Number of clutches bread per year

chrischris · Post by **chrischris** » Sun May 18, 2008 9:54 am

Just curious about the number of clutches others here breed from their finches in a breeding cycle?

Does one also include clutches where the eggs were infertile or where the chicks didn't make it to fledgling stage?

Chris

Post by **Sally** » Sun May 18, 2008 2:38 pm

This is really my first year to breed on a larger scale, but even before, I stuck to the 3 clutch rule. However, there are always exceptions! You have to evaluate each case individually, to decide when to pull them from the breeding program. You could have a hen laying soft eggs from day one, and that is when I would pull her--not in breeding condition. You can't ignore the infertile clutches, either, because it still takes a lot out of the hen to produce the eggs. With a pair that has produced 3 healthy clutches, I would pull them for a rest. With a pair that is not producing, something is not right, so you have to decide when to give up, rest them, and hope for better things next season.

mickp · Post by **mickp** » Mon May 19, 2008 3:21 am

I only allow them to raise/attempt 3 clutches, even if 1 clutch of eggs is a dud it still counts as far as I am concerned, have to think of the health of your hens.

Matt · Post by **Matt** » Mon May 19, 2008 10:51 pm

3 to 4 clutches seems to be the norm. I think it is also species dependant though. Some species can only manage 2 clutches, some could manage in excess of 5 if they were allowed. If it were a difficult species to get to nest, then I would be reluctant to stop them after 3 clutches providing the pair was still in top condition and weather conditions were favourable. Sometimes difficult species can prove troublesome to go back to nest if they have their season cut short the previous year.
I think it is up to the breeder to determine when the hen has had enough. For example, one of my blue faced pairs is currently sitting on its 4th consecutive nest since January. The last 2 nests have been built before the previous young had fledged. If I let this nest hatch, it will be deep into our winter by the time the young are due to fledge and seeding heads will be scarce. So I am going to do the responsible thing and discard the nest and save the hen from the stress and possible death of rasing the clutch in winter. If on the other hand, this pair had 2 nests in spring, had a decent break over summer and then onto their second clutch now. I probably would allow them to continue.
So I guess my rule of thumb would be. 3 consecutive nests or 4 total per year.

Matt.

atarasi · Post by **atarasi** » Mon May 19, 2008 11:28 pm

I only allow 3 clutches. Doesn't matter if they hatch or if they're infertile. As for my fosters, I only allow them to foster 3 clutches in a season as well.

L in Ontario · Post by **L in Ontario** » Tue May 20, 2008 10:52 am

Speaking strictly of Lady Goudians, I guess I'm the odd one out here as I will only allow 2 clutches (or attempts) per breeding season.

I was going to allow 3 per season but I lost a female Gouldian (split to blue) hen just starting on her third clutch when she died from egg binding / exhaustion despite the varied diet - vitamins, iodine, herbs, fresh eggfood, etc, etc, etc. I provide them with everything I possibly can and moniter the temperature and have decent breeding cages.

I just don't want to take the chance of any of my Gouldian birds going through that (let alone me going through that) again. JMHO

chrischris · Post by **chrischris** » Wed May 21, 2008 9:29 pm

That makes a lot of sense but what about allowing the gould to have a clutch remove the nest for 2-3 months than give her the nest again to start another clutch and than stop her again. I mean giving the pair a 2-3 month rest between clutches.

Anyone have Ideas on this or have done such?

Chris

L in Ontario wrote:Speaking strictly of Lady Goudians, I guess I'm the odd one out here as I will only allow 2 clutches (or attempts) per breeding season.

I was going to allow 3 per season but I lost a female Gouldian (split to blue) hen just starting on her third clutch when she died from egg binding / exhaustion despite the varied diet - vitamins, iodine, herbs, fresh eggfood, etc, etc, etc. I provide them with everything I possibly can and moniter the temperature and have decent breeding cages.

I just don't want to take the chance of any of my Gouldian birds going through that (let alone me going through that) again. JMHO

Post by **Sally** » Wed May 21, 2008 11:10 pm

I think where you would run into problems with Gouldians is that when you remove the nests to let them rest, they go into a molt (at least mine did). Once they have gone into the molt, you would have to wait for them to come back into breeding condition again. Mine wouldn't do all that in 2-3 months, I don't think.

jamezyboo21 · Post by **jamezyboo21** » Sat May 31, 2008 10:00 pm

This is my first year breeding any finches but, so far i have one pair that has started on their second clutch and 5 other pairs that are on there first hatchlings right now. One i see that a pair has laid 3 clutches they will be done till next year. Dont want them stressing themselves out.

dfcauley · Post by **dfcauley** » Sun Jun 01, 2008 8:04 am

In an open aviary it is really hard to monitor. I have only had my aviary one year. The only ones that I have had any problem with too many clutches in my zebras (which are gone!) and my shaftails are about to fledge their third clutch. No more for them. The problem is they build a nest in the bottom of a potted plant. It is hard to monitor them when they are soooo determined. I was talking with my husband and I think I will pull all nest in the fall. Is this the correct thing to do? I was really hoping that my courdon blues and my red head parrot finches and stars would step up to the plate. But so far..... no luck

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Number of clutches bread per year

Number of clutches breed a year

Number of clutches bread per year