Losing baby gouldians

[firetail]

Recently I have lost quite a few babies. This morning a nestling which was feathered up is dead in the nest and yesterday a younger one was dead in a different nest. The first of these was one of 4 which hatched and the others died almost immediately. These two both had full crops. Does anyone have a suggestion as to what I should be looking for to discover what is happening.
I have had good success in the past and don't think I'm doing anything different.
Thank you

[desertbirds]

Possibly the hen bird is not sitting on the young over night.What is the night time temps there. Is the aviary mouse free ect.No cats hanging around at night ? It seems if they are fed then there is an issue with the being left overnight. Good clutches can survive cold nights once they are feathered but if its a solitary nestilng and or not feathered it would struggle once the temp drops at night. If they are first time parents maybe they will get the hang of it .

[Lukec]

Hi

I have had similar issues before with first season birds.

The following year they triple clutched no problems.

[firetail]

Thanks for the feedback - I doubt it was cold as the nights have been mild and the aviary is internal to the house and there are no mice or rats or cats. One of the hens has laid another 3 eggs already so I'm hoping she's learnt the ropes and can get a new clutch through. Another hen has just hatched at least one baby in a hollow log (I cant see in very well and dont want to disturb her too much) this is the first time a gould has used the log in preference to the boxes. -

[Ripley]

Hi Firetail,
You appear to be going through the same sought of problems as I have been....

Just to tell a story, that is happening to me at the moment....

Last Sunday, I went to my 'one' pair of gouldians that have actually laid & hatched four young; and opening the nest box only found two young...The other two young had been thrown out! The thing that surprised me was that, they were the biggest chicks & one was below the nest box (which I would think would be correct) the other was on the other side of the cage...the cages are 90cm by 45cm by 45cm. The two birds were extremely cold, with full crops...but most importantly alive! I placed them back in the nest box. At about 4pm or so, that afternoon, I was changing their seed & taking out the softfood & limp endive and the two birds were back in the identical position, thrown out & cold, the same one under the nest & the other one the other side of the cage, 90cm away....my father told me later that he went a couple of hours eariler and saw what appeared two dead chicks on the floor of the cage. I must say when I first say them, they looked pretty dead to me, lifeless and cold..After, replacing the seed for the day i went to retrieve the 'dead' chicks and throw them in the trash.....to my amazement they were still alive & extremely cold....again I put them back in the nest...

Today they are still alive...Only bigger!

I was up at Elenbee seeds the other day and related this story to a canary breeder, who was there at the time; and he told me that if that happens to his canary chicks, he placed then in his cupped hands and blows on them, to warm them up...His therory is that the parents throw out cold chicks...It works fo him..
i actually forget what the meaning of this little story is..but I guess all I can say is adapt, each bird is different, and you will get to know your birds, and as much planning and research you do; it's not going to follow the formula, it's all different, but the same.(?)

It's as clear as mud!!

You are not alone!!!!! The experience here is second to none...

Cheers
Ripley

[ColouredFeathers]

Well said Ripley
All the years i have been breeding gouldians i still get chicks thrown out.
like ripley said each bird is different.
cheers flavio

[djb78]

I think that everybody gets chicks thrown out one time or another and some season would be more than others, its always sad to find dead chicks or thrown out live ones. The reasons why are numerous. What can be done to prevent this I don't have the answer but less checking/disturbing parents with young and eggs will help abit along with good food and fresh water there's not alot that can be done other than hope the parents will do their part. As for cold chicks on the floor I also warm them in my hands to get their temp up before replacing them back in the nest.