Society, spice, gouldian, or star? Which species to choose..

[isobea]

artgecko - if you are thinking male/female when you say 'pairs', I would think you can get two pairs but different species minimizing potential problems during the breeding season. I seem to remember, though, that you don't necessarily want to breed your birds. So if by saying 'pair' you mean two females or two males, you could most likely be okay with 4 birds of the same species. It would depend on the personalities of your birds.
Hope this helps,
Iso

[artgecko]

artgecko - if you are thinking male/female when you say 'pairs', I would think you can get two pairs but different species minimizing potential problems during the breeding season. I seem to remember, though, that you don't necessarily want to breed your birds. So if by saying 'pair' you mean two females or two males, you could most likely be okay with 4 birds of the same species. It would depend on the personalities of your birds.
Hope this helps,
Iso

Isobea- With gouldians, stars, or societies I would need to either get 1 m/f pair or 4 of one gender? I can sex gouldians and stars by sight I think, but with societies, I'm not sure I'd be able to get sexed birds, so may end up with the luck of the draw...

Fraza- I'm not sure how stars and gouldians would get along, I just went by the species chart (that lists compatibility). It said they were both peaceful, but I have no idea since I haven't ever kept either. I may plan on doing a pair of societies and a pair of either gouldians or stars if I can find them.

[artgecko]

Okay, a slight update for you guys. I have found a CL posting for someone selling finches about 45 minutes away from me (much closer than the show). They have a breeding pair of gouldians, 3 male gouldians, some zebra and society pairs. All the prices seem reasonable based on what you guys have said ($30 for society pairs, $65 per gouldains for the males and $130 for the pair).

Their pics showed healthy looking gouldains, so I am hopeful.

Given what they have, do you think a group of the 3 male gouldians, or the pair of gouldians and societies would be the better option? I'd consider getting the 3 male and the pair of gouldians, but I am wondering if that could cause aggression due to have a pair with a lot of single males and whether or not they are all related, etc.

I will have to call them and ask for more information and see if my husband is game. This will be the first time I've purchased anything off CL, especially live animals, so I'm unsure lol.

Here's a link to the add. I'd appreciate your thoughts on the look of the birds and what you can see of the cages (not much). They appear to be in good feathering, but I'm not sure what else to look for...
https://auburn.craigslist.org/for/d/lov ... 67031.html

[Fraza]

artgecko okay I really don’t think having 3 males with a pair will work because it will cause too much aggression and it can cause infertile eggs cause to many males are around

but saying that I’ve never owned gouldians but this is what I’ve heard about them but with all my species that I have I can’t have one more gender than the other unless if it’s societys

You could get 3 male society’s and one pair of gouldians

Sounds like u have a good deal ther and good luck send us a pic of them when u get em

[isobea]

artgecko - Hi, I hate to tell you this but now it the time for you to decide whether you want to breed finches or not. If you get a pair of the societies (it doesn't sound like the owner wants to break up the pairs and sell you either two males or two females) you will definitely be raising baby societies soon. They usually are pretty fertile. If not, you can wait and get same sex societies from somebody else.
The same would be true for the gouldians. I do love the orange heads he posted a picture of. I never found gouldians difficult to breed.
In any case, ask him how old all these birds are, how long he has had them/if he bred them himself, why he is selling them.
Keep us updated,
Iso

[artgecko]

artgecko - Hi, I hate to tell you this but now it the time for you to decide whether you want to breed finches or not. If you get a pair of the societies (it doesn't sound like the owner wants to break up the pairs and sell you either two males or two females) you will definitely be raising baby societies soon. They usually are pretty fertile. If not, you can wait and get same sex societies from somebody else.
The same would be true for the gouldians. I do love the orange heads he posted a picture of. I never found gouldians difficult to breed.
In any case, ask him how old all these birds are, how long he has had them/if he bred them himself, why he is selling them.
Keep us updated,
Iso

Isobea- Yeah, I'm considering that. I know you can use dud eggs or not provide nests, etc. My female canaries would always lay infertile eggs just on the bottom of the cage, so I figure it's the same risk to them (females) if actually breeding or laying duds.. I'll have to consider if I want to deal with that or if I want to try to get all males (in which case the 3 male gouldians may have to work).

I have left a message at the seller's number and do intend to ask lots of questions, especially about age, source, and whether they are related or housed together, etc. If this doesn't pan out, I will just wait and go to the next show and hope for the best.

Thank you for your reply.

[isobea]

artgecko - If you should decide on all males, there would be an added bonus: no danger of hens getting egg bound (which could happen even if there are no males around). During a time when I didn't want to breed, I had my aviary set up with all male birds for almost two years. It worked really well and everybody got along.
Just another thought.
Iso

[artgecko]

artgecko - If you should decide on all males, there would be an added bonus: no danger of hens getting egg bound (which could happen even if there are no males around). During a time when I didn't want to breed, I had my aviary set up with all male birds for almost two years. It worked really well and everybody got along.
Just another thought.
Iso

Isobea- I'm considering this. Laraine McGinnis got me the contact information of a more local gouldian breeder and I've contacted her (waiting on a reply) and I'm hoping that I will be able to get some birds from her after breeding season. I never heard back from the CL add poster, so I think they must have sold their birds. I think all males would work well, especially considering I'll have to house them with a canary as well.

I will let you guys know when I've decided and purchased some birds.

Thank you again for your help!

[artgecko]

Well, time for an update.

We never heard back from the more local breeder, so decided to go to the ATL show today to see what they had.

We got there at opening (9AM) and it was a very cold morning (~30f) so there were not many people there at all... I think we were the first buyers present with a couple others shortly after us. Many of the vendors were setup, but not there yet and there were not a ton of birds for sale (maybe 6 vendors had canaries or finches, there were more with hookbills and large parrots).

3 vendors had gouldians. I did not see any spice, stare, or even society finches... Plenty of zebras and parakeets.

Of the 3 vendors, Only 2 had several to choose from (the third was a very nice guy but only had one m/f pair to sell).

We purchased 3 males from a vendor who was a broker, but had treated with mite and worming medications already. The birds all looked healthy and active, many with breeding colors.

We took home 2 red-heads (white and purple breasted) and an orange head. The orange head had a small bald patch on his face which the vendor said was due to moulting or females pecking at him.

The other vendor had a cage of dilutes / yellows and a couple blues, but ignored us and apparently didn't want to make a sale, so I had to pass.

When I took the birds home, I treated them with scat and am planning on a dose of wormer just in case.

After treatment and putting them in their quarantine setup, they instantly began tearing up their millet and seed mix, so I'm hoping that is a good sign.

I posted pics of them on a finch group on FB and one of the posters noted that one of the red-heads has a slightly overgrown beak that might need trimming and that the orange-head's bald spot is not due to moulting, but probably a dietary issue or over-medication. :/

I will be posting pics of them in the health forum and asking for feedback. I have already given them access to calcium and iodine sources (cuttlebone, oyster shell, and some kelp powder on their seed mix) and they have access to rough things to sharpen their beaks, so hopefully this will take care of itself, but I'd like to get some more opinions.

The good news from all of this is that I am absolutely in love with this species now, after seeing some examples in good condition in person. I was even more impressed by the dilutes, and am hoping to add more birds to my collection once I secure larger caging. I am hoping that the local breeder will get in touch with me, or failing that, that I can purchase some birds from Laraine in the summer if I do well with this group

While at the show, I saw another species that was stunning in person, the shaft tail finch. I knew nothing about them, so didn't purchase, but they were very good looking birds.. Although online it says their head is "gray" I think it is very blue/ violet looking in person. Very pretty birds. Apparently very fiesty (now that I've looked them up) but still nice looking.

[Fraza]

artgecko that’s so surprising I recently got a pair of shaft tails couple weeks before Christmas and they are great they are not anything like zebras I have them in with a breeding pair of zebras in a cage and they get along just fine they don’t fight Ocasionally have a peck then they sort it out sometimes they also preen the zebras

One thing is they are very fast one of mine get out of car and I didn’t have my net luckily it thought it could fly through a curtain so I grabbed it when it rebounded back

I love there whistle they do a little whistling song

I would definitely try to convince you to get a pair and they are not feisty I have them in on the worst scenario with a breeding pair of zebs and they aren’t fiesty so doubt yours will

In summer or when weather warms up there going in my aviary

[artgecko]

Fraza I was just going off the information on the finch information website. It said they could be "pushy" putting them in the same group as zebras. If I ever have a spare flight cage without other birds, I might give it a go. I just don't think they'd get along with my canary and gouldians. They were stunning in person though..man, that lavander/ blueish grey head looked gorgeous!

[Fraza]

artgecko yeh they are gorgeous how Re gouldians by the way I’m getting a pair in few weeks are they quite passive

[artgecko]

Fraza I just got mine yesterday, so can't tell you much. They seem to leave each other alone.

BTW, I have had some issues with mine already that I didn't notice at the show (see my other thread in health) one is balding and 2 have beak issues that will need to be trimmed. I didn't know to watch for the beaks being over / mis-grown and that that can be common with them, so make sure you watch for it. :/ I will be trimming mine tomorrow or Tuesday and this is the first time I've had to do it. The balding is due to poor diet (maybe related to beak issues) and should be fixed with good diet at the next molt.

The gouldians are a lot smaller than other finches I've seen too, which I didn't expect, but they are gorgeous in person.

[Fraza]

artgecko that’s interesting thanks I’ll keep a look out on that hopefully they will pair off for you soon mahbebbecause there in a new environment and from the sounds of it a better one with better diet probably wondering if they have ended up know heaven some how lol

And I’m getting mine for free of someone I know so I’m doubting it will be poor health fingers crossed

[Australian finch]

I have 8 gouldian finches (4 pairs) and because I am lucky enough to live in Australia, they cost me only $20 each as juveniles who were just colouring up. I purchased them from 4 different breeders who had lots of birds so hopefully there will be no problems with inbreeding.
They are now just over 1 year old and three pairs are sitting on eggs and chicks now. It is mid summer here.
The birds I bought were all CB and all from outside aviaries as I have a large outside aviary for them. The aviary has a raised cover over it and one side which gets a regular breeze I have covered with a toughened glass panel. They don't like to be cold.
Their song is low volume compared to the zebra finches I used to have and their song is lovely to listen to. Their courting rituals keep me fascinated as the males dance like Zulu warriors to attract the females.
Zebra finches are extremely good for beginners but Gouldians have more colour, personality and charm for me.