FINCHforum

I have read somewhere that a pair that has raised a clutch of chicks will have a difficult time pairing it with another mate for that breeding season.

So if one was to give a hen a rest from egg laying but the male wants to breed again is it advisable to introduce a diferent hen for him? and will he accept her?

Chris

Chris, I don't have enough experience with Gouldians to offer any advice on this. You could always give it a try, I guess.

Chrischris

In the wild gouldian finches pair life!! So if you want to change your mates I suggest get your wanted male and female, and separate them from all the all the other birds,then once they both look like they're a breeding pair put them back in with the rest of your birds well and they should nest like they've been together forever. Anyways I hope I helped with divorcing your birds....

chrischris,

The male may not take a new mate during same bredding season. He may go through seperation depresion. It is true that you can repair birds, but during the same seaon may not work. As with all things bird realted each bird has it's own personality and no one rule is constant.

Sean

What if it was that one of the mate died would this still be the same situation?

Chris

We have had Goulds loose a mate and take a new one without any troubles, and we have had others that went into mourning and would not take a new mate for one or two seasons. Really all you can do is try and see how the male responds.

Sean

Then on the other hand, I have a dilute that will breed with anybody he's paired with. Anyone, anytime! What a dog.....

I have a B/H male that's the exact same way, anyone, any time, any place. He's a stud. I have boxes on shelves (they fly around) and he's the father of 2 nests right now. He was mated to my sick one and still visits her regularly by her sick cage too. I've yet to have a problem with any male being in the mood, only the troublesome hen that doesn't like the male. I had one normal hen that in 3 years "never" once took up with a single male and had 8 to choose from.

And a couple of months ago we lost a male society to depression from losing his mate. Pip's first mate, Meri, died a year ago. A few days later I noticed Pip appeared to be depressed. So, I put a new hen with him -- Peaches -- and Pip perked back up as if all was right in the world again.

But, Pip shot blanks and Peaches was one of my frilled societies ... and I wanted Peaches to reproduce that frill. So, I paired her to a different male in early November and put Pip in the "bachelor's flight." Pip immediately became depressed and wouldn't accept any other hen I offered. He didn't last 10 days without Peaches.

We also have a pair of goulds that can't be separated -- Samson & Delilha. When separated, both of them throw a huge stinking fit until they're put back together again. It really makes separating them during the molt and resting periods quite difficult.

And, then, like many of the others who have responded, we have some males that are as randy as roosters and don't care what hen it is as long as she sits still long enough for him to mate with her.

So, it really depends on the strength of the bond between the birds as to whether or not they will accept a new mate during a breeding season after having raised a clutch.

Michele