FINCHforum

My youngest gouldians from the last year's clutch has just finally finished the molt, I did trade some of them to my friends to bring home new bloodlines(I only had one breeding pair last year ), then when the new birds are settling down, I start watching them, and i notice, if the bird had purple breast, that's a very deep and blueish-purple colour, while my birds are more like dark magenta colour. The different is so obvious that I wonder, did I go wrong somewhere? Is that genetic or just because of the diet?
I keep my finches a basic diet for their age, with many kind of seeds in the mix, and green food twice a week, is there anything more I can do to help them getting the more vibrant colour? I've read somewhere that adding liquid iodine in the water does the trick, doesn't it?
It's good to know if I did something wrong last year, sothat I can fix it this year.

Hard to say. Can you post pics of the two types of breast colours you mention?

Here you go Liz:
All of these Gouldians are in my home now.
This yellow is imported from China, notice the very nice blueish-purple:


This RH PB GB is from my friend(he's not fluffy, he's taking asun bath )


And my Gouldians:







This little guy has a small patch of white feathers on his cheek, I have no idea about that, too. He is the son of a BH PB GB male and BH WB GB female.

Those are some pretty intense colours.

L in Ontario wrote:Those are some pretty intense colours.

Teehee, you saw the different? How can I get the breast colour of my gouldian intense like the #1 photo of the yellow gould? some feather supporting product may help?

Foods rich in lutein help produce nice yellow coloring and aids the body to produce astaxantin (red coloring) so diet can help for better color but blue is a structural color and has to do with light reflection. So starting with a bird with good genetic coloring is the way to get intense birds.
Breeding to the better quality colored birds will help your offspring develope the richer colors. I too have lines that show the brilliance and sheen of the purple and then some that have a more muted shade of purple. I like them both. I have also noticed in my lilac breasted lines the same thing. Some lilacs have a irredescent sheen to them while others have the more flat color.
They are all on the same diet so it has to be genetics. All your birds are beautiful.

I cannot add much that Candace has not already said, but wanted to say WOW!!! what intensely beautiful birds.
Your other birds not import also seem to have good colour, just different. Both are stunning.

Thank you so much, Liz, Candace and Monique. Now I know what to do next.
That yellow is really amazing and he caught my eyes right at the first time I saw him. , can't wait till I see his offspring. I've got many yellow goulds for now, and many birds growing in my home for a year a so. Still, can't forget how eager I was when I first got my first gouldian, and when I saw the first chick hatched.

If you hadn't said the coloring was different in person I would have said it was the camera altering the colors "we" see.

Here is a silver male of mine that clearly has purple in one picture and the other it looks blue.





Your birds are gorgeous

Hi Misty,it's not the camera. You can see the different in this pic when they're in the same lighting condition:



*Sorry for the dirty cage floor, the day I took that photo is the day I cleaned it

Your silver look fantastic

Isn't that what we like to call blue breast then?

Gorgeous!!!

http://users.skynet.be/fa398872/engoulm16.htm

Gasp! Beautiful... ok I am turning my computer off now and not going to look at any more Gouldians!!! This forum has tempted me too much. *I even ordered a pair or two already... *

Hoang, I'm new to the finch world but WOW! Your birds are beautiful! I can't imagine that food makes the difference and to me it wouldn't matter. Your original birds are just as beautiful as your new bird!

PS I love your little blue and white food crocks too and wish I could find something like those here. They are pretty crocks for pretty birds!

MLaRue wrote:Isn't that what we like to call blue breast then?

Gorgeous!!!

http://users.skynet.be/fa398872/engoulm16.htm

oh is it? there's mutation called blue breast out there? Misty, I have no idea what he is. He's the only one left from 20 pairs imported from China. Anyway, I think I should keep an eye on him and his offspring
Monique, when will your order arrive? Don't we all just love gouldian, their sweet little songs, and the colours? My Gouldians are getting used to camera, so now they're my models, can help myself wanting taking photos of them
Hey, why this guy still has a white patch on this face? Does anybody know why?


@Rhonda: thank you!! the crock you like is very cheap here, wish I can send you some.

Don't know too much about why the white patch occured, but I have it in my Violet ear cock bird too. After his moult this year he had a whitish patch of feather amongst brown. I suppose it can be a freak feather mutation and perhaps next moult it will return to normal?

IF all goes according to plan I hope to get some Gouldians in about 6 weeks. If not then definately in January. I am waiting for them to colour out first and am getting them from a local breeder that keeps them outdoors in similar conditions to mine. Can't wait. Breeder says he thinks there are Blues in there..... my fav.