gouldians go slow

[branchez]

S poke to a friend today who yesterday had 4 fully feathered with full crops ready to
fledge die on the same night,it has been cold but you would 4 birds fully feathered
would keep each other warm especially in a nest box.

[finchbreeder]

Had a bad start to the season, loosing 3 hens. So with 5 pairs and a couple of spare cocks. Only 1 pair seems to be interested in getting the job done. 5 healthy chicks. Yes it is the cock that produced 17 chicks last year. But the other cocks that have mates are all 1st timers.
LML

[mr.fox]

Having poor Gouldian results here too. First round in Feb/March was fine, but lost majority of chicks in the nest since (at 2-5 days old.) compare this to last year when I bred 25 chicks from 3 pairs with virtually nil losses. Has been very cold and wet here of late though. Poor results even extending to Emblemas ( have not nested since early December)

[berniep]

hi Guys, I am new to the forum and this is my first post. I live in the northern suburbs of Melbourne, 6 years breeding Gouldians and this is the first time I have seen parents stop feeding young that are almost fully feathered, one nest I had 4 young, 3 blue and 1 looked like being a silver ready to leave nest, parents stopped feeding and all died. I know from talking to other gould breeders in Melbourne that this happening to them. Must be something in the air !!!

[Ripley]

Hello All,

I've only had one pair that laid & hatched four young...After three days two young were thrown out...I put them back in the box. By day ten, two young were found dead dead in the box, but frozen in the begging position... I removed those & next morning all chick's were dead, but most surprising, was the cock was dead below the nest box.
No idea why, although my thinking is that, initially I bought four gouldians from a dealer & out of the four, one remains, all have died, even after, hundreds of dollars spent at the vet! No other bird bought from breeders has caused me too many problems.
My thinking is, I have started the flock this year, with young birds; and I'm praying that next year will be better...
Cheers,
Ripley

[ColouredFeathers]

Welcome to the forum berniep
Had a good start to the season breed a few gouldians and
now lost a few its a very cold winter this year, thats the way it happens same time take the good
with the bad thats gouldian breeding.
cheers flavio

[finchbreeder]

Very strong winds 120kmph and wet 40mm last 24 hours, birds coping, but a bit unhappy.
LML

[steve23]

Dam so many sad stories I feel the pain of losing chicks , early this year my first time breeding Goulds the parents abandoned the nest. Same parents second round have a massive clutch of 7 chicks ready to fledge in the next few days, which has me worried thinking after reading this thread, maybe I have not lost any is because so many keep each other warm. My fear now is when they do leave the nest

[Tiaris]

Extra body warmth of larger clutches definitely increases their chances of surviving the coldest nights. I don't get as cold as some of you but still lose more than a handful of young Gouldians each Winter - usually smaller clutches or one rolling away from its siblings at 10 to 12 days old when an extra cold night hits. Already lost about 10 like this so far this season but have 40+ independent & more on the way so I'm happy to take the bad with the good secure in the knowledge that the more robust young make it through as in nature.

[berniep]

Hummm, doesn't get any better where i am. update to my last post, i had a nest with 15 day old chicks, looks like 2 silver, 2 blue and a split. Parents just left them, really cold night last night, all chicks dead this morning. One thing I have noticed with this pair is that I have not seen the cock feeding young at all, maybe the hen has tried hard but has just had enough ??? Any thoughts ?? Perhaps the birds have been expecting an EARTHQUAKE, man you should have seen our pet cockatiel freek about 30 seconds BEFORE we felt the tremor.