FINCHforum

My blue/ split to blue pair of gouldians laid 6 eggs. This is the females first clutch the males second breeding season. 4 of the eggs were fertile. The first one hatched two days ago and is doing well. The others were all hatched and dead this morning when I checked. They could not have been alive more than a day or so. All had full crops and no visible signs of trauma. Any idea what could have caused this?

Very difficult to try and pin point the problem without knowing your birds but it could be a cause of suffercation from the hen, I've had this happen in the past

Very hard to tell over the internet what your problem could be. Genetics? Disease? Were your birds exposed to other birds?
I've personally never had chicks suffocated by a parent so that would never even enter my mind.

debbie276 wrote: Very hard to tell over the internet what your problem could be. Genetics? Disease? Were your birds exposed to other birds?
I've personally never had chicks suffocated by a parent so that would never even enter my mind.

I can assure that it can happen, it happens quite a lot with British finches of certain species,

I take it you've never bred British finches or mules

Stuart whiting wrote:

debbie276 wrote: Very hard to tell over the internet what your problem could be. Genetics? Disease? Were your birds exposed to other birds?
I've personally never had chicks suffocated by a parent so that would never even enter my mind.

I can assure that it can happen, it happens quite a lot with British finches of certain species,

I take it you've never bred British finches or mules

No I have not.
I've simply stated that being suffocated by a parent bird would never cross MY mind as I have NEVER had that happen.
Not sure why you are so sensitive to what others say and what's with all those rolling eyes of yours??

There are probably many causes of these deaths. Genetics and infection are the best documented.
As a former medical examiner I will concede that suffocation might happen but would put my money on that being no more than a supposition in the absence of supporting evidence and careful exclusion of known causes.

Thanks for the help. With the first chick surviving and doing well, my best guess was genetic as well. I just need to decide whether or not to give them another shot after this chick fledges.

debbie276 wrote:

Stuart whiting wrote:

debbie276 wrote: Very hard to tell over the internet what your problem could be. Genetics? Disease? Were your birds exposed to other birds?
I've personally never had chicks suffocated by a parent so that would never even enter my mind.

I can assure that it can happen, it happens quite a lot with British finches of certain species,

I take it you've never bred British finches or mules

No I have not.
I've simply stated that being suffocated by a parent bird would never cross MY mind as I have NEVER had that happen.
Not sure why you are so sensitive to what others say and what's with all those rolling eyes of yours??

It's ok Debbie, at the time I was still a little distraught from the other thread that you commented to me on, but as mentioned on other thread that hopefully is all now ok

Could be a few reasons.... genetics, parasites, bacterial infection in the mom passed to the egg onto the chick (you can have DIs, weak babies not begging or death in the nest).

Quick question... do you feed the parents fresh veggies and fresh egg food while the hen/pair is incubating?