Society Fostering question

Tips for successful breeding and troubleshooting breeding problems.
a_gouldian
Amateur Architect
Amateur Architect
Posts: 471
Joined: Sat Feb 27, 2016 12:21 pm
Location: Haverhill, Ma.

Re: Society Fostering question

Post by a_gouldian » Mon Aug 01, 2016 6:12 pm

When should the remaining 2 unhatched Gouldian eggs be removed from the nest?
Gouldians, Red-faced Stars, Owl Finches, Blue-capped Cordon Bleus

User avatar
Babs _Owner
Molting
Molting
Posts: 4926
Joined: Sat Aug 08, 2015 4:47 pm
Location: Southeast USA
Contact:

Re: Society Fostering question

Post by Babs _Owner » Tue Aug 02, 2016 6:39 am

a_gouldian

If the remaining eggs are part of the clutch that hatched, I would leave them. They may still hatch, and they wont harm the current hatchlings unless they are cracked or broken.

a_gouldian
Amateur Architect
Amateur Architect
Posts: 471
Joined: Sat Feb 27, 2016 12:21 pm
Location: Haverhill, Ma.

Re: Society Fostering question

Post by a_gouldian » Tue Aug 02, 2016 8:57 am

Babs wrote: a_gouldian

If the remaining eggs are part of the clutch that hatched, I would leave them. They may still hatch, and they wont harm the current hatchlings unless they are cracked or broken.
The other two eggs were hatched this morning. This is exciting with 5 Gouldian chicks in the nest now!
Gouldians, Red-faced Stars, Owl Finches, Blue-capped Cordon Bleus

Stuart whiting
Weaning
Weaning
Posts: 1495
Joined: Tue Jun 21, 2016 5:30 pm

Re: Society Fostering question

Post by Stuart whiting » Tue Aug 02, 2016 9:25 am

a_gouldian wrote:
Babs wrote: a_gouldian

If the remaining eggs are part of the clutch that hatched, I would leave them. They may still hatch, and they wont harm the current hatchlings unless they are cracked or broken.
The other two eggs were hatched this morning. This is exciting with 5 Gouldian chicks in the nest now!
Excellent, keep at it, sounds like yer doing ok =D>

ac12
Molting
Molting
Posts: 6421
Joined: Mon Feb 23, 2009 9:39 pm
Location: California, SF Bay Area

Re: Society Fostering question

Post by ac12 » Tue Aug 02, 2016 10:25 pm

a_gouldian wrote:
Babs wrote: a_gouldian

If the remaining eggs are part of the clutch that hatched, I would leave them. They may still hatch, and they wont harm the current hatchlings unless they are cracked or broken.
The other two eggs were hatched this morning. This is exciting with 5 Gouldian chicks in the nest now!
Now aren't you glad that you did not remove those 2 eggs?
Now you have 2 more chicks :D
Gary

gouldians (GB,YB,BB), blackbelly firefinches (trying to breed), societies (foster parents).
red factor canary

a_gouldian
Amateur Architect
Amateur Architect
Posts: 471
Joined: Sat Feb 27, 2016 12:21 pm
Location: Haverhill, Ma.

Re: Society Fostering question

Post by a_gouldian » Wed Aug 03, 2016 4:53 pm

This is a pic I took today of the 5 chicks. 3 hatched on Sunday and 2 hatched Monday night or Tuesday morning.
Attachments
2-4 days old
2-4 days old
Gouldians, Red-faced Stars, Owl Finches, Blue-capped Cordon Bleus

Stuart whiting
Weaning
Weaning
Posts: 1495
Joined: Tue Jun 21, 2016 5:30 pm

Re: Society Fostering question

Post by Stuart whiting » Wed Aug 03, 2016 5:02 pm

a_gouldian wrote: This is a pic I took today of the 5 chicks. 3 hatched on Sunday and 2 hatched Monday night or Tuesday morning.
5 Gouldians in one nest, well done Andy, the parents have certainly got there work cut out :-BD

a_gouldian
Amateur Architect
Amateur Architect
Posts: 471
Joined: Sat Feb 27, 2016 12:21 pm
Location: Haverhill, Ma.

Re: Society Fostering question

Post by a_gouldian » Sat Aug 06, 2016 1:38 pm

We lost one of the Gouldian Chicks today. It most likely is one of the two chicks that hatched 2 days after the first three. The others seem to be doing fine, are very vocal when being fed, and the Societies are doing a good job feeding and brooding the chicks.
Gouldians, Red-faced Stars, Owl Finches, Blue-capped Cordon Bleus

User avatar
Babs _Owner
Molting
Molting
Posts: 4926
Joined: Sat Aug 08, 2015 4:47 pm
Location: Southeast USA
Contact:

Re: Society Fostering question

Post by Babs _Owner » Sun Aug 07, 2016 7:02 pm

a_gouldian

This is all part of the natural selection process. Ideally gouldian babies should hatch within 1 day of each other, as Debbie taught me. But when fostered, you may have put their eggs in order of laid (this disrupts that process). And societies usually sit the first day they lay. Gouldians do not. Gouldians wait til about day 6 to sit so their offspring all are incubated and hatch all together. In the wild this is a strategy. And they will stomp out the youngest if they can to compete.

So you did a good job letting everyone hatch. Losses are part of nature. Now you know why we advised you to take out the society eggs, as their hatchlings would not have survived..

Nothing more satisfying than seeing gouldian parents perform well, and waking up to 3-6-9 babies in the nest all hatched the same day, as it should be.

Stony
Pip
Pip
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2016 12:37 pm
Location: South Africa

Re: Society Fostering question

Post by Stony » Mon Aug 08, 2016 3:45 pm

Stuart whiting wrote:
a_gouldian wrote: Thanks to all for the input. We removed the Society eggs this morning and left the two unhatched Gouldian eggs in the nest for now. The female did not want to get off the nest the first time I opened the box the she did the second time. I had to wait until one of the males was out of the nest eating because there is no way he would have gotten off the nest except with a push! They are feeding the chicks so it's looking good right now :)
Wish you the best of luck, hope all goes well :-BD

Hi, I'm in South Africa and believe its ok to remove the eggs from the Goulds BUT I would replace them next time with the Society eggs so as to give the Goulds the chance to 'practice' on the chicks and on nature itself. You might be very pleasantly surprised when they raise all of them successfully... I hope. =D>

a_gouldian
Amateur Architect
Amateur Architect
Posts: 471
Joined: Sat Feb 27, 2016 12:21 pm
Location: Haverhill, Ma.

Re: Society Fostering question

Post by a_gouldian » Mon Aug 08, 2016 5:24 pm

Babs wrote: a_gouldian

This is all part of the natural selection process. Ideally gouldian babies should hatch within 1 day of each other, as Debbie taught me. But when fostered, you may have put their eggs in order of laid (this disrupts that process). And societies usually sit the first day they lay. Gouldians do not. Gouldians wait til about day 6 to sit so their offspring all are incubated and hatch all together. In the wild this is a strategy. And they will stomp out the youngest if they can to compete.

So you did a good job letting everyone hatch. Losses are part of nature. Now you know why we advised you to take out the society eggs, as their hatchlings would not have survived..

Nothing more satisfying than seeing gouldian parents perform well, and waking up to 3-6-9 babies in the nest all hatched the same day, as it should be.
We lost another chick this afternoon. I hope it is one of the chicks that hatched two days late, and not random. The Societies are feeding them often and eating a lot of food. There is at least one Society always in the nest with them (we have 2 males and one female fostering them). It is hot here and today the room was 90F (is that OK for the chicks?). The female Society was giving them some "air" room, standing over them or just to the side, but not tight on top of them. When it is cooler in the room 75 - 84F they sit tighter to keep them warm I have noticed.
Gouldians, Red-faced Stars, Owl Finches, Blue-capped Cordon Bleus

a_gouldian
Amateur Architect
Amateur Architect
Posts: 471
Joined: Sat Feb 27, 2016 12:21 pm
Location: Haverhill, Ma.

Re: Society Fostering question

Post by a_gouldian » Tue Aug 09, 2016 10:22 am

Unfortunately, another chick was dead this morning. This chick was smaller then the two remaining chicks. Of the two remaining chicks one is a little bigger than the other. Is this survival of the fittest? Should we do supplemental hand feeding of the remaining two chicks? This is the first clutch of chicks that these Societies have ever dealt with.
Gouldians, Red-faced Stars, Owl Finches, Blue-capped Cordon Bleus

User avatar
Babs _Owner
Molting
Molting
Posts: 4926
Joined: Sat Aug 08, 2015 4:47 pm
Location: Southeast USA
Contact:

Re: Society Fostering question

Post by Babs _Owner » Wed Aug 10, 2016 7:29 am

a_gouldian

The heat can be a factor. Has it gotten over 90 degrees? The societies are feeding them and it appears their crops have eggfood. That is usually a good thing. Societies are very attentive parents by nature. Is this a cage or outdoor aviary? Are you able to get them somewhere a bit cooler without chilling the chicks?

Something else may be going on with this many deaths, such as disease. There are several diseases societies are immune to but can carry. Campylobacter and Cochlosoma are two of them. Someone else needs to chime in on the disease portion, as I have read very little on it. Does the nest have any odor?

a_gouldian
Amateur Architect
Amateur Architect
Posts: 471
Joined: Sat Feb 27, 2016 12:21 pm
Location: Haverhill, Ma.

Re: Society Fostering question

Post by a_gouldian » Wed Aug 10, 2016 9:50 am

Babs wrote: a_gouldian

The heat can be a factor. Has it gotten over 90 degrees? The societies are feeding them and it appears their crops have eggfood. That is usually a good thing. Societies are very attentive parents by nature. Is this a cage or outdoor aviary? Are you able to get them somewhere a bit cooler without chilling the chicks?

Something else may be going on with this many deaths, such as disease. There are several diseases societies are immune to but can carry. Campylobacter and Cochlosoma are two of them. Someone else needs to chime in on the disease portion, as I have read very little on it. Does the nest have any odor?
They are in a breeding flight cage on the third floor of the house and it reached 90 two days in a row in the room they were in even with the windows open. Tomorrow it is supposed to go into the mid 90s so we will hook up a portable air conditioner. Another chick was lost last night even with the supplemental feedings. The last chick looks healthy and is much bigger than the other chicks. The chick that passed away last night was about 40% smaller than the remaining chick. It's crop and head was noticeably smaller, but it was lively. The nest does not have any odor and the chicks feces look normal in color when they poop while being hand fed, similar to the owl chick we are hand feeding.
Gouldians, Red-faced Stars, Owl Finches, Blue-capped Cordon Bleus

User avatar
Babs _Owner
Molting
Molting
Posts: 4926
Joined: Sat Aug 08, 2015 4:47 pm
Location: Southeast USA
Contact:

Re: Society Fostering question

Post by Babs _Owner » Wed Aug 10, 2016 10:54 am

a_gouldian

I hope its just the heat and last two chicks survive :YMPRAY: Bring the temperature down gradually so the parents and chicks have time to adjust. ;)

Post Reply