Zeebs not warming their chicks
Posted: 23 Aug 2020, 02:22
Hello. I have a pair of zebra finches that are, by zeeb standards, morons.
They have finally managed to hatch chicks AND remember to feed them, but after a week, seemed to just stop sitting the nest altogether. Every time I come in, the poor chicks are huddled up like raisins, frozen and shivering. They still feed the babies, and the hen sits on them at night, but otherwise don't seem to sit on them much, if at all. One day I'm going to come in and find dead chicks. I'm surprised these chicks even exist at all, their father is 11 years old. Any of you pros out there know if it's best to pull them for hand rearing?
I have them in my hand right now while the parents continue to beep-derp-beep and play with mealworm skins on the floor of the cage.
I have experience successfully hand raising zeebs, even from day 1 once, so it's not an issue. I would just rather not pull them if I don't have to, as their chances of surviving are slimmer with a human parent.
They have finally managed to hatch chicks AND remember to feed them, but after a week, seemed to just stop sitting the nest altogether. Every time I come in, the poor chicks are huddled up like raisins, frozen and shivering. They still feed the babies, and the hen sits on them at night, but otherwise don't seem to sit on them much, if at all. One day I'm going to come in and find dead chicks. I'm surprised these chicks even exist at all, their father is 11 years old. Any of you pros out there know if it's best to pull them for hand rearing?
I have them in my hand right now while the parents continue to beep-derp-beep and play with mealworm skins on the floor of the cage.
I have experience successfully hand raising zeebs, even from day 1 once, so it's not an issue. I would just rather not pull them if I don't have to, as their chances of surviving are slimmer with a human parent.