1st zebra finch chick questions....
Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2016 2:58 pm
Hopefully this is the appropriate place to post.
My original zebra finches were a birthday gift, the male passed away after 9 years and the female after 10. It was very hard to lose them. They tried nesting and laying eggs many times but they were never fertile so while Iv had zebra finches continuously for about 11 years Iv never had babies.
My current zebra finches have been laying eggs, Iv been discarding the eggs and not keeping a nest. They kept trying to nest in feed cups. Iv been very busy with work and my Mom in the hospital so Iv been not paying much attention to them I am sorry to say (feeding, fresh water etc of course though) I went to move the feed cup one was sitting in and she tried to bite/attack my finger so I just left it. Later I checked the egg she was sitting on by holding it to a light and it looked like it had veins I was surprised so I didn't feel quite right to dispose of it so I gave it back to her. I think her other 3 eggs are not fertile. I am not sure though, I tried holding them to a light one seems to have liquid moving around but the other 2 just looked dark. I tried getting them a nest but they ignored the eggs so I put them back in the cup (I cleaned it out of food and put some shredded paper towels). I didn't really think anything would hatch since Iv had zebra finches so many years and never any chicks but figure Id give it a chance. I'd peek in occasionally and the eggs were still there - I kept thinking I needed to remove them but today I check and there is a chick in with the eggs. The cage has 1 society finch 2 female zebras and 1 male zebra - I did not want this mix and it's an even longer story at how that came to be but this post is already long so Ill save it. Iv seen all 3 zebras sitting on the eggs at different times.
At this point I'm not sure what to do? The finches are still nesting and turning the eggs. I don't know if they are taking care of the chick or when it hatched. It is very tiny and Iv seen it move a little but not much... I haven't seen any attempts at feeding/eating but I only discovered it today. I should have removed the eggs right away I suppose but Iv had them on the back of mind lately.
They eat zupreme pellets and a zupreme seed mix, egg food/vitamin mix, cuttlebone and shell mix and sometimes fresh eggs/veg. Should I be giving them anything special in hopes they feed the chick?
Iv included a picture, seems the odds are stacked against this little one. Iv rehabed local wild abandoned baby birds but nothing so tiny as this.
Also the cage is due for a cleaning and I'm worried about it upsetting them with the chick there...
Edit: Well no sooner did I post this I peeked in on them and a male and female were feeding the chick and it was flailing about excited to eat so it seems they have a better idea of what to do then I realized.
My original zebra finches were a birthday gift, the male passed away after 9 years and the female after 10. It was very hard to lose them. They tried nesting and laying eggs many times but they were never fertile so while Iv had zebra finches continuously for about 11 years Iv never had babies.
My current zebra finches have been laying eggs, Iv been discarding the eggs and not keeping a nest. They kept trying to nest in feed cups. Iv been very busy with work and my Mom in the hospital so Iv been not paying much attention to them I am sorry to say (feeding, fresh water etc of course though) I went to move the feed cup one was sitting in and she tried to bite/attack my finger so I just left it. Later I checked the egg she was sitting on by holding it to a light and it looked like it had veins I was surprised so I didn't feel quite right to dispose of it so I gave it back to her. I think her other 3 eggs are not fertile. I am not sure though, I tried holding them to a light one seems to have liquid moving around but the other 2 just looked dark. I tried getting them a nest but they ignored the eggs so I put them back in the cup (I cleaned it out of food and put some shredded paper towels). I didn't really think anything would hatch since Iv had zebra finches so many years and never any chicks but figure Id give it a chance. I'd peek in occasionally and the eggs were still there - I kept thinking I needed to remove them but today I check and there is a chick in with the eggs. The cage has 1 society finch 2 female zebras and 1 male zebra - I did not want this mix and it's an even longer story at how that came to be but this post is already long so Ill save it. Iv seen all 3 zebras sitting on the eggs at different times.
At this point I'm not sure what to do? The finches are still nesting and turning the eggs. I don't know if they are taking care of the chick or when it hatched. It is very tiny and Iv seen it move a little but not much... I haven't seen any attempts at feeding/eating but I only discovered it today. I should have removed the eggs right away I suppose but Iv had them on the back of mind lately.
They eat zupreme pellets and a zupreme seed mix, egg food/vitamin mix, cuttlebone and shell mix and sometimes fresh eggs/veg. Should I be giving them anything special in hopes they feed the chick?
Iv included a picture, seems the odds are stacked against this little one. Iv rehabed local wild abandoned baby birds but nothing so tiny as this.
Also the cage is due for a cleaning and I'm worried about it upsetting them with the chick there...
Edit: Well no sooner did I post this I peeked in on them and a male and female were feeding the chick and it was flailing about excited to eat so it seems they have a better idea of what to do then I realized.