finally its breeding season

mickp · Post by **mickp** » Mon Oct 06, 2008 4:59 am

it feels as though the 3 to 4 months a year that I dont allow my birds to breed takes forever to pass.
after finding a painted finch nest on the ground 3 weeks back I decided that the birds had won this year and back into the aviary went the nests and heaps of nesting materials.
after a couple of weeks of picking & choosing this years favourite nest it seems that all my my birds are now nesting, gouldians being the exception so far.
at the moment I have 2 pairs of painteds, 1 pair of orange breasted waxbills, 2 pairs of red cheeked cordons, 1 pair of st helena waxbills, a pair of societies and 2 pairs of fire finches all sitting tight in their nests. I havent peeked at all am waiting and hoping to hear babies soon.
there is even 2 female stars that have built a nest and appear to be sitting.
the button quail have 28 eggs at present and 6 little ones running around.
so far all is good, fingers crossed all goes well this season

dfcauley · Post by **dfcauley** » Mon Oct 06, 2008 7:06 am

Wow.... it is going to be busy in your aviary.

Keep us posted on the progress. I am curious about the female stars. Will you let them keep sitting on their eggs?

B CAMP · Post by **B CAMP** » Mon Oct 06, 2008 9:12 am

mickp

Good luck sounds like you have A full nest all the way around $\:D/$

FinchMommy · Post by **FinchMommy** » Mon Oct 06, 2008 11:13 pm

Good luck!

nachoman · Post by **nachoman** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 4:36 am

Good luck. I would find it a bit daunting i think with that much action going on all at once. Guess thats what experience will give me over time though.

jamezyboo21 · Post by **jamezyboo21** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 8:27 pm

Good Luck, I hope to see babies from my pairs soon.

gomer · Post by **gomer** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 4:36 am

Hi Mick

I am just over the border from you.So weather should be similar.assuming you are somewhere between Adeilaide and Vic.I have quite a few goulds fledging and sitting.have even got a uncoulered pair with young.not having much luck with emblemas though.but also have some others sitting,We mask,mask,pictorella, crimson,yellow rump,diamond,star,double bar,plumhead.still waiting for a few others to fire up.hope your goulds start soon.There yearly moult is coming up soon so they will stop for that.Have you tried hanging a long bit off grass or white feather out the enterance to there nest box.As this sometimes gets the cock birds interested?If you have spare cock birds in a holding avairy put a extra cock bird in as they sometimes get lazy.Have you partly constructed there nest as they are poor nest builders,compared to other finches.Hope they start soon for you

Matt · Post by **Matt** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 7:09 am

Glad somebody is having a good start to the season. All I've got so far is a clutch of blue faced about to fledge and a bunch of empty nests. The sea greens and red faced looked promising by building nests within a week of getting back on the breeding diet but that is as far as they've got. They are all young pairs though so i'll be expecting more action after summer.

mickp · Post by **mickp** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 4:19 am

I'm a few hours drive west of adelaide Gomer. dont give my gouldians any help with their nest building sort of figure that if they can manage in the wild then they can learn to do same here

gomer · Post by **gomer** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 5:50 am

yeah mick definitely the less amount of interference the better.Today when doing the rounds,I noticed a day old Gould chick had been tossed out on the floor, Parents are young,I decided to check nest to see if any young were still alive.two more dead in the nest but still three alive.I could have pulled them out and put them under another pair with young.But decided to give Mum and Dad a chance with their Chicks.Some might say that's hard,It is ,but it did not jeopardise the chicks in another nest.Any way good area for finches around Adelaide,plenty of variety and good access to birds.I am in between Adelaide and Melbourne on the coast,So theres only a handfull of fincho's within an hours drive.

Reubenvg · Post by **Reubenvg** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 6:16 am

Gald to hear you season's started off well MickP. Just a quick question to the fellow Aussies, When would you suggest adding nesting boxes for Gouldians in Brisbane?

I have never breed finches before but have had other birds. I have purchased 4 pairs of gouldians over the last 3-4 months and have them all in a small aviary(1800L x 1800H x 900W). I also have built 3 suspended breeding cages but am not using them yet.

So far they seem to be pairing up and i'm happy to let them choose there own mates(4 yellow backs and 4 greens) My plan was to wait till they have all Moulted then add the nesting boxes. However so far only 1 or 2 have moulted that I can tell. Anyway should I wait till nov / dec before adding nesting boxes?

One hen has already laid some eggs in the seed dish.

gomer · Post by **gomer** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 6:54 am

Hi Reubenvg gouldians breed about from January through to April in the wild.and can have two broods.Generally in captivity they breed from January through to October.Some leave nest boxes in all breeding season, taking them out for a clean during there yearly moult,About Late October.some take the boxes out over the colder months.as in southern Australia you can have a few loses over winter.Three broods a year is quite enough to let them have,thats probely all the will fit in anyway.I currently have some sitting,And let them shut themselves down for their molt.So by my experiance if you want a clutch,if you get in now you might just make it.
Question for non Aussies:I have heard gouldians moult the same time each year Late October, is this correct.

mickp · Post by **mickp** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 5:12 am

if they were mine I would put some nests in now and see what happens, cant hurt

Reubenvg · Post by **Reubenvg** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 7:57 am

Thanks for the advice. I found a hen sitting on 4 more eggs today in the seed. I think i'll put some boxes in tomorrow and see how they go.

Thanks

Reubenvg · Post by **Reubenvg** » Sat Oct 25, 2008 1:10 am

Well I put some boxes in the aviary and 2 pairs were very intersted, however 1 pair got very aggressive so I moved them to there own breeding cage (600H600w900L) and they started building a nest the same day!

Now both pairs are sitting on 5 eggs, they started sitting a few days ago. They appear to be sitting well I almost never see the hens now and if I do the male is in the nest box.

Fingers crossed they are fertile eggs!

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finally its breeding season

finally its breeding season

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