Emblema Finch Question

[flippenheck]

Hi All

I have had a pair of Painted Firetails now for a few months and they have finally built a nest and laid eggs. I have kept a bit of dairy and they young should of hatched Aug 29th. Can I try and look in the nest, to see what is happening? Just want to make sure the hen isn't sitting on infertile eggs? I don't want to spook them on the other hand though! Any thoughts would be great from those of you that have kept this bird.

rgds
Andre'

[finchbreeder]

Just me. But I wouldn't in case you just haven't been listening at the right time and they do have chicks. As long as you have seen both parents at some time recently and don't suspect a tradgedy, leave it. If the eggs were infertile she will soon tire of sitting, come out rested and with luck go again.
LML
Good Luck

[Will_36]

I can only tell you that mine did the same thing. I let them go 5 days over and none hatched.Emptied the nest (eggs and all) and they built again in 2 locations and sat on no eggs for 18days.
I added another male and they built another nest and now have young.
So if they don't hatch in the 15-18 days (i added 5 more days to be safe) then make them start again. I have moved them of the nest to have a look on this last nest and it didn't seem to worry them but only to see if they had eggs.

[Mickp]

whatever I think the due date for the eggs is I always add an extra week to it. have been caught out to often over the years.
sometimes the first couple of eggs arent fertile but later eggs will be or there may have been a gap of an extra couple of days between eggs.
really though it comes down to being patient & always allowing the birds a bit of extra time. no human baby turns up on the day it is supposed to so why should birds hatch when we expect them to.

[finchbreeder]

Though birds do tend to turn up within a week of their due date.
Not like my kids neither of which got within 10 days of theit anticipated birthday.
So much easier to be a bird.
LML

[flippenheck]

Thanks for the replies. I have noticed that the birds are coming and going from the nest in turns. One of the them is always in there sitting though. When they first built the nest, I was able to a look into it and there where at least 3 eggs.

The last couple of weeks, they have been into the green seed heads that I put in and also the gents that I feed. It seems to be right, but unlike the gouldians you certainly can't hear the young calling for food. The nest has such a small entrance, that I wasn't really keen on getting a good look. With birds sitting so tight, I think I will take all of your advice and just wait. ;)

Andre'

[Bergerak]

I had a pair that nested for about 3 weeks and abandoned the nest and within 2 week made another one more like a huge canary type nest with bark, massive twigs etc and now have 4 babies going strong I think sometimes it's best to leave them do there thing rather than disturb the avairy while other birds are breeding.Emblems are pretty hardy but some species will abandon there nest if you start disturbing them . Good luck with your breeding mate