Been a bad couple of months

[Diane]

You had better prepare yourself cranberry its getting that way again later next week

[gomer]

A wise old finch breeder from way back once said to me " If you have alive birds you also have dead ones " This is very true with finch breeding.
Although there are many things already mentioned by others to minimise this. I have lost a similar amount this winter maybe about 6% of stock. I have not removed boxes myself though as my birds are in mixed avairies.

[finchbreeder]

Have young in the nest now. The Gouldians who have used wooden boxs in the shelter have all raised successfully. The only ones I lost were the YB's young who died overnight in the metal float nest out in the flight (covered) but a very heavy thunderstorm that night. Cold here but not under 3 degrees so obviously relative.
LML

[Redwing]

Sorry to hear about your gouldian young Cranberry hope things improve once the weather warms up. My pair fledged 5 a month ago and thought they'd finished till I found a single newly hatched chick 5 days ago. Don't like his chances being a single chick in this weather but what's interesting is both parents are spending most of the day in the nesting box with him instead of taking it in turns.

[Diane]

Ive found more of my bids spending longer in the nests too. I had one pair, you wouldn't have thought there were any birds in the cabinets at all, that's all they did, sit in the nest together, they even divided up the eggs.

[Redwing]

Do they usually do that if they breed in winter? You wouldn't think it could happen in the wild as they wouldn't have enough time to search for food.

[Diane]

This did seems a little out of the ordinary, this pair just relied on room service, they now have nicknames John and Yoko!
for those too young to remember
http://www.beatlesbible.com/1969/05/26/ ... -montreal/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;