FINCHforum

This proven pair had 5 fertile eggs. When I next checked them there were 10 eggs, the 5 obviously fertile and the other five looking clear. Upon next check 5 had hatched. The other five candled fertile, just barely. I pulled the newly developed eggs and put them in the Lyon incubator. I am thinking that she had laid five fertile and started incubation and then over some days later laid the 5 more and managed to keep all of them in survival mode. I hope to find substitute parents for the orphan eggs if they are still viable in a few days. I have never fostered Gouldians on a Parrotfinch pair before, but this should be possible. I have a young first time PF pair that is incubating religiously but so far appear clear. I have found that Zebras do not feed Gouldian chicks long enough after fledging. They fledge and then starve. Any suggestions ?

My lone Society pair is raising an Owl chick.

Sorry I have no idea about fostering eggs/chicks to other birds but I just wanted to say congrats on the eggs!

I'll bet the Parrot finches would foster OK. Similar species, mouth markings similar.

The 5 orphan eggs were still good 2 days ago. I was concerned the PF pair might give up on their clear eggs so I gave them 3. The other 2 I put under a young Gouldian pair that was also far along in cycle but I wanted to split the odds (all your eggs under one pair). The PFs are sitting tight . The Gouldian newbies abandoned the eggs.

608duj - I just found your post. I would have suggested the same thing: take the eggs out of the incubator and give them to the parrot finches. Were you able to put the two eggs the young gouldians abandoned into the nest of the parrot finches? Or had they been cold for too long?
Iso

608duj

Next time add a few fakes to the nest. Even if it is only 3 instead of 5. If gouldians see too many eggs disappear, they think a predator is lurking sometimes and will take refuge away from the nest.

They can count ;)

The 3 eggs under the Gouldian pair got cold. The two under the First timer PFs both hatched. One did not clear the halfshell, was DOA. The other soon showed food in one side of the crop. The hen PF was brooding the chick but when she left the male would peek into the box, pop in and then pop out again. He had been incubating normally,not leaving until she returned inside. By the end of the day when I checked the chick, it was cool. So now to plan C: A proven Gouldian pair with eggs due to hatch soon. I had hesitated to put them under the Blue hen first as I would not be able to identify the chicks as being split/blue if I did not know who was who, her male is YB. As it turned out the fostered chick is YB and the three from the Blue hen/YB male are blue/silver. All are good so far. quite the rodeo.

608duj

Well, the mutations will enable you to tell you came from whom. Thats a good thing. Keep us updated.

608duj

Sounds like you're having a bumoer crop, lol.

Congratulations.

YB chick fostered 2X fledged successfully.

YB chick fostered 2X fledged successfully.