parents are still feeding the babies even though they are not in the nest anymore. (Aug 13). My F-1 looks beautiful.
You will thoroughly enjoy breeding and raising them. Lets not let this beautiful species disappear from captivity. As you know there are no more imports into this country.
Third time was a charm!
Now my Fire Finches are showing signs of breeding also.
Last modified: February 21, 2005
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