FINCHforum

Ok, so I had a strange question. Has anyone ever tried using a gouldian pair to raise a society? I have a gouldian pair that tossed their babies on the first clutch (this year). I have been fostering their babies out to societies but would like to have them raise their own young. I had planned on waiting until next season to let them try but thought of something. If I let them hatch a society baby would they feed it? Would they notice the difference? Thought it might be a good gauge as to whether or not they would toss the babies. Or is it just a bad idea? Thinking it might be the latter but figured it was worth asking. Thoughts?

finchman

What will happen to the Society baby, if they toss him? Are you willing to step in , and hand feed this infant?

finchman
I really don't see this working at all unless you somehow slipped an egg or baby in the gouldian nest where they were all ready taking care of their own eggs. My Gouldians seem to pay no attention to the nest until they wanna start there own family. So if they weren't all ready tending the nest anything you put in there I think would go unnoticed and die. My opinion I wouldn't have the Gouldians waste energy on fostering socies and would just build them up strong for your next attempt.

id let them go to nest again with their own eggs and see what happens. this time it may surprise you with success.

Rather than waste the effort on society chicks, if they only did 1 clutch, so far. You can do another 2 clutches before you should rest the hen.

I've had birds toss every single hatchling in season 1, then in season 2 turn into perfect parents.

I also would let the pair try another clutch. How many clutches have the society's raised?
If my gouldians toss their chicks I put them back into the nest usually up to 3 times. Are the gouldians feeding the chicks and just tossing them or are they making no attempt to raise the chicks?
More often then not chicks get pulled out of the nest when the adult birds zip out of the nest in a hurry. This can happen often if the nest isn't deep enough which is why many gouldian breeders use deeper boxes.
I sure hope you can figure out what they need to raise their own. Constantly fostering out the chicks is not allowing them to learn and get it right.

They tossed the only baby that hatched on day one from the first clutch. It was already dead by the time I found it. On clutch 2 they did the same exact thing with the one fertile egg I left with them when it hatched. On clutches 3, and 4 (Currently) I have fostered out the eggs and let them incubate plastic ones until they lose interest then removed them. I just hate to have them toss the babies again. The pair is a blue split/blue pair and I hate to have them toss any babies, especially blues. So far I got 2 greens and a blue that were fostered out and fledged This is probably the last time I will let them nest this season anyway. I was going to quit at 3 and took out the nest box. BUT they were going nuts looking for it even a couple weeks afterward so I figured I would put it back let them lay another clutch.

finchman
After 4 clutches laid I would say it's definately time to shut them down for awhile and not even attempt any fostering.
I made the mistake of letting some pairs go too long this year and they looked worse for the wear for it. All My adults seem to be molting now so hopefully they bounce back before I attempt them again.