Societies questions about raising them

[cindy]

I really like to look into getting a pair of crested societies. Love the do!!! Candace's recent pictures has got me thinking. There is a show in a month and I have a few species I am thinking of getting.

Questions:

*do societies always carry canker? Once they have it does it go away and are they carriers?

*Do they carry anything else that can be given to other species?

*Are they better off with their own mate in a single cage during breeding or can you mix a few pairs together?

*can I get 2 females and 1 male instead of two pairs?

Ok, let me hear your pearly words of wisdom on this topic.

So far I may get shaftails, nuns if available , zebras (black cheek) or societies....I have to pick one species! I just need to get more cages, bigger house, win the lottery!

[L in Ontario]

I just need to get more cages, bigger house, win the lottery!

But NOT in that order. LOL

If you get crested Societies - they say you should only breed one crested to a non-crested (to be safe); although Donna has bred a couple of crested and their offspring seem fine.

Two females and one male Society is fine too. I have two normal males and one crested female. It works too.

I don't know what "canker" is but not all Societies carry any particular disease.

[dfcauley]

Hi Cindy,

All three of my society finches are crested. They will foster whateve I have to throw their way. They are awesome. I have not deliberately allowed them to have their own babies, but they have slipped a few in on me occasionally. Misty has one of my crested babies now and it is fine. I have always heard they will be bald if you breed crested together, but I have never had this happen with any of mine. Some have been crested......some not....

I believe if they test positive for the disease that they will always carry it. It doesn't make them sick, they can foster other birds but it is the gouldians that they usually pass it off to.. I believe this is correct and if not may someone can shed more light on that.

I don't think mixing pairs together is a problem with society finches. They are just one big happy family I think it depends on what you want to do with them. If you want to use them as fosters.... I would only get males because then you have the problem I do.... they sneak in their own eggs.
If you want to raise babies you could get pairs however you want. I NEVER see mine fighting. In fact, I have a silverbill that is handicapped and hangs out with them. It sleeps in the nest and fosters with them.

If you don't have any, you can't go wrong with them. And they are cheap!!!

[CandoAviary]

Tiffany gave me this advice (discussion was in General Question, Egg Exchange Program, Page 4)

Her quote:
There are two "carrier diseases" you have to worry about with African finches (including Societies): Campylobacter and Cochlosoma.

When using societies as fosters for Australian species, if the societies have Campylobacter, you will see the chicks will often die before or around 10 days of age, and there will usually be an abundance of mustard yellow smelly droppings.

With Cochlosoma, it can be anywhere from 10 days to 6 weeks (just after weaning) that you start to see problems.
If they survive to fledging, what you usually see during fledging/weaning is a failure to thrive, going light, etc., and then they ultimately die. And this happens repetitively, with multiple (if not all) chicks in that and subsequent clutches.

_________________
~Tiffany




Also check out this site. centralpets.com/php/search/storiesdisplay.php?Story=25
well I see it will not come up so I will PM you the article ince I can not post here due to Copy Right laws.
You can have head crest, neck crest, brest crest and cobinations of these. I would not breed crest to crest. In crested canaries what happens many times is you lose the cresent shape and you get sloopy crest/lopsided crest. Some people like that look though My hen has the full cresent head crest and a back dippity doo neck crest: click on to enlarge so you can see the long 'hair' down the back. I wonder it my chicks will get this too?

[cindy]

Thanks Candace for the info. Look at that feathering, very different, almost a shag!!!!

I will read up on them I have a few extra cages and would like to add a species or two, can't decide.