Finally have some pics

mickp · Post by **mickp** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 12:18 am

nice birds Bill, good luck with them

FeatherHarp · Post by **FeatherHarp** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 9:30 am

They sure are pretty....I hope to have some someday too.

Kiko · Post by **Kiko** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 8:20 am

Very nice societies Bill. I like the self colouring, they look exotic.

summert85 · Post by **summert85** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 8:40 pm

they're very nice. I got a pair of them too. LOVE THEM

BillD · Post by **BillD** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 11:32 pm

franny wrote:They are gorgeous Bill. I prefer the selfs over the pied. I've seen tons of societies in the pet stores here, but don't think I've ever seen the chocolate self. Funny, cause you would think they'd be more common. I'd love to some day have a pair of fawn selfs if I could find such a thing, cause the fawn is really my favourite colour.

The details I have on them says the Female has a possible split to Fawn and Chestnut. The male has possible split to creamino and fawn. What does a fawn self look like? Is that a possibility with mine?

mobster · Post by **mobster** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 4:23 am

nice finches

BillD · Post by **BillD** » Sat Mar 14, 2009 11:01 pm

Thanks for all the praise. I do love them.

I must be doing something wrong. Know that Socieities are prolific, but I have no offspring. They did produce one egg last year and I removed it, since she layed it in a food cup. My mistake.

I have 6 different nesting areas. 4 typical bamboo nests, 1 canary cup and another plastic nest. They move all the coconut fiber from one nesting area to another and I'm quite confused. Should I remove some of the nesting places?

I'm also changing their diet with the new millet sprays and the new food.

They are still happy.. Bosley still sings in the morning..

Would appreciate any suggestions. .

readingfc · Post by **readingfc** » Sun Mar 15, 2009 5:01 am

Very nice societies - I have mostly pied's now but have had self's in the past.
I don't know what the others think but if I wanted babies and my bird laid an egg in the food bowl and started sitting I would just leave it - I have had zeb's raise 5 babies successfully in a food bowl (I suppose it depends on how big the food bowl is, this one was quite large!)

Post by **Sally** » Sun Mar 15, 2009 9:16 am

I would remove some of the nests--at most, keep one bamboo nest and the plastic nest, or even just the one plastic nest. If it is the kind that can hang on the outside, I would do that, so that when you have babies, you can lift up the top and see them. With Societies, and one pair, one nest should be plenty.

I would also try some different nesting material. Coco fiber is wonderful for African finches, but other finches may prefer something else. You could check at a feed store for coastal hay. You don't want a bale, but if you tell them you just want a sackful to use for your finches, many of them will give you some of the loose stuff that is on the floor. Or PetsMart, etc., sells little bags of hay in their rabbit department. You could also get some burlap, cut it in 6" squares, then unravel it to offer to the birds.

B CAMP · Post by **B CAMP** » Sun Mar 15, 2009 9:24 am

My societies like the burlap best like sally said cut into small pieces and pull apart,mine are hard to stop

BillD · Post by **BillD** » Mon Mar 16, 2009 8:30 pm

Sally wrote:I would remove some of the nests--at most, keep one bamboo nest and the plastic nest, or even just the one plastic nest. If it is the kind that can hang on the outside, I would do that, so that when you have babies, you can lift up the top and see them. With Societies, and one pair, one nest should be plenty.

I would also try some different nesting material. Coco fiber is wonderful for African finches, but other finches may prefer something else. You could check at a feed store for coastal hay. You don't want a bale, but if you tell them you just want a sackful to use for your finches, many of them will give you some of the loose stuff that is on the floor. Or PetsMart, etc., sells little bags of hay in their rabbit department. You could also get some burlap, cut it in 6" squares, then unravel it to offer to the birds.

Thanks for the suggestions. I am removing some of the bamboo nests.. gradually.. the canary cup and one of the bamboo nests are now gone (they were building a lot with old millet sprays and coconut fiber in the canary cup). I moved the plastic nest to the outside of the cage and placed some coconut fiber in it. They 'spoke' to me alot tonight and promptly moved into another bamboo nest. They were talking a lot. Ya'll know what I mean.

I did put some 'timothy hay' in the cage tonight.

Harriet was sitting very low on a perch. Is that a sign she is ready? They both flew into one of the two remaining bamboo nests tonight, after they let me know they were not happy when I removed the canary cup and the other bamboo nest. It was their chirping that made me wonder. I won't be making any changes in their cage for awhile. I'll let them settle in again.

L in Ontario · Post by **L in Ontario** » Mon Mar 16, 2009 8:44 pm

As long as there is one nest left in their cage they should be very happy and lay a clutch soon. Mine make such a mess with the nesting materials all over the cage and some inside the nest too.

Good luck for a successful clutch very soon, Bill!

BillD · Post by **BillD** » Mon Mar 16, 2009 9:15 pm

L in Ontario wrote:As long as there is one nest left in their cage they should be very happy and lay a clutch soon. Mine make such a mess with the nesting materials all over the cage and some inside the nest too.

Good luck for a successful clutch very soon, Bill!

Thanks Liz..

There are 2 bamboo nests (full of stuff) left in the cage. I didn't want to change too much. Both Harriet and Bosley are in one tonight. They moved to it quickly when I removed the others, after a few strange verbal vocal calls. I never heard those before from them.

Harriet was sitting very low on her perch tonight. Is that something I need to worry about?

I'm a novice and only wish the best for my birds.

L in Ontario · Post by **L in Ontario** » Tue Mar 17, 2009 8:17 am

How is Harriet this morning? Once in while my birds will sit low on a branch too - I don't worry about it unless it's ongoing. Then I up the vitamins (NV powder).

Hope all is fine with the both of them.

BillD · Post by **BillD** » Tue Mar 17, 2009 10:14 pm

They were both in a bamboo nest when I looked in on them tonight. One of two remaining bamboo nests. I got home late from work and they were already settling in for the night.

I did notice that there was a gap beneath the plastic nest that I put on the outside. big enough for them to escape. They are secure in that room and no felines have access. I'm glad they didn't find it. I put the plastic box inside the cage tonight.

I will check on them in the morning. They seem to have their own schedule when the light comes on and I have it timed that they still have some daylight from the window when it goes off. I'm thinking it gives them time to settle in for the night.