FINCHforum

Hi everyone,
I love this forum read it everyday and have learned volumes. Here is my question. My gouldian babies hatched out around October 11 and are still in the nest what gives? They look great and I saw one of them standing on the edge of the nest this morning. When will they come out?
It seems like they have been in there forever!
Thanks,
Jeanne

Must be something in the air, errrr... nest! Mine took an exceptionally long time to fledge too (about 4 weeks). But you just can't rush a good thing. They'll come out when they are good and ready... any minute/hour/day now if they are standing on the edge.

I agree just give it time. Once I had a nest full that took 4 weeks to leave the nest.

chris

Thanks for the info. I guess I am just impatient to see them come out. I have been real good about leaving them alone as this is the 3rd clutch and the only successful one. Once they do come out how long is it before you can put them into their own cage?
Thanks

When I had my first clutch of gouldian babies I e-mailed someone that raised them and they told me that if they did not come out in time that something was probably wrong with them. Scared me to death!

But that was far from the truth. Sometimes they just seem to take extra time coming out. I have a clutch in the nest now and I know that three of them will probably fledge before the other two because they hatched three days later.

Let us know when they fledge and be sure to post some pictures for us!

Gouldians wean about 6 weeks of age, but since yours are taking their time about fledging, they may be slower to wean, too. Don't take them away from their parents till you are sure they are eating and drinking on their own. I also found that my weanlings did better when I supplied them with nestling food, egg food, spray millet--all things that are easy for them to eat.

Well,
I am really not in any hurry to separate them from their parents I was just curious of the time frame. I am going to let the parents rest after this clutch. My other finches 2 pairs of Zebras have seemed to slow down. They have laid a few eggs but both pair do not seem to want to incubate them. So I leave them there for sometime and then toss them.
My societies have eggs but I do believe I have two females because the eggs are never fertile. They are laying on eggs now but I checked one last nite and it was not fertile so I left the rest for now. I will remove them soon. To make a long story short I think breeding season is over for awhile. I live here in Virginia and winter is coming.

I agree with what Sally said

Don't take them away from their parents till you are sure they are eating and drinking on their own.