Page 1 of 1

gouldian finch care

Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2014 1:10 pm
by sharath1
:) Hello everyone what are the basic things that has to be taken care for acclimating gouldian finches it has been told to me that its difficult to raise a gouldian finch so can anyone of u guide me on this thank u

Re: gouldian finch care

Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2014 1:14 pm
by Sally
Welcome to the forum! There's lots of good reading at www.finchinfo.com, where you will find many articles on housing, diet, general care, and especially the Gouldian finch (under the Species section). If you put your general location in your profile, it makes it easier to answer locale-specific questions later on.

We have quite a few Gouldian breeders on here, so you should be able to get some help. We love to see photos too.

Re: gouldian finch care

Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2014 2:08 pm
by MiaCarter
I've also heard that Gouldians are hard to keep and breed.
But in my experience, they're actually rather easy.

They're a gorgeous species aesthetically speaking, but they're also much smarter than many other finch species. They're relatively easy-going too, which makes them fairly easy to keep with other species.

I believe the key to happy, healthy Gouldians is diet.
You cannot feed a seed-only diet and expect your Gouldian (or any other species) to thrive.
They need a varied, balanced diet.

Here's a look at what I feed my birds:
http://www.petfinchfacts.com/all-posts/ ... nced-diet/

Those are all the diet "staples"; there are lots of other foods that I add in for variety. I also offer a good multivitamin.

I also offer my Gouldians kelp meal for the iodine and other nutrients.

When moulting, Gouldians are more "needy" than most other species as those beautiful feathers come at a price - they suck up a lot of resources.
During moulting, they can benefit from a heat lamp and a good supplement like Feather Fast.

Re: gouldian finch care

Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2014 5:49 pm
by dutch
sharath1.....where are you located?

Re: gouldian finch care

Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2014 6:21 am
by sharath1
I live in bangalore INDIA, here the temperature are not that extreme its kind of ok, but i like to know why its considered rasing gouldian finch difficult, i love gouldians , i think we dont have the idea about there diet any suggestions thank you

Re: gouldian finch care

Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2014 10:44 am
by MiaCarter
I think the gouldian is considered difficult due to its plumage. You need to have ideal, stress-free conditions and a good, balanced diet in order for a gouldian to go through his molt properly.

When a gouldian is kept in less-than-ideal conditions and fed a poor diet, you see a physical manifestation of this in his feathers. He may get stuck in molt and/or the feather quality will just look poor.
The feathers may also be discolored due to a poor diet.

Most other finch species don't show the effects of less-than-ideal care in such an obvious physical manner.

So I think this results in the impression that gouldians are more "difficult" to keep than other species. In reality, they just wear it on their sleeve so to speak.

In addition, I think many novice birdkeepers are attracted to gouldians for their beautiful colors.
They're not a great "beginner" bird; they're much harder to keep healthy than a zebra or society finch. You can't just toss a cup of seed and a bowl of water in the cage and expect them to thrive. Obviously, a novice is more apt to experience problems.
So I think this serves to perpetuate the misconceptions.

Re: gouldian finch care

Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2014 10:44 am
by Rox
Hello and welcome!

You have the perfect climate as they do better in hot weather than cold. They are actually very easy to keep and breed, as long as you avoid drastic temp changes and keep them out of drafts and damp area's.

You will need a good seed mix, including canary seed and Japanese millet. Offer fresh veggies daily such as spinach and broccoli. For breeding, they will go through lots of egg food. You can either buy commercial egg food or make it yourself (google finch egg food and you will find a lot of different ideas). You must also offer a calcium source which can be cuttle fish bone or even egg shells which have been microwaved for 3min on high. I offer both to mine.

Don't be discouraged if they don't eat the new foods for a week or 2. Just keep offering small, fresh amounts daily and they will eventually tuck in.

Good luck!

Re: gouldian finch care

Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2014 12:17 pm
by sharath1
hello guy, i would like to thank sally, miacarter,and rox for all the guidance you have given me ,ur guidance will help me along time in my hobby :D thank u once again