Chicks passing days from leaving nest.

[Lachlan1]

Hi team,

I currently have one pair of longtails and they've gone to nest and raised chicks 3 times now. The only thing is when they are only a few days from leaving the nest they all die... I've never seen anything like it before. They are always fully feathered.

Can anyone offer any insight as to what this might be? It's driving me nuts.

[noah.till]

Very odd in my opinion
Is the diet changed around at all during that time, are the nests sheltered from direct sun and wind and rain?
Thanks
Noah Till

[Lachlan1]

No diet change. They are fed a well rounded diet. Yes, they are away from direct sunlight as well as the wet and cold.

It's so bizarre... The first time I thought it was just bad luck. But 3 times only a few days out is strange.

They are housed with gouldians and red faced parrot finches. None of which have shown any interest in the nest or are overly aggressive.

[noah.till]

That is certainly odd indeed, do the chicks look normal when you pulled them from the nest dead?
Thanks
Noah Till

[finchbreeder]

Just making sure I understand the timing. Is it a couple of days before they are due to fledge? or a couple of days after they fledge? that they die? If it has happened 3 times is the cock driving the hen back to nest too soon? If so he may need a 2nd mate (if Longtails will do that) Don't have Longtails, so thinking of things that have caused problems with other finches.
LML

[Rod_L]

Shaft-tail finches won't breed in a trio. It's 1pr per nest and the babies should go back to the nest for the first few weeks after fledging. Then they either sleep on a perch or move into another nest. Sometimes the parents build a new to for the second batch and the first batch of young roost in the nest they hatched in.

Black hearts/ Shaft-tail finches can prevent Gouldians from breeding by driving them away from nesting sites.

Shaft-tail and Gouldian finches should be kept in colonies and allowed to pair off naturally rather than putting 2 birds together and hoping they will breed. If you only have 1pr, perhaps get a couple more pairs and see if that fixes the problem.

[finchbreeder]

Shaft-tail finches won't breed in a trio. It's 1pr per nest
Thanks for clarifying that Rod. Had the feeling that was the case. Adding extras of their own kind - good thinking.
LML

[Talven]

Have all of the chicks passed at about the same age? Have you had successful clutches from this pair before? I would suggest that you take the dead fledglings to a vet for a autopsy. Things that come to mind are some sort of infection. Possibly a crop issue. Mild enough for the parents to cope with but enough to take down the hatchlings/fledglings.