Hen or Cock

[matcho]

Damn, I was hoping for a few more cock birds but my feeling was they were hens due to the lack of blue around the head. So that means that the 25 birds I bred last season 17 were hens and 8 were cock birds, oh well, better than the other way around.

17 hens and 8 cocks? Got to be happy with that! Try and buy a hen, twice if not more the price of a cock if buying separately. Hang on to a few for safe keeping. Rather more hens than cocks especially when the breeding season starts and the cooler months come along.

Well done.

Ken.

[elferoz777]

Damn, I was hoping for a few more cock birds but my feeling was they were hens due to the lack of blue around the head. So that means that the 25 birds I bred last season 17 were hens and 8 were cock birds, oh well, better than the other way around.

I bred 66 and of those 48 were roosters. Id take your luck any day. Was atill able to sell them but it makes culling a nightmare.

I struggle with white breasted birds but this one resembles a wb hen I have.

[Myzomela]

Thanks Gary and Kentucky for your insightful comments.
Now that you have mentioned them I can see the points you raise.

Cheers

Myzo

[KENTUCKY]

It would be interesting to know why the ratio between the sexes is so vast,
whether there is any truth in it, but it is said that breeding Head Colour to Head Colour will produce more Hens than Cocks,
did you set out to breed Head Colour to Head Colour or did you just give your birds free reign.

[KENTUCKY]

It would be interesting to know why the ratio between the sexes is so vast,
whether there is any truth in it, but it is said that breeding Head Colour to Head Colour will produce more Hens than Cocks,
did you set out to breed Head Colour to Head Colour or did you just give your birds free reign.

[Norse]

Just my 2 cents worth, i bred 18, 8 hens and 10 cocks this season, this ratio is average for me i always get a few less hens, that's from three pairs in together. 1 rh, 1 bh and 1 yh cocks, all 3 hens bh, all young where redheads bar 2, both bh cocks, one with yellow beak.
cheers Norse

[Davo2]

It would be interesting to know why the ratio between the sexes is so vast,
whether there is any truth in it, but it is said that breeding Head Colour to Head Colour will produce more Hens than Cocks,
did you set out to breed Head Colour to Head Colour or did you just give your birds free reign.

The birds had free reign as I only had 1 aviary, most birds paired up black head to red head but I do not know what they were split to not breeding them myself. from one red/black pair I got 7 hens and 2 cocks and another I got 5 hens 2 cocks.

[TailFeathers]

Damn, I was hoping for a few more cock birds but my feeling was they were hens due to the lack of blue around the head. So that means that the 25 birds I bred last season 17 were hens and 8 were cock birds, oh well, better than the other way around.

An experiment was done by my fellow breeders on canaries. Temp and light were increased and they ended up with more and more males each time. If you can shine light, full spectrum natural day light bulbs in the room where the cage or aviary is held, you might end up with more males.

Give it a try and see for yourself. Maybe it applies to gouldians as well.

Cheers.

[Reubenvg]

I had a mixed bag this year.

Rh+Oh = 3 cocks (2 RH 1 can't tell is a blue so guessing RH)
Rh yellow + Rh yellow = 2 cocks 6 hens (6 Rh 2 Oh)
Bh + Bh = 3 cocks (all BH)
Oh + Rh = 1 hen BH!


1 mixed aviary / mixed head colours (all greens)
4 cocks 3 hens

Grand total
12 = Cocks
10 = Hens (largely due to the yellow pair having 6/8 hens)

[Davo2]

We'll definitely both hens, one has just hatched a clutch of 6 and the other a clutch of 4.