Colony Breeding Gouldians

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Looking for comments from experienced Gouldian breeders. This is my 1st season and am getting a little frustrated

I have a new (planted) Aviary set up and a new colony from mixed sources. There is in excess of 1m3 (6 x 2.3 x 2m) per bird and around 2 nest boxes per pair (mainly "budgie" boxes but a few set up in old plastic pots - which attract plenty of attention). All nests are stocked with dry grasses and there is plenty more for them to build with. Plenty of open space but also plenty of shelter. They get lots of greens, Avigrain blue, Fitgrit, charcoal, shell grit and are regularly treated with moxi or avi. All up there are 9 pairs.

Breeding behaviours are heating up - lots of zooming and knocking other birds off perches. Hens are just as bad or worse than the cocks, and hens beaks going dark by the day. Lots of dancing, but so far no observed mating. BUT, every breeding attempt is thwarted by nosy onlookers. Dare I say "cock blocking", by hens as well as cocks.

Q: too many pairs? Or non pairs at this point and they are sorting all that out?

Thanks in advance

[matcho]

I wouldn't worry about the mating thing. It normally occurs in the nest box. I am having much the same issue, normal for the start of the season. Put my boxes in on Australia day, and have noticed that over the past couple of weeks that most boxes have "sitters". Don't worry, once they get started the only way to stop them is pull the boxes out. Good luck.