Hatching and then dying.

[kyle]

Hi all, I noticed my gold breast hen this morning was out of the nest eating with the male. She had been diligently sitting on eggs so it was odd to see her out. After an hour or so I became concerned so I checked the nest. There were four day old dead babies. This has happened twice in a row with this pair. They are almost 2 years old. Any idea on what is causing this?

[cindy]

It could be a gentic weakness, parasites the parents are passing to the young, internal issues. If the babies are not kept warm while not feathered and the parents are off of them for some time their body function slows as they are chilled, organs can shut down. Was there food in the crop?

[kyle]

cindy
They seemed to have died hours after hatching. They looked to be in perfect condition not a mark on them. The hen only left the nest after they had died. No food in their crop but don't think they were old enough to have their first feeding. I don't have live food but they have hard boiled egg with the egg shells, vegetables and vitamins. I really don't think it can be diet they eat better than I do. Because they were sitting on eggs I wanted to make sure they had lots of food for the newborns.

[Sally]

Some waxbills simply won't feed young if they don't have live food. If these are wild-caught Goldbreasts, that could be the case.

[cindy]

cindy
They seemed to have died hours after hatching. They looked to be in perfect condition not a mark on them. The hen only left the nest after they had died. No food in their crop but don't think they were old enough to have their first feeding. I don't have live food but they have hard boiled egg with the egg shells, vegetables and vitamins. I really don't think it can be diet they eat better than I do. Because they were sitting on eggs I wanted to make sure they had lots of food for the newborns.

Once hatched the young live off a yolk sac located in the belly(you can see it if you look at the belly) by day 2 to 3 if the babies are with the parents it should be absorbed. Parents will start feeding right about 24 to 48 hrs after hatching.

If you let them breed again, hopefully you will not loose anymore but if you do try to get a picture of their unders sides close up sometimes you can tell by the belly what is going on. I willsuggest you hold off on crushed eggshells when feeding young, grind them to a powder and offer them in a separate dish.