Did I do the right thing?

[FLDoc]

First, in looking at this forum vs General Questions, it seems more people post to Finch Char, so putting this out here.

I have my first Gouldians. Three hen's and two males in a 32w X 21d X 35h flight with three wooden nest boxes. A black head female ( with a lot of red coming through) has been nesting with a yellow head and a red head male (if one male comes out, the other takes the advantage and goes in). She had two eggs and one chick previously with the red head, but the baby was tossed and the other two eggs infertile. After taking those eggs out, they took about a 3 week reprieve and she started nesting again, same box, with the two males switching as above. They have not been disturbed. Yesterday, one chick was tossed and I moved the nest to see in, seeing two more chicks and three eggs. I put the chick, which was still moving a bit, back in. They tossed the chick out dead within a half hour. The female never left the nest (even for me to look in) and the males never stopped their musical nest activity. This AM all good and my husband said that, while I was at work today, nothing changed. This evening, I found the two chicks tossed. One was dead and the other with a bad head injury, so I euthanized it.

In my larger Society/Zebra flight, there was a nest with about 11 eggs (one of the Society Clown nests-a large bamboo nest) when I looked yesterday to see if I could foster the chick that was tossed, but the only other active nest had Zebra chicks just ready to fledge, so I put the chick back into the Gouldian nest. Today, the Clown nest had four or five newly hatched chicks. So I candled the remaining eggs, took out two that were infertile and moved the two remaining Gouldian eggs into it to see if they would be fostered, rather than take a chance on losing the remaining eggs.

The Gouldians are all young, so I'm thinking that it may be inexperience. The female, and males, of course, are jumping in and out of the nest looking for the eggs. They are used to being in the living room and have never abandoned their duties, the female staying put and whichever male is in the nest guarding the entrance, so I think they are accustomed to activity around, vacuuming, changing of bedding and food/water/supplements, etc. However, there is not much highly hectic activity - no kids, few visitors and a senior dog. All birds are eating right now, so I'm confident that there will be some new nesting occurring with the three in the next few weeks, as there had been after their first nesting experience. This time, will leave any chicks to see if they 'get it'.

But was I wrong to move the eggs, or should I have given them a chance and incubate them despite tossing the young this time? Thanks in advance for your replies.

[lovezebs]

FLDoc

Hi Stuff

The Socies, will probably incubate and hatch the Gouldian eggs. Hopefully, they will raise the Gouldian chicks along with their own chicks (?).

My concern would be with your Gouldian nesting arrangement. The two males and female, is possibly the reason as to why they're running into trouble. Personally, I would pull one of these boys out of the equation , and house him with the other two girls, to see if he'll pair up with one of them.

[FLDoc]

Elana,
Huh, didn't think of that. Could move the yellow head male and black head female into a 24w X 16 H Prevue that I am currently housing a dove pair in along with their favored nest box.

[lovezebs]

FLDoc

I think it would be worth a try.
I have found, that my Gouldians, breed better when paired up (they choose their own mates) and allowed their own separate cage, without interference from other birds.

Now I know that other people have different experiences, but this has been my experience.

[debbie276]

Agree with Elana, I would pull the extra male and leave the pair settle in to raising a clutch.
FYI, if a gouldian hen has even one red feather on her head she is a RH.
If the eggs are good the society's should be able the raise the gouldian chick's. If they do hatch just watch around weaning time that the goulds are getting enough food because society wean earlier then goulds.
Good luck, keep us posted

[FLDoc]

Debbie, Elana,

Should I remove the pair, or just the red head male and leave the pair where they are with the two extra females? Thought to pull the pair and see if either remaining females (both yellows-not yellow headed).

[FLDoc]

Oops, if either remaining female nests with the red-headed?

[debbie276]

If you also have 2 extra hens in there I would pull the pair and set them up in their own cage.

[lovezebs]

FLDoc

Pull the pair into their own cage.

[FLDoc]

That's what I decided to do. Have a large Hoie that I use for fully fledged Zebras and Societies, so set this up. I put it in a recess next to our Breakfront, so a little more secluded, but can still be seen. Set it with a 60 watt daylight bulb. Put their preferred nesting box in. Should do OK.

[lovezebs]

FLDoc

Good luck.