the hardest part of breeding

[ann]

Recently i have begun breeding my finches as a hobby. they laid 5 wonderful eggs, 2 were fertile. they ate 1 of the infertile ones, and just this afternoon i found a fertile egg on the floor. it was very far along and had a chick inside. i took the egg to the bathroom, because i thought if the chick was developed enough i could hatch the chick and put it back in the nest. it was far from being ready to hatch, but it was so hard to see it. it was curled up inside a little membrane. i just felt so bad, the poor thing was so little and so close to hatching . i was getting all ready to have two little guys to tame and hang out with. ugh, its just hard sometimes. there was a strange milky substance in the membrane that i wanted to ask you guys about. i was hoping you could shed some light on what it was. could it be a sign of a sick chick, and that's why it was pushed?. i took some pictures of the chick, they are a little graphic because he fell out of the nest. i don't know if i should post them though, but i would like you guys to help me figure out what the milky stuff was. if i post them, you can see, but i don't want to post pictures of a chick like that. what do you guys think? thanks for reading, and on the bright side, the other egg is healthy and should hatch soon.

 

[crimson]

oh Ann, I can sympathize with you. I too am a breeder of many different birds, and I have had my trials many many tears over finding little ones tossed out of the nest, finches especially. I posted one not too long ago I think in the 'other category' about trying to save and handfeed my little gouldian finch, and star finch babies that were just 1-2 days old.
Both died
the very first time I candled and egg, it was from a lovebird clutch. 4 were infertile, 1 was questionable. we gently cracked it open half expecting just to see yolk, and there it was, a cute little tiny loveable baby chick. the membrane had blood in it, but the moment we broke it, it was doomed to die. I bald like a baby. I felt like a murderer.
if you want you can pm me the photo, I would be reluctant to post it, mine had a film which was lined inside the egg to protect the baby chick.
finches are known to toss eggs, I'm just not sure the reason behind it.
I wish you the best of luck with lots of healthy happy babies!!

 

[ann]

thank you, and i'm sorry about your gouldian babies. as for the lovie, you could not have known there was a chick inside, and never intended for that to happen. so don't beat yourself up about it, it's clear you are a great bird owner . as for my egg, however it ended up outside the nest was for a reason. maybe the parents just knew...i ended up deleting the pictures off my phone, except for 1, but you cant see the white stuff in that one. i saved it to have as a comparison in case it happens again. on the bright side, the other egg remains in the nest and still looks to be fertile!

 

[crimson]

great news, and thanks.

 

[IgnisSol]

My zebras had their first clutch and ended up tossing both hatchlings out... I am currently trying to hand feed them, they are 4 days old today and I am really hoping they make it, I have fallen in love with both babies....

 

[crimson]

lets hope they make it!...but be prepared if they don't. It's extremely difficult to feed such tiny young chicks. keep everything super sterilized that will go into their mouths.
do you have any pics we could see??

I wish you the best of luck, I've been down that path a few times.