Only three nests of chicks remain from the first round. Most hens are sitting on their second clutches although a few who were later to come into condition are sitting on what is for them their first round. 

The first round produced some gorgeous babies. The second round appears to be as fertile as the first- I have several nests of 6 fertile eggs.

Some of the youngsters who are in the walk-in flight are already babbling- they began before they were 5 weeks old! In my experience this has always been a sign of tremendous freedom so I am happy to hear it. Freedom is bred into birds- it cannot be taught.

Babies in the flight are receiving the same high quality diet they got in the breeding cages- their bodies are continuing to grow and they need the extra nutrition. Don't make the mistake of slacking off on nutrition once the babies are weaned.

In the flight plenty of toys are supplied- a small investment in toys results in a huge savings later by avoiding plucking. I rarely have a plucked bird since I began offering a variety of preening toys for the birds- just be sure to have enough so that everyone can have access when they want to.

Another factor in plucking is space. Your birds need plenty of room to get away from more aggressive birds. Short individual perches can be placed in the flight- this provides birds a place to relax and as they begin to practice their songs it allows them to do so undisturbed.

~Marie