I have a baby....

Hope · Post by **Hope** » Fri Mar 07, 2008 9:07 pm

After 2 failed attempts in the fall, my female would quit the nest after 6 days, I pulled the nest. I put it back in Feb. They did good and had 6 more eggs. Once she sarted incubating, I did good and just counted the days with no nest checks.

Last night, the 14th day, I checked the eggs and 2 were fertile and 4 weren't. I was so nervous and anxious because I was afraid the chicks might have died in the egg. This is our first time, so I wasn't sure, they looked so tiny in the egg.

The female was out eating so I thought maybe I could get the male to leave the nest so I could check. He wouldn't budge. I waited till she went back in, I was so scared to disturb her but I just had to know.

I saw a little pink thing peeking out from under her side

I never expected to be so excited. $\:D/$ I hope the other hatches and they survive. All this trial and error is nerve racking

and exciting.

L in Ontario · Post by **L in Ontario** » Fri Mar 07, 2008 9:26 pm

Congratulations Hope!! It's very exciting and filled with anticipation. Very glad to hear of the hatching. Continued best wishes for the others.

Post by **Sally** » Fri Mar 07, 2008 9:30 pm

Congrats! I know the feeling, scared to peek but just can't stand not knowing what's going on.

What kind of finches are they?

Hope · Post by **Hope** » Fri Mar 07, 2008 10:02 pm

They are split to blue Gouldians.

I can harkly wait till the morning to check on the second egg.

beccafigs · Post by **beccafigs** » Fri Mar 07, 2008 10:34 pm

Congratulations! I've got my first babies right now too, (not goulds though). It's so exciting!

chrischris · Post by **chrischris** » Sat Mar 08, 2008 2:23 pm

If they are new parents at this I would really leave them alone. You have to hold back your excitement because if you don't you could risk the pair leaving the chicks and not being able to feed them. First time parents can be really finiky.

Chris

Hope · Post by **Hope** » Sat Mar 08, 2008 3:56 pm

Thanks chrischris. I guess I'll have to leave the house for awhile, I want to keep sneaking peeks.

The second egg has not hatched yet, but the baby seems fine.
The mom is making me anxious as she is leaving the nest more frequently but only for a short period. I'll feel more comfortable "if" we make it though the next few days and she's feeding the baby.

It's still so exciting. But I'm just as much a novice as she is.

Thank goodness for this board where I can get infomation to help us both.

chrischris · Post by **chrischris** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 8:42 am

Patience will reward you...

rkn · Post by **rkn** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 7:17 pm

Oh How neat, new babies! what kind?

Maybe you can help me? I've been out of town for a week, just got back and of course first thing was to check all the lil darlings which are fine. But I have two nest with eggs!

Nest one-is the spice finches and they are defending this nest to no end. I peaked in and saw two eggs, could be another in back but for sure two.

Nest two, my "now" single zebra pair are nest sharing and together have maybe 8 eggs in there? They come and go and are not are aggreesive about hier eggs as the spices but still not far.

So how long do they sit on eggs until we should see something? if they are dudds what do you do? can they sit on duds for a long time or is best to give the eggs so may days or weeks then toss if no babies?

I am afraid to disturb anything in their world. Is all looking so safe and maternal like...lol but am way to new to finches to know what up.

ideas???? please anyone!!!!

thanks,
rita

Post by **Sally** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 8:35 pm

Once they start sitting tight, a general rule is two weeks to hatching. Some are as little as 12 days, others 16 days. In the FIC, under species, there is a timeline for each species for incubation, fledging, weaning, etc.

Some finches will sit the whole incubation time on infertile eggs, others will abandon them after about a week or so, some will still be sitting a week after scheduled hatching time. You could always candle them after about a week, if you want to see if they are fertile, or you can just let nature take its course.

rkn · Post by **rkn** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 9:08 pm

Yes that is very helpful! ok another question, since I assume these were laid while away for a week, we don't exactly know how old the eggs are so would giving each nest say 21 days to hatch something or clean them out be unreasonable? I just don't want eggs rotting in the enclosure.

also will the pair of zebra females who are nest sharing, will they raise the babies together or do you move some eggs to another nest so all has room? I took another look and counter 7 zebra eggs! yikes...and the males have been gone for probably two weeks or so. will raise babies without the males around? when they lay eggs do the males have to fertilize them separately or is that done during birdie sex?

ok see am way to new to all this to be a bird grandma!

naughty finches....lol

rita

Post by **Sally** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 12:15 am

You really don't have to worry about eggs rotting. The birds will either hatch them out or abandon them, but they don't really cause a smell or problem. If they abandon them, then you can clean out the nest. The only time I have had a problem with an odor was when they had one or more dead babies in the nest.

And birdie sex works that the hens retain that sperm for a while, can't remember exactly how long, but think it is at least two weeks, so your boys may have done their thing just before leaving!

The two hens may very well share the nest and rearing chores, as long as the nest is large enough for two adults and 7 babies, if all the eggs hatch. I would just wait on that one, you can usually nest check with Zebras without causing them to abandon the nest, as long as you don't constantly bother them.

If you don't mind them having babies, I'd just keep an eye on things and enjoy watching them be parents. The most wonderful time for me is when the babies fledge!

Hope · Post by **Hope** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 10:01 pm

I'm sad, my baby gouldian didn't make it. I believe the mother never started to feed it and by the time I checked it was to late. I pulled her nest and will try again in the fall. With each batch of eggs my hen has completed another step. Maybe next time she'll learn the feeding part.

I've been debating about fostering but this experience convinced me to have a foster pair ready next time.

Post by **Sally** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 11:56 pm

So sorry, Hope. It is hard to know when to intervene, as the ideal is the parent raising their own chicks, so you don't want to take the babies away too soon. I have lost more babies of various species by not wanting to interfer, but sometimes it is a catch-22--if you leave them alone, they may be fine, but if you interfer, you risk them abandoning.

I love my little Society fosters, but I would much rather these babies had been raised by their own parents. And that first day, the babies rely pretty much on absorbing the yolk, so it is hard to know when to step in.

These Gouldians seem to have a harder time figuring out what they are supposed to do.