austerity diet for goudians

[Diane]

For those who have gouldians, how long do you leave them on the austerity diet?

[Mickp]

due to having mixed species in my aviaries it isnt possible to put my gouldians on the austerity diet.

[cranberry]

I heard it's a load of hog wash but what would I know?

[E Orix]

I put my birds on an austerity diet every year,generally last 2 weeks of Aug and the first 2 weeks of Sept.
If outside(mixed collection) the seed mix is, only yellow,white and a little red Millet, no Canary seed at all. That is all they get no extras. If inside once a week a multi vitamin addition and thats all.
By using a restricting diet the birds breed readily when put on the good diet and they breed through the better time of the year. It is a conditioning period as if they were in the wild.
With regard the Gouldians I generally do it later around Nov/Dec as I do not put my boxes in the aviaries until 2nd week of Jan. As soon as the austerity diet finishes the female Gouldians beaks start to blacken and the males start to stir, you then have young hatching and fledging in the warmer months and the young seem to colour up quicker.

[Diane]

I have my adult male and females in separate cages at the moment and they have been on the austerity diet, this week will be their 3rd week. They are well and truly moulting, feathers everywhere and they look like feather dusters! Will there be a problem if I continue the austerity diet until beginning of November? Then they can be put back on the normal seed mixes so by the time January/nesting boxes comes round they should be in good condition.
Im trying to get them away from breeding in the colder months so there is less for me to worry about with babies leaving the nest in the middle of a cold snap or downfall of rain.

[E Orix]

Do you give them a vitamin compound while they are in full moult. I would finish it by the start of November.
You are a little ahead of me and putting the boxes in, in December is no worries as far as my opinion.
Pair your birds up and when the hens beaks start to change colour put your boxes in and away they should go.
There are far better Gouldian breeders out there than I but my way seems to work and I generally get 3 nests per pair before I take the boxes out because of the oncomming cold weather.

[Diane]

My gouldians did their own thing last time, but after the winter we have had here Im keen to get their breeding time away from the worst of the winter season. I had babies in the nest and very young out in the aviary during the worst weather. Guess it makes for tough birds, but it didnt do my nerves any good!
The pairs had raised their three clutches by the end of August so that why I separated the adults so early.

[Misso]

i thought the austerity diet was used to trigger the molt, then once the molt started you then gave them good variety of foods so they can produce healthy feathers???? then once they all fully molt you put them on an another austerity diet so you can then have the pairs come into breeding condition at the same time???

everyone will have diff idea's im sure. at the moment my juviniles are all molting but my adults havent started yet, they look very very ruff atm. i will try the austerity diet once they all fully molt and have new feathers in, then i will cut bak for 2 weeks or so then bring them into breeding condition with greens, egg food, sprouted seed etc etc.

Jarryd

[Diane]

You are right. According to Mike Fidlers "Gouldian Life Cycle Calender" he recommends August as the ending of the breeding season and placing the adult birds on the austerity diet for two weeks, once fully in the moult start the breeding diet again.
He then goes on to say the end of September should be the end of the moult. After the birds are through the moult they should be on a maintenance diet of standard finch mix and soft food supplement twice a week. Oct through to Dec.
Once again in January the birds should go back onto the austerity diet to ensure the males and females arrive in breeding condition at the same time. Then back on the breeding diet in Feb.

My birds have been separated since August but were only put on the austerity diet three weeks ago as Im trying to move their breeding season to slightly warmer weather than the middle of winter.

My juvenile are more or less half coloured up at the moment, they are in the main aviary and are on a full diet with extras.

[Mickp]

my gouldians must be a different species then still have a pair sitting tight and two pairs with young in the nest. had 4 birds fledge two days ago. none of the adults even look like moulting yet. they'll get around to it when they are ready