Managed to get 2 pied RFPF cocks

[MariusStegmann]

I managed to buy 2 pied RFP finches. The one is a red face and the other a seagreen. I also got another RF, it guy says it is a hen, but he looks like a cock to me. The only reason I took it is because the lower beak is white, and that point to pied genes. I am very glad of the seagreen pied cock, because this means I can breed that with my lightly pied seagreen hen. Unfortunately she has chicks now, so I will have to wait a bit.

[MiaCarter]

MariusStegmann -- They sound lovely! I can't wait to see photos!

I just love the look of pied pfs. They have a beautiful look to them.

[cjkrit]

Very glad for you.
Hope they give you some beautiful babies very soon.

[finchmix22]

Congratulations! Parrot finches are difficult to sex, so I'd listen for any trilling and/or egg laying to make sure of the sex. I separate my PF juveniles into what I think are male and female cages and watch to make sure I don't have a singer in with the hens or vice versa.

[MariusStegmann]

finchmix22 This is quite strange, but only one pf cock sings in my aviary. The only time he stops singing is when he does nest duty. This cock is very dominant and seems to think that he can have more than one hen as well. The new pied seagreen cock paired with with a normal seagreen hen, and there is a bit of fighting between him and the dominant cock as he does not allow the dominant cock to woe his hen. I am going to leave this seagreen pairing and might only change it next season.

[finchmix22]

I do not keep them together because they will mate with other parrot finches if they can, so I just keep on pair per flight.

[MariusStegmann]

finchmix22 I plan to do exactly the same thing. I already bought the mesh to setup 3 to 4 aviaries.

[MariusStegmann]

finchmix22 Deborah, I can see a good use for this oversexed behaviour of the PF cocks. Let's say you have a fantastic cock that you would like to breed to more than one hen if you could, and you have an infertile PF cock like Smurf had. The infertile cock would happily raise the chicks of the other cock and you have double the amount of offspring from the desired cock.

[Rox]

Some male PF's just seem to be jerks... I only have the one pair and the poor hen was constantly being 'raped' and chased back into the nest box. They hatched a couple of eggs but never actually got to fledging any young. When I moved the hen to the other aviary at the beginning of winter, she was a wreck with missing neck feathers where the male constantly held her down.

She is looking awesome now and I will be getting a second hen from Monotwine when it warms up. Hopefully having 2 hens to 1 male will allow the dominant hen to actually sit and do nest duties properly.

Good luck separating your aviary into sections. I hope it gives you the results you are looking for!

[MariusStegmann]

Rox I think you should replace the cock. I can let you have a gentle cock and you will have success. Your hen obviously don't respond well to male abuse. I have 2 pairs with chicks at this moment and none of my hens get mauled. I have 5 cocks and 3 hens and my hens don't have a feather out of place. The cock that I am thinking about has chicks at this moment that are going to fledge in about a weeks time.

[Rox]

Thanks Marius, but I will try him again this season and see what happens. If he is still a complete bully with the 2 hens, then I will definitely get a new male.

Thanks so much for the offer!

[MariusStegmann]

Rox To clarify, it was a free offer. I do think, once a bully always a bully. You are going to share the bullying between two females.

[Rox]

Oooh, you are tempting me! Thank you for the offer!

Let me ponder on it. I'm rather fond of old 'Bob', the male, even though he is a bully.

I need to stop naming my birds. I become too attached...

[MariusStegmann]

Rox I don't fall into that trap. A person grow very attached to birds that you have bred, and you need to let go of most of them. No point in making it harder for oneself, by giving them names. As Mia pointed out, my birds are not my pets. They are my hobby. I love them no less, but I can still make the hard decisions, like when my cubans killed the umpteenth bird, I got rid of them. And I must point out that I was very fond of the cuban cock.

[Rox]

Marius, I have gotten better. The PF's were part of my first group of birds that I started out with, hence the sentimentality. I have no problem rehoming other birds and honestly, I actually have too many birds to name them all. Only the 'special' ones might get a name now.

If you change your mind about getting Gouldian's, please let me know. I have a lot that will be going to the pet shop once they have colored up but you are welcome to some (for free) if you would like. I have green and yellow and all 3 head colors available (including white breast).

I haven't lost a single Gouldian this winter, so they are strong stock