Aussie Finch Forum

I doubt if Blackbirds would be an option for a number of reasons.
Firstly there is a very big size variation but more importantly when the chicks fledge.
Young Pekins always look under done when they leave the nest. They are generally moved away from the nest
and just sit on a twig. If they are moved around much they will die quickly, similar problem to a hen King Quail
looking for extra cover, running about and their chicks just drop with exhaustion.
I am not aware of any Asiatics that will eat Earth Worms, I wish they would as they are an easy live food to breed.
Dukem; European Black Birds are very well established here in Australia,many people like them but my wife hates them
because they dig around her garden.

Eorix,there was a person in Sunshine,Melbourne who was doing just that many years ago.He would exchange the blackbird eggs for pekin eggs,after a few days of hatching they were pulled from the black bird nest and hand reared.These people were of Maltese heritage and very experienced.
I doubt very much if it is still going on. Craig

Years ago I fostered Pekin eggs under Red-whiskered Bulbuls and they hatched and fed them until they fledged, then the signals were not right and they had to be hand raised as the bulbuls didn't know what they were. They were more reliable than the Pekin parents.

Tintola you gave me one idea. I will try to use a couple of Phoenicurus ochruros to foster pekin robins.

Dukem, if you have bred redstarts in captivity and they feed their young on a lot of crickets, then you have a good chance of being successful.

Years ago I kept a pair of Silvereyes (Zosterops lateralis) I did not attempt to breed them but they made a nest and laid eggs. They will eat almost any insect, they also love egg & biscuits, fruit and nectar, perhaps they would be better option for fostering than the Blackbirds. I think they are still bred and available here in Australia and their song is a heaven to listen to. I think we have couple of varieties, one is about the size of Pekin Robin.

It looks like a major overreaction to be discussing fostering under completely inappropriate birds (Blackbirds and Silvereyes) because one egg has been lost.
As Orix pointed out quite a number of eggs are 'lost' before they settle down. Try and work out what they are missing. Perhaps they don't feel secure, or the diet has changed, or one of the pair isn't in condition etc etc.
Let the pair get on with it.

I agree if the parents do it right but why waste viable eggs? Fostering is a good option with such hard to breed birds.

Tintola wrote:I agree if the parents do it right but why waste viable eggs? Fostering is a good option with such hard to breed birds.

That's exactly what I'm trying to say, you foster only when or if you have to, until you get that "good" breeding pair that does everything, sits on eggs and feed the young! With rare species every egg or young is precious.

My pekin robins have a new nest this time in a place without camouflage.This time i gave them insects with calcium powder.
Let's see the result this time.