Molting

[MariusStegmann]

With the waxbills and mannikins that I used to keep, there molting was always a gradual process. There was never a time when I noticed that my birds has very little in the way of feathers. The parrotfinches that I got a few months ago, I believe has 2 molts a year. I have a couple of questions about molting. A friend said to me that her RFPF are molting and have very few feathers. We live in the same area, but mine are not molting. Am I correct in saying that once one of the birds in the aviary starts molting, the other follow suit? What happens if the birds are breeding and they start molting. This would be very dangerous to their health.

[monotwine]

It depends at what stage they are. They go through their first moult into adult plumage after which they are ready to start breeding. Thereafter they should only moult once a year. Depending on your breeding programme (which can change from breeder to breeder and not necessarily area) they will moult after breeding season is completed.

They can be triggered for moult during their resting season by reducing the rich foods and oil seeds such as soft food, egg food and canary seeds etc. Similar to Gouldian. They do need a resting season post breeding to moult and gain weight/condition lost during breeding (as in our case where they are in big aviaries).

Yours were all young, or just starting breeding as they had only begun pairing up. Yours are well in season.
Mine are still feathered, just tatty and not as full of plumage as they usually are and some without tail feathers.
This is poor plumage for my birds that are in the middle of their moulting.

DSC_0207.jpg (82.1 KiB) Viewed 559 times

[finchmix22]

monotwine
Thanks for PF info! I did not realize they molt like gouldians, needing the resting period. I give all my finch pairs a rest after 3 clutches, but didn't realize the PF's were more like the gouldians. Very helpful information.

[MariusStegmann]

monotwine Thx Monique for the info. Have a great weekend.

[monotwine]

Its not exactly like the Gouldians with a full austerity diet, but as far as I know most birds run on a seasonal cycle of plenty and austere times. They breed in the times of plenty and rest in the other. So technically it can be applied all round. I rest all my finches (as they are in one cage) and over winter give them a seed diet with only a few treats now and then. In spring and summer in their breeding season I will give them a rich diet with lots of veg, egg food, insects etc. That stimulates many to breed as the abundance of food is indicative of their ability to raise babies.

[MariusStegmann]

monotwine I was told that I must give my birds oil-rich seed like canola and canary because they need it in winter to keep warm and healthy.

[monotwine]

Marius, you are correct. Oil rich seeds help them keep condition over our cold wet winters. It just depends how much you give them - you also don't want lazy fat parrot finches or that will affect their virility - though with large aviary set ups there is less chance of that.

During their resting period my birds still get canary seed (canola they don't eat) in their mix. I mix my own so can add or reduce certain seeds when I want. In summer my mix contains even more canary seed than during winter as my birds favour it for breeding. Mostly its the treats, high protein eggfood and variety of vegetables and insects, that are removed to induce a high seed diet. During this time of less treats and lots of seed is when my Parrot finches moult out and rest before spring.
If possible you can also separate males and females during the rest period as the males are often very eager breeders and hardly give the hens time out.

BUT on a whole you need to figure out what works best for you. The advice I give is only from my experience and my unique set-up. If you find something that works for your individual situation and it produces healthy breeding birds, then don't change it.

[MiaCarter]

This austerity diet concept is very interesting.

I've always fed the same diet year-round (more or less. I include fruits and veggies and lots are seasonal) and they've always done their thing with molting. I haven't done a whole lot of breeding.

Is the point of the austerity diet to create a more distinctive breeding and off season for more regularity?