Gouldian finch forum - gouldianfinches.eu

 
 Hello from Thailand.  I would like advise about a pair of Gouldian Finches I am concerned about.  

The pair were in a  non breeding mixed species aviary.   

After moving them from a mixed species non breeding aviary to a flight cage they got straight down to building a nest and the chicks hatching over 1 weeks ago.

However, the last few days the pair is acting strange.  I noticed the female looking ill sitting on the cage floor, and she seemed too weak to fly and wobbly.  The next day she was back in the nest but I never saw the female for days after that and the chicks stopped calling or making any sound.  I can not see into the nest.

I thought the female might have died on the nest and the babies starved with the dead bird covering them.  Today I was about to take out the nest to have a look.  I am glad I did not because I saw the female flying about normally in the cage and going back into the nest.  I still did not hear any chick calling.  But several hours lager I could hear the begging sound of a chick loudly.  

Now the female spends all the time on the nest, and the male does not seem to go in and feed the chicks.

I wish I had used a wooden nest box so I could see what is going on, and how many chicks there are.  It sounds like there is only one.  I used a woven basket next and this is in the roof space of the cage so I can't get to it without disturbing them.  

Is it normal for the female to spend all the time in the nest at this late stage after the chicks hatch?  Do all the chicks call together and sound like one bird, or do you think they only have one chick?  

Also they refuse all egg food, dry or moist, even home make hard boiled egg and sprouted seeds they won't eat.  I found some wild grass they love growing outside my house, and use this today.. they do love to eat the green seeds off that.  I worry they are not getting enough nutrition for the babies.  All my other birds eat the egg food like its candy.

Thanks ..