Finches nesting in the current hot weather.

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DerekO
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Posts: 26
Joined: 15 Mar 2022, 11:19
Location: Oxenford, Queensland

I have several pairs of gouldians and other birds all laying lots of eggs in many nest boxes. None of the eggs are hatching. My red siskin hen has been sitting on 5 eggs for several weeks. I have kept away from her for several weeks and she has stayed on the nest. Now she has been leaving the nest so I could take a peek. Now I am very dissapointed as this would have been my first siskin babies.
Is it the heat causing the bad results? I really feel sorry for the birds nesting in the heat.
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Craig52
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Posts: 4979
Joined: 11 Nov 2011, 19:26
Location: victoria

Pretty sure it's too early for red siskins to nest, it's too hot.
Gouldians on the other hand should be starting to nest now in our Autumn though to September/October which coincides with the wet season to the dry season.
They are still hard wired to weather conditions.
First season hens will stuff around abit so second year hens are abit more experienced and heat shouldn't effect their breeding. Nest boxes should be well ventilated for air flow and to remove humidity and placed well below the roof out of heat radiation. Hope this helps
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DerekO
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Posts: 26
Joined: 15 Mar 2022, 11:19
Location: Oxenford, Queensland

Thank you for your reply.
I have a several pairs of gouldians starting to nest at the moment. I purchased a pair of blues 2 weeks ago and they are in the nest already.
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Craig52
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Joined: 11 Nov 2011, 19:26
Location: victoria

I hope the blues are a split blue and a blue. Breeding blue to blue can have disastrous results for the the young that die with in 6 months.
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BrettB
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Posts: 470
Joined: 13 Jun 2012, 23:28
Location: Perth

Perth has hot dry summers, but I have not noticed any loss of fertility and hatching success of Gouldians nesting in the hottest months.
I agree with Craig though, microclimate is important. If they are in a tin box in the hot summer sun that is very different to under a shady tree, even if the temperature is 42 degrees in both.
I use an insulated roof on my aviaries to reduce the radiated heat
Humidity is important as well, but not usually a problem in Queensland

Cheers
Brett
"We don't see things as they are, we see things as we are ." Anais Nin
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