FINCHforum

My Shaftails have been sitting tight in their box for the last 3 days. today I have not seen the female at today until mid afternoon when she came out to eat and drink.

The male goes in and takes over for her when she leaves. Even though it is a open faced keet box I can't see in since the nest is very built up in the front and back of the box. I don't dare disturb them.

They are very tolerant and not flighty when I clean or feed and they don't seem to mind people walking by or the dogs. Because of their disposition I am hoping that if the eggs are fertile they will be good parents.

Your subject heading cracked me up! Sounds like you have a good reason to be excited, congrats. Hope you see babies soon.

Best wishes for egg successes
Shaftails usually are calm and good parents. I'm sure they will do swell. Saying a parayer just for good measure .

I am EGG-cited to say the least. This is the first pair of my finches to do this. My owls are building courting and taking their good old sweet time about it.

I noticed the female was a little heavy underneath the other night, I added a heat lamp to the top of the cage near the nest, she sat under it for a while and then went into the box and is staying in there almost all the time.

Thank you for your best wishes.

The Societies are pairing up just as JohnBoy hoped fawn to fawn and chocolate to pearl. I realize that can change but the fawns were staking a claim on one of the nests I put in there for them to sleep in. John said they are all mature enough to breed. I am going to wait a bit before giving them and the zebras nesting material.

Well it sure sounds like you have some shaftail babies in the near future!!!

Best of luck Cindy...these little ones are so adorable. I love that they fledge with all their colours already. I actually cleaned out all my nests this morning and was so thrilled to see that the reason I hadn't been seeing much of my fawn is because she just started sitting..3 eggs. This will be her first clutch ever. She is 4 years old.

Janine it looks like you and I are going to be patiently waiting for eggs to hatch, maybe even around the same time!

Best wishes to you for a good first clutch!

That's so wonderful, Cindy!! Yay! We'll all be happily waiting for the grand news!

Liz,

You may hear the celebrating before you read it....Party hats, noisemakers and streamers for everyone!!!!!!

Now the new Zebras are mating, the male is fanning his tail and singing to her. They don't even have nesting material in the cage.

Glad I ordered more cages!

The hen has been in the box for 3 days and has not come out. Do Shaftail males feed the female as she sits?

I did notice that she ate quiet a bit and was always at the bowl prior to sitting as if she was building up her reserves.

Does she come out at all to eat or drink?

Not that I have witnessed and I have been in the room most of the day. He seems to eat and go up into the nest. I can see her and she is sitting there and looks fine. She was pretty plump when I saw her last.

She must be coming out when you are not in the room Cindy. Usually the female will incubate more than the male, but I never noticed my male feeding the female.

Plump or Puffed? I would watch her closely. I can't say I've seen mine feed one another in the past.