If there were such a risk the daily supply of soft food would be fed in two stages. We used to feed bread and milk as soft food, but cages, nest-boxes and the birds themselves became very messy. Although bread and milk is a good rearing food, it is not as good as many of the scientifically developed proprietary egg foods that are currently available. Occasionally, a chick starts to chip its way out of the shell but then ceases to make progress. In such instances, we keep a close eye on the situation and if we believe there is a risk that the chick will die unless given some assistance, we chip the shell very gently until the crack


20 BIRD SCENE


is just more than half way round – just to the point where one half of the shell will hinge from the other. After that, nature is left to take its course. Under no circumstances should the chick be ‘helped’ from the shell. If it is to survive it needs to escape without further assistance. When there are Zebra Finch Chicks in the Nest It is not easy to predict exactly when a particular zebra finch egg will hatch – even though the accepted incubation period is 14 days. Occasionally an egg will hatch 13 days after it was first seen but it is when a hen begins incubating that is the main determining factor. Some hens begin sitting as soon as they


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