Chicks being beaten.

[Ricardo Ronsini]

Well, i really appreciate your inputs guys, this is my first time breeding gouldians and everything is new to me.

So, as i said, i had placed even more nests inside the aviary, hoping that it would be the topic.

But i belive Babs was right (again), once the chicks sticked their heads out of the nest's door, and begged for food to their father, she promptly attacked them furiously.

The thing that bothered me the most was that their father just sat right in front of the nest, watching calmly while his chicks were being murdered.

So, i took the aggressive female out, it was about 12:00 am.

A few minutes ago 16:30 or 4:30 pm, i checked the chicks and cleaned their wounds, their scalp and eyelids are in really bad shape, but it seems that permanent damages were avoided in time, they also are being fed.

I checked on the chicks of the agressive female as well, and they are being fed by their father too.

Now i will keep an eye on both nests.

[Babs _Owner]

w.l.

Wild and domestic, I've pried open many unwilling bird beaks to adulthood.

I think it's practical to warn others of the obligation, however, there are those of us willing (and very experienced in hand feeding) to help guide those that have the willingness to learn how to hand feed if the emergency arises.

My best breeding hen is hand fed raised. It's not common, I understand.

But there are so are many uncommon things that happen in all our birdrooms.

[Babs _Owner]

Ricardo Ronsini

Good eye watching the aviary. Now what to do with the aggressive female (and why is she being aggressive)?

How many feeding stations do you have? If it's one station with a lot of food the birds dont think "thats a lots of food".

If you fill FIVE feed stations all set apart with the same amount of food, their brains say "WOW thats a LOT of FOOD. YAY!"

Then there's the nest positions. Perches. Lots of factors. Plus each one of your gouldians have different temperments , likes and dislikes. Only you know your birds better then anyone. ;)

[lovezebs]

Ricardo Ronsini

Some males, are not very brave when it comes to females gone crazy, and will keep out of their way.

I hope your little injured babies recover, and I hope that everyone keeps feeding well.

[Babs _Owner]

Ricardo Ronsini

Some males, are not very brave when it comes to females gone crazy, and will keep out of their way.

my Ricco

[Ricardo Ronsini]

lovezebs Babs

Thanks Elana, i hope so too.

Babs, indeed, the food is concentrated in one site, actually, i hang the kale's leafs near to the nest with the beaten chicks, and they all eat a lot of kale.

It is interesting, because they do have more than enough, but what you said seems right, for all the birds eat in the same spot, so they might think that the competition is huge.

I have placed food all over the place today, now it is like a little buffet, and they seem quite happy, hopping from bowl to bowl, real pickers.

That's the sort of problem that you don't have with zebras

[Babs _Owner]

Ricardo Ronsini


I don't colony breed, but when I house my (off-season) breeding pairs in their 5 foot flight, they still have hormones raging for a while and if left with a large feeding station.....the bickering happens.

So when I set out 4 different stations for everything.....it stops.

I completely understand how fiesty hormonal pairs can be using the same feeding stations . ;)