What else can I do? 2nd chick died and eggs too.

Post by **Sally** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 2:45 am

K&M - sorry for the problems you are having with your Gouldians. Unfortunately, this sometimes happens with the first clutch, and they don't seem to know what they are supposed to do--they are very quick to toss. Usually, they will do better the second time around. It is hard on you, though.

I wouldn't make any changes to your feed program right now. Keep the commercial eggfood dry, it will be moist when the parents feed it to the babies. Just make sure there is enough eggfood in the dish that it doesn't get empty while you are gone.

chrischris · Post by **chrischris** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 10:09 am

K & M ,

Any thing new today?

Chris

kiwi & mango · Post by **kiwi & mango** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 3:22 pm

This morning when I changed the food and water they were sitting so tight that there was no way to look in the nest without up setting them so I left it.

I just got home from work and still no way of knowing if there is a chick in the nest or if any eggs have hatched. I noticed that the bath water was really dirty so i went to change it and the male came half out of the nest so I moved my hand a little and sure enough he moved out of the way and I saw all three eggs still in there. No sign of chicks. There are two that are grey and one that is cream colour. I am thinking the grey is a chick because when i took the male out to trim his beak there were three grey and one cream. Now that one egg hatched means the other two might be chicks.

I will keep you up dated. Lets hope if these two hatch there is a better out come...

kiwi & mango · Post by **kiwi & mango** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 9:40 pm

up date....anothr chick has hatched and was tossed. By the male I am guessing again. I tryed to catch the male but with no luck so the chick is in the nest with the hen sitting on it. I will try again to take the male out and just place a heat lamp on the cage for 24/7 for when the hen comes off.

I think tht is my only option....lets hope it works...

kiwi & mango · Post by **kiwi & mango** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 10:17 pm

another up date.

The male is in another cage and the female is left in the breeding cage. I have a lamp close by to keep the nest warm when she leaves but man oh man is she looking for him. She is getting louder and louder.

Will the stress being away from him be to much for her?

chrischris · Post by **chrischris** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 10:32 pm

You might want to place the male in a cage but set the cage next to her cage. This might settle her a bit. If it doesn't you may have to remove him from the room and make sure she is unable to hear him call her she may at that time settle down to care for the chick in the nest.

Good luck,
Chris

kiwi & mango · Post by **kiwi & mango** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 10:37 pm

he is in another cage a large one in a different part of the house.

As soon as the male was gone she went and ate a lot and then went into the nest to sit. She is still making a lot of noise but she is sitting.

Man I last checked on the eggs at about 2:00 and no sign of an egg ready to hatch and then come back home at 8:00 and find a little guy at the bottom of the cage. He was really moving a lot more then the other night chick.

Also the lamp ....how far away from the nest should it be in order to keep chick or chicks warm when female gets off of them?

thanks again....

chrischris · Post by **chrischris** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 10:43 pm

Looks like you got things under control. The hen has settled down and gotten to the task of caring for the chicks.

As for the heat lamp you want to place it at a distance so it's not too hot in the nest box otherwise when the hen is in there she will have problems with nesting. In the first few days of hatching the parents eat and fedd the chicks and they really sit tight so I don't expect her to venture too far. If using the heat lamp I would place it a distance from the nest that it's no hotter than ~23-25 Celcius in the nest. You would have to measure the temperature around the nest. Another way is to place a theromstat heater in the room and set the temperature at 23Cel.

Good luck and my prayers are with you.

Chris
p.s. Other eggs should hatch soon if they are good.

kiwi & mango · Post by **kiwi & mango** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 11:20 pm

the room the cage is in is usually about 20 to 21 so I will place the lamp further enough away to make the temp go up a bit but I dont want it to hot that the female will be to hot to sit on the chicks...

She is doing a good job she has stopped chirping for the male and is sitting on the chick and eggs. I bet one more egg will hatch soon. When I first saw the eggs there were three grey and one cream or white looking. This afternoon 2 grey and tonight one grey and one white.

thanks again....at least if this chick doesn't make it it wont be for not trying. I just whish I had done this two nights ago when the other chick was tossed.

chrischris · Post by **chrischris** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 11:48 pm

K & M,

You can't blame yourself about what ifs and so on. It's all a learning curve. Anyways it looks like you have things incontrol and the hen is taking care of the chicks which is good. Just now make sure she has lots of food for them.

Eggs usually hatch at the same time or within a day or two apart so I'm expecting the other eggs to hatch soon if they are alive. Also remember the chick doesn't eat the 1st day as it lives off the yoke sac. Feeding begins 1 day later and at start they don't eat much till about 5-6days old.

Get some sleep and keep us posted....

Chris

kiwi & mango · Post by **kiwi & mango** » Thu Feb 14, 2008 9:00 pm

The hen is sitting sometimes for a little while and then off the 2 eggs and one chick for up to about 10 minutes. This seems a little long for a chick this size, she is also not feeding it yet. She does go in and sit but nothing like I thought she would. Ihave a lamp close to the nest to try and keep it warm for when she comes off but worried it might be making her leave the nest (to warm). If I take it away then if she comes of for the 10 minutes then the chick might get to cold.

When does she start feeding the chick usually?

thanks

chrischris · Post by **chrischris** » Thu Feb 14, 2008 9:23 pm

K & M,

Ten minutes off the nest is not a long time as you said your room temperature is around 21-22 Cel. I think he should be fine. If you are concern I would raise the room temp up to 23 Cel or just have the lamp on the nest making sure it's not too hot in there.

The chick will likely be feed in the next while. At first it will be very little food that the chick will need so really not a lot of feeding that you might notice for the first couple of days.

As for the other eggs just leave them in there with that single chick even if they don't hatch.

Good luck,

Chris

kiwi & mango · Post by **kiwi & mango** » Thu Feb 14, 2008 9:52 pm

will do....

when do you see their crops full or signs of food in them?

I hope the other egg that is grey colour hatches tomorrow and our mama bird can get down to do what she needs to do.

How long is to long off a nest if 10 minutes or a little longer isn't very long?

I have been reading up a little more but still hard to remember it all...

thanks again

Ravyn · Post by **Ravyn** » Thu Feb 14, 2008 9:58 pm

If they aren't being fed they die very very fast at that age. Within hours. So as long as they're still alive they're being fed. By day three or so you'll see full crops.

The warmer the room is the more comfortable the parents feel staying off the nest. If you think she's been off the nest too long and you feel you can get away with it, stick your finger in real fast when she's distracted and feel the babies. If they're warm, they're fine. If they're cool or cold, then worry.

kiwi & mango · Post by **kiwi & mango** » Thu Feb 14, 2008 10:45 pm

I don't think I want to place my finger into the nest. She is easy to upset with missing her male

The chick is 24 hours old I think the other egg should hatch soon but since she hasn't been sitting so much on the eggs and chick will that make a difference with the chick that I think should be hatching soon?

The hardest part is knowing to keep a lamp on or not. I dont' want the hen to over heat while sitting on the nest but at the same time I want the nest to be warm enough....

hard to say