smithsa29 0 Report post Posted February 20, 2014 the last five years when ipair up the 1st round nearly all dead in shell in the 2nd round is better but not brilliant this year when i put five pairs down and for the first time ever all five mated straight away i forgot to mention this year i paired up at the beginning of january instead of the beginning of march so after seeing them mate i thought i must have been pairing up to late but all the eggs that were laid were dead in shell except one which was infertile as it has happened for five years it must be me doing something wr ong but i do not know what Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Emmy 528 Report post Posted February 20, 2014 First I'd like to say Welcome to the Forum. It's so sad when that happens I've had some dead in shell recently too. Out of a nest of 5 eggs I got only one live chick. I really don't know why this happens, I was thinking it may have been something to do with the weather but if this has been happening with your birds for the past 5 years I doubt it cant be that. I'm hoping that some of the more experienced members will be able to give you an idea why this has been happening. Emmy Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrMe3257 28 Report post Posted February 20, 2014 Dead in shell is usually caused by lack of humidity, too much humidity or the egg is made up off too much calcium. The last one doesn't normally happen so the humidity levels could be the reason. Thats just what I know hopefully somebody could tell you more. Stephen Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andyn 534 Report post Posted February 20, 2014 Hi, welcome to the forum. I'm a relatively new Zebra finch keeper but I bred Budgies for nearly 20 years before changing and it was considered that the nest boxes might containe a germ from being stored or not cleaned properly before storage and this killed off the eggs etc. but if a second try was successful the bacteria had died off or dispersed. My own theory is that the Parent birds might not be fully fit (something lacking in the hens egg production or even in the cock) and what nutrition is in the egg runs out at a critical time when the chick needs it. I expect there are many other theory's too. Don't give up though. Andy Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Emmy 528 Report post Posted February 20, 2014 Dead in shell is usually caused by lack of humidity, too much humidity MrMe Odd that you have posted that because I noticed that nest where the chick was dead in shell felt damp, more than usual and at one point I was considering changing the nesting material. Never had that before. Emmy Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrMe3257 28 Report post Posted February 21, 2014 Too much humidity could drown the egg and too little could dehydrate the chick. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nick Hall 193 Report post Posted February 21, 2014 Hi Guys, Dead in shell can be caused by a a number of factors but at least it detirmins the cock is fertile. Remember dead in shell is the chick dying before it is hatched, the term does not explain why the chick dies. Factors to consider have been mentioned but maybe the chick was just too weak and if it had managed to break free from the egg it would not have survived anyway. This time of year you would not expect warm temperatures and/or poor humidity, sometimes it is mentioned too much calcium leaves the egg shell thicker but this could also be interpreted as the chick is weak and cant break through? My own thoughts on this in my birdroom is the eggs have been chilled, maybe the parents got spooked or just had not got into the swing of things and sat haphazardley? Just a few thoughts, Regards, Nick Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
