Ranking by difficulty in breeding

[Luís Lourenço]

Hi,

In my opinion, these kind of topics are always good for beginners I think.
Of this species, can you guys rank from the hardest to the easiest to breed according to your experience, in both aviaries and cages if possible.

- Normal Masked
- White Eared Masked
- Long tails
- Parsons
- Stars
- Goudians
- Blue Faced Parrotfinches
- Chestnut Breasted
- Nutmeg munias
- Diamond Firetail
- Double Bars
- Plumhead
- Normal Red Broweds

Thanks

[finches247]

1-Gouldians
2-Chestnut Breasted Mannikin
3-Nutmegs
4-Star
5-Blue Faced Parrot Finch
6-Plumhead
7-Longtail
8-Parson
9-Double Bar
10-Masked
11-Red Browed Firetail
12-Diamond Firetail
13-White Eared Maskeds

Number 1 been easiest and 13 been hardest
This is only aviary breeding

[wagga]

Hi Luis,
You will find that most people will have very different opinions on this list. In Australia nearly 100% of finch breeders house their birds outside in aviaries. Only a small amount of finch species are bred in cages or breeding cabinets, Zebra, Bengalese/Society and Gouldians. I have in recent years concentrated or specialised on breeding a small number of species, 4 - 5, with each aviary's habitat and diet changed to suit the species held within.
To answer your question about difficulty here is my list, from a outside aviary breeders prospective. I tried to number 1 - 13 and found I kept changing my mind on the rankings, so I have ranked the birds in groups from Hardest to Easiest.

Cage breeding

Diamond firetail, Double bars, W/e Mask, Plumhead, Red Brows, Stars,
Chestnut Breasted, Normal Mask, Parsons
Blue Faced PF, Longtails, Nutmeg Munia/Spice
Gouldian

Aviary Breeding[/u]

Diamond firetail, W/e Mask?, Red Brows,
Chestnut Breasted,Double bars, Normal Mask,W/e Mask?, Parsons, Plumhead, Stars,
Blue Faced PF, Gouldian, Longtails, Nutmeg Munia/Spice

I hope this will help you

[Myzomela]

I also think that domestication has had a lot to with it ( as well as improved and more consistent live food availability and general husbandry improvement).
Some species which were originally quite hard to breed are now much easier than they once were.

[gomer]

Have only breed these birds in aviaries only.I have never attempted cabinet breeding of these birds or any infact.I have breed all of these except nutmegs and have based the longtails and diamonds from my personal success compared to the others.I do know they are breed in high numbers elsewhere and could be moved under redbrowed if taking this into account.I think because of Australia's large geographical area there will be differences in the list due to temperature differences etc.Also in certain areas unfortunately some of these birds find there way into avairies from the wild which certainly disheartens the breeder when they have no success breeding them they are the middle birds.Also the top birds are more monomorphic then the bottom making it again harder if keeping them in prs only for most.

Diamond fire tails
Longtails
mask
white eared mask
double bars
chestnut breasted
red browed
parson
plumhead
blue face
stars
Gouldians
nutmegs

[finchbreeder]

A lot of if a bird is easy or hard is the right pair/s in the right conditions. Any incompatible pair is going to fail, even if they are Zebs. (rare occurrance) Any totally compatible pair in fair conditions can succeed. We have all come accross the situation at least once. Like the situation Spanna mentioned not long back re White headed nuns. Avairys seem to make breeding a lot easier to achieve regardless of type. And lots of natural food stuffs, not too many birds in the same avairy. All the sensible things we know we should do.
LML

[COUNTRY CAPITAL]

aviary breeding again.
easiest to hardest from my experience.
star
gouldian
blue faced parrotfinch
diamond firetail
masked
doublebar
longtail
plumhead
w/e masked
parson
nutmeg
chestnut
redbrow

[spanna]

I only ever aviary breed, so can only comment as such, and haven't bred some birds on the list, which are noted, so all info of them is from other breeders experiences and information gathered elsewhere.

Easiest to hardest:
- Stars - will abandon nest if inspected, but very eager to breed, not fussy with partners, don't need live food.
- Chestnut Breasted (have not bred personally)
- Nutmeg munias (have not bred personally)
- Plumhead - shy, but good breeders. Pairs easily established, up to 4 clutches in a season.
- Goudians
- Long tails (have not bred personally)
- Parsons (have not bred personally)
- Blue Faced Parrotfinches (have not bred personally)
- Double Bars - breed prolifically when set up as a colony of 6 or more birds. Single pairs may be less successful.
- Diamond Firetail - Prefer to choose own partner, dominant pair breeds while other pairs in colony will not.
- Normal Red Brows - Will breed much better in growing, living brush.
- Normal Masked - take time to settle in new aviaries and choose partners, once established will consistently produce young. Weaned young left in the aviary will assist in rearing new fledglings in my experiences, often sitting on the eggs with mum as well.
- White Eared Masked (have not bred personally) require warmer, drier aviary than the nominate race.

[Luís Lourenço]

Thanks guys

I think this kind of discussion is interesting because everyone have a different opinion (like wagga said) based on their experience.