UPDATE: 1/27 ~ Odd Green Singing Finch breeding(?) behavior

[Leda]

LOL, yes Ian we know these as cotton balls!!! I think it was the word "wool" that confused me. Very cheap and you can buy them everywhere.
So, Ivan and Michelle, do you just put them hole in the cage, do you cut with scissors or tear them up with your fingers? How do you offer them to the birds? Do you just put it on the floor, or do you have something you put it in? So many questions!!!
Thanks guys!!!

[Animal Quackers]

OH! Cotton balls! Isn't it funny how the English speak a different English than we do? (I have a wonderful cousin-in-law who is from England. When she first came to the US, she had a funny encounter with a woman she met at the market who was carrying a newborn baby. I love this story and tell it all the time! Apparently, Pam, my cousin, asked the woman if she could "nurse" her newborn. The woman looked surprised, and told Pam, "Um...if you think you CAN!" In England, to "nurse" a baby simply means to hold and rock and cuddle a baby, but it has a VERY different meaning here in the US!)

Leda, when I offer the cotton fluff (which is actually very much LIKE a "cotton ball!"), I sort of open it up and shred it so it is in longer (maybe 3 inches), thin strips. The finches do seem to prefer it over any other nesting material I have offered...but now I am off to the bathroom to get some cotton balls for them!

[Ian]

Best to tear and shred it , sort of pull it out into strips and torn bits.

[Leda]

LOL Cute story!!! I have had several ex-change students from Asia in the past so I know how these misunderstandings can be. It was a lot of fun!!!
Thnks for all the info on cotton balls. I shall try it. Sounds better than having to cut up a feather pillow for something soft.

[Animal Quackers]

UPDATE 01/27:

Yesterday was a sad day here. Mama and Daddy Green Singers were "fighting" a lot, and have been for the past couple days. It seemed to really intensify yesterday, to the point where Mama had Daddy pinned to the ground. Mama is DEFINITELY the aggressor here! I finally separated them for several hours because poor Daddy was breathing out of his beak!

In all the flying around, someone knocked an egg out of the nest. It cracked, and it did have a developing chick in it. Sigh. At that point, I checked the other egg and it looks clear to me. The eggs are/were 10 and 12 days old.

I left the egg I think is infertile in the nest, and later last night returned Daddy to the cage with Mama. She chased him a bit, but never caught him. This morning, she has been chasing him almost non-stop. My husband keeps telling me to leave them alone because they have to work it out, but I hate to see the male clinging to a corner of the cage looking over his shoulder in fear...or being pinned down and screaming (which he has done twice this morning already). I am afraid she is going to seriously hurt him!

I am about ready to separate them again. The male was in the community flight yesterday with no issues, and I have plenty of small cages I can house him in until I figure out why Mama is being so aggressive and how to stop it!

I would appreciate some input so much! This is really disheartening!

[ikhom]

Michelle,
I would defiantly separate them. Some breeders suggest keeping them together only for breeding period. If they want to be together they would call to each other. If you have two cages put them side by side when the male starts to feed the female then you can put them together.
When my pair fights, that happens something; usually female wants something from the male. It could be to protect the cage from other birds, she want to be fed or she wants him to fix the nest the way she likes. Of course, if he looks at the other females she gets mad too. Usually they solve their problems fast, so I don't need to worry.
A single female can raise the chicks without a male present. Look at my posts. My single female recently raised 4 chicks, of course, with a male it would be much easier, but she doesn't need much help when she is incubating the eggs, she needs more help after the chicks hatched. Incubation is also purely a hen responsibility. If she doesn't sit tight then eggs will not develop or died. I have several pictures from my candling experience in this topic. If you see big yellow without egg white than likely the egg died after it started to develop, so it likely was fertile, but maybe your hen didn't sit tight on the eggs or something else could be wrong.

[Animal Quackers]

Thank you ikhom.

I did as you suggested and separated them. Poor male was being so bullied! He is now in with the community birds and doing fine, other than attacking the mirror! LOL I will remove that today.

Mama is very quiet, and spends A LOT of time on the nest. I hardly ever see her. I really hope that egg she is sitting on is fertile!!

IF it is not, and after 18 days or so I remove it, do you think I should try letting the male back in the cage with her for another attempt at breeding? The hen has laid six eggs since December 31, and only this one that cracked was fertile, I believe. Would asking her to mate again be too much this year?

Thank you again for advice and suggestions!

[AndreasLon]

In England, to "nurse" a baby simply means to hold and rock and cuddle a baby, but it has a VERY different meaning here in the US!)[/i]

what does nurse mean to you then?

By the way Ian, it's cotton WOOL none of this "balls" nonsense! ;) ;)

[Animal Quackers]

In England, to "nurse" a baby simply means to hold and rock and cuddle a baby, but it has a VERY different meaning here in the US!)[/i]

what does nurse mean to you then?

In the United States, to "nurse" a baby means to feed him or her at the mother's breast!

You can see the humor! LOL

[cldheath44]

Sounds like your male will be MUCH happier in with the community birds, Michelle. Hope that egg the female's sitting on turns out to be fertile!

Christine

[AndreasLon]

In England, to "nurse" a baby simply means to hold and rock and cuddle a baby, but it has a VERY different meaning here in the US!)[/i]

what does nurse mean to you then?

In the United States, to "nurse" a baby means to feed him or her at the mother's breast!

You can see the humor! LOL

Oh I see! Well she missed out, English milk is very good. Look at Prince Charles! Actually no, don't look at him, look at Prince William. ;)

[Animal Quackers]

Actually no, don't look at him, look at Prince William. ;)

Does it make me a dirty old lady if I admit that I DO?! ;)

[Ursula]

Actually no, don't look at him, look at Prince William. ;)

Does it make me a dirty old lady if I admit that I DO?! ;)

That's too much!!

[ikhom]

IF it is not, and after 18 days or so I remove it, do you think I should try letting the male back in the cage with her for another attempt at breeding? The hen has laid six eggs since December 31, and only this one that cracked was fertile, I believe. Would asking her to mate again be too much this year?

You always can try to reintroduce the male. If it doesn't work this time give them a longer break away from each other and try again.
If I didn't try I wouldn't get 5 chicks this fall-winter.
Good luck.