I have two pairs of Gloster Canaries, 1 coloured cock canary and one spare Gloster cock bought last year as part of a pair but sadly the hen has passed on, plus the usual assortment of zebs.

I have paired together the two pair of Glosters,

Pair one - on the 20th March 3 out of their 4 egss hatched and pleased to say have reached the sticks. Bit dodgy for one that I found over the other side of the cage during it's first days, but got put back into the nest and thankfully thrived. The first pair are now feeding their second round. 3 hatched last friday 24th April, the other hatched yesterday. This morning went to change the paper only to find that two of the chicks have been chucked.

2nd pair - First round the hen was still sitting on her eggs on the 16th day so took them away, on checking found that they were addled. 2nd round, one chick hatched and found mauled the morning after hatching and the hen had deserted the nest, eggs cold in the evening, 3rd round were set yesterday. I will be leaving the cock in with the hen until the 12th or 13th day when I will then divide them up with a wire divider, here's hoping 3rd time lucky.

checked the chicks this morning, another one has died during the night, the remaining one is very weak, not begging for food at all, don't think he will last the day either.

Don't know what is going wrong, I expected the hen to have no problems at all after having raised one clutch already. The only things I have done different this time is to provide fresh boiled eggs along with egg food and moss for the nest.

Just as I thought, the remaining chick had passed away when I had got home :ICON13: . Took the nest away last night, got home from work today to find the hen and the cock, busily shredding the newspaper up again. Have given the cage a good clean out, ardap'd everything that was removable from the room and reinstalled the nest pan. Both the cock and hen are already looking at making another nest.

Set 4 eggs under the 1st pair this morning.

I got a chance to have a look into the nest of the 2nd pair last night whilst doing a quick newspaper change and she has been sitting on five eggs. I haven't checked tham as I think it best to leave them alone and see what happens, I don't want to be scaring her off the nest when they are due to hatch in three days. I am so going to have to get some feeders for next year.

2nd pair - 3 of the 5 eggs hatched saturday, by sunday morning the chicks were cold and very weak, they revived a bit when held in my hands, so what to do now, put them back and let them die or try putting them under the hen that had four eggs set under her only 5 days ago, well I thought, nothing ventured nothing gained, 3 chicks plus two eggs were put under her, during that day another hatched so she is now sitting on and feeding four chicks, I have left a couple of eggs in with them to help support them, but they are looking good.

I know that I have lost a round of eggs but if I end up with chicks from only one pair I will have nothing to breed from next year unless I buy some more in.

Well, as expected the chicks died, not for want of trying from the foster parents, but during the dark days last week the hen squashed the chicks.

well, 2nd pair laid another 4 eggs, my mongrel pair laid 5, swapped them over and the mongrel pair hatched 3 of the 4 last Monday, they are the best parents ever! The amount they have grown in the past 4 days has amazed me. The Gloster pair that ended sitting on the mongrels eggs have hatched 1, 24 hours after hatching it is cold and failing, the hen is out of the nest and showing no interest. It is such a shame that she has sat on those eggs for a fortnight, but when it comes to rearing she doesn't have a clue! Have put the little scrap back with its mongrel parents, think it has more chance of surviving there than with the neglectful hen.

1st pair are to have another round set under the hen tomorrow, hope she has enough time before she starts the moult!