European Goldfinch questions

[Zatt]

Hi I'm new to this forum

Well I have 2 European goldfinches around 3-4 months old, I don't see their feathers around their neck and head on top is that a part of molting ?

I would like to know on their diet I feed them with quality seeds along with Green leaves like Lettuces and Jarjeer also apples but they don't eat Kale / pomegranates or cucumbers.

Can I give them Egg Food which we get to buy or just Boil an egg and give them? What else food should I give them to get them with good Red mask ? Also How long will it take for the color to appear ?

Thanks, pretty long queries:-)

Zatt

[Stuart whiting]

Zatt

Hi mate,

I've bred these for over 30 years and to be onest yer goldies could be going through the moult as most birds would be moulting about now,

Diet wise I'd give em normal canary mixture consisting of plain canary, rape seed, linseed ( flax ) and a splash of hemp thrown into the mix,

You can add a small amount of conditioner aswell which has added wild seeds including Nyger, blue more, gold of pleasure, perilla, lettuce, teasle seed etc.

As for green food broccoli is probably the best and most nutritious to the goldies but I also fed when in season dandelion, chick weed and milk thistle, this was more so for rearing purposes and then just simply fed a small amount once or twice a week throughout the rest of the year,

As for egg food not all goldies will eat it and many need to be weaned onto to it,
I personally used the propriety foods as apposed to fresh egg as the fresh can go off ( bad ) in a very short time , no good if yer out most days and can't change frequently,

The propriety brands I used to mix up with cod liver oil for added goodness aswell as to keep it particularly moist,
To this I added blended broccoli,

I used to breed the goldies and large quality goldie mules for the exhibition bench

[Zatt]

Thanks Stuart.

Any recommendations for the red mask ? How long will it take now they at 3-4 months old.

[Stuart whiting]

Zatt

Hi mate,

Forgot to mention, welcome to the finch forum

It sounds like your bird is a youngster and is what we call a GREY PATE, this is a term that we all call British, native and European goldies

By rights yer bird should be going through the moult now, the bird should gain it's full head colour once it has moulted

[Zatt]

[Dave]

I had a pair once, and they were wild, bouncing around the cage and always trying to get away. I concluded that they were better in an aviary. But--my pair might have just been rebels. Stuart whiting, did you find this to be the case?

[Stuart whiting]

Dave

Yea mate, this can definitely be the case,

Over the years I've had literally hundreds go through my hands and I really do mean hundreds,

It depends if they've been cage bred or avairy bred and also if they've been canary reared,

If there cage bred or canary reared they will normally be quite steady

However unfortunately over the years I've come across a fair few people who have had a lot of goldies and some of these were wild caught, another term we often call ( out of the sky ) which is obviously not a good thing and believe me I've seen a lot of this and can tell the difference straight away,

Wild goldies are normally dark legged birds whereas most captive avairy / cage bred goldies are normally a lot paler,

Tricksters years ago used to put garlic into the birds water so in time when the birds where to be moved on from dealers it gave the impression that the birds where captive bred because the legs would appear to be paler in colour, it does this because garlic thins the blood

[Zatt]

Lots of info..thanks to all

Regards

[Zatt]

Hello

Which cage size is recommended for 2 young GREY PATE (4 months)

Some say to keep them separated and in a small cage as well

Any suggestions on this ?

Thanks

[jonvill]

I keep mine separated in 30 x 18 x 18 cages. I wouldn't keep them in anything smaller, they need to have room to fly.
They also like their cage higher in the room if possible.

[Zatt]

Jonvill Thanks

For how long should I keep them separated,
They fight often together tough...so I guess it's better to keep them separated for a while...
Currently 4 months old...

[Stuart whiting]

Hello

Which cage size is recommended for 2 young GREY PATE (4 months)

Some say to keep them separated and in a small cage as well

Any suggestions on this ?

Thanks

I used to keep mine separated in 24"cages with no problem at all whilst they were going through the moult,

However once moulted I used to put them into 48" cages during the winter months to give them all as much exercise as poss and condition them prior to breeding

[Zatt]

During The Moult does the entire feathers around its neck and head go off !!

I have 2 of them I can see this only in the female.

Now since I've separated them and moved them to smaller cage the mounting one is calm but the other one is still aggressive keeps flying around...is that normal ?

How to keep them calm...

Thanks

[gostokom]

Hi! your goldfinches are juveniles of four months? Or kept in captivity for four months?

For the goldfinch, it was noted that the moulting process is different from subspecies to another, the lighter plumage are more difficult when molting. They lose 60% of their plumage at once and they become vulnerable to the air stream.

During The Moult does the entire feathers around its neck and head go off !!

I have 2 of them I can see this only in the female.


Thanks

Yes it is normal, but if it exceeds 2 months, then it's a problem, sometimes all come back to the order at the next moult

If baldness continues over the time, then:

-Anti lice + anti parasitic + cleaning the cage and accessories
-Calcium + Vitamin
-You can rubbe her with free garlic juice on the bald part (neck and head)
-If she sleeps on the bars of the cage, set her cage higher
-Corrects their diet, this time by increasing the intake of flaxseed.

Note* to accelerate the molting, some european keeper put their goldfinches in a dark place or a box that lets a little light till they finish their molting

How to keep them calm...
Thanks

The stress may be also the cause!!! so free stress
If the feces are yellow and she grow yellow mask insteed of red, then, she is suffring from liver failure.

[gostokom]

Hello

Which cage size is recommended for 2 young GREY PATE (4 months)

Some say to keep them separated and in a small cage as well

Any suggestions on this ?

Thanks

I used to keep mine separated in 24"cages with no problem at all whilst they were going through the moult,

However once moulted I used to put them into 48" cages during the winter months to give them all as much exercise as poss and condition them prior to breeding

In small cage inside the house:
1-they will be used to the handling (cage not them), slowly they will get used to you next to them.
tips: (put the cage in a place with alot of humain trafic)

2-you will need to feed them a lighter seed mix not like in the outside aviary or in a flight cage.