How long will they sit?

[Tiaris]

Best way to get grass heads is to pick them off grass. With very few exceptions any grass with a seed head is good finch food. If you find a good patch, any excess can be frozen in plastic shopping bags. Coming up to winter seeding grasses can become scarce. Chickweed, panic veldt & winter grass are excellent geen winter staples.
Sprouted seed is easy to make. Soak some finch mix in water (I use a weak disinfectant/water solution to avoid spoilage) for half a day, strain off water & put into a clean bowl/bucket in a warm place & stir twice a day until you can just see small sprouts. Its then ready to feed. I do half a bucket full at a time (2 weeks supply) & freeze it.

[phear]

excellent. thank u very much for the info! i have been meaning to stop and get a heap of grass that has dried and gone to seed now that i know ill get a heap of it and freeze it, i was just thinking about them using it for nesting but if they love the seeds on it even better!
Cheers Jamie

[mattymeischke]

Hi, Jamie,
the dry seed is fine, but it is nutritionally just like the dry birdseed you get from the shop; the real nutritional value is in the green seeds which are semi-ripe and contain much more protein (necessary for growing chicks).
Pick some green seeds and some dry seeds, then see which one the birds prefer.
Good luck!

[iaos]

The pair in question have just had another failed round. Eggs were due about 7 days ago. They are still sitting tight.

[iaos]

Sooo...

This diligent pair has just had their 3rd failed attempt. They have been more or less sitting constantly since mid March. They only abandon the nest when I remove the eggs.

So, what to do now, they have been on a good wicket with a breeding pair of gouldians getting daily milk seed and seed heads. Should I move them into a flight cage to give them a break or should I let them go another round?

Cheers Ian

[elferoz777]

I would leave them to have a rest.

I would then off the cock and purchase another.

Limit your nest checks with these birds to zero and keep away from the nest area if possible.

Good luck

I have felt your frustration and it usually stems from a cock bird not filling eggs (well it was the case for some of my birds)

[iaos]

I just checked my notes on the pair. I probably let then try and breed too early... The cock bird is about 13 months and the hen only 11 months

Limit your nest checks with these birds to zero and keep away from the nest area if possible.

Yes I have read this as well, but as far as I can tell they have no issues sitting tight.

Cheers Ian

[E Orix]

Several months ago I had 2 females and a male Red Star that I didn't want so I let them go in a holding aviary
until I took them to a bird sale.
Today I realised that there were only 2 birds visible at one time. On checking I saw the third leave a nest.
I checked the nest and there were 3 infertile eggs in it, this is not normal but it happens. What was surprising was that those birds had been sitting way way beyond the 14 days needed for the eggs to hatch.
It must be weeks as all eggs were dry yokes rattling around in the shell. Generally most other species would leave the nest after 21 days yet Stars maybe different and need watching.

[Bmac27]

Is it possible the birds are over weight , or being disturbed during copulation ?
When I first started getting into finches I kept stars and they were among my best breeder , they were in with quite a few different species also .
I agree with the statement to stay well away from the nest but it is odd that they have failed so many times .
Cats at night or other nocturnal pests could be disrupting them at night and scaring them off the nest maybe ?
I don't think diet is the problem as I've had chicks reared on dry seed alone .
Good luck with them and persevere , if no luck split the pair and get a new cock bird .
Brad