Need advice, campylobacter?

[ac12]

I have a set of societies, raising a pair of gouldians which the eggs were abandoned.
But the chicks do not BEG, at least I have never heard them beg. All I see them doing is opening their mouth. And they just sit in the nest, not moving around much.

They hatched on April 2nd, so they are about 2 weeks old. At this stage I normally hear the chicks screaming to be fed. Yet I have not heard any sound out of them.
And because they are not begging, I don't see the societies feeding them like I normally do. IOW their crops are not stuffed. The crop looks to be about half full or less most of the time.

I was beginning to suspect campylobacter, but they are about at the end of the 10-14 day window when they die of campylobacter.
But now I am coming up on the window for cochlosoma, as they approach fledging time.

Any thoughts?

[Babs _Owner]

ac12

When I have had to foster I noticed, like you, the offspring don't beg nearly as much as they are fed before they even have to make a sound.

Seems there comes a time when the offspring and the foster parents realize they dont 'speak the same language', and the parents I believe at this point realize the babies aren't of their species. Or it may be because societies wean faster, as Debbie has mentioned on posts.

At this point the foster parents may stop feeding and lose interest. I have had to pull the gouldians out of a foster nest and handfeed when they show considerable pin feathers as thats when I start to see the rejection occur.

My goal next year is no fostering at all....handfeeding only in emergencies. I am really challenged to have 3 breeding gouldian pairs all raising young normally. But the fosters are a real lifesavers.

I think whats happening is pretty normal, and they may not be sick at all. Doesnt sound like sickness, it sounds like they are just losing interest, therefore feeding the young less.

If the parents are seriously losing interest (spending most time outside the nest), its time to break out the handfeeding supplies and take over. The fosters did the hardest part of the job, so it shouldnt be too bad.

[ac12]

Thanks Babs,
The pattern unfortunately fits your description.
I guess I was spoiled by my first and second sets of societies. They FED the chicks till they were stuffed. So this behavior change comes as an unpleasant surprise

What seem to trigger eating and I think feeding, is when I put egg+veggies out for them. And what is odd to me is that the societies go for the lettuce first. I've not seen that before.

I crop feed them once yesterday, my first time crop feeding. Boy was that scary. But once I got the first chick fed, the 2nd was a lot easier. So I will keep an eye on them and get ready to suppliment feed the chicks.

Man I was hoping to avoid this.
But you are correct, the societies did the hard work for me. I could never get a hatchling past 4 days by hand feeding. At 2 weeks, they are big enough that it is much easier to feed them.

[Babs _Owner]

ac12

Yep, we both together have talked about those first days, and you've known me to go without sleep. So it is lovely you have those fosters to get you over the "hump".

Not only will societies "quit" at a certain stage, but they also sometimes won't take a newborn unless they really believe they hatched it.

I tried to sneak a newborn into Dueces nest. I had her broody on fake eggs for a week. I removed one egg, put in the newborn ...and she was like "Ummm no, not my baby". CackleJax did as he was told (He knows shes the boss LOL), and he wouldn't feed it either. I couldnt fool them.

Thats one of the 3 I have handraised straight from the egg. I really dont want to do that next year. I was Sooooo tired.

PS Good job the the successful handfeeding. You be a pro in a few more feedings. And it's much better news than the babies or your societies having campylobacter or cochlosoma. If the chicks make it with the handfeedings, you'll be pretty sure your fosters are clean of both.

[monotwine]

The lack of activity of chick's would have me watch them closely. Try add acv to water to be safe. Yeast infections are silent bird killers too.

[ac12]

Good idea about the ACV.
I will add it to their water tomorrow morning.

[Sally]

ac12 I also think at two weeks you would normally hear a lot more begging. Hopefully the ACV will help, yeast infections can easily get out of control.

[ac12]

Bab,
Now I am really appreciating my first 2 sets of societies.
They took ALL the hatchlings to weaning and even took a couple at about the 1 week mark when the parents abandoned the nest.

Maybe I need to look for another set and see if I get lucky again.
Or just breed a pair of the ones that I have and hope for the best.

[ac12]

Sally, that is what worries me. From my gouldiand or prior societies, I used to hear so much screaming/begging to get fed as soon as a society or gouldian was in or on the nest. But this pair of chicks is quiet, and that worries me. I finally heard the chicks begging about mid-morning , then nothing

ACV, I plan to dose at 1 drop per 1 oz of water.
That has been by dosage in the past. OK, too high, too low?

[ac12]

I can hear them begging.
The chicks are finally learning to scream to be fed.
And tomorrow is their scheduled fledge date.

[Sam007]

Good news!

[Sally]

That is really good news!

[Babs _Owner]

ac12

Yay!!!

[ac12]

Doing good.
They fledged, and I can hear them begging from the other room.

But these societies are very different than my first 2 sets. It seems to me, that they will feed, but only if I keep the egg+veggie dish filled and it has to have veggies in the dish, or they will ignore the egg. So I'm giving them a new dish of egg+veggies 5x a day. Geez but they are fussy eaters.

I'm off to boil more egg.

[Babs _Owner]

ac12

**giggle** these new societies have you on a leash.