Gouldians Hatching!! *Pictures!*

kiwi & mango · Post by **kiwi & mango** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 10:37 pm

It is a good thing you have the societies to help you out. Keep up posted on the little family. Is the hen looking for her chicks?

I hope you didn't put another nest in with them or they will soon have eggs again....

How often does this happen with the first clutch?

Post by **Hilary** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 11:50 pm

I've had this happen several times. Usually they get it right with the second clutch. If not, you can hope that third time is a charm, quit breeding, or give each a new partner and see what happens.

chrischris · Post by **chrischris** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 1:05 am

yep had the same thing happen to me too and you just have to give them time to learn. I find if it's their first time at a clutch be really quiet and try not to disturb them much.

Chris

Ravyn · Post by **Ravyn** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 1:20 am

No no, no nest. I'm going to give them a couple months at least, if I even decide to breed them again this year. I'll probably have a clutch of baby bourkes in the interrim. No nests for the finches until then, and I'll breed the societies again at the same time to insure they're ready for foster if this happens again.

Neither gouldian seems that concerned. They don't seem to be looking or calling for their chicks at all, though they're still eating as if they have seven mouths to feed. The societies are being perfect, and yes...thank heaven I had them there and more than willing to take over!

EmilyHurd · Post by **EmilyHurd** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 6:07 am

Societies are great, arent they!

Ravyn · Post by **Ravyn** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 11:05 am

Yes. I'm VERY happy I got them. What I find so amusing is that the parents will feed the society baby and he'll in turn try and feed the gouldian chicks. Not even out of the nest and he's a fabulous parent!

hilljack13 · Post by **hilljack13** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 4:05 pm

Will a society raise a chick from another bird even if they don't have any of there own? Can you put a nest of young in a cage and they take to them?

Ravyn · Post by **Ravyn** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 6:02 pm

I'm not sure, hilljack. I've heard both scenarios, but mainly the situation I've read about is that the parent socities have to at least be in the process of sitting eggs to sit another parents eggs, and feeding chicks (of any age) to feed other chicks (again, of any age, which is why my societies are feeding the young gouldians even though their own chick is a fledgling). However, I've also heard of societies feeding anything that has a beak at any time, even same gender groupings, if you stick an orphaned chick in their nest.

To be safe, however, I'd rather have the societies sitting eggs or feeding chicks at the same time, to ensure they're in the right frame of mind in case this happens again.

hilljack13 · Post by **hilljack13** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 7:55 pm

No doubt. I have always heard of societys being good foster parents, but I had a young zeb that was on his first nest and he was OK except he would chase the female when she was out of the nest. I took the eggs and put them with another pair of zebras and they raised the young like they were their own (actually they were the grandparents). They also had a nest going but had been sitting a bit longer than normal. All the eggs were infertile?

Ravyn · Post by **Ravyn** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 12:14 pm

So this morning the three smallest gouldians were dead. Don't know what happened. They had full crops, were warm, just dead. The other four are doing absolutely fine.

I don't know if they were hurt in the fall and it just wasn't obvious, or if there was something wrong and that's why mama gouldian started pitching them (and got carried away) or what happened.

FeatherHarp · Post by **FeatherHarp** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 12:56 pm

Gosh...that is so sad to hear after all you did to help them.

It seems Mother Nature had other plans in mind...out of your control for whatever reason.

Here's hoping the other 4 wee ones will prosper and grow under your watchful eye!

Ravyn · Post by **Ravyn** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 1:41 pm

Thanks feather. The size difference between the three smallest and the four larger was really drastic. Especially the runt. He was literally a third the size of the oldest baby. He still looked just hatched. It is sad but at the same time, I'm so glad the other four are doing well. They're starting to show feathers on their wings and I may end up trying to band the largest tomorrow.

Though it seems with all this my baby society is reluctant to fully fledge. He's 24 days old today and beyond poking his head out of the nest on occassion, he shows no interest in leaving.

kiwi & mango · Post by **kiwi & mango** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 6:04 pm

I am sorry to hear that

Perhaps mama bird knew somthing you didn't, so they had full crops and warm but had been tossed from the nest

seems a little strange doesn't it?

jabo322 · Post by **jabo322** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 7:49 pm

So sorry to hear the 3 littlest didn't make it. Perhaps it's for the best, they may have had a problem not obvious to us mere humans. Hopefully the other 4 will continue to prosper. As for that little society, he may be smarter than average and knows when he's got a good thing going on

.

hilljack13 · Post by **hilljack13** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 9:31 pm

I'm sorry to hear you lost three

, I know it's hard since breeding is one thing a lot of us like to do with our birds. Will be hoping for the best for the other four. Let us know when they get their colors!!

FINCHforum

Gouldians Hatching!! Pictures!