FINCHforum

I am curious as to what Purple Grenadiers are like compared to Cordon Bleu's? What is the difference in their personality, call and sound volume and frequency, shyness or not, care etc.

Purple Grenadiers are definitely more aggressive than CBs, though like CBs, the males are mostly aggressive to other Gren males. Males may also kill a hen that is not in breeding condition when they are. I keep my Grens in 40x20x20 cages, but they really should be in large planted flights or aviaries. Mine do not seem to require so much privacy in general, but when breeding, they make their own nest in plastic plants, using coco fiber, white feathers, and hay.

Grens are not easy to breed, and unless their needs are met completely, they will toss. They have to have live food to raise babies. Mine will eat eggfood, but that does not replace the live food.

This is one species that is being concentrated on in the Finch and Softbill Save program of NFSS, as they are not readily available at this time. If you manage to get a pair, you need to join this program, so you can connect with other breeders. The gene pool is getting very small for this species in the U.S., so it is difficult to find new bloodlines.

They are hard to find these days and very expensive. You can get them in S. Florida sometimes (about $400.00 a pair) at the fairs and sometimes from Ponytail Joes out of Canada.
Sally is right that they do best in large planted aviaries. I also think getting live foods to them in this setting is much easier. Years ago I ran a boarding and grooming facility, latter I closed the boarding and converted some of the outside dog runs/kennels into aviaries. They were concrete floored but I added potted plants and had honeysuckle growing ower the top wire. I fed termites (the best and natural food for them) wingless fruit flies, I would put fruit in a bowl covered with fine mesh wire to attract regular fruitflies, ants...and an assortment of other bugs that wondered in. They were reliable breeders and parents but I only had them a couple of years. I sold them to another breeder that was really into the waxbills as I was gravitating towards canaries and wanted the outdoor flights for them. The grens were nasty and wanted the whole space to themselves, I couldn't put anything else in with them as they both would attack it The runs were 8 foot wide by 16 foot long.... and I just couldn't see giving them that much space... I would give them that space now...lol. who knew back then that so many of the species would be in decline. Though a lot of people kept them in cages, I never knew anyone who could get them to breed like that, they are truly an aviary bird.

Thanks for all the good information on the purple grenadiers. Are there other species of finches where a male may kill the female, if she is not in breeding condition when they are? I was really surprised to read that.

What other species are being concentrated on for the "Finch and Softbill Save" program? I am looking into breeding something a little different. Something that is a challenge and out of the norm. Not that any of them are easy.

managermania wrote:What other species are being concentrated on for the "Finch and Softbill Save" program? I am looking into breeding something a little different. Something that is a challenge and out of the norm. Not that any of them are easy.

Chase, here is a list of those birds that are NOT included in the Finch and Softbill Save program, because these species are well established in the U.S. and Canadian aviculture.

•The Lady Gouldian Finch
•The Society Finch
•The Zebra Finch
•Doves and Quail
•All Mutations that are not documented as being sustained in the natural population.

So if you would like to participate, you can pick a species that interests you, as I think it is far easier to work with birds that interest you than trying to form an interest in a species just because they are small in number. Remember, it was not very long ago that Goldbreasted Waxbills were selling for much, much more than now, if you could find them at all, because they were not being imported. Many finchkeepers feel that importation will close again one day, so if we are not prepared with lots of breeding pairs and lots of bloodlines, we could find ourselves back in the same situation again.

Thanks for the info Sally. My problem is that I have not gotten a finch yet that I don't like. I am just always on the look out for something different and fun to add to my addiction.
I guess what I really want is someone to say, "hey Chase...you should get a pair of ___________".

I do have my new pair of Cherries and Pied RT Parrots all set up now. They are doing really wells so far.