How long should I let them sit if not hatching?

Need some general finch keeping help? Ask your questions here.
Post Reply
User avatar
Abarratt
...............................
...............................
Posts: 39
Joined: 01 Oct 2012, 19:11
Location: VICTORIA

I have a young pair of Green Singers. Bonded well with male feeding female and he is a great singer.

I know this is not the normal breeding season but they built a nest and sat for a week in October or so and abandoned the best.

In late October they built a new nest and I can see 3 eggs. She has been sitting for about 2 weeks and nothing yet.

If they don’t hatch this week should I throw out the eggs or just leave her to deal with it? Will she build a new nest or toss out the eggs herself??

Adrian
STUART WHITING
...............................
...............................
Posts: 343
Joined: 03 Jun 2017, 18:30
Location: England

Abarratt wrote: 14 Nov 2017, 07:06 I have a young pair of Green Singers. Bonded well with male feeding female and he is a great singer.

I know this is not the normal breeding season but they built a nest and sat for a week in October or so and abandoned the best.

In late October they built a new nest and I can see 3 eggs. She has been sitting for about 2 weeks and nothing yet.

If they don’t hatch this week should I throw out the eggs or just leave her to deal with it? Will she build a new nest or toss out the eggs herself??

Adrian
Hi there Adrian,

I'd leave the hen to sit for a further week upto around 20-21 days as this will be a full 3 weeks and sometimes birds can take a little longer in the hatching cycle, if they've not hatched by this time it'd most probably be one of two reasons, Infertile or dead in shell,

If the outcome dosen't prove to be fruitful I'd then rest the pair and then try to condition them up gradually until a sensible breeding time has been worked out again for em :thumbup:

Be lucky
User avatar
Craig52
...............................
...............................
Posts: 4979
Joined: 11 Nov 2011, 19:26
Location: victoria

Up to fourteen days is the usual hatching time, if they have gone well over that remove the eggs and the nest. imo Craig
User avatar
Abarratt
...............................
...............................
Posts: 39
Joined: 01 Oct 2012, 19:11
Location: VICTORIA

Thanks. I’ll give them until Sunday.
User avatar
elferoz777
...............................
...............................
Posts: 1750
Joined: 01 Feb 2012, 22:15
Location: Fairy Meadow, NSW

Id go one step further and candle/open the eggs at day 21.

Interesting to see if there were any dead in shell or all clear.
Breeding Project 2020-2025.
agate mosaic canaries, agate yellow mosaic canaries, red zebs, self bengos and goldfinch mules.
User avatar
Alf63
...............................
...............................
Posts: 168
Joined: 31 Oct 2011, 13:20
Location: victoria

I would remove the eggs. My Singer pairs have now stopped for the year and will restart in Autumn when the heat is over.

I wouldn't always remove the nest as my pairs regularly reuse the same nest during the season if they find a spot they like.

Regards

Alf63
STUART WHITING
...............................
...............................
Posts: 343
Joined: 03 Jun 2017, 18:30
Location: England

elferoz777 wrote: 14 Nov 2017, 11:06 Id go one step further and candle/open the eggs at day 21.

Interesting to see if there were any dead in shell or all clear.
Quite agree Steve, is why I said leave for another week as there'd be nothing to lose :thumbup:
alvin

Craig is correct and the breeding season has ended, do the eggs look fertile, if you 100% sure she has been sitting for more than two weeks, throw the eggs out.
User avatar
CathyCraftz
...............................
...............................
Posts: 250
Joined: 14 Apr 2018, 12:21
Location: Sydney, NSW

If you want to stop her from laying more eggs until the official breeding season, gradually replace the real eggs with dummies. She will the feel no need to lay any more.
Have a nice day!
Sincerely, Cathy
“It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” – Albus Dumbledore
Post Reply

Return to “Finch Discussion & Questions”