Aussie Finch Forum

my Gouldian's are constantly producing large clutches, 6-10 eggs per nest, eggs are 99% fertile every time

I have had a zebra pair raise a single Gouldian chick last year, they did a great job

now I have decided to only let the Gouldian's raise 6 chicks per nest, so I have taken the extra Gouldian eggs and placed them under zebras

I now have a zebra nest with 3 zebra chicks and 3 Gouldian chicks, the zebras are doing an incredible job, the Gouldian chicks are huge, they are being fed so well that they look like they are going to burst

do you think the Gouldian's raised under zebras will pick up the zebra traits and maybe brood their own chicks when they have them at night?

Werty,
Would not be concerned with picking up the Zeb traits, would be more concerned that the goulds being dominant and larger the zeb chicks will fail. Suggest in future replace all zeb eggs with goulds. Same as using Bengos as fosters.

Ken.

matcho wrote:Werty,
Would not be concerned with picking up the Zeb traits, would be more concerned that the goulds being dominant and larger the zeb chicks will fail. Suggest in future replace all zeb eggs with goulds. Same as using Bengos as fosters.

Ken.

Not concerned, I want them to pick up the zebra trait for brooding chicks all day

I breed the bigger zebs, so the zeb chicks have no problem with gould chicks at feeding time

Gouldians are excellent parents, they do not need fosters. I think you are going, unnecessarily, against nature. Somewhere down the line you could be giving unfortunate purchasers, of your birds, more problems than they deserve.

Bit judgmental there Maurice ??

Possibly, Arthur, but one can only judge on the picture that has been painted!

As far as I am concerned Gouldian's are better parents anyway.
At least they are here.