My fledgling’s Photo

GOULDYGIRL · Post by **GOULDYGIRL** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 3:33 pm

Forgot to ask. Are they in with the parents or in a separate cage?

Renee

franny · Post by **franny** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 3:36 pm

I think the two on the perches in the second photo are the parents?

One of the babies is on the bottom of the cage.

GOULDYGIRL · Post by **GOULDYGIRL** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 3:46 pm

So they still need to be with the parents once they fledge or is it ok to leave them. I know when I had the zebra's I learned the hard way to remove the babies once they fledged because the father killed one of the babies once they were out of the nest

Renee

franny · Post by **franny** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 4:01 pm

They are still way too young to separate/wean. They should be with the parents for at least 3 or 4 weeks after they fledge. They will still be begging and getting fed by the parents for quite some time yet.

If the dad was agressive to a baby it was probably because it was a male, or it was his way of saying he was ready to start another clutch but it was just too crowded with the little fledgings around. (I know, twisted logic, but that's finches for you. They don't always behave the way we'd expect, especially when living in the unnatural environment we provide for them. It's still just a fraction of the territory they would be used to in the wild.)

These society babies should be fine with Mom & Dad though, if the cage isn't too small. The worst they will likely do is pluck a few feathers from the babies, if they decide to lay another clutch, to line the nest!

If one does become agressive though, all you would have to do is remove the agressive one. One parent alone would usually be able to handle feeding the two babies, no problem.

GOULDYGIRL · Post by **GOULDYGIRL** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 4:19 pm

Thanks for the info. I figured the zebra male saw the baby as competition and luckily I was able to save one of them. I thought I read somewhere that you could keep society babies together with the parents but like you said it would be much better in a larger cage so they have plenty of room and not feel threatened.

Renee

franny · Post by **franny** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 4:31 pm

Yes, Societies have been bred in captivity for so long that no one really knows where they originated from anymore. So of all the finches they are the best ones for keeping happily in cages. They definitely will all pile in the nest together, long after others would have sent the babies packing!

But with any animal, best to not overcrowd. They will tell you though, if they need more room (i.e. feather plucking, or chasing the babies), so no need to worry unless they "complain".

MalditoGorrion · Post by **MalditoGorrion** » Sat Dec 20, 2008 3:21 am

Hi friends.

Thanks a lot for your lovely and instructively comments, especially to Fraany and GOULDYGIRL. Well to answer some questions. Yes gouldygirld, I am going to keep them. In this moment I am very interested in society finches, in fact this weekend I am going to buy 2 more couples. I have never bred exotic finches so this was my first time. Now I live in an apartment so I don’t have so much space but my family is planning to buy a house on this New Year so I think I will have a lot of space. I am thinking to breed goulds and cordon bleus but I want to have a little societies army just in case the goulds can’t will do it very well.

Oh franny you have all the truth in your hands, I was thinking in the same thing about the perches. I read that some time ago in a book but I didn’t have time to found a good dry branch. This next week I will go to the Everglades so I think I will found some good branches there.

At this time they are in the same cage I will keep them together until they can feed themselves or their parents will be ready to another clutch. Well this link will give you some info about the origin of the society finch http://www.finchworld.com/Birds/Finch/S ... ietyp.html it is very interesting to read it.

Thanks again ^_^

FeatherHarp · Post by **FeatherHarp** » Sun Dec 21, 2008 4:37 pm

Your baby societies are cute little fellows! I have never had any societies...yet. But I would like to get some when I get another cage.....someday! Everybody here seems to love them for their personalities and foster parenting.

bonnies_gouldians · Post by **bonnies_gouldians** » Sun Dec 21, 2008 7:35 pm

I have a male society that is so intent on impressing the female that he will dance no matter what is going on, even if the cat is looking right at him like he is chicken fingers (before she gets sprayed with the squirt gun)

I love watching him sing and dance, he looks like one of those old wooden dolls that quickly jerk from left to right, it just looks like a fake little fuzzy thing.

GOULDYGIRL · Post by **GOULDYGIRL** » Sun Dec 21, 2008 7:48 pm

Maldito, did you get your new society's yet??? I'm anxious to see pics, lol! Also, do you have a breeder in your area? I've been looking and e-mailing a few different breeders in my area the last few weeks and have not heard back from one. I wonder if the ads are old, that I've found online. I'd prefer to get mine from a breeder but the bird store in my area is pretty good too.

Renee