winter diets

For all your questions about diet and food for your finches
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E Orix
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Location: Howlong on NSW/Vic Border 30km from Albury
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I personally have to agree to disagree.
You are correct when you state that birds react to weather changes, these triggers set the birds off and the breeding cycle begins.
What I am against is trying to manufacture breeding conditions to excite the birds to breed out of season UNLESS you have a complex
suitable to do so. Very few people have that, yet people may think there setup is OK so they try to get the birds to breed.
How often do you read the wanted adds and there in print, wanted hen, wanted hen, wanted hen, how come, simply the hens were
lost due to unsuitable weather, over work because there is less light so they struggle to fledge chicks.
Rest your birds then help them when the conditions are best. Are not the first fledged regarded as the best chicks for the season and the
ones to keep for the future.
I simply slow them down, less access to nesting material, limit the amount of livefood, don't brush until nearly breeding season, keep
the diet balanced but simple.
My comments are based on keeping birds where you experience cool/cold winters.
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finchbreeder
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much more interesting and removes a lot of chance in our hobby.
Birds still do unusual things but when you can modulate the powerful factors for breeding, the hobby becomes so much more fun. A win for the bird and a win for the owner!
You and I are obviously bird lovers for very different reasons. Chance is wonderful. I am sure that you are a caring breeder, but I always feel that sometimes modulation can become control and chook breeders did that and came up with battery hens. Not saying don;t just leaning to the side of caution. And quantity is not important to me, happy birds are. I expect to lose money and pay out constantly for these wonderful little feathered friends.
LML
LML
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GP Finches
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Interesting, but off topic. I have been asked about cycling. That is what I am doing.

We are talking about cycling, and the stimulus of birds to breed. If you wish to watch birds in an aviary and gain enjoyment from that, good luck to you. I have well respected friends who have decided to do just that and observe the birds behaviour. Even write a book about it. I too gain great enjoyment from observing the birds and utilise their innate ability to respond to stimulus.

If you don't want to breed birds don't, if you want to breed birds do so. Random chance, luck, cycle, don't cycle its up to you. I personally give away many birds a year so that other people can enjoy them as well. I sell some too. Its not a commercial operation. I break even perhaps. So what. But if we do not breed a few then there will be no hobby. Look at the species in captivity we have already lost because of mismanagement.
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GP Finches
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Ian, I will PM you so we can set up time to go over how the cycling system works and what I am dong now to reduce and stop breeding. :thumbup:
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Tiaris
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This issue really isn't that complex and the factors which influence birds' ability or willingness to breed largely vary from species to species as different species have different natural "triggers". The obvious and easily managed factors are diet (livefood, half-ripe grass seed) and habitat (nesting sites, materials,etc.) and can be given or taken away from an aviary as it suits the aviculturist. Daylength and other less easily controlled seasonal factors can also be managed but with much more effort, cost, and a less "natural" aviary environment, but remember too that some species respond positively to increasing day-length and others to decreasing day-length. So the natural triggers really need to be independently examined for each species or group of species.
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GP Finches
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It is a simple concept, but it is an art as you point out. There will be species variation. Bringing the hen and cock into breeding condition at the same time etc. The question was: what triggers birds to breed. For that matter what makes them moult. Unless we understand these factors then cycling ours bird is not possible or practical. Why bother?

For aviculturist's diet and light and the easiest factors to manipulate based upon what wild birds do. So if light is not practical or desirable then use the natural seasonal variations in your area.

From this point we can now explore cycling our birds. It becomes an important husbandry topic. Article will be published latter this year.
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CathyCraftz
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You don't need to worry too much about winter diets, what your finches eat normally is fine. If you are very concerned, give some food rich in protein not too regularly like every day or they will get fat.
Have a nice day!
Sincerely, Cathy
“It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” – Albus Dumbledore
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vettepilot_6
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CathyCraftz wrote: 01 Jun 2018, 12:46 You don't need to worry too much about winter diets, what your finches eat normally is fine. If you are very concerned, give some food rich in protein not too regularly like every day or they will get fat.
No you feed extra fatty seeds in winter 😉
The Bitterness of Poor Quality Remains Long after the Sweetness of Cut Price is Forgotten
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Redbus
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Which seeds are “extra fatty” and readily available.
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E Orix
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Location: Howlong on NSW/Vic Border 30km from Albury
Location: Howlong NSW

Cathy you are so far off the mark, I suggest you have a good search through the Forum.
I love your enthusiasm but at times seems to lack experience.

Unless you live in a warm climate or want to let your birds breed in winter you should really now be
on a maintenance diet and then in Aug for around three weeks on austerity diet. Sept would be
the start of you full on diet with chicks hatching late Sept, early Oct.
This is my opinion others may agree or disagree.
In my opinion too many females are lost when you encourage winter breeding and also tired out when
you want them to breed in good weather conditions
Maintenance diet just a good seed mix, soaked seed and maybe limited live food
Austerity diet 2 millets and water
Comments welcome
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