Baby tossing

13 Dec 2015, 14:13

Hi everyone, I have been watching a nest of 6 painteds for the past week or so, they are in a cane basket. All had full crops and looking healthy. I am now finding them on the floor one or two at a time dead and covered in ants. One of my birds is kicking them out, I have a 1.8 by 1.8 aviary with a pair of scarlet chested parrots, a pair of longtails, a pair of painted and one zebra finch (white and sex indeterminable) which is my daughters. Any suggestions on who the culprit may be? I have seen the zebra going in and out of the best box that my longtails were interested in. My scarlets have just fledged a baby and there is one more in the nest.
Thanks
David

13 Dec 2015, 15:06

Could be longtail or zeb...how many nests per pair? Or are they bailing because of heat?

13 Dec 2015, 15:33

My painted's usually toss when it starts getting too hot. Found a few thrown out today, actually.

13 Dec 2015, 20:22

Shouldn't be the heat given temps over the past week or so here in Sydney, could be the longtails but I would be looking at mice or maybe ants themselves, given they have full crops. 6 per nest, wow, best I have done is 3 but find them a real enigma. Pay no attention they do well, look after them and they puzzle you.

Good luck.

Ken.

27 Dec 2015, 00:30

I think the parents have kicked them out, I have had that happen a few times, I even had one my painted pairs stop feeding there young & they were already out of the nest, I also did some work in my aviary one day about 2 feet from a painted nest & they just tossed the babies on ground with full crops, in other aviary my painteds just stopped sitting on there babies, babies died with full crops, I don't have mice that could have put parents off nest, I have not had mice in aviaries for a long time since I concreted the floors, I have also lights in all my aviaries so if parents were disturbed at night they should be able to get back to nest.
I just think there are certain pairs that are a bit too touchy for some reason

27 Dec 2015, 04:44

BlackCobra wrote:I think the parents have kicked them out, I have had that happen a few times, I even had one my painted pairs stop feeding there young & they were already out of the nest, I also did some work in my aviary one day about 2 feet from a painted nest & they just tossed the babies on ground with full crops, in other aviary my painteds just stopped sitting on there babies, babies died with full crops, I don't have mice that could have put parents off nest, I have not had mice in aviaries for a long time since I concreted the floors, I have also lights in all my aviaries so if parents were disturbed at night they should be able to get back to nest.
I just think there are certain pairs that are a bit too touchy for some reason

I'd have to disagree with your last statement. ..there is always a reason why birds do things...you just have to eliminate each perceived problem. .be it nest inspections. .incorrect diet..stress...etc etc