Aussie Finch Forum

Just been out to the aviaries this afternoon to find one of our male yellow painteds has died.. Looks to be a fright and he has hit the wire :/

He and his girlfriend have 4 babies in the nest, which we have left for the time being as they looked quite happy with full crops. And we have seen her sitting on them in the last couple of days..

But just wondering if they generally share the job, or mummy does most of it, whether we might encounter problems as daddy has died now etc??

We're going to check them again first thing in the morning, and again tomorrow afternoon, but just thought we better get some advice asap before we may have to intervene...

Cheers

Mummy and daddy share both jobs of keeping them warm and feeding. Dint know if mum will finish off the job without him or let them perish. You could wait and see what happens or try and hand rear the young (big job), if possible can you transfer them under another pair with young of same size.

Unfortunately we don't have any more with young under them, so it will be a wait and see and go for the hand rearing if need be!!

Fingers crossed!

I would only do one nest check a day as she may desert chicks with too many checks in 1 day
Do u have any Zebra or Bengalese you could foster them under if she deserts.

Nope, don't keep any zebs or bengs.

We don't have to go into the nest physically, it's kind near the entrance to the aviary and you can see straight into it from a good metre away, so wouldn't be invasive.

Will just have to keep an eye on it and see how we go :/

If you need a hand....

Fingers crossed it wont have to come to that spanna!!!

THANKFULLY (in a way) the male who died was actually the partner of our other female painted.
So the babies are all kicking along fine with mummy and daddy still feeding