dead in shell

[night moocher 41]

Hi gang.

been breeding birds best part of 25 years but this season has thrown up something i cant fathom out.

pair of goldfinches have gone to nest 3 times and on all occasions all chicks dead in shell 13 in total.

my other pairs of british have chipped and reared as normal,

the pair in question are housed in a spacious planted flight with the usual bath and everthing they need but cannot chip her eggs.

she sits tight and is steady enough to go in without her jumping off.

im starting to think that this pair is throwing a defect in the chicks or the hen is cooking the clutch and not bathing to moisten the eggs.

she is now building again and this time im going to foster them to one of my irish fancys to chip.

if this fails and no chicks emerge i know its a defect.

just to add she reared last season with a diffrent cock.

thought i'd share with you incase anybird men can shed some light ....................thanks .....................steve

 

one more thing the cock doesn't touch the eggs ,pinhole them or nothing,.

Edited June 29, 2009 by night moocher

[RaiderBoy 19]

well my only guess is (ive never kept birds before so dont go on this as a definate answer) there is some thing wrong with the cock bird or he is doing some thing to the eggs.

 

Raiderboy