How many of you keep foster birds around?

Fancie Flight · Post by **Fancie Flight** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 3:18 pm

Just wondering if this is as widely practiced else where as it is here.

TammyS · Post by **TammyS** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 7:24 pm

I do keep Societies for fostering - if needed. Hand feeding isn't an option for me - so if the chicks get tossed or the parents won't care for them, I have no problem giving them to Society finches at that point.

Ravyn · Post by **Ravyn** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 7:35 pm

I also keep Societies for fostering. Though this time it looks like I may end up handfeeding for the last week or so regardless. Ah, well

Fancie Flight · Post by **Fancie Flight** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 7:49 pm

I think fosters are great, I personally dont have the time allowed to hand feed unfortunatly, Kudos to those who do,

chrischris · Post by **chrischris** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 8:08 pm

No fostering with me just don't feel right about the whole thing.

chris

hilljack13 · Post by **hilljack13** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 10:41 pm

I don't think I would go get a society just to foster, but if you do have them I would give them a shot. Better to try than not try if you have problems.

Fancie Flight · Post by **Fancie Flight** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 1:45 am

I use all males to foster this way I never have baby societies, lol And I only do thi sas a LAST resort

Post by **Sally** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 2:26 am

I did have 2 male and 1 female Societies. They raised one of their own babies along with an Owl baby and did just great. I lost the hen, but the 2 males do the job just as well, without additonal Society babies. As soon as the Society and Owl baby were weaned, I slipped some Cordon Bleu eggs in the nest, and the 2 males started sitting immediately. Only one egg hatched, but the Societies have been feeding that baby religiously.

I don't want to use Societies as fosters just to increase the number of babies I can get--I just want SOME babies, and it looks like I will have to try fostering more. And having gone both routes, I'd rather foster than handfeed any day. I plan to get some more Societies, so I'll have more chances to have some of these waxbill babies.

chrischris · Post by **chrischris** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 10:25 am

I knew a breeder who fosters all his eggs to Societies. He says it's less disappointing than to see the chicks being tossed by the parents. He uses only male Societies to foster so no eggs to deal with. Two societies to a nest. However I think he has gone too far with it. From a pair of gouldian he could get 30-40 chicks from them in a year. He would remove the eggs as soon as they are laid. I asked him if he was to leave the eggs with the parents what will become of them and he said they would abandon them within a few days. It's sad to hear that people are doing this solely for profit. The chicks would probably be horrable parents and of quality.

Obviously I didn't buy any finches from him.

Chris

FeatherHarp · Post by **FeatherHarp** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 11:04 am

With all this discussion about having Societies foster if needed... a question comes to mind (and may have been asked already)...but if a person needs to have some chicks fostered by the Societies...do the Societies already have to be sitting on their own eggs or do you just provide the Societies a nest and put the eggs and or chicks to be fostered in there and the Societies will automatically start taking care of them?

And two Male Societies will do the job just as well as a M/F pair? I find that interesting!

I expect I may be in this situation down the road when I get ready to try to breed Owls knowing they are a harder species to get to breed and raise babies so figured I better ask now!

chrischris · Post by **chrischris** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 11:15 am

Two male societies will form a bond and what you basically do is place a nest in there for them. Let them prepare the nest and when your finches lay eggs you place fake eggs in the society nest in which they will start to incubate for you therefore getting them in the mood of nesting. So if you have to foster they are ready.

Using males is great because there are no society eggs to deal with.

chris

FeatherHarp · Post by **FeatherHarp** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 11:19 am

Thanks for the info Chris....that is great that 2 males will do the job! It makes things a little simpler

Hopefully I won't have to do that being the Owl pair I will be getting has successfully raised some babies but I just want to be prepared if necessary.

Ravyn · Post by **Ravyn** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 2:10 pm

Though I have literally just begun, I breed both societies and gouldians. I hope to do some showing with the societies up the road and who knows? Possibly with the gouldians as well. That being said, I forsee most of the time when I intend to breed a clutch of goulds I will simply breed a clutch of societies at the same time. However because I will not breed a bird I cannot house and care for for life (and yes, if all seven of my gould chicks had lived and I could not find homes for them, I would have kept them all and not bred another clutch), and because societies are commonly available, there may be times where I need to breed a gould clutch and not a society clutch. In which case I'll probably use the 'two male, fake egg' tactic.

As for fostering, well, if it weren't for my fabulous society parents (which, despite their recent waffling have really gone above the 'call of duty') I would have no gould chicks still alive at all. I absolutely adore my societies, and not just for this reason. If I could only keep one set of birds, goulds or societies, I would more than likely pick my societies. They are just so much fun to watch and full of so much personality. I think they're fabulous.

kiwi & mango · Post by **kiwi & mango** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 2:56 pm

I have been thinking the same thing for the last two days. I lost my first chick by the male tossing it just the other night I wish I had a pair of society to help them but I would worry that it would make the chick a bad parent when it comes time for him/her to breed. Has anyone had this problem?

L in Ontario · Post by **L in Ontario** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 3:06 pm

My pair of Gouldians tossed their entire first clutch and I was heartborken that I lost all 5 babies. Then I got a pair of male Societies and put a fake egg in a nest I gave them, every day that the Gouldians laid their second clutch until it was complete. They laid 6 eggs this time and were first time parents, so I took one egg (as a test) and gave it to the Soc's boys (removing one of their fake eggs). On Christmas Day the Gouldians tossed all five hatchlings (3 days old). When I got home and saw the babies on the floor of the cage - 1 was left alive. I quickly took it and gave it to the Soc's who now had TWO live LG babies. They raised the babies very successfully. These babies have now fledged and are completely weaned at 7 1/2 weeks of age. I've taken the babies away from the Soc's now and put them in with other adult Gouldians and they're both doing great!

I'm sure the Gouldians will get it right in their future breeding seasons. It's a learning curve for them.

The Soc's are in their own cage and I've added a third male to make things easier should I need them again in the future.

On another LG website - they state that their BEST parents are some Gouldians that were fostered by Societies. I hope mine will be good parents too someday!