FINCHforum

I picked up a couple of gouldians last fall and placed them indoors for their quarantine period. Before the quarantine was over the weather started cooling off too drastically for the transition to my outdoor aviary to start. Now that the weather is warming up, I would like to move them outdoors but they have become very accustomed to living indoors and they have a new baby about 45 days old.

They are so much more finicky regarding the food variety they are interested in compared to my outdoor birds.

How do I transition them or should I even try to make them outdoor birds?

I am scared the transition might effect them adversly or the other birds might pick on them, although I do not have an aggressive aviary.

Many wise experienced bird keepers have told me to listen to my birds. They will tell you what works and what doesn't work. It's also important to follow your gut on this.
If you are sure they are happier inside then keep them there. The other option is in late May or early June try them outside for a month or two but be prepared to bring them back in at any point. If they love it they will have been out long enough to be acclimated by Fall.

Were your birds originally bred outside or inside?

All of the indoor bred gouldians which I moved outside were fine during the initial summer and autumn months. As soon as the first major cold spell came, they dropped like flies... This was with insulation from wind/rain and a heat lamp in the aviary. The gouldians which were bred outside or which I bred myself outside, all survived the winter months just fine. Those bred outside definitely have a stronger immune system to handle the temperature changes.

Like Charlie suggested, you can put them outside once your temperatures have warmed up and are consistently warm. You will then have to decide in autum if you are going to bring them back inside or take a chance with them over winter. Ideally, if you want to keep birds outside, make sure you purchase birds which have been bred and consistently kept outside.

I had to learn this the very hard way