FINCHforum

Hello! I have a pair of Zebra Finches and a pair of Gouldian Finches(they live in separate cages). Both pairs layed eggs around the same time and everything was working out great. One day when i came back from college, i saw that the Gouldians were not in their nest and they were attempting to go back but flew away like they were scared of something. I took a look inside and there were lots of big poops and the eggs were dirty too (this never happened before, they never made a mess inside). 1 hour passed, they were not going back in and i decided to clean the nest and the eggs a bit. The eggs were already cold when i touched them so rushed to put everything back. After that, they went in for like 10 mins then out again and never back in for another 2 hours or so. I was worried the embrios might die since it’s been a solid 3 hours of them being cold so i moved the eggs in the Zebra Finch’s nest. They sat on them right away, no problem (i moved 4 eggs from the Gouldians, Zebras had 3). A few days after, all 4 Gouldian’s eggs hatched, the Zebras were feeding them well. After 3 days i also saw 1 little chick of their own hatched and 2 eggs left. 2 days after, i peek again and there is only 1 egg and the 4 Gouldian chicks. The Zebra chick and the other egg are gone!! Now here are my questions: is possible that the Zebra parents ate them? Or the chicks ate them? Where are they? There was nothing on the bottom of the cage or around the cage. They just disappeared. And not like they ran out of food and starved cause they have plenty every day. The 3rd egg i candled today (it’s been 20 days incubation) and i saw the embrio was dead inside, the blood vessels were gone too. Tho the Zebras sat on the eggs all the time, he still died. What could have been the cause? And also, what could be the reason for the Gouldians to make a mess inside the nest and then abandon the eggs? Sorry for the long post. It’s my first time with these birdies and the eggs. Thank you

It seems like either the nest was disturbed so they abandoned it or the zebra finches took over. Move one pair into another cage so they won't be disturbed.

I have heard that Gouldians do not make the best parents. Breeders I know keep Society finches with their Gouldians because the Society finch love to raise ANY baby. I think Zebras are also good parents. Maybe the Gouldians knew that something was wrong with the embryos so they abandoned them.
I have a large mixed aviary but without nests because I don’t want babies but occasionally one of the birds will lay an unfertilized egg and I often see the birds, especially my Gouldians, eating the shell so I guess this is normal but Im not sure what happened to your zebra baby. If this situation happens to you again, maybe separate the zebra chick from the Gouldians somehow and if you can give one species to a Society to raise.
Good Luck