Babies

jeanne223 · Post by **jeanne223** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 8:19 am

Hi,
I haven't been on since I lost all my gouldian eggs last month. Just wanted to let everyone know I am excited as my pair of Gouldians have successfully (so far) laid and hatched babies. I am being very careful not to disturb them too much as I think last time that is what went wrong. It appears to be at least three hatched out and I could hear them all peeping this morning. My question is how long will it be before I can safely take a peek without disturbing the peace. I live in Virginia Beach, Virginia in case I haven't said that in my profile. Also, should I feed them anything special?
Thanks,

B CAMP · Post by **B CAMP** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 9:15 am

Well I have got to the point of not looking until they fledge,If I look before that i have problems not worth the chance for me. Are you feeding lots of eggfood,millet,soaked seed,those are easy for the chicks to digest. Good luck

jeanne223 · Post by **jeanne223** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 9:52 am

I was feeding egg food for sometime before they laid the eggs however, they really were not too fond of it. I give them lots of millet. By soaked seeds do you mean to wet their seeds? I have not done that. I have been successful with my Zebras just using the eggfood and millet.
thanks for your help. I really do love these little finches. I have cockatiels and a conure also but have to admit these little guys are such fun.

B CAMP · Post by **B CAMP** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 11:41 am

jeanne223 Check out this link on soaked seed,keep feeding your egg food or just hard boil a couple eggs ,take a small amount mash with a fork and give to them take out what they don't eat in a couple hours cause it can get to hot and spoil you can keep in fridge.for a few days,I would give them as much as they will eat morning and afternoon
http://www.finchforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=3734

debbyloo · Post by **debbyloo** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 1:03 pm

My gouldian pair are at the same stage as yours I think, and I am afraid to peek as well! This will be the first family for this pair, and my first experience with raising gouldians to boot. I am trying to sleuth around in order to figure out if their eggs have hatched, but I'm pretty sure they have. Instead of the hen incubating steadily all day and night with an occasional swap out with the male, they are both coming and going quite a bit, and each one will stay in the box a little while, or sometimes both. I am hearing soft little chick begging noises, especially when they are both in the box, and they are going through about 3/4 cup of the moist crumbled cornbread egg food stuff a day plus lots of grated veggies, millet, etc. I too will give soaked seed a try! Thanks for the link.

Question - does the hen ever make soft begging chick noises while in the box, maybe to entice the male to come in? Or, are these sounds validation that there are indeed chicks in the nest? I ask because I guess there is always the possibility that the first clutch of eggs didn't hatch and they are starting over with breeding inside the box and new eggs. Don't you wish you had x-ray vision like superman!

B CAMP · Post by **B CAMP** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 1:23 pm

debbyloo
Your probably hearing chicks wanting feed, If this is there first clutch I would not take a chance just wait it won't be long till you know for sure,don't want to upset them at this point.Just keep the good foods coming

L in Ontario · Post by **L in Ontario** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 1:52 pm

debbyloo wrote:and they are going through about 3/4 cup of the moist crumbled cornbread egg food stuff a day plus lots of grated veggies, millet, etc.

Wow - that's a lot of food each day! Congratulations - they must have a 'mittfull' of chicks in there!

Post by **Hilary** » Thu Oct 16, 2008 7:24 pm

I have certain birds that "talk" in the nest. Within a couple of days you'll know that you have gould babies, though - they quickly get LOUD.