Cuban Melodious - We are getting closer (video May 16th)

[L in Ontario]

Does anyone have pics of nests their Cuban finches have built?

[DVBourassa]

Yes, there is an owl in there. My cubans built the nest but the owls decided to take it over. The cubans have done perfectly well with plastic nest boxes.

[CandoAviary]

Now that is what I call a nest

[L in Ontario]

Thanks Diana - that's almost exactly what my Cubans are doing too. Building a nest just like that on top of the wicker hooded nest I put in for them. There is no other bird in the breeding cage - so I pray they make good use of their own homemade nest. Unfortunately I cannot see the entrance which must be aimed towards the back of the cage.

[CandoAviary]

My they have been busy

[poohbear]

I have some coming next week...I've read loads about these birds and the breeder I'm getting them from has loads of advice for me...The main thing being...DON'T KEEP CHECKING THE NEST ...THEY WILL DESERT. I for one will be taking that advice.

[L in Ontario]

I won't be checking the nest at all - makes it easier that I can't anyway since the entrance is towards the back of the cage and I just cannot get around to view it. So I'll only know when/IF I ever see fledglings.

[Finch13]

I have a pair that is sitting on 4 eggs. The female jumps out of the nest when she hears a really loud noise, they get scared really easily.Try not to do nest check.Goodluck.

[lovemyfinch]

That's a beautiful nest that they built there Liz..

[L in Ontario]

I have a pair that is sitting on 4 eggs. The female jumps out of the nest when she hears a really loud noise, they get scared really easily.Try not to do nest check.Goodluck.

Lucky you - congrats on the 4 eggs. I'll do as you say and not as you do. Good luck back at you.

[L in Ontario]

We were that close to having a Cuban chick!

I just began to change water and eggfood dishes after I got home from work today and found a dead hatching in the Cubans cage. Their eggfood dish was almost empty too. Damn!

I removed the chick and refilled the eggfood with more than usual. They both jumped down and began eating and took turns going into the nest.

Hopefully there are more and they will feed and keep them! At least I'm home tomorrow and can find tosslings in time to put them with my Soc's. Hope I don't have to though

[lovemyfinch]

alongside you.

[Domenic]

That really sucks! I hope there are more hatchlings tomorrow. What did the little chick look like? Was he fuzzy?

[L in Ontario]

That really sucks! I hope there are more hatchlings tomorrow. What did the little chick look like? Was he fuzzy?

He was as naked as could be. No fuzz at all. Just a regular pink chick - nothing out of the ordinary about him. If he was in with other chicks - I'd never be able to pick him out.

[albert]

Good luck, Liz

Hope the cubans will take care of the chicks for you, but if they don't and if you have to put them under societies, I still wish you do not have to, watch out closely to see how foster parents handle the chicks.

Last bird mart I had a chance to talk to a lady that fosters her birds all the time, at that time she was hand-feeding 2 cubans. As I went further to ask, she lost lots of cuban chicks under societies without knowing the reason behind it, but later revealed that cuban chicks beg straight up and try to grab the food like canary chicks, and that scared the fosters out of the nest as soon as the moment they hatch. So she had to hand-feed those remaining chicks.

Fingers crossed for your cuties.....

As a sad note, my first sea green PP female got her leg caught in the CHEAP breeding cage and died last week. Her first 2 eggs went under societies and they both got stuck in the shell when hatching. It's a double loss