Ticked at my Societies

[annague]

I am a little ticked at my Societies right now. I have never really fostered eggs under any of them but I found three Soc's that I kind of tested that were good sitters (2 females/1 male) and put 7 Star eggs under them. Of course the females Soc's also laid another 4 between them on top of the Star eggs.

I was counting the days and day 14 came when the first Stars should hatch (yesterday). I checked and the first baby Star had hatched in the nest.

I left them alone to get on with their business after making sure they had egg food aplenty.

Today I checked again and they had let the little hairy Star baby die. I don't think they ever fed it.

So... I candled all the other eggs and chucked the bad ones -- I now have 9 eggs in the nest and all should hatch within the next 2-3 days.

What do you think the chances are that the Soc's won't feed any of the rest of the Stars when they hatch either?

I was wondering if I should take some of the eggs out and split them into another nest for another pair of sitters?

Is 9 eggs too many for the Soc's to handle?

Insight and advice is appreciated.

[ac12]

One thing that I learned here was that I need to test my societies. To make sure that they WILL foster raise a chick. So my process is to have them sit, hatch and raise a zebra to weaning. IF they do that, then I know that I can use them as foster parents.

9 might be a bit much. Maybe not to incubate, but to feed once they hatch. But then you have 3 societies to spread the work over.

Also could be the FFM combination.
Maybe a FF, and a separate MM pairs. That way you don't have viable society eggs to deal with. The hens will lay eggs, but they won't hatch, so you don't have to deal with society chicks in the nest with the fostering chick.

I found that my 2 hens seem to be better than my 3 males.
They sit faster and seem more diligent in sitting.

[L in Ontario]

Socs also take training to raise a family of chicks too - like a lot of finch varieties. They can take a clutch or two to get things straightened out - don't give up on them. But I agree 9 gaping mouths can be a bit much for first timers or even for the practised ones.

Good luck!

BTW - my Soc boys also tossed 1 of 2 Gould hathclings I put in yesterday. And they are very practised at fostering. I think mine just need a break.

[MLaRue]

In my experience I've had all different mixes in the nest and if the Socs are going to feed they really don't care what it is but if they are really paying attention and looking for their babies mouth markings then you are probably going to loose them.

They seem to know after they have theirs - as if nope that isn't mine... and sometimes they may not and still don't feed.

I have a hen from Donna that came from the best parents but that bird will not feed even a Society baby??!! Nor will she even sit by herself - she will sit with another bird but not in a nest alone.

I've only had one trio work out for me and they were FFM - all my others that have actually fostered are a pair. I've tried the males and all they did was sing to one another and to birds in the aviary.

As for the number I've done that and only with a pair and they pulled it off - just depends on the birds. If you can give another pair some eggs I would do it and actually I would take their eggs if you know which ones they are and leave them only the stars...

[annague]

Thanks everybody it helps to hear from you.

These Socs are sitting SO faithfully -- I had to force them out of the nest but I guess they ARE being selective about who they decide is worth their feeding time because that Star had NO food in his crop.

I understand they have to be trained but how do you train them?

No... dagnabit... I wasn't thinking ahead enough to mark the Star eggs but I guess I can check every day and remove the Society babies when they hatch and give them to another Society pair -- or would that work?

[MLaRue]

You won't know unless you try... have they had their own babies before?

I always asked that same question - how do you train a bird to foster?

Well it boiled down to are they sitting? Yes, then that is half the battle. Have they raised babies of their own before? If yes then you might be in trouble because some just will not foster others after that. And, the once you have a pair that will feed any or all babies then in my opinion they are trained.

I've only had one male that will take any baby of any age as long as it is still in nest begging - otherwise I find they all have to hatch under them or be in the same age range as you give them to the Socs to raise - otherwise it just doesn't seem to come together.

[annague]

One of the hens has but the male and the other hen have not. If these guys fail to feed the Stars that means I have NO Soc's that will foster.... arghhh!

[MLaRue]

Maybe supplement the babies for the first days like I did with the grens - sometimes the species will beg odd and they just don't know what to do with it.

The grens would turn their head upside down and not tongue waggle or make noise - the Socs probably thought they were dead?

[annague]

That's an idea! I will definitely be checking and monitoring closely from now on. I really would like some Stars -- these would be my first babies.

I wonder if I should try my sweet little Zebra females since the Star babies are fuzzy... (I have a pair of zebra girls I house in a separate cage that keep laying eggs).

[MLaRue]

That's an idea! I will definitely be checking and monitoring closely from now on. I really would like some Stars -- these would be my first babies.

I wonder if I should try my sweet little Zebra females since the Star babies are fuzzy... (I have a pair of zebra girls I house in a separate cage that keep laying eggs).

Beware I thought the same thing but my baby Owl is still gone?! Everytime I think of it I think of Austin Powers - Fat Bastard... remember how he ate everything and was huge? Well the Zeeb hen is GIGANTIC and I'm wondering if she thought it was a snack?!

[annague]

Well... the way things have been going I just wouldn't be surprised at anything right now!!

If I could sit on the consarned eggs myself and have them hatch I swear I would do it!

[MLaRue]

Well... the way things have been going I just wouldn't be surprised at anything right now!!

If I could sit on the consarned eggs myself and have them hatch I swear I would do it!

That was a visual!

Here is a more than 9 in the nest - full crops. But I did have to help because I think the babies had problems from all the horror they went thru before Super Wo got them - their crops weren't processing food properly... but she did it until I helped.

[annague]

See, now I know it can be done!! Thanks Misty!

[lovemyfinch]

Best wishes with the rest Anna
Just thought I would add, that I always use society pairs for fostering, they have fed theirs along with the abandoned eggs or babies. I should probably keep praying that they always do. The only time they had a mix was with a zebbie, a shaftie and one of their own. Nope they have also raised a shaftie and a gouldie at the same time. Without being prepped.

[Sally]

I find that Societies vary a lot in whether or not they will foster. The ones I have now will brood but not feed. Once you get a pair or trio that will do both, and will raise any species, they are worth their weight in gold!!