FINCHforum

well it's getting close to that time of the year and I've been busy lately cleaning out and setting up the outside breeding quarters for the coming 2016 season. could come in a bit early this year as most cock birds are displaying away and the hens are also getting in on the act.
aviary one has been cleaned out and fumigated. nest boxes with grass added and is regarded as ready to go. I think I will probably run 7 or 8 pairs in here.
now onto the next

Looking forward to updates on your breeding season, wildbill. It isn't often we see your aviaries so empty, usually they are full of all kinds of grasses/nesting material!

Sally
thought I'd be clean them all out and start off properly not looking forward to the catch up either - lots of gouldians and lots of catching...lol

wildbill

Can you get your Mrs. to video the "catch up" ?
I really really want to see that one

Aviaries looking good

lovezebs
that's going to be stressful...and that's to me. I have to catch I'd say around 120 of them...lol more importantly without any injury to the inmates

wildbill

Just funning with you .
Had visions of you racing around like a mad cap, a net in each hand, birds zooming around you like demented drones, screaming "BOMBS AWAY!" SPLAT , SPLAT, SPLAT !!!

I know how hectic it can get with only the number of birds that I have in flights. Usually I find it easier to just hand catch them (still no where near easy), but that is definitely not an option for you.

I wish you luck, and don't forget to wear a big raincoat with a big hood .

All the best with your breeding season! I've got one clutch out of the nest already, which was an early surprise. The parents zoomed through the molt so quickly compared to my other goulds, which are only just finishing up.

And good luck with catching them! It's the one and only part I dislike about keeping birds. I think I get more stressed than the birds!

wildbill

Very excited to see how your birds do this season. You always have such interesting breeding goals to talk about!

well I still have several more aviaries to fix up so I have a few days to relax prior to the catch

wildbill

Got enough time to set up that brick walkway and sod you were loving in a new post?

not that lucky but would be nice

well they are into it but I wouldn't say they are getting into it in a big way as I have around 9 pair down on eggs out of the 35 pairs of possible lime blue mutations. on a fertility basis out of those 9 pair of gouldians 37 eggs out of 42 are fertile so the cock birds appear dangerous where it counts.
most of the other inmates are still just waiting/sitting about on the perches and waiting it out although 4 other hens laid eggs today. I suppose this way is a lot better than aviary upon aviary of highly strung cock birds chasing each other about for the very best of the nesting sites.
so I think by the end of this month it should be much better results. anyway nothing to loose this year and hopefully in the long run plenty to gain ...........now all I require is colour lol lime or blue would be nice or the new mutation which dropped on me more times than I care to remember last year! the mutation in question is the dark purple coloured chick on the left hand side. once you see one of these in front of you - you will never forget the colour!
today 2 young hatched -first young of the season in my split blue aviary and a colony of 10 birds -nothing exciting colour wise and they appears to be green backs with 4 fertile eggs remaining to hatch.
pairing appear good so I think its quite possible this year to breed 150 to 200 birds in the outside aviaries as for the colours can't help there...lol

wildbill

Looking forward to lots of pictures of the juvies on the way!

we will see what happens. most or the majority are young 1st year birds and as usually they can be a slight problem. ive already notice a couple of these hens laying eggs in the same box....lol
as time goes on it usually sorts itself out. some are good from the very start and the others its a bit of a shock to their system should be interesting by end of feb I'd say.
I might get some photos up shorty of a few of the inmates in the main three colonies

Can't wait to see pics either!!!