Gouldian's moulting

[jungle]

Are every ones young gouldian's taking for ever to moult into full color this year.
Some of mine have started & stopped 3 times so far.

[matcho]

Jungle,

Yeah, all the young are going to complete their"full" first moult this time of year. What you have seen is some of the early season chicks get a speck or two with colour, quite normal. You also have to know that this is time of year for all goulds for their moult, they do it tough if they don't have extra nutrition. Sprouted/chitted seeds, greens (dandelion, chickweed, milkthistle) or whatever will help plus some grit, rock salt, cuttlebone and Calcivet. Many old time Gouldian breeders do not count how many birds they get on the perch after fledging but what they have after the first moult. I can understand this because it takes a lot of nutrition and some just don't make it. Six weeks ago I had bald headed birds (breeders) in goulds and painteds. Now I have all birds looking not so good, covered in pinfeathers but every morning starting to look good. I reckon another 2 or 3 weeks they will be back to perfect and I will get to see how this years young turn out.

I have four birds that will not moult this year because they are only 8 weeks old. Some are cocks because they sing but must have missed the clock that tells the birds to go into moult.

Next years stock but if I lose a hen will toss one of them in, they will do good, have had it before, just weaned chicks feeding new fledglings.

It is all an experience... enjoy!

Ken

[roma9009]

Yep last years young just starting to malt out now

[jungle]

Hi Ken

Normal our young gouldians are fully colured by the end of October.
I think because the weather has been so much colder than normal is not helping.

[GouldianGuy]

Mmmm malted finches... a tasty brew

[Tiaris]

My Gouldians are less than halfway through the moult & won't be finished until early-mid December. This is the typical pattern for Gouldians here. I find that the better the nutrition offered, the slower is the moult. If I catch out young early & put them into holding aviaries on a basic diet (which I don't do often), they invariably commence the moult sooner & more heavily compared to young of the same age left in breeding aviaries on a better diet with more direct sunlight. I very rarely lose young Gouldians once they are independent - before fledging & before independence I have losses but rarely thereafter. I should stress though that I try not to move them to different aviaries or change diet until young are several months old & this definitely helps avoid losses. I love watching them as they transform from their juvenile drabness to sleek shiny spectacularly colourful creatures just after the moult.

[vettepilot_6]

My Gouldians are less than halfway through the moult & won't be finished until early-mid December. This is the typical pattern for Gouldians here. I find that the better the nutrition offered, the slower is the moult. If I catch out young early & put them into holding aviaries on a basic diet (which I don't do often), they invariably commence the moult sooner & more heavily compared to young of the same age left in breeding aviaries on a better diet with more direct sunlight. I very rarely lose young Gouldians once they are independent - before fledging & before independence I have losses but rarely thereafter. I should stress though that I try not to move them to different aviaries or change diet until young are several months old & this definitely helps avoid losses. I love watching them as they transform from their juvenile drabness to sleek shiny spectacularly colourful creatures just after the moult.

Yeah same here...mine are all doing well and the same as Tiaris's...wont be fully coloured till early to mid December...hoping for some RH normals in this lot.....

[elferoz777]

All my yellows look like poo atm. Molt is getting messed with this weather.

[finchbreeder]

Mums young from last year are just starting to get some colour. Hope my babys that just fledged don't go into a moult.
LML

[D0NKEY]

mine are also in a full moult , look like little dolls with pins sticking out of every angle ...