Gouldians Eager to Breed

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Boma
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Joined: 02 Jul 2017, 15:38
Location: Far North Coast, NSW

My Gouldians are paired up and are eager to to start breeding. Last year I let them breed at this time of the year, but of course it was too early in the season and there was a 100% loss of the first clutch through infertile eggs and through the heat overwhelming the chicks. This season I'm not putting boxes in for at least another month (am waiting for the hen's beak to go even more black). The problem is that the cock birds keep build nest in the shrubbery (my birds often build their own nest in the shrubs and successfully fledged chicks). I pull the nests down, but an a little concerned that will put the cock bird off breeding. Any thoughts on whether I'm doing the right thing?
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vettepilot_6
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If hens beak black and males building. .I would let them go. ... :thumbup: I have never lost gouldian young to too much heat (even when I lived in Mackay) .. I would be looking at other things regarding loss of young. .. :thumbup:
The Bitterness of Poor Quality Remains Long after the Sweetness of Cut Price is Forgotten
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finchbreeder
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Different years will have different weather, and birds in the wild react to this. So I see no reason why avairy birds should not do likewise. Let them go. Worst case they have a practice run first like last year. But I know that here this Decembers weather is completely different from last years. Good Luck.
LML
LML
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Tiaris
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Location: Coffs Harbour

I hold mine back for a little more yet for a couple of reasons.
As you've mentioned, fertility rates are poor when both members of the pair are not at the same level of readiness to breed. This is a typical outcome for very early rounds.
It is my strongly held belief that the young from the first 2 rounds of the season are by far and away the best quality young bred for the whole season. By this I don't mean that every young bred in the 1st 2 rounds are necessarily great but that the best young for the season will be among those bred in the 1st 2 rounds. There are many reasons for this, possibly including the milder night-time temps, more abundant fresh grass heads prior to winter proper and (in my opinion the most significant reason) that the parents are fittest, most active/attentive parents and less exhausted from previous breeding effort.
Hence, I won't take any chances with the fertility of my vital first round by allowing them to go off half-cocked & reduce my chances of breeding the best quality Gouldian I've ever bred. Extra wasted rounds early on are far more likely to result in loss of breeding birds (and young) later in the year when breeding birds are worn out and the nights are cold.
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matcho
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I wouldn't worry too much. I would keep on taking out the nests to avoid the hassle of badly built nests, loss of chicks and eggs. They really are terrible nest builders. I didn't put boxes in last year but still got plenty of young out of the brush but too many chicks lost for my liking. I am going to put boxes in this year after Australia Day, or a couple of weeks later depending on the heat. I can guarantee that when the boxes go in the brush won't get a second look unless of course they will commandeer prebuilt nests of other species and that in itself causes problems with the other birds as they will pull chicks from nests to take them over.

Anyhow good luck,

Ken.
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