Female Gouldian still calling for "lost" mates

Coop · Post by **Coop** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 11:08 am

I have 2 hens that still call for their mates. One is calling for a cock that died just after tossing the chicks from a new clutch. The other never had a mate (in my house) and still calls for one. Will they ever bond with another cock?

L in Ontario · Post by **L in Ontario** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 1:28 pm

Yes absolutely they will bond with another male and I have found that it does not take long at all (even if the ex-mate is in the same room).

atarasi · Post by **atarasi** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 2:25 pm

Liz is right. They say that hens (or cocks) will not bond with another mate if they are within ear-shot of their original mate. I found this to not be true. Gouldians are not as monogamous as a lot of people say. They ain't swans!

Post by **Sally** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 1:22 am

atarasi wrote:Liz is right. They say that hens (or cocks) will not bond with another mate if they are within ear-shot of their original mate. I found this to not be true. Gouldians are not as monogamous as a lot of people say. They ain't swans!

Y

Post by **Sally** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 1:24 am

atarasi wrote:Liz is right. They say that hens (or cocks) will not bond with another mate if they are within ear-shot of their original mate. I found this to not be true. Gouldians are not as monogamous as a lot of people say. They ain't swans!

You are so right, Jordan! I had two males and 3 females in a flight cage, and all three females had babies, so somebody was being unfaithful!

atarasi · Post by **atarasi** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 4:21 am

Typical male for ya! Hey wait, not all of us are like that.
I've read in the wild, Gouldians choose different mates every year. What I find interesting is that if you separate the sexes during the non-breeding season, they will bond with their original mates when placed back together.

FINCHIE · Post by **FINCHIE** » Tue Jan 27, 2009 12:00 am

I would probably try and get another mate ASAP...it doesn't take even a strongly bonded bird long to get over it. Shaft tail finches have a very strong pair bond and I lost a mate and the next day added another one, and it stopped calling almost instantly.