Problems with fostering?

[Justin-2-finches]

Hi all, i have been slightly addicted to this site for some time, it is great for gaining much needed knowledge of our beautiful birds. But this is the first time i have posted a question of my own.
Question is i have been quite successful with my Gouldians but occasionally when i have had to foster the eggs (to societies). i have found results to be mixed. Quite often the societies will hatch All eggs but as they grow they die off one by one until there is only 1 or 2 babies left, then they fledge fine.
Has any one else ever had this problem? and is there any thing i can do?
many thanks

[debbie276]

This can happen IF your societies are carriers of the diseases campylobacter and/or cochlosoma. Here's a good article about fostering with societies that you may be interested in: http://ladygouldian.com/node/121

[ac12]

As far as I know, the C&C disease does not affect the societies. But the societies will be carriers of the disease. And from my reading, the C&C disease is not curable. Medication to suppress the disease could also affect the chicks.

I think you will need to remove those birds from fostering and replace them with a new pair of societies. And I would get the new societies from another source than where you got the ones you have.

When you remove the societies, isolate them to contain the disease. Do NOT allow them to be with the new societies. And do NOT mix their food/water containers, as that is one way the C&C disease is transmitted to other birds.

Preferably give the infected birds away, to get them and the disease out of your house, and tell the new owner not to use them for fostering gouldians. Also clean and disinfect the cage that they were in and their food and water containers. I would throw away any wooden perches and get new ones, since you cannot really disinfect wood as it is too porous.

gud luk

[6finchfriends]

Yes, it's best if you want to use your societies for fostering that you purchase them from a breeder that uses Societies for fostering and sells off the society chicks they don't want. That's what I did. The breeder I purchased from tests his birds every year to make sure they are 'clean'. Hope you can locate someone in your area and start over.

[ac12]

Trish
How does the breeder "test" his birds for C&C.
I was told by someone on this forum that there were quoted over $100 PER BIRD from a vet to get the test done at the lab.
That can get VERY EXPENSIVE very fast.

My practical test is, if the society can raise a gouldian to weaning, then it is 99% "clean." This is why my hens are still in extended quarantine in my office. They have not had a gouldian chick to foster from hatchling to weaning.

[6finchfriends]

I'm not sure how he tests for it. I don't think he tests every single one since he doesn't just put new finches in with his. He's very particular. he probably sends in a poop sample but I really don't know.

[Justin-2-finches]

Many thanks to all for the good advice, that is kind of what i thought, can zebra finches carry those diseases as well?

[ac12]

Don't know.
I first heard that zebras would be vulnerable to C&C because they are also Australian grassland birds.
But then I heard that zebras were not vulnerable to C&C.
So...right now I don't know.