YESTERDAY I DROVE 2 HRS. TO PICK UP A COUPLE RUFOUS BACKED MANNIKIN.  I HAD SOME A COUPLE YEARS AGO BUT MADE THE MISTAKE OF SELLING THEM.  I GAVE ONE TO A FRIEND AND THIS PAST WEEK SHE SOLD ME THIS YOUNG PAIR.  MADE ME VERY HAPPY TO GET SOME BACK IN MY BREEDING PROGRAM.

THE BREEDING SEASON FOR ME IS STARTING OFF VERY WELL.  I HAVE A NEST OF PEARL SOCIETIES, ONE WHITE SPOTTED MANNIKIN, TWO NESTS OF JAVA AND A NEST OF TWO PARSONS.  AROUND SIX OTHER NESTS WITH EGGS.  HERE ARE A FEW SHOTS OF NEW CHICKS THAT I HAVE STARTED TO CLOSE BAND.

THE FIRST IMAGE IS OF A PAIR OF PARSON FINCHES.  THEY HAVE BEEN HATCHED AND RAISED BY A EURO RED BROWN COCK AND A PEARL COCK.

 A SHOT OF A NEST OF THREE JAVA CHICKS.  THERE WERE 7 EGGS IN THIS NEST BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT I HAVE TWO OPAL ISABELLES IN THIS NEST.  THEY ARE THE LIGHT COLORED CHICKS.

THIS NEST IS ALSO JAVA.  SEVEN EGGS AND SEVEN HATCHINGS.  AGAIN TWO OF THE CHICKS ARE OPAL ISABELLES.  NOT BAD TO HAVE FOUR OPAL ISABELLES OUT OF 10 CHICKS.  NOT SURE HOW MANY SILVERS OR NORMALS YET.  WILL BE ABLE TO TELL ONCE THE FEATHERS OPEN UP A LITTLE.

HAVE JUST LATELY SET UP SOME OF MY BREEDERS AND FINISHED THE BREEDING CAGES.  I HAVE TWO ROOMS FOR THE BREEDING CAGES, ONE FOR THE JAVA AND ANOTHER FOR ALL THE REST OF THE FINCHES.

A SHOT OF ME IN THE METAL STUDIO PART OF THE COMBINATION METALSHOP AND BIRD ROOM.

THE ONLY CHANGE IN THE MAIN ROOM IS THE ADDITION OF A THIRD SET OF CAGES.  THEY ARE FOR NEW ARRIVALS, AFTER ISOLATION, AND NEW YOUNGSTERS.  THIS SET IS ON THE END OF THIS LINE OF FLIGHTS.  ANOTHER PHOTO BELOW.

THE NEXT COUPLE IMAGES ARE OF THE BREEDING ROOMS.

TWO SHOTS OF THE BREEDING ROOM FOR MY SMALLER FINCHES.  RIGHT NOW I HAVE A COUPLE PAIR OF PEARL SOCIETY, A PAIR OF WHITE SPOTED MANNIKINS, A PAIR OF PARSONS AND A PAIR OF BLACK AND WHITE MANNIKINS SET UP. 

THE SECOND ROOM IS SET UP WITH BREEDING CAGES FOR MY JAVA RICE BIRDS.  RIGHT NOW I HAVE TWO PAIR SET UP.  A PAIR OF NORMALS, DOUBLE SPLIT, FOR OPAL ISABELLES.  THE SECOND PAIR IS ONE DOUBLE SPLIT NORMAL AND A OPAL ISABELLE.  BOTH PAIRS HAVE PRODUCED NORMALS, SILVERS AND OPAL ISABELLES FOR ME THIS PAST YEAR. 

I AM FINALLY BACK ON LINE AFTER A LONG HARD TRANSITION FROM OUR OLD HOME IN WISCONSIN TO OUR NEW HOME IN SOUTHERN IL.  WE HAD SO MUCH STUFF THAT WE DECIDED TO HAVE AN AUCTION TO SELL THE MAJORITY OF OUR EQUIPMENT AND HOUSE FURNISHINGS.  I ALSO CUT BACK ON MY STOCK OF BIRDS FROM 250 TO AROUND 60 SHOW AND BREEDING STOCK. 

THIS IS A SHOT OF THE NEW HOME IN GRAYVILLE, IL.  IT WAS KIRSTEN'S FAMILY HOME OWNED BY HER GRANDFATHER.  A LARGE OLD FARM HOUSE WITH THREE LARGE LOTS ON THE EDGE OF GRAYVILLE.

MORE SHOTS OF THE PROPERTY.  THE LAST PHOTO ABOVE IS OF THE TWO CAR GARAGE THAT WILL BE (EVENTUALLY) THE NEW BIRD BUILDING.  NOT SURE IF I WILL FIX THE EXISTING GARAGE OR TAKE IT DOWN AND PLACE A NEW METAL BUILDING ON THE FOUNDATION.  THIS WILL BE THE WINTER PROJECT.

TWO SHOTS OF THE LOWER LEVEL OF THE HOME THAT WAS AT ONE TIME A SUMMER KITCHEN.  THIS AREA, FOR NOW, IS OUR NEW METAL SHOP AREA AND THE BIRD ROOMS.  IT IS  A GOOD LOCATION BECAUSE OF THE NATURAL LIGHT AND OPENING OUT ONTO A CARPORT AREA. 

TWO SHOTS OF THE METAL WORKING AREA IN THE FRONT OF THE OLD SUMMER KITCHEN AREA.  WE WILL BE DOING MOSTLY SMALL SCALE IRON AND JEWELRY OBJECTS.  WE NO LONGER WILL BE DOING LARGE DECORATIVE IRON WORK.  I WILL BE DOING SOME KNIVES IN DAMASCUS STEEL AS WELL.

HERE IS A SHOT OF THE NEW FLIGHT CONFIGURATIONS.  I HAVE MADE NEW BASES FOR THESE FOUR FLIGHTS AND WILL BE DOING THE SAME FOR THE OTHER FLIGHTS AND BREEDING CAGES.  THE INTERIOR OF THE SPACE IS WATERPROOFED AND HAS A WATER RESISTANT WALL BOARD GOING UP THE BRICK WALL.  I WILL BE CLEANING AND PLACING A SEALER ON THE BRICK WALLS ABOVE THE WALL BOARD AND ALSO SEALING THE CEMENT FLOOR.

MORE SHOTS OF THE FLIGHT CAGES.

THIS IS THE CLEANING AREA FOR THE BIRDS.  RIGHT NOW IT IS PART STORAGE FOR SEED AND SHOW CAGES.  I AM GOING TO HAVE A LARGE SINK IN THIS AREA AS WELL.  ONE OF THE BREEDING AREAS CAN BE SEEN AT THE REAR OF THE SEED AREA.

THE FINAL TWO SHOTS ARE OF ONE OF THE BREEDING AREAS.  RIGHT NOW I HAVE MY SHOW BIRDS IN SMALL CAGES TO CONDITION THEM FOR SHOWS COMING UP THE NEXT TWO MONTHS.  AFTER THAT I WILL HAVE BREEDING CAGES SET UP ON STANDS LIKE THE ONES USED FOR THE NEW FLIGHT CAGES.  THERE IS A FULL LENGTH SHELVING AREA IN THIS ROOM FOR STORAGE OF BIRD SUPPLIES.

A COUPLE SHOTS OF MY FIRST OPAL ISABELLE JAVA.  IT WAS FROM A PAIR OF NORMAL JAVA DOUBLE SPLIT FOR FAWN AND SILVER.  NOTICE THE RED EYE AND A MORE OF A CREAM COLORED FLEDGING FEATHER TONE.

HERE IS THE SAME OPAL ISABELLE WITH TWO SILVERS FROM THE SAME CLUTCH.  THERE IS ALSO A NORMAL IN THIS CLUTCH.

THE PHOTO BELOW IS A SHOT OF A NEW NEST OF NORMAL JAVA CHICKS.