Got New Parrot finches and gould guestion

[carmena]

Here is a link to some pics
http://mypurplemartinblog.com/gallery2/ ... temId=2078

and I got them both for 220. SUPPOSEDLY the pied is the male but I have not heard anyone song so I have NO idea. Anyone think I am lucky enough to have a pair??

Also I wanted to ask, Do ALL Australian finches need iodine? Or just the goulds. I have a pair of Owls also that I wonder if I am supposed to be giving them iodine.

The gallery link to the pics also has a pic of one of the baby goulds I hand fed, he is just finishing up his adult molt but his colors don't look very vibrant on his just. His mom is a WB. I know there are dirt white breasted, he looks like a dirty purple breast? Is there such a thing? Or could he have some lilac blood in him???

[MLaRue]

I love the Parrot Finches - unfortunately the male will have to sing for you to know for sure whether he is a he or a she - or of course pair them up and see if you get fertile eggs or any eggs at all.

I think the colors you are seeing on your baby that is finishing his molt is when their feathers look chalky. That will all go away when he finishes the molt. And, they will be vibrant and shiny like your other pairs.

I don't make a point to supplement iodine in their water but offer a source like "kelp meal" for them to get what they need.

[carmena]

The Kelp meal you offer to the goulds or the parrots and owls too?

[MLaRue]

I offer it to all of my birds

[carmena]

Well, not one peep out of them so I am beginning to wonder if I have 2 girls.

Do they sing frequently? Or are they shy about their song? I have plenty of cover so they are hidden almost as well as the Owls.
Any sexing tips on these guys (or gals)?

[MLaRue]

You can't miss the males song - it is a constant trill with little melody to it. It is like a rolling trill. Separate them and usually you will here it very quickly.

[carmena]

separate as in out of site or will the cage divider do?

[MLaRue]

I would do different cages and a different room or across the room. That way you will know for sure who is singing if either are - reason I say this is because Parrots don't have a habit of singing in front of people. They are usually too busy flying around in the cage when we are close to them. Although mine got his name Elvis because he sings all the time even when I'm near the cage. But I never hear him sing with his babies in the nest. My other males I had to put in other rooms to get them to sing.

[kcdozy]

Your pied is a male. The red extends behind the eye and has a large red bib. The normal is hard to tell by the picture.The normal kinda looks like a male to me, but hard to tell. I have some males that I have never heard sing and others that sing all the time. You can take some long thin white strips of paper and put in cage. The males will play with it for quite awhile and hens usually loose interest in a few minutes. Might also try long coco-fiber. I have about 50 parrot finches and sometimes its very hard to tell if they never sit still. If they sit side by side I can usually tell. Good Luck with them!

[MLaRue]

Gorgeous pied!

Do you have a picture of a female that can show the difference between female and male? I have not found this to be a sure way to sex them yet.

Here is a link to mine - the heavy pied is the male and the one on the right is a hen.

http://www.finchforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=7681

They look the same to me?

[carmena]

Well, I tried to seperate them but other than the pied tweeting loadly, I heard no singing. Then again, I couldn't sit around either so after an hour I put it back with its buddy. (Had errands to run ) BUT I will try again this weekend.

About the nest stuff, I noticed the pied has taken EVERYTHING out of the plastic nest in there. Is that normal? Why would he remove all the coco fiber? Doesn't like it or OCD? (Oh, thats just me... )

I have 3 nests in there (so they can pick)

They only go in the nest if they are breeding though? Or are they like Zebs and Societies that sleep in there for fun?

Will they make the nest out of shredded paper?

MLaRue, I hear you...they look the same to me but I am a sexual monomorphic finch newbie so unless it has testicles, I wouldn't know.

[CandoAviary]

kcdozy,
I too breed parrot finches as of the last 2 years. I have received conflicting info on the beak colors of parrot chicks. I have been told that the beak will be dark and light, yet I notice that yours has a light color top and bottom. My pied has a dark beak top and bottom. Misty's in the link she provided has dark on top and light on the bottom. Carmena's has a faded horn color.
What does the color have to do with the mutations if any. I have had normals that had different colored beaks as chicks yet became totally dark at adulthood. Would love to hear your opinion.



I also go by the song to sex. The face and tail shape are clues but not 100% reliable I have found.

[kcdozy]

I use plastic half open nest boxes by ABBA on outside of the cage. The birds I have outside in the aviary use gouldian nest boxes and sometimes wicker baskets. I give them long coco-fiber. They will add feathers and newspaper to if they have it. I let them build thier own nest from scratch. Mine do not sleep in the box at night.

[CandoAviary]

I guess we posted at the same time kcdozy. Please read the above post. I have used the purple martin gourd nest for these guys and they use them too. As well as plastic or wood nestboxes.

[carmena]

So them removing the materiel in the nest is a good sign???Or do they do that as busy work?
The 2 other nests in the cage, they have not touched the coco fiber.
Only the gould ABBA box