There,s quite a few folk keeping/ breeding various types of softbills in the uk mate, blackbirds thrushes robins magpies tits etc, also less common but there is one or two who keep redstarts ring ouzels waxwings etc
like you say messy feckers and you need to supply lots of livefood if breeding
personaly if I were to keep softbills I would go foreign, glossy/ superb starlings