gouldian hen remolting?

[spn1979]

hello all
I had a pair of goulds that turned one in november. They finished there first adult molt and I gave them a nest in april and they gave me a dud clutch. I pulled the nest for about a week then decided to give it back and they immediately began again. Just before then hen started to lay another clutch the male passed. I ended up pulling the eggs and placing them elsewhere as she showed no interest in them. She was alone for a month or so before i could find a new male. The male i got her apparently was at the beginning stages of a molt. Today i noticed the hens long tail feathers are missing and her chest looks a little splotchy. This pair is less active than my other goulds wich i kinda notice happens when they molt. My question is can any of these conditions trigger another molt so fast or am i just seeing things?

THX STEVE

[debbie276]

They should only molt annually, not more then once a year. They shouldn't go into breeding mode till their molts are complete. Could she be being plucked or under undue stress?

[spn1979]

Debbie
Her and her old mate definately went thru a heavy molt and were done for a month when i breed them again in april. Her second laying was in the beginning of may. Theres no aggression between her and the new guy so i wanna say plucking is out. Her only stress that i can thinkof might be the loss of her mate who she has been with since 2 months old and then being alone until the new guy showed up. Im not 100% sure yet that she is molting but is showing some possible signs. I was just wondering if she coulda been tricked into thinking it was a good time to molt again because she did lay and her new guy was molting.

[debbie276]

Gouldians can be "tricked" into a molt if you omit everything but seed in their diet for several weeks. Not sure that's the case. They usually have 2 to 3 clutches a year so I don't think taking the nest away would have triggered it either.

[Smurf]

I don't have much experience with moulting behaviours of gouldians yet although i do have goulds at different stages of moult, mainly after purchasing some new birds which have fiinished moult now outside of sync my breeding season.
I find with the parrot finches that after pairing up birds, either changing partners or removing nestbox can trigger a moult possibly due to hormones reaching a peak and then declining, my terminology may not be correct but would strongly suspect the access to a nestbox and then not having access caused the moult

[debbie276]

This is what the austere diet does, reduces their hormone levels and puts them in a resting state. Then when they get higher protein foods they go into a molt. This happens naturally in Australia's dry and wet season.

[spn1979]

I took some pics of her today. She looks a little rough and has pin feathers in her mask. If this isn't a remolt I don't know what It is she just finished a 2 month molt in March.

[lovezebs]

spn1979

She does look patchy and a bit off colour.
I'd offer lots of hard boiled eggs and vegetables , along with a bit of liquid vitamin in the drinking water.
Whether it's a stress induced molt, or whatever, I'd up the nutrition, add a warm light, and offer a lukewarm bath daily.

Elana

[Colt]

I agree with Elana. Definitely a molt. If she's got pin feathers on her head she's probably getting close to being done.

If you're wanting to breed them I'd try a box rather than the nest basket you have provided. Usually they prefer a nest box.

[spn1979]

Lovezebs and colt

I believe their diet is up to par. Ive had several gouldians molt for me and they came thru just fine including 2 bald hens that i purchased in march wich look better than ever. theyre in a room wich is almost 80 degrees all the time so i dont think theyre cold. They all seem to take a bath when i change the water and i use cooler water ill try lukewarm water with her tommorrow.

Colt
There really shouldnt be a nest in there at all but i didnt realize she was gonna molt until it was too late as she just finished a heavy molt in march(i risk other couples if i mess around too much around her cage right now.) this hen has given me 5 dud clucthes but shes with a new guy now and both nest options are available to the couple. I actually have 2pair incubating in hanging baskets at the moment and a third working on a box.

Thx for all the help
Steve