Breeding Seasons

John · Post by **John** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 11:33 pm

I find this topic very perplexing. Why is it that you can ask a hand full of breeders when the breeding season is for specific breeds, and you can get totally conflicting answers??....lol.

Also, why is it that the breeding season for birds in the wild is often the complete opposite to those in captivity?

This may be a big ask, but would everyone be able to tell me when the in captivity breeding seasons are for each species? Could you also state what country you live in?

I will do a list so you can copy and paste it into your answer to make it easy. It will really help me figure out which birds to get when.

Gouldians -
Long Tailed Grassfinches -
Saint Hellenas -
Orange Breasts -
Chestnuts -
Star finches -
Cut throats -
Masked finches -
Pictorellas -
Plumbheads -
White Headed Munias -
Cubans -
Gold finches -
Black Headed Munias -
Cordon Bleu -
Crimson Finches -
Diamond Firetails -
Doubled Barred finches -
Masked grassfinches -
Painted Firetail finches -
Red Browed finches -
Tri Coloured Munias -

I know thats a hell of a list, but even if you could give me an idea of a few of them...or whatever you know, it would be much appreciated.
Actaull months would be best, but you could even just put "summer, winter, spring or autumn".....
Thanks!

EmilyHurd · Post by **EmilyHurd** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 1:22 am

I live in the USA-Colorado. All of mine breed year round for the most part.

John · Post by **John** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 3:13 am

Thats interesting Emily.....So whats the weather like in Colorado? Im guessing it would be fairly hot right? Probably a lot like it is here in Brisbane Australia....maybe dryer.

What breeds of finches do you have?

kenny · Post by **kenny** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 7:33 am

hi john
i have found with all my austalian birds that even though we have a great summer in england..they dont start to breed until the summer is approaching in thier native country......i have given nests to most of these birds but they will not use them until it is really cold in this country .most of the breeders in this country will tell you the same as most breed gouldians and the like in heated birdrooms around october .it seems as if they have a built in clock to tell them when to breed

ken

Post by **Sally** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 12:08 pm

Hi, John - I'm in the USA too, but of your list, I only have Stars, CBs, and Gouldians. As kenny said, many of these birds from the Southern Hemisphere stick to that breeding and season schedule, even when they are born and raised in the Northern Hemisphere. I don't really understand it, I have raised horses, and they are affected a lot by light, so breeders keep their mares under lights to bring them into breeding condition earlier in the year (our winter). Seems like we could do the same with the finches, but it doesn't always work that way. So we find here in the USA that many of our finches want to come into breeding condition now, which is our autumn season. Others will breed during our spring and summer. I think the more they become domesticated, thru the generations, the more we can control their breeding seasons (maybe?).

Your birds should be on your season, with breeding coming in your spring, I would think, since that is their normal schedule anyway.

Oops, I forgot I now have Goldbreasts, but haven't bred them yet.

EmilyHurd · Post by **EmilyHurd** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 11:26 pm

It isn't that hot in Colorado... it's been about 75-95 degrees throughout the last couple months. It's pretty dry here... really dry actually. I keep all my finches indoors, so they aren't as affected by the weather.

I currently have gouldians, cut throats, zebras, societies, rosy rumps, orange cheeks, and stars.