Finch Egg Incubation!

[Coturnix Quail]

Here are some pics I took this morning. Sorry for the quailty, (Get it?) The one eating is the 'beige', middle is for sure coturnix, and the back along with the second picture is 'tuxedo'.

I couldn't get too close and it was hard to get them clearly through the bars.

 

[Coturnix Quail]

Nevermind. She doesn't need to sell them younger, they are fine in the age they are. I'm really happy because I took my favorite beige one out with one of the less flighty Coturnix and the Coturnix I might not keep, but the beige is a definite. Within 10 minutes I was able to wrap my hands around her as she slept, but the only thing I have to do is lie down to get to their eye level because they feel more comfortable. I think I might really be able to get some tame quail! Also, are there any treats I can give them? The beige on started trying to dustbathe in the carpet! So cute! I'm pretty sure as soon as they're tame enough to go outside and walk around, the first thing I'm going to do is give them some sand.

 

[JaeG]

You can give them a few meal worms, alfalfa sprouts, I discovered mine love sunflower seed sprouts too. They can be cautious about new food so you may just have to offer it to them and wait for one to be brave and give it a go!

Sorry I didn't see this sooner - sometimes things don't come up in my 'Alerts'. It's kind of annoying!

 

[Coturnix Quail]

No problem! Thank you! The finches just gave up on the eggs, but they're all fertile! I don't know why they keep doing this.. What should I do?

 

[JaeG]

I have to say finches are frustrating! Fingers crossed they'll do better on their third try. Otherwise there is a chance they aren't a good pair match.

One of my Society finch males wasn't at all involved with his first mate, didn't help incubate or feed the babies, and they ended up abandoning their chicks at 2 weeks old. She was his only option at the time. But he recently chummed up with one of the offspring from my other pair and he helped out in the incubation, which he hadn't done previously. I think if we hadn't had that cold snap that killed their eggs he would've made a great father. They look like they'll try again though.

 

[Coturnix Quail]

Do finches just keep trying over and over again? Thats what happened with my pervious pair, although she stopped laying shortly before her death. I think she wanted to be a mother badly, she would sit on at least 9 eggs per clutch! She never ended up getting them to hatch, though. How old do breeders sell their chicks at? I really want a tame finch, but it isn't easy when they're grown up.

 

[JaeG]

It seems like they do just keep trying. Here you buy finches at the pet shop and they are generally young adults by then. And it depends where they come from as to whether they are used to people or not. My Java finch adults in the aviary are very highly strung and wild. My society finches aren't as wild but still cautious of us. Our Bourkes parakeets that have been raised in our aviary are 3 of the cheekiest little things and are constantly landing on me to check me out, flying around me, showing off. I think it helps they are 3 little boys. They are tamer than the two I hand reared, though I think those two have bonded with each other being a boy and girl.

We had a ring neck dove fly in one day and after quarantine she joined the aviary birds. They were all terrified of her to start with as she's so much bigger than they are, but things seem to have settled down now. But, though she doesn't like hands, she takes great delight in landing on heads! The young Bourkes have copied her and are now very confident about interacting with me.

I know some people hardly ever go into their aviary, but for me, most of the pleasure of having birds is interacting with them.

 

[Coturnix Quail]

Okay, thanks! I've never really hand-reared any birds except quail and chickens, but I feel anything smaller would be much, much harder. Poot layed another egg. She's a strange little girl, I do have to say!