Might have a squab!

[CochinBrahmaLover]

That's probably why you lost squab 2, feedings should be every 2 hours. If they aren't eating well as they get older (or their crops arent emptying) then space it out to every 3 hours, then gradually work up to 4 hours. So sorry for the loss, but increase feeding amounts!
Best of luck! Hope this little one pulls through!

 

[Kleonaptra]

G'day mate, this is my first time raising a squab but Ive done bird rescue and raised little birds such as sparrows and once a silvereye, for them I would do 20min feedings. Its been recommended 3 hr feeds but the little crop is just way too full at 3hrs. I think I mentioned somewhere in this thread that I check at 3hrs but if the crop is too full then I check every 20mins or so, and its been working out 4hrs. At the last feed, at 4pm, it still had a little in the crop but was just begging for a feed so I went ahead and gave him a sip...The crop blew up like a balloon! I think a lot of people get excited by the cheeping and over feed, I lost a sparrow like that once because my brother was watching it and he said it was hungry so he just kept feeding it. I worry about the crop being over full and food spoiling in it and I worry about damaging it, so, yes, Im doing the over mommy bit and checking on him very frequently, but the feeds are working out 4hrly.

Thanks for your interest, I absolutely adore zebra finches, there were some wild ones at my last property that got very tame with me, I miss them a lot. When I build my new big pigeon coop I might have to get some finches. We have wild ones, with red tips on their faces. Some brought down tiny babies today, really nice to watch. Ive been wondeering about finch eggs - how tiny are they?

 

[Kleonaptra]

Yeah mate I really dont think it was the feeding. As I mentioned Im doing the frantic mommy bit and checking them frequently, but the crops are full to busting thats WHY ive spaced out to 4hrs. I intially started more frequent feeds but when I see how full the crop is Ive been waiting it out. Squab 2 was very lackluster from pip onward and I knew he wasnt doing well. When I found him he was stretched out, crop full, ice cold even though the nest was warm and so was squab 1 /Inari. When I felt how cold he was I thought the nest must have gone cold but it was still warm and so was Inari so I think it was a circulation issue in him.

Inari seems a bit slow this afternoon, not peeping and wriggling as much. God, should I increase the feed times? The crops been so full, Im paranoid about over feeding. There was still food in his crop at 4pm but he begged so hard I fed him anyway...At the 12pm feed he needed two sips instead of one to fill up and I thought that was a good sign.

 

[Kleonaptra]

Ok heres some pics just taken

Before feeding. I'd say theres still food in that crop.


After feeding. I couldnt get him to turn over...But you can see the bulge. After a feed I dont like to fuss, just put them back on the warm to digest. I put a bit more protien in this feed too. I will check every half hour or so.

 

[Kleonaptra]

Oh forgot to mention its 7pm, exactly 3hrs from last feed

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

He's so cute! Jus wanna snuggle him.
Glad to know its not the feedings - you're the one with them and you have plenty of experience, sorry for doubting you

Wait, you mentioned squab 2 was twice the size of Inari... Didnt Inari hatch a day or 2 prior to squab 2? How is squab 2 twice his size? XD sorry, I'm just confused.

Wish you best of luck with Inari!

 

[Veer67]

G'day mate, this is my first time raising a squab but Ive done bird rescue and raised little birds such as sparrows and once a silvereye, for them I would do 20min feedings. Its been recommended 3 hr feeds but the little crop is just way too full at 3hrs. I think I mentioned somewhere in this thread that I check at 3hrs but if the crop is too full then I check every 20mins or so, and its been working out 4hrs. At the last feed, at 4pm, it still had a little in the crop but was just begging for a feed so I went ahead and gave him a sip...The crop blew up like a balloon! I think a lot of people get excited by the cheeping and over feed, I lost a sparrow like that once because my brother was watching it and he said it was hungry so he just kept feeding it. I worry about the crop being over full and food spoiling in it and I worry about damaging it, so, yes, Im doing the over mommy bit and checking on him very frequently, but the feeds are working out 4hrly.

Thanks for your interest, I absolutely adore zebra finches, there were some wild ones at my last property that got very tame with me, I miss them a lot. When I build my new big pigeon coop I might have to get some finches. We have wild ones, with red tips on their faces. Some brought down tiny babies today, really nice to watch. Ive been wondeering about finch eggs - how tiny are they?

Finch eggs are about the size of a jelly bean, here are some pictures of the babies:

 

[Veer67]

This is a zebra finch egg.




My little girl Soapy.

 

[Kleonaptra]

He's so cute! Jus wanna snuggle him.
Glad to know its not the feedings - you're the one with them and you have plenty of experience, sorry for doubting you

Wait, you mentioned squab 2 was twice the size of Inari... Didnt Inari hatch a day or 2 prior to squab 2? How is squab 2 twice his size? XD sorry, I'm just confused.

Wish you best of luck with Inari!

Inari was squab one....Lost him this morning. Was fine at 7am, when I went in for 10am he was gone. I really should have gone with my instincts cos I upped the feeds to 3hrly...Poor little guy had a busting crop.

Yep, you got it right, Inari, squab 1 hatched saturday night, squab 2 hatched sunday night and was twice the size. Im not sure how that works either,


There they are together on monday morning. Inari is over on the right - he could hold his head up, you can clearly see he is the smaller.

I started getting a bit frantic yesterday afternoon because there had been no poops for a few hours. This happened Monday and I just made a more watery feed and he came good. Last night I started freaking about food and upped the food...Should have just gone by the crop. Beating myself up a bit.

Im going to buy a heat pad to simplify things next time, is there any you would recommend? Theres some on ebay by sunbeam which claim to have 3 settings and are waterproof, do you think that would be a good one? Yesterday we had the freakiest cold snap, we should be baking here but yesterday it was freezing, I wrapped the box in fleece but it was still causing temp fluctations.

 

[Kleonaptra]

This is a zebra finch egg.




My little girl Soapy.

Wow thankyou so much for the pics! They are truly gorgeous.