What to do?

[dazzab]

Thanks ken, good luck with sorting out your lot mate.

I spose I have the idea in my head that a pair of birds will go for 4 or 5 years but that obviously is not the case. I know I only got one full season out of my red face but to be honest I have a feeling I actually got it and my star in the middle of the season before meaning I have had them for the best part of two seasons, not just one, and the ruddie I have had for a few years.
So how long do people give their breeding pairs? Sounds like only one or two years and then move on to new birds.

I still might make a few minor changes to my aviary over the next couple of weeks. The straw can go and I will put some sarking up on the roof. Keeping on top of the moisture seeping in will be a priority too to prevent dampness and disease.
I'll try to source some birds and set them up when all is done.
Thanks all for your input. You have given me lots ideas to think about and work on. Your information is very much appreciated!
Daz

[Craig52]

There is no reason to fill up a holding cage with your old birds, when buyers come to buy your young birds give them the opportunity of taking the older ones free of charge.
If they happen to breed some young from them it's a bonus to them but remember all the young you bred from them and the savings from keeping and feeding them in a holding cage. Craig

[werty]

Diet, unless the birds are breeding and trying to feed a full clutch then a full on diet is not the best type of management in my opinion in colder months.
I may be an odd parallel but it's like eating out all the time, birds have evolved on the feast or famine principal. keep the special feeds for the breeding season
as all those extras(excluding seed heads) simply make the birds too fat.

I heard Gouldian breeders believe in this, I think they call it the austerity diet

1 bloke told me about this, that is the method he uses, this year he had nothing but problems with his breeding gouldians, small clutches, dead parents and chicks being tossed

he told me I would fail breeding my goulds on a rich diet all year, that you need to use the austerity diet

well I didn't listen to him, and my breeding season was brilliant, so much for the austerity diet needed in goulds

maybe in a small cabinet a bird shouldn't be fed a rich diet

I think Gouldian's kept outdoors all year being exposed to the elements, wind all day, needs a rich diet

with 5m of flight space im sure they can burn off the fat and build muscle

[E Orix]

Werty
I accept your first impression about an austerity diet and that you had a great season without doing it as a program.
But one good year doesn't mean that it's the way to go.
Over a period of seasons your birds will do better with controlled diets.
Gouldians these days are totally domesticated and on a par with Canaries so their management may differ from other species, in fact in
my opinion Gouldians are easier to breed than Zebras. But other species do need diet management in my opinion.
Deaths in your collection will happen but by doing the right thing you can eliminate a large percentage but nothing will stop old age.
I am not comfortable using birds that I have not bred, I have to but their young are the ones I will work with.
You must know your breeding stocks age. Know when they were bred or when you acquired them give them a coloured year ring.
By doing this you can tell easily if the birds has been in your collection for 3 or 4 years or so on and need to be retired to a holding aviary
NOT rushed off to a dealers to be sold to some unsuspecting person.

[werty]

Werty
Gouldians these days are totally domesticated and on a par with Canaries so their management may differ from other species, in fact in
my opinion Gouldians are easier to breed than Zebras. But other species do need diet management in my opinion.
Deaths in your collection will happen but by doing the right thing you can eliminate a large percentage but nothing will stop old age.
I am not comfortable using birds that I have not bred, I have to but their young are the ones I will work with.
You must know your breeding stocks age. Know when they were bred or when you acquired them give them a coloured year ring.
By doing this you can tell easily if the birds has been in your collection for 3 or 4 years or so on and need to be retired to a holding aviary
NOT rushed off to a dealers to be sold to some unsuspecting person.

agreed, the Gouldian is definitely easier to breed than zebras

also agree the other species may need diet management, when it comes to finches I have only bred zebras and goulds

I also keep my old time breeders, my oldest zebra male is 7+ years, but he is still breeding, cant be sure if the chicks are his, but he is raising them

[matcho]

There is no reason to fill up a holding cage with your old birds, when buyers come to buy your young birds give them the opportunity of taking the older ones free of charge.
If they happen to breed some young from them it's a bonus to them but remember all the young you bred from them and the savings from keeping and feeding them in a holding cage. Craig

Craig,

Fully agree with what you say, have given away sh.tloads to a mate of mine. Not for breeding, just for the visuals of Goulds, some have bred, most not. I don't have anybody come to buy at home. Will sell off the young this year to a local produce store who does a fair bit of bird trade and is a good man and gives a fair price. So......maybe might have a freebie day for older birds.. FOC.

Just a maybe.

Ken.

[Craig52]

Cheers Ken, does FOC mean what i think it does Craig

[matcho]

Yes Craig,

Free of charge, but there will be vetting if it happens. AFF members only by appointment. I live in the inner west of Sydney (Leichhardt). Probably have to put a cap on numbers so no one comes in and takes the lot.

There wont be many, maybe stars and painteds as well.

Ken.