Trying to breed goulds in aviary

[Ricardo Ronsini]

lovezebs

So far so good

Yesterday i decided to bother them to check on the eggs, and surprisingly the males are actually using the coconut fiber i provided them with, building quite nice nests, zebra finch style.

Now we have 9, 11, 7 and 8 eggs in each nest, and all the pairs sitting tight.

My main concern now is about chick tossing, for all this birds were never allowed to breed by themselves before, and as the nests are about 2 meters far from the floor, if they decide to go this route, the chicks wouldn't stand a chance, so i'm hoping that they will continue to be good parents

I wasn't able to get another male to my halfsider yet, i'm seeking a blue one (since she is half blue), and these are hard to find around here.

But, if everything goes well, i might end up with some blue babies from the normal pairs, for some are split to blue. Also, i'm picking up the eggs i find on the aviary's floor and placing them with my societies, that are begining to brood by now.

Pray for me.

[lovezebs]

Ricardo Ronsini

Sounds like you are really and trully on the Baby Train, lol.

Those are huge clutches, and I'm not sure if these new parents are going to feed that many babies.

Just in case, do you have some Societies and or Zebras on eggs ?

If it was me, I would remove some of these Gouldian eggs (leaving no more than 5 or 6 in each nest) and replace them with fakes or empties.
I would then replace some Society and Zebra eggs, with these Gouldian eggs.

Just my personal opinion

[Ricardo Ronsini]

I do have some zebras breeding by now, but they are not synchronized with the gouldians. I have some pairs that are about to lay, and others already with chicks.

So, the gouldians are on their own, it is up to them now.

I will keep an eye to be sure everything goes okay, even though i don't like to interfere with nature.

And once again thanks for all the advices, you are helping me a lot

[lovezebs]

Ricardo Ronsini

Fair enough.

Do you have the equipment to hand feed, if the parents can't feed all the babies?
Handfeeding formula, brooder, eye dropper, etc?

[Ricardo Ronsini]

All but the brooder.

[lovezebs]

Ricardo Ronsini

Anything new happening in the Gouldian department?

[Ricardo Ronsini]

lovezebs

Not yet Elana.

I checked the nests yesterday and everything was okay, two of them should be hosting new hatchlings in a couple of days, it feels like forever though

But, whenever something happens, i will let you guys know.

[Ricardo Ronsini]

Updating.

Now we have babies

It was about two days ago that i heard them begging for the very first time, and it has become stronger and louder since then.

Sadly, today i found one dead baby on the aviary's floor, but not sure if it died because it was tossed, or it was tossed because it died

I'm not checking the nests as often as i would like to, for they seem to be very upset when i do, but tomorrow i will have to bother them to check on the babies, as i found this dead chick today.

Aside from this, things seem to be working fine, as i mentioned the begging is becoming louder and louder every day, and the adults seem to be eating a lot, especially the males. As soon as i change the seeds, eggfood and greens, they will promptly fill their crops at the point that they are almost regurgitating, i think that it is a good sign, isn't it?

Another question, is it safe to continue to provide them with greens while the babies are still just a few days old? They just LOVE kale.

Thank you guys for all the helping

[Babs _Owner]

Ricardo Ronsini

Wooo hooo!!! BABIES!!!! Yep pile on the boiled eggs and kale!

[Ricardo Ronsini]

Yeah, i'm SO happy with this guys!

Today i checked the nests, and we have:

- Nest number 1 = 3 big and fat chicks (about 5 days old i would say)

- Nest number 2 = 6 brand new hatchlings

- Nest number 3 = 2 hatchlings and a lot of eggs, that hopefully are to hatch at any time.

- And at last but not least, nest number 4 with 8, that's right, 8 little, wide open, shiny beaks, when i first saw that bunch of screaming jelly beans at the botton of the nest i was like

Until now, all been fed and cared.

Hope all of them survive.

[lovezebs]

Ricardo Ronsini


Absolutely WONDERFUL NEWS!!!

I am so so happy for you
Whatever you're doing, keep doing it.

Eggs, greens, spray millet..... whatever they're eating, offer lots of it. They know what those babies need.

Eight in one nest.... . Wow, that's a wonderful sized clutch!!!

Regarding the dead infant.
Sometimes they die, and get tossed (as you already know). Sometimes the chick get's accidently pulled out, when parents fly out of the nest and dies on the floor. Sometimes, sadly, some chicks do get tossed for unknown reasons

I am very excited for you my friend

[Ricardo Ronsini]

lovezebs

I'm very excited as well, it is my very first time breeding gouldians, and actually, theirs too.

[GouldianGuy]

Ricardo Ronsini Wow what a bumper crop!

[Ricardo Ronsini]

GouldianGuy

These birds are real baby machines, i have never had more than 6 chicks in the same nest, not even with societies or zebras.

Let's hope that they will be able to raise them all, that would be great.

[GouldianGuy]

Ricardo Ronsini We all hope so too! And we will want to see pictures of the families! Can you remind me... they're colony bred?