FINCHforum

I was hoping to get some more information on recording keeping. What systems are the members using? (software, handwritten, just in your head)...

I have done some research and found some published systems...

One is spiral bound note books, simply keeping handwritten records.

Another using Microsoft Word Templates and folders on your hard drive.

Yet another I found is a program for sale called "ZooEasy". It seems to be a Microsoft Access based program and includes some type of "inbreeding calculation" which I suppose helps once you have a few geneations of birds around.

I have been playing with the demo version of ZooEasy, and it's very complex for a "hobbiest", but has many neat featuers. It also costs $99 ouch!

So what is eveyone else using?

Yikes! I use a spreadsheet to track the birds, as well as a little daily calendar where I note eggs laid, hatching, etc.

I use a calendar on the computer to post 'events' with the birds, and just keep track of what I have in a Micrsoft Works word processor program. A spreadsheet probably makes more sense, though. I do like the calendar, because I can just use the search function to find something that happened last year, like when a certain pair hatched eggs.

I use a spreadsheet also in excel. I keep track of date eggs laid/hatch/fledge. I band babies from a clutch all with the same color. I keep track of how many clutches per year a pair has had. I'm not any kind of big time breeder though, so I also keep some info in my head.

I have a journal. I made several columes with headings. I add information.

Once I set up a pair of Lady Gouldians they usually stay together for life.

The following link is what I hang on the side of my cages.

http://www.photolava.com/view/68c6.html

Marigold
www.marigoldsfancyfinches.com

Thank you all for your responses.

I have decided finally to use the ZooEasy software. It's a bit expensive, however the benifits of the pedegree charts alone outweights the cost.

Additionally, I'll be able to print out "cards" for each baby bird, showing parents, likely genetic makeup, etc.

Combined with keeping track of the breeding pairs, how many cluches they've raised per season, and lifetime etc.

Any written system I come up with just doesn't seem to have everything...

With Gouldian genetics as complicated as they are, you will probably get your money's worth out of that ZooEasy program. And from reading your postings, you sound like the kind of person who will be very meticulous with record-keeping, and will enjoy having the extra features. Isn't it wonderful that there are such programs out there!

Yes I agree, it seems much easier to keep track of using this program, especially with the Gouldian genetics.

It took me a solid week to finally understand the materials I've been reading on the Gouldians with regards to color genetics.

Add too that the fact that many people highly suggest not to breed blue to blue, as the offspring are (in general) weaker. Everything I've read on breeding the blue birds suggest that you breed a blue bird with a "split to blue" bird (one that is carring the resessive trait). 50% of the offspring will be blue and the other will be split for the blue gene, but at least your not breeding "weak" lines.

I totally agree - you should get stronger birds breeding the blues to split to blues. The trick is finding birds that are definitely split to blue! Unless one parent was blue, it's a guess! (If one or both parents were split to blue you MAY have a split to blue bird.)

Hillary your correct.

If you have two birds that are split for blue you should expect only 25% of the young will be blue, another 25% will not have the blue gene at all, and the other 50% will carry the blue gene but won't show it... The only trick is that you can't tell the birds with the gene from those without, so you have to consider 75% of the baby's "not blue".

Isn't genetics fun ? /sarcasm LOL

Hey, a flock of goulds is like a box of chocolates....

I've been playing with my split to blue for 3 generations still could not get blue babies from them yet.

My very first pair were a blue male and a normal female, they got all normal looking chicks.
The normal (split to blue) baby hen was paired off with a blue cock, again all normal looking baby.
The 3rd generation normal (split to blue) hen is breeding with another blue cock now, so far I still get only normal babies.

I guess I am not in luck with this family.

Are you sure that the hen is a split for blue?

If she doesn't have a blue gene, then all the babies are going to be normal in color but have the blue gene (split for blue).

Also, when breeding blue to a split your going to get 50% of the babies as blue birds and the other 50% will be split for blue, maybe your just having some bad luck with the gene's?

I think this is what happened to my birds:

My first pair (blue cock & normal hen) gave me all split to blue babies, then the split to blue hen & another blue cock gave me all split to blue babies, too bad the 3rd generation hen & another blue cock again gave me all split to blue chicks.

I am conditioning them really well now so hopefully I will get some blues soon from this pair.

Isn't nature interesting?

For all of our knowlage (human race), and all of our "messing" with nature, she still does what she wants

Good Luck!