So, we have eggs, and the Gouldains ARE incubating, now what

TexasHeather · Post by **TexasHeather** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 6:54 pm

I posted before, my Gouldains laid 5 eggs & abandoned them; we took your advice & now have 3 (or maybe 4) eggs in an enclosed nest box.

(my old post was here: http://www.finchforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=2469)

So, they laid 3 eggs, then the 4th they laid outside the nest (on the floor of the wire cage); it was punctured so we tossed it.

That night (Sun) she started incubating them, so I haven't been able to peek in the nest box again since then; I'm assuming we have only the 3 eggs....they are both incubating now; today is day 4.

Anyway -- anything special we need to do now to better our chances of the chicks hatching and surviving?

Do the parents need a special diet at this point?

Add anything to the diet once the chicks hatch?

Any other tips?

(sorry to seem so ignorant; we're just pet finch owners, not breeders; this took us by surprise, big time!)

Also, we are living in Brazil, so not all commercial stuff is readily available here.

Thanks!!

atarasi · Post by **atarasi** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 7:21 pm

I wouldn't do any nest inspections. If they are new at breeding, they aren't going to tolerate it. Some pairs are more likely than others.

Just sit tight (ha!) and in about 2 weeks you'll hopefully have new chicks.
It's common that new Gouldian parents will toss out their chicks for sometimes no apparent reason. If you have a societies, you can always place any abandoned chicks for them to feed/brood. From now until the chicks are about 10 days old, is a very delicate time.

There isn't any special food to offer until after the chicks are hatched. Egg food, fresh food and even live food like mealworms or white worms are sometimes offered.

Good luck!

chrischris · Post by **chrischris** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 9:04 pm

I would agree just sit back and wait

TexasHeather · Post by **TexasHeather** » Thu Apr 10, 2008 8:46 am

atarasi wrote:There isn't any special food to offer until after the chicks are hatched. Egg food, fresh food and even live food like mealworms or white worms are sometimes offered.

Good luck!

so, can you elaborate on food for after the eggs hatch? I'm really clueless about all this...embarrassed to admit that I'm not sure what you mean by egg food & fresh food.....

thanks!

(oh, and we are definitely taking a hands-off, wait & see approach, after they abandoned the nest last time...)

exoticgouldian · Post by **exoticgouldian** » Thu Apr 10, 2008 1:48 pm

it depends on each gouldian owner.

I normally give extra spray millet and change the egg food about 3 times a day. Both the hen and the cock fill up and go back to their nests to feed the chicks. I also add handfeeding formula to my egg food.

Post by **Sally** » Fri Apr 11, 2008 12:25 am

At the Finch Information Center, linked at left, there are articles on eggfood and safe veggies to feed.

There are recipes for eggfood mixtures at these sites:

www.finchaviary.com
www.fairestfinches.com

Everyone has their own recipe, the main thing is to find one that 'your' birds will eat. I even have to change mine out from time to time to keep them all interested.

atarasi · Post by **atarasi** » Fri Apr 11, 2008 12:42 am

Gouldians are like little kids in trying new foods....some just won't even try it. It helps to try different things. Mine all love sprouted bird seed. Some seeds germinate faster than others but have found white prosso millet to germinate quickly. It's good to also offer vitamins in their food or water.
There are many vendors who offer specialty foods/supplements for chicks.
I order from ladygouldianfinch.com and have pretty much everything they sell, They offer free samples which I think is an excellent idea. Why purchase an item you don't know your birds will eat when you can get a sample of it to test it first?!