MIA Gouldian Finch Chicks

A family emergency left my birds to fend for themselves for a lot longer then normal. I returned to find only one Gouldian Finch chick in the nesting box and the other two were missing. I quick scout of the aviary floor produced one chick alive and well that had tried the leap of faith a little too early. The other took sometime to locate; it was dead in the front corned of the nesting box under some grass (causes unknown).

The feathered chick should be flying around within a few days.

9/2 Lost my smaller Gouldian finch yesterday. It way half way across the aviary (too far for the amount of feathers it had) and found my other nearly fledged one out of the box again this morning, I returned it by but it was dead when I got home from work today in a similar position to the other.

Lost all my Gouldian finch chicks which is really shitty to say the least. Maybe inexperienced parents or maybe vermin (although no evidence of late and I do bate where the food is kept)

Lost a Gouldian Finch chick

Unfortunately I have lost one of my Gouldian Finch chicks. It has been pushed from the box (presumably). I was shocked to find only three chicks in the box, I later found the fourth lifeless chick on the ground after I lot of searching.

Gouldian Finch - Chicks

The very vocal for there size Gouldian Finch chicks are growing well and starting to fledge.

They have sacks around there necks that seem to be filled with seed.

I have only just dared to pick them up as the seem so small and breakable.

I plan to trade the chicks for other Gouldian Finch
         blood lines or other finches.

He bit me!!

As with all my birds my Green Cheek Conures are getting tamer with time as they get used to my daily appearance in the cage. They have been coming down almost grabing the fresh fruit or vegies out of my hand each day. Today however one swooped down a bit my thumb knuckle as a placed some carrot down and drew blood.

I expect to get bitten when catching birds or in the case of "Nippet" my hand raised Indian Ringneck around mating/nesting times but this totally caught me off gaurd.

Hopefully I can turn this lack of fear into being able to handle them possible while feeding rather than just an all out attack each time.

Freebies

I have managed to score some free aviaries and cages.
















The first was a aviary advertised on Gumtree and although it has some rust on one side and at the door I have made some repairs; it will make a nice chook pen and allow me to separate my chickens from my birds. Although I still will use my chooks as cleaners of the aviary floor from time to time.

Second was some cages on the side of the road. Always handy to keep birds in when a good clean out of aviaries is required and to separate birds if needed.

Gouldian Finch Chicks

My Gouldian hen has hatched four chicks out of five eggs.

She actually gave me a look when she exited the box for the first time yesterday.

They are very tiny as to be expected and quite ugly with the little shiny growths on the side of there beaks.

I very stoked to get my first success with finches. 

The female has done all of the sitting on the eggs that I have witnessed occasionally joined by the male (even though I have read they share). The male has spent more time in the box since the chicks have hatched however.

The chicks have grown quickly and there parent have allowed me good access as the spend most of the day out of the nesting box.

Another Rescue Mission

Where I work its a big glass building and we tend get a few birds hit from time to time. This poor little King Fisher was stunned and unable to move after a hard hit. 

Happy to say it made a full recovery after some quiet time in a dark cardboard box and flew away after a few hours later.

Gouldian Finches

I though I had lost my Gouldian finch female, after believing for a moment she had escaped I found her in the nesting box.

They have added to the dried grass I put in there and I'm unsure how many eggs she has as I don't want to spoil any nesting activity.

The Gouldians have added to my Bourkes in a late summer/early Autumn nesting that I have not had in previous seasons.

Bourke Parrot - Second Clutch

My Bourke female has decided to sit on a second clutch for the season. I did expect it after her first clutch failed to hatch a egg.

She has been very protective from the start this time and she is sitting on four or more eggs (she wont give me decent look).

Hopefully this clutch will be more successful for her. 

Worming

All my chicks are fledged so time to worm all my birds. Twice a year occurance for me but I have had advice to worm even up to three times a year.

It seems to be a common occurance when I purchase a bird from expirienced breeder that they tell me if the bird has been wormed or about the importance of worming and I thus pass this same advice on to the people who purchase my birds.