gouldian breeding question

dfcauley · Post by **dfcauley** » Sat Sep 13, 2008 8:57 am

I have a hen that has raised two babies and gone back to nestling.
The first time she laid four eggs. She was sitting all day and coming out at night to perch with the cock. After a few days of this I tossed the eggs. (hope this was the right thing to do)
She started again and is sitting on four more eggs. In the day only. And all day. Again at night.... out she comes. Should I toss the eggs again?
I don't know why she is doing this because she has already successfully raised some babies.

Any ideas?

B CAMP · Post by **B CAMP** » Sat Sep 13, 2008 9:14 am

I had the same thing I don't know how but the eggs hatched there were two chicks ,she sat all day but not at night unless she sat when I was in bed
So I think I would wait and see before you toss

poohbear · Post by **poohbear** » Sat Sep 13, 2008 11:10 am

For Gods sake don't chuck the eggs this is normal behaviour.Many birds don't sit tight for the first week.It's Mother Natures way of having the eggs hatch about the same time, otherwise only the first hatched would survive.

L in Ontario · Post by **L in Ontario** » Sat Sep 13, 2008 11:28 am

This is a VERY timely post as I too have a pair of LG's that had SEVEN eggs as of yesterday. But the female also is out of the nest at night. She's a proven hen for me last season and sat much better than this time round. And this male is not helping with the incubating - the bum.

dfcauley · Post by **dfcauley** » Sat Sep 13, 2008 12:51 pm

poohbear wrote:For Gods sake don't chuck the eggs this is normal behaviour.Many birds don't sit tight for the first week.It's Mother Natures way of having the eggs hatch about the same time, otherwise only the first hatched would survive.

Well first of all I would have NEVER chucked the eggs had I known.
I was sure I had read that the birds once they started incubating the eggs they had to continue or if the eggs got cold at night they would die in the shell? Am I crazy or did I read this?
So .... now I know and once again have learned something from this forum. Thank you.

poohbear · Post by **poohbear** » Sat Sep 13, 2008 2:20 pm

Eggs will 'keep' about a week without continuous incubation...providing temperatures don't get too low.Many canary breeders over here remove the eggs and replace with dummy eggs until they think the hen has laid the full clutch...then put them back in the nest.

B CAMP · Post by **B CAMP** » Sat Sep 13, 2008 2:43 pm

Thinking back you aren't the only one that thought that they had to keep sitting for the eggs to hatch ,I tossed four eggs from nest when they didn't sit at night

I am sure I read that somewhere too,
I think this thread is good info. for a lot of us

poohbear · Post by **poohbear** » Sat Sep 13, 2008 2:56 pm

Don't take my comments as Gospel...birds do abandon eggs occasionally...I'm just saying don't act too hastily, and give them a chance.

poohbear · Post by **poohbear** » Sat Sep 13, 2008 2:57 pm

Whoops!!....sticky finger.

dfcauley · Post by **dfcauley** » Sat Sep 13, 2008 7:24 pm

Well this hen is sitting all day long. Then each night about eight, she is coming out and roosting on a swing with the cock. I will just wait and see what happens. Maybe tonight she will stay in. The aviary temp does not drop below 70 at night.

poohbear · Post by **poohbear** » Sun Sep 14, 2008 5:43 pm

I did have one hen that repeatedly left the nest at night...I cured it by leaving just the lower perches in the cage...birds prefer roosting at the highest point available...so at night the only choice they had was the nest box,which was mounted externally...so they couldn't roost on the top either.
Result?...they both went in the nest at night.

dfcauley · Post by **dfcauley** » Sun Sep 14, 2008 5:51 pm

Well that is not an option for me since I have an open aviary.
So far they are sitting tight all day and out at night. We will see what happens tonight. They didn't do this with the last clutch so I don't know what their problem is this time.

williep · Post by **williep** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 10:10 am

I also leave them for at least 2 weeks just to be sure. Not that it's been helping in my case as they lay 3-4 eggs then incubate religiously for a day or two and then just abandons the whole idea. The cock then stuffs more nesting material onto the eggs and they try again. One would imagine that they are Zebras who are notorious for this practice. But I did make sure again this morning, they are gouldians! Any ideas on this one?

L in Ontario · Post by **L in Ontario** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 10:23 am

williep wrote:I also leave them for at least 2 weeks just to be sure. Not that it's been helping in my case as they lay 3-4 eggs then incubate religiously for a day or two and then just abandons the whole idea. The cock then stuffs more nesting material onto the eggs and they try again. One would imagine that they are Zebras who are notorious for this practice. But I did make sure again this morning, they are gouldians! Any ideas on this one?

How old are these Gouldians?

williep · Post by **williep** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 10:28 am

One pair is still young 2007, the other pair I'm not sure (pet shop, yes I know!). So it might be inexperience. We've come to the end of our season, or so I've heard so I'll let them try again next year I suppose.