Gouldians Hatching!! *Pictures!*

chrischris · Post by **chrischris** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 11:10 pm

Ravyn just out of interest the three that died were they the three that the goudian parents took out of the nest?

Chris

Ravyn · Post by **Ravyn** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 2:00 am

Yes, Chris. All three that died were the first three that the mother pitched from the nest. She also pitched a fourth, who is still alive and seems to be doing fine.

Since the biggest chick is growing like gangbusters I'm going to do a pull tomorrow night and get at least him banded. Hopefully all four will be large enough to band them all at once so I don't have to pull them again. Not that the societies seem to care what I do. If its got a mouth they'll keep feeding it.

I'll take photos of them and the fledgling society when I do.

kiwi & mango · Post by **kiwi & mango** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 4:41 pm

glad to hear all the remaining chicks are doing well.

So by the sounds of it the first week all went well but when the second week came mama bird knew somthing wasn't quite right with those three chicks and tossed them

How old are the chicks now?

Ravyn · Post by **Ravyn** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 5:20 pm

The oldest three chicks hatched last Tuesday, making them ten days. The second three hatched that Wednesday (only one of which is left), and the youngest hatched that Friday.

On a funny note, I put the gouldian parents in the new flight cage (pictures forthcoming) and almost immediately the first thing the male did was start his little hoppy courtship dance in front of the female.

chrischris · Post by **chrischris** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 7:30 pm

I think they will breed again you should have a nest box for them.

chris

Ravyn wrote:The oldest three chicks hatched last Tuesday, making them ten days. The second three hatched that Wednesday (only one of which is left), and the youngest hatched that Friday.

On a funny note, I put the gouldian parents in the new flight cage (pictures forthcoming) and almost immediately the first thing the male did was start his little hoppy courtship dance in front of the female.

Ravyn · Post by **Ravyn** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 8:06 pm

Oh, I have no doubt they'd breed again if I popped a nestbox in there, but I want to give them and my societies a bit of a break...the societies moreso than the gouldians! It'll probably be April before I decide to have more finch babies, and I'll breed both pairs again.

Ravyn · Post by **Ravyn** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 11:59 pm

Ok, I don't know how, but somehow Baby lost his closed tag. I saw it on him as recently as two days ago when I pulled the dead babies out, so I don't know how he lost it. His leg looks fine, no scratches or abrasions and his toes are fine. The band didn't slip up his thigh or anything, it's just...gone. His purple open band is still in place.

Bleh.

Anyway, so pulled the babies to do some tagging. Got the two largest banded, but the two smaller still need a day or two before they'll be big enough. Their eyes are starting to open. You can see from the photos how full their crops are. The societies are literally stuffing the little guys!

Anyway, photos

This is Baby with the adopted younger siblings. S/he wasn't too happy with me taking them all out of the nest. S/he kept giving me dirty looks, but climbed on my fingers without an issue. S/he looks almost identical to my society hen.

I like this pic especially:

This is the biggest Gouldian chick. S/he is clearly not starving for any sort of grub. Apparently, given the contents of his crop, the societies forwent the egg food this evening and picked the millet clean. S/he was also very active, scooting around my hand and trying to climb off my fingers.

The other three weren't as active but were just as laden down with food as s/he was, so they may just have been too full to move! Cheeky little buggers, despite their full crops they begged me at least three times to feed them.

So I'm going to check tomorrow to make sure the bands have stayed on (though Baby has just proven they can lose them almost any time). On Saturday I'll try banding the smaller two.

Post by **Hilary** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 12:39 am

Aren't they the ugliest little beasties at that age? Boy, I love the little chicks. And your society is the cutest little thing!

jabo322 · Post by **jabo322** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 8:32 am

Very interesting and informative for me because I've never seen a baby bird that size. I would have thought those full crops were some sort of diseased growth!

FeatherHarp · Post by **FeatherHarp** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 8:37 am

Thanks for sharing the pics....they look so fragile I would be afraid to touch them...

kiwi & mango · Post by **kiwi & mango** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 10:54 am

\love the pictures...... but they are the uglest little things I have ever seen. But what beauties they turn into.

Ravyn · Post by **Ravyn** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 11:49 am

They are ugly...but that realm of 'so ugly they're adorable'. Like little fetal aliens.

Fledglings around Baby's age, I think, are my favorite age of finches. I love watching them as adults but the fledgling stage is not just adorable, but they are still at that stage where they aren't afraid of you and don't go zipping away at the first sign of your hand. I loved being able to hold Baby and have him watch me without any fear.

He's definately staying

kiwi & mango · Post by **kiwi & mango** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 6:56 pm

I guess it is hard to see them all grow and become adults and then see them off to a new home....

Are you keeping any or all of the new little ones?

Ravyn · Post by **Ravyn** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 7:25 pm

I am keeping the little society, and I am keeping one of the gouldian chicks. The other chicks all have homes waiting.

My hope is to get a bb/wb and introduce blue genes into the program. Right now I'm waiting to see if the babies come out all redheads or if I have any blackheads, which will determine if my male is a double-factor or a single-factor.

hilljack13 · Post by **hilljack13** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 8:50 pm

Awsome pics you got...They look like something from outspace but in a few months you will wonder how they used to look that way..

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Gouldians Hatching!! Pictures!