Help with Painted hen

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Annabayfinchlover
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Location: Anna Bay, Port Stephens

Hey guys,

I have a pair of Painted finches that have a clutch in the aviary (2mts (L) X 1.5 mts (W) X 2 mts (h)). Together with a pair of Stars. The Stars have fledged a clutch of 4 little ones around 2weeks out of the nest now. The Painted babies are around a week to two weeks old as I can now hear them chirping when being fed. All was going well until yesterday when the hen was looking a bit frazzled (feathers fluffed up a bit) but she was eating (and drinking) right up to almost sunset.

Overnight, we had one of the most coldest nights and this morning! All day today the female was nowhere to be seen. The male has been feeding the babies several times today.
Both usually come right close to my feed door when I put in their daily greens and live food (maggots and mini meal worms).

I'm hoping she hasn't died and even worse died in the nest.
My dilemma now is how do I check if she's died in the nest. If she has died in the nest, will this make the clutch eventually smell and rot? Do i need to get in and check where she is?
This aviary was my "do not disturb / enter" aviary as the I know both breeds are light nesters and any disturbance may make them dessert the nest??!! It's also a small aviary to get into without disturbing them... My Stars have even made another nest and I'm sure are sitting on eggs at the moment.

Any suggestions would be appreciated please??
Cheers,
Hao
Anna Bay
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Tiaris
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If she is in the nest dead you should be able to take her out & the cock is likely to continue rearing the young - they are generally excellent parents.
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Annabayfinchlover
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Thanks Tiaris!
So just enter the aviary and retrieve the hen out?
Do you think the Painted cock will desert the nest this close to fledging?
I guess I'll try to do it as quickly as possible to avoid minimal disturbance.
Cheers!
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Tiaris
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I doubt he will leave them.
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Annabayfinchlover
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Sadly I found the hen dead, behind a potted plant I had in the aviary. :(
The cock seems to be feeding the chicks well today but sometimes flying around chirping calling for his mate.

Thanks TIaris for you advice.
STUART WHITING
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Annabayfinchlover wrote: 31 May 2017, 15:27 Sadly I found the hen dead, behind a potted plant I had in the aviary. :(
The cock seems to be feeding the chicks well today but sometimes flying around chirping calling for his mate.

Thanks TIaris for you advice.
Sorry to hear about yer hen :cry: I'm sure that yer cock bird will be ok with the mentioned youngsters and as Tiaris has stated that painted's are normally quite good parents and he should continue to feed em :thumbup:

Hope all goes well for you,

Be lucky
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Annabayfinchlover
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Thanks Stuart!
By the way, I now have 3 little Painted fledglings just out of their nest today!
Hmmm it's so cold of a night here... down to 9 degrees. Should I somehow keep them warm overnight?

(Trying to upload some pics but it says the files are too big... so I'll need to reformat the pics and post later!)
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Tiaris
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They usually just huddle together on the ground overnight. This usually keeps them warm enough even when freezing.
STUART WHITING
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Annabayfinchlover wrote: 07 Jun 2017, 15:10 Thanks Stuart!
By the way, I now have 3 little Painted fledglings just out of their nest today!
Hmmm it's so cold of a night here... down to 9 degrees. Should I somehow keep them warm overnight?

(Trying to upload some pics but it says the files are too big... so I'll need to reformat the pics and post later!)
To be perfectly honest 9 degrees 48 Fahrenheit is not really that cold for em and as long as there is some kind of a shelter within yer flight IE at least 2-3 sides of the flight that are boarded or have plenty of cover like a few bushes just basically anywhere where they can huddle up together and out of any exposed winds and especially drafts they should all be perfectly OK.

Yep I've had exactly the same problem with loading pics aswell, the only way I've found it to work is by using me iPad as I use the same iPad for the forum and it seems to load ok but occasionally a few pics still don't load up and just have to keep on taking a few different pics from various distances until certain pics load up :thumbup:

Be lucky
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finchbreeder
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Some low bush/perching just above ground leval is always good for any fledglings to huddle together on.
LML
LML
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