Orange gouldians? Really?

MLaRue · Post by **MLaRue** » Mon Jun 22, 2009 2:15 pm

Tiffany,

Haven't we seen or read somewhere that the color feeds that are given to Canaries don't work on Gouldians? I think it was Laraine that talked about this in detail once, but I can't remember the "why".

nixity · Post by **nixity** » Mon Jun 22, 2009 2:26 pm

I've also talked about it with John Wilson (NFSS Forum) - back when I wasn't understanding the muddled RH hen thing because I understood Red and Black to be two different genes (they aren't, so it makes more sense to me now).

I was basically wondering if you fed a carotene rich food if it would enhance the colors of the red and orange heads.

I was told that it has been tried numerous times and no changes were noted in the head color through color food feedings.

If you look at the first photo of them holding the bird - their hands look orange too where the light is hitting them, which just makes me think even more that there is a color light on the bird.

nixity · Post by **nixity** » Mon Jun 22, 2009 2:29 pm

Maybe with the yellow body mutation the color foods would change the physical appearance though....

Maybe it just doesn't really do anything for the head colors.

I think you would have to introduce the color foods at the nestling stage while the feathers are developing to really see a difference.

I wouldn't mind testing this theory

MLaRue · Post by **MLaRue** » Mon Jun 22, 2009 2:42 pm

I thought the pictures were trying to show you something that is not there too...

Give it a try with your next yellow babies!

But wouldn't you have to keep feeding them the color foods? I don't know much about the color fed Canaries and how it works long term for them.

nixity · Post by **nixity** » Mon Jun 22, 2009 2:51 pm

Yes you would have to keep feeding them something with the extra carotenes...

Just like Flamingos will turn white if they don't get the carotenes from their diet.. zoos usually have to supplement their diet with something carotene rich to keep their pink plumage.. otherwise they'd lose it.

But that would be an easy way to tell if it was truly color fed (if this isn't a lighting effect).. because if you didn't continue with the diet, they would molt out into a regular schmegular yellow the following year..

CandoAviary · Post by **CandoAviary** » Mon Jun 22, 2009 6:25 pm

I do not know about gouldians but I use to color feed canaries. The red factors can be magnified by canthaxin or carotene(to a lesser degree)
It must be supplied befor the molt. It starts at the early feather developement. ABBA makes a nestling food for red birds. I always found this incorporated with egg food to be the easiest method. The stuff in the water is messy and wasteful. I use to purposely wait late on some of the yellow red factors so that they were yellow,orange, and red....... resembling sunsets

I would think with the gouldians that you would have to cross some other bird into the line to acheive the 'Red Factor'