upatsix.com - Your Source For Pet Bird Information

Well I got a great surprise this weekend! Brad & Angie, a pair of Gouldians, have been missing the cue ever since we brought them home a couple of years ago. All the right moves -- build the nest, lay the eggs, hang out in the nestbox -- but never anything to show for it. Well, I was out cleaning the aviary & heard some suspicious noise coming out of their nest box. Sure enough -- Gouldian chicks!! Three very newly hatched thus far, and several more eggs in the nest, so I expect there'll be more. Whoopee!

Please cross all your fingers that Brad & Angie know what to do from here. Wish I had some Societies as back-up fosters. Has anybody ever tried fostering Gouldian chicks to anything but Societies?

Meanwhile the strawberry chicks have fledged. One died in the nest so we have only two. They are AWFULLY tiny, still some fluff, but fluttering about pretty well a couple of days out of the nest. Hope Red & Dottie (their parents) are feeding them; haven't had a chance to watch closely.

What excitement!

cheers,
Pat

Cheers! Pat. I have 2 baby gouldians in the nest right now too! The parents are a new pair (bought them this summer). So, it's a nice surprise that they are doin' what they should be doin'.

Keep us posted on the strawberries too!

Saw your post on upatsix. I'm just about 15 minutes North from Metro Airport. I've started breeding finches & strongly recommend have trios of society's set up to foster other types of finches. A friend close by hooked me up with my trios. I think I currently have 3 pair of goulds on eggs, societies are fostering 2 other young goulds & have recently added Australian Diamond Firetails to the aviary & will foster their eggs under the societies also, at least until I know I have enough birds so that I can try to let parents rear & see what happens. Make sure you do not get the Euro type societies as it seems that they are not as reliable for fosters. Also, I think I might have blue & silver goulds for sale in the spring, other colors as well. Thank you, Jeff Wilken jwilken48186@aol.com

I just got two finches, and hope to have babies eventually. Mine are the zebra finches, the female is white and the male is silver. I know nothing about fostering. How often is this necessary, and should I have another female just in case? thanks, Paula

pbrawdy wrote:I just got two finches, and hope to have babies eventually. Mine are the zebra finches, the female is white and the male is silver. I know nothing about fostering. How often is this necessary, and should I have another female just in case? thanks, Paula

Paula, you only need to foster the eggs if the real parents aren't doing their job. Gouldians are notorious for not being very good parents -- not setting the eggs, neglecting/tossing chicks, etc. Your zebra finches should not be a problem. <heh heh> The more usual problem w' zebras is slowing down the production line -- they're pretty prolific.

Also no reason why you need an extra female. Hens, especially young ones, are sometimes lost to egg binding, but that's less a concern if you make sure they are getting plenty of calcium. If you see your hen in distress--fluffed up, sitting on bottom of cage--move her to a nice, warm hospital cage and maybe rub a little mineral oil on her vent. But I've never had a problem with egg binding in tbe zebras.

Meanwhile, our four Gouldians have fledged and are having a grand time. Half the aviary has been taking care of them -- caught Bob, a zebra male. feeding one the other day. LOL The strawberries are finally off the ground too -- they hid in corners forever.

Cheers and a very merry whatever you celebrate,
Pat

I am constantly on the prowl for chicks being "tossed" from their nests. I'm not so sure they get tossed as that I walk in the room and they get flustered and bolt from their nests and the chicks get caught up in their toes or "elbows" and get carried out. I sometimes find them clear across the cage, which leads me to believe they were carried out on legs or caught in toes as their parents fled the nest. I've buried a lot of little chicks that didn't make it. But for some reason, more survive than not. I wish they all did. It's a tossup between constantly inspecting the nests or just leaving them be and trying not to disturb them. A lot of them do die in the nest. It's heartbreaking every time I lose one.

I've had societies before and they do a lot of aggressive "takeover nannying" even when they aren't "needed." I would witness them "taking over" a nest when the parent left to feed. They are a joy to watch, though. Busy, happy little creatures.

Joanne

thanks for all the info.... it helps to have some knowledge when going into this.... Paula

I am not sure what type of finches you are raising (besides the Societies) but I have raised Zebra finches for years and never had a problem with chicks getting tossed. I never keep many Societies because they are so intrusive. My Zebras have always raised their young without any problems. Of course I've lost a few in the nest but I step up the parents' vitiamins and supplements. Sometimes it (infant bird death) just happens. You may want to consider adding a Breeding supplement, if you haven't already done this; or add supplements with extra protein. GOOD LUCK!!