FINCHforum

...that was a year old and still had not molted? Well she is now 19 months and still has her juvenile color. She is showing no signs of molting into adult color. She had 2 clutches. Her last clutch fledged about 6 weeks ago. Her first clutch of 5 are now 5 mos. old and are all going through a normal molt. So there is no truth that the young will inherit the same problem. I will not breed her again till fall.
I am curious if anyone knows if there is any record of a gould going through their adult life with juvenile color? Cause it appears this female may just do that.

She definately is a rare bird Johnboy. Mine have always shown me their true colours by 6 months at the latest.

Wow, that's very interesting. It will be interesting to follow your story and see if she ever does color.
Please keep us updated

I've never heard of that either. I've had a couple of Gouldians 'stuck in a moult' but all finished colouring up by their second adult moulting.

Strange little oddball... but you know I love the oddballs
Is she closed banded with date? If so could be a contender for the guiness book of records
I have a hen that I bought feb. 2010. She was half colored out, I was told she was a fall 09 bird. I assumed she got stuck in the molt due to the move here. She came into breeding condition but I wasn't planning on breeding her....until she started dropping eggs like a mad hen.
I paired her and she produced 2 lovely clutches over the fall and her chicks colored out beautifully and quickly. So the trait is not always passed on.
Since I did not breed this hen, I have to assume sonething went haywire with her development in the coloring...just like some will get too much, melanistic, and a good diet will fix their colors upon the nest molt. My hen should be molting soon and will see if she gets her full colors this year

She has obviously found the eternal youth all ladies look for!

monotwine wrote: She has obviously found the eternal youth all ladies look for!

Too funny

Are you absolutely sure it's a Gouldian?

seminolewind wrote:Are you absolutely sure it's a Gouldian?

Well let's see, Its mom and dad is a Gouldian. It's mate is a gouldian. It's nine off spring are gouldians. I would think it's a gouldian.
You can look at the bird and see it's a gouldian. It just has never gone into a molt after 19 mos. She still has her juvenile color.

I guess it's a Gouldian!

I've never seen a juvie before.

Have never seen one like it either.... I have had a yellow stick in mid moult for a good year but she had allready got her adult color.. I would say you got something special there or you have been feeding them too much Gumbo

Jan wrote:Have never seen one like it either.... I have had a yellow stick in mid moult for a good year but she had allready got her adult color.. I would say you got something special there or you have been feeding them too much Gumbo

Why? Gumbo too spicy for finches??

well I know I have gotten some over your way that was to spicy for me but hubby loves it..