Aussie Finch Forum

Hi everyone, this is my first post!

I had 1 pr each of painteds, spice, stars, O-breasts, jackarines and cut throats in one of my aviaries and one morning found 3 dead painted chicks, 2 dead OB chicks and smashed star eggs. After observing the cutthroats moving in and out of the nest boxes while the other finches fed on seeding grasses one morning I caught and sold them thinking they were responsible.

A few weeks on and I have another round of smashed eggs, at least this batch of OB chicks are still alive.

Can anyone suggest what is the most likely culprit? I can't catch them out but I suspect the jackarine may be responsible.

Any thoughts?

mouse/mice?

Wouldn't mice eat the chicks and eggs if they've gone to the trouble of tossing them?

Do you have lots of nests so there is no need for any finch to want a nest currently in use? Are your nests spread out and of different types? Any way of rigging up a camera?
LML

Psmith wrote:Hi everyone, this is my first post!

I had 1 pr each of painteds, spice, stars, O-breasts, jackarines and cut throats in one of my aviaries and one morning found 3 dead painted chicks, 2 dead OB chicks and smashed star eggs. After observing the cutthroats moving in and out of the nest boxes while the other finches fed on seeding grasses one morning I caught and sold them thinking they were responsible.

A few weeks on and I have another round of smashed eggs, at least this batch of OB chicks are still alive.

Can anyone suggest what is the most likely culprit? I can't catch them out but I suspect the jackarine may be responsible.

Any thoughts?

I would of thought Cutthroats first then mice... if you have 12mm mesh sooner or later you will have vermin (guaranteed) and need atleast 3 nest boxes for every pair plus shrubbery for those (painteds stars etc) that prefer to build their own....

Hi Psmith and welcome to the Forum.
Jack