FINCHforum

After mych internal debate, I have settled on cutthroats. I have a "secret" source who has two pairs, I can get a pair for 100. Is this a good deal? Anybody keep and breed these? I'd like to know as much as possible before buying them. I think it's a good investment because my older brother is wiling to go half with me and nobody has them around here. So, any any info includinging nezt type, diet, breeding, etc. I have read Roy's article on www.efinch.com but would like to hear more! Thanks!

DanteD716 wrote:After mych internal debate, I have settled on cutthroats. I have a "secret" source who has two pairs, I can get a pair for 100. Is this a good deal? Anybody keep and breed these? I'd like to know as much as possible before buying them. I think it's a good investment because my older brother is wiling to go half with me and nobody has them around here. So, any any info includinging nezt type, diet, breeding, etc. I have read Roy's article on http://www.efinch.com but would like to hear more! Thanks!

I have had them before!
If you get them, keep them separated when breeding!
They are quite aggressive when breeding.
Hens need a lot of calcium, as they can get egg bound.
$100 for a pair is a good price, that's average.
As for selling babies and recouping your money,
all depends on your area?
They are a fun bird and like Javas they are little clowns!
Actually you can keep the two together!

Jerry

Great to hear! They will be alone. And it depends on the gender of the chicks, I may keep some to pair with other unrelateds if I find any. Would you say the are difficult to breed? What type of nest did you use? I don't know if anybody who has them here so I think I have a good start hefore others figure out my source.

Also, will the norm. eggfood, shells, abba grit, cuttlebone and mealworms be sufficient calcium?

John has them, think he had a thread on them a while back.

I'll search it Cindy, thanks

http://www.finchforum.com/viewtopic.php ... cutthroats
babies
http://www.finchforum.com/viewtopic.php ... cutthroats
breeding:
http://www.finchforum.com/viewtopic.php ... cutthroats

Did you have luck with them Cindy? Looks like they are hard to cage breed.... Maybe my aviary will be big enough for a pair.. i'll stand by societies ready to foster. Is a parakeet box outside on the cage good? I'll give them that and a canary bowl. Wish me luck

I never owned cutthroats, my mom did when I was young. I owned Red Headed finches.

Oh, sorry. Aren't they similiar? What was your experience with them like?

yes they are....John had his cutthroats produce but both of us had difficulty with the RHFinch. I bought him a pair and shipped them to him after they stayed here for a few weeks, we had a cold snap and to help build up their reserves.

We both had problems with eggs beeing abandoned, infertile and he had young hatch but abandonded. Both of us lost our hens. Mine passed in her sleep right in fromt of me on her roosting spot mid morning, no warning.

I understand cutthroats to be easier than the RHfinch. I posted three different topics threads on them for you.

I love cut throats. I had them and bred them in the past and now have a pair breeding like carzy at the store... first clutch 4 boys... second clutch 5 about 10 days old !
I have ppictures in this thread and the new clutch on page 3.
They love boiled eggs!!!!
http://finchforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=17940

Her is the first clutch of boys and a hen my Hubby bought me. She will have her pick of the boys when they are older
http://finchforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=18326

You will love these birds

I checked them out, thanks. I hope I'm successful

Please remember, birds are not an investment. You won't make money. Trust me.

Cut Throats. I had a pair for several years, but never managed to get them to rear any young. Twice the female died, for no apparent reason. The male was then forlorn. Even being with Zebras, he just wasn't himself. So, I got him a new mate. Then the male died. He seemed to have a stroke (leg didn't work anymore, recovered a bunch, but was dead in the cage one morning after he seemed to be bouncing back). I swapped the female to a buddy a little while back. He bought a new male. They immediately made up a nest for him and are sitting on eggs. I cross my fingers for him, that they raise some little ones up! (I have lots of success breeding Zebras). So, maybe something about my setup just didn't do it for them. Maybe the combinations I had (male/female) they just weren't right.

They're nice birds. I'm sure I'll get them again some day!

DanteD716 wrote:Did you have luck with them Cindy? Looks like they are hard to cage breed.... Maybe my aviary will be big enough for a pair.. i'll stand by societies ready to foster. Is a parakeet box outside on the cage good? I'll give them that and a canary bowl. Wish me luck

Hi Dante

I have bred many over the years. They can be very aggressive and difficult to breed but it really depends on the particular pair. They need heaps of calcium and livefood when rearing young. Mine used large cane baskets and half open fich boxes for nesting and the males frequently became difficult with young cockbirds when they coloured up. Just like crimson finches they often object to any finch with a red head like normal stars and RHPF. I bred them in single pairs in a normal aviary and multiple pairs in a very large aviary. Once the have one successful clutch they are usually fine parents