Aussie Finch Forum

Does anyone use society finches to foster gouldian finch babies. Is there any special thing that has to be done to make this work

Why would you want to use societies to raise gouldians?
Gouldians are quite capable of raising their own babies and its far less work letting them do just that than trying to get a clean strain of societies, getting the timing just right to swap eggs etc etc....the list of getting things right goes on and on.
Then of course there is the possibility of disease being passed on by the societies to the gouldian young, imprinting, which then can lead to further problems when those babies grow up and try to become parents themselves.
More trouble than its worth if you ask me.

I Have Societies as fosters
But prefer all birds to raise there own chicks.I only use societies for young pairs that dont want to sit on there eggs until they start sitting or birds i know that dont want to sit or used for birds that abandon eggs or chicks for no reason so i dont lose out.But not all birds carry imprinting I have had Gouldians, Cut Throats,Red and blue faced parrotfinch and Parsons that were fostered chicks and then went onto to raise there own chicks.

Diane is right more trouble than its worth in using societies to foster gouldians
maybe 20 years ago but not now.

finches247 wrote:I Have Societies as fosters
But prefer all birds to raise there own chicks.I only use societies for young pairs that dont want to sit on there eggs until they start sitting or birds i know that dont want to sit or used for birds that abandon eggs or chicks for no reason so i dont lose out.But not all birds carry imprinting I have had Gouldians, Cut Throats,Red and blue faced parrotfinch and Parsons that were fostered chicks and then went onto to raise there own chicks.

Every one to their own,but i'm with Henry

Hi frank, I know that overseas they do alot of fostering using bengos and zebs. Here we have good parents that raise young without the need to foster. Trying to foster young isn't that easy as blue butterfly has stated as it comes down to timing. I personally would at least give them a chance to see if they can raise a clutch in a season before going for fostering. I can't help with info about fostering but there is a few good American and UK sites which can help.

I certainly dont have a problem with societies or any other foster working to raise gouldians if needs warrant it, and if the keeper has done the ground work to ensure the foster wont pass on any disease to the fostered young.
Ive moved eggs and/or chicks myself, only when its been necessary and only to another pair of gouldians. Ive even fostered some myself when there was no other option, but I wouldnt set up to automatically use foster parents as I feel all we would be doing to making a rod for our own backs with further problems down the track.
Remember the blue Gouldian?

This automatic fostering can already been seen in other places around the world. Reading some articles someone new to keeping gouldians could be forgiven in thinking that gouldians (and some other specie) are totally incapable of raising their own young and need flocks of willing societies to raise babies.

The sad thing is the longer this type of automatic fostering goes on the more likely a large portion of the specie will end up just like that...unable or unknowing of how to take care of their young, if this does happen large scale worrying about the influx of mutations would be the least of keepers worries.

Hi everyone I have a pastel w/b,yh and I put him to four yellow hen, the are read to breed,because they waga there tail to him showing interest in him,but he as no interest in mating with four yellow hen,also his was raised ny bengos and he is two year old bird,but the person I got him from breed under bengos,so I swap him three bh,pb,sp/wb,sp/blue for that pastel because he was a friend of me,so I trust him that bird would breed for me,it show to me that raised by bengos is no good for me .It was good in early staged when these mutation were weak and they need help to get these mutation happaned, and these day they can be raised by there own parent ,So could go on saying more about this but just want to go back about this pastel cock that when he make a nest ,he bring other male with him in the nest box when he nest is buildt,is he gay or not or is it something to do when he was raised by the bengos .We should be breeding quaitly gouldian for future to out cross help to get strong mutation out there.This is my view.

Cheer from Mr Tino

Well said and well put MR tino i totally agree

Hi All,

I'm with Diane, Tino and Flavio...why use Bangelese when Gould's are excellent parents on their own....I understand that someone may want to foster out a weaker mutation under normal Gouldians...but there is no need to use Bangeles.

Why risk introducing issues such as airsac mite and imprinting by usint Bangeles....our normal gouldians are strong enough to use as foster parents if the need arises.

Cheers
Paul