First ever clutch ( Gouldian )

[finchbreeder]

Well you male has definately got his mojo on if he sat through that. Good luck for more chicks.

[PinsonBleu]

None of the five eggs hatched. I was pretty sad.

I let the parents sit on them untill they got bored. One late evening the female started sitting, but left and didn't go back. The next day the male didn't sit.

There was nothing developped inside the eggs. They were either infertile or development aborted very early.

Possibly 5 eggs were too many to be able to keep them warm as the female kept pushing the nesting material away to clear the bottom of the box. Or again, sterile from the start.

Anyway, after this big deception, I emptied the box, cut a piece of coconut fibre to put at the bottom ( see pics below ), stretching \ thining the central part for the eggs to ''sink'' there to dispell possibility of this problem happening again.

The pair got interested in the box again, but the male didn't really make a nest. Only a few strands. The female was happy-enough with the result and laied 4 eggs. Since there is not much in the way of checking inside, I could take nice pictures this time.

All four eggs hatched within two ''morning-checks'', but one chich was dead and kind of flat on the second check. It either died suffocated and ''spoiled'' before I scooped it out, or starved, or had a health problem or accident causing it to look pretty bad with a red sunken spot on the back.

( ugly ) Picture :



Now for some eye bleech, the first hatchling begging :



The three remaining chicks today :



I was a bit concerned the parents weren't feeding them but this afternoon I had the opportunity to check and the 3 chicks had full crops.

Hopefully this Christmass surprise continues well, on to a mid-January 3-chicks fledge.

After this clutch the female needs a rest, as it was her third in a year.

P.S. : Need I say the male got all excited this time again and started sitting pretty much all day at the first egg, which tipped me off they had bred again. Super daddy.

Oh and Merry Christmass. ( Joyeux Noël )

[finchbreeder]

Merry Christmas and congratulations to you and the birdies.

[PinsonBleu]

For the much appreciated help I got here, I wanted to show you the Summer's young finch with its colors :






He is so tiny but very colorful. A few juvenile feathers remain on the throat, probably untill next molt.

( The artificial light gives a yellow wash. )

[finchbreeder]

Very nice little family. Hope you had a great Christmas.

[PinsonBleu]

We had an extended family reunion, it was nice.

I hope you had a nice one too.

The chicks grow so fast. The hen stopped sitting on them at night 3 days ago.

Empty crops :



Almost full crops :

[finchbreeder]

Baby finches are so ugly - only their parents and we finch nuts could love them.

[Brisbane_Finches_333]

I'm very weird in that I love the look of baby finches - reminds me of when I used to see them in finch books when I was just starting out!

[Jessica]

The first time I saw a video of babies, with their faces turned upwards begging - it really freaked me out! They looked like aliens - with those glowing mouths! And no matter how many videos I've seen of it since then, it still gives me a chill.