Best combination of mixed finches for breeding

[murray_cod]

Hello everyone,

I have recently completed work on my new aviary, 6m long x 2.5 deep x 2.5 high with three equal size flights (ie each flight is 2x2.5x2.5). At the moment I have the door between the flights open (mostly because my door locks failed in the wind) but ultimately I would like to segregate the birds for optimum breeding. I currently have Stars, Painted's, Diamonds, Double Bars, Gouldians, Red Faced Parrots and Red Brow Firetails. What does everyone think the best mix of these species would be? The Painteds and Double Bars have always seemed the shyest around the other birds and I have witnessed the Red Faced pulling out nesting material from other nests.

I was thinking the Painteds and Double Bars (3 pair of each) together, the Stars (3 pair), Diamonds (2 pair) and Red Brow (1 pair) together and the Gouldians (3 pair) and Red Faced (1 pair) together. Or is it not really that important and I can just leave them to play happily together?

Glen

[finches247]

Hi Welcome to the Forum

1st Flight-Diamonds and Gouldians
2nd Flight-Stars and Red Faced Parrot Finch and Red Brows
3rd Flight-Painted and Double Bars

This how I would house them on sizing and temperment

I would keep a maximum of no more than 5 breeding Pairs per flight in that size

Cheers
Henry

[SamDavis]

I run one pair of each species per aviary and have found this to be by far the most productive. The double bars and gouldians should be ok as small colonies. In my experience the diamonds (in particular) but also the stars and painteds will produce far better as one pair per aviary.

[Misso]

Welcome to the Forum

misso

[murray_cod]

Thanks to everyone for their responses. Interesting to see the different views in 1 par versus multiple pairs. I have had some people say unless you have known breeding pairs it is best to let them pair up themselves.

[Tiaris]

1 pr of each will almost always breed more.

[finches247]

It is good to run species single pairs as I know you get better success.But if you don't have the space to run single pairs you have to run them in colonies.But I agree single pair breeding is better but I have to run all my birds as colonies for these reasons I like colonies,lets them choose there own partners,dont have space to run single pairs and still get good breeding success.

[SamDavis]

I have had some people say unless you have known breeding pairs it is best to let them pair up themselves.

With your double bars and diamonds, if you can't 100% identify pairs through observation (ie. have actually produced chicks) then I'd have them DNA sexed. Saves a lot of wasted time and frustration trying to breed with 2 boys or 2 girls. You can still let them choose their own pairs if you'd like but you'll be sure they really are pairs. I find DNA sexing reassuring even if they are to be run in a colony e.g. I had 6 longtails recently DNA sexed and found I had 1 cock and 5 hens which is obviously not a great basis for a colony.

[COUNTRY CAPITAL]

g'day murray cod.....hell of a handle you got there!!
hope you dont have laughing gear like the 15kg one i saw recently caught in the peel river at somerton....both feet would fit in easily.
my 2 cents worth is....
try to create micro-environments for them, then they will tend to leave each other alone by choice.
for example gouldians will need nestboxes up pretty high, while painteds will want some brush down low. doublebars/redbrows/diamonds love growing bushes...even in pots.
stars and red-faced parrot finches will try and dominate the best nest sites along with diamonds if you have a breeding pair.
most agree that 1 pair of each species per aviary gives best breeding results but i like your idea of leaving the connecting doors open giving much more room for the lesser birds to find there own space.
i have tried both colony breeding and 1 pair per aviary and at least with the 3 pairs together you should get some breeding results. the doublebars, redbrows and diamonds could be leg-rung and sorted when they pair up, otherwise if you pick pairings and seperate them you may not get the sexes right and therefore get no breeding whatsoever.
30 or so finches is probably too many as young will soon add to this number, but give plenty of nest site choice and they should be happy.

very often its not a simple right or wrong choice so good luck!!

if forced to segregate them i would have;
gouldians with red-faced(8).
painted with redbrows and doublebars(14).
diamonds with stars(10).
i prefer this combination rather than 1 pair of each per flight because in my aviaries even gouldian cocks try to court neighbouring hens for example, so in a small colony with sufficient nest sites compatible pairs may form naturally.

[Tiaris]

It is good to run species single pairs as I know you get better success.But if you don't have the space to run single pairs you have to run them in colonies.But I agree single pair breeding is better but I have to run all my birds as colonies for these reasons I like colonies,lets them choose there own partners,dont have space to run single pairs and still get good breeding success.

Can't see how a single pair will take up more room than a colony.
All I can do is repeat, single pairs will give the best breeding results.