breeding plan

[Redwing]

Think I need some help with setting up some sort of plan /direction with my painteds. Would like to start and breed for improved colour and have had a good start with this season's young. Problem is I have only one aviary and limited space, so probably 3 pairs would be all I should have (bearing in mind there are other breeds in with them). Does anyone have suggestions on where to head from here. Am sure ther are others out there in the same position as me who are trying to improve their stock with very restricted space and birds.

[flap]

Hi Redwing, that is a hard one. I guess if breeding painteds for colour is the priority, maybe just focus on them for a while and let go of other species for the time being? I do admire your ability to stick to the one aviary. Hope you find a good solution.

[Pete Sara]

I feel your pain with this one redwing. Not going down the path of colour breeding painteds , but knowing what I wish to keep in order to have good bloodlines of the finches that I currently keep, I have a path I have laid down to follow but every now and then I tend to step off it a bit...thats when I start thinking and it becomes dangerously expensive but fortunatly the treasury around here is good at keeping me in line.....pete

[Redwing]

Thanks Pete and Flap, don't really have any choice about not having more than one aviary, unless I give the chooks away there's no other space. Still don't have any idea how to plan my breeding, what I'm looking for is some ideas of keeping genetic diversity while only having up to 3 breeding pairs. Have started by keeping the brightest coloured female from this season's young and selling all the others and will now buy a good coloured male for her. Figured it's easier to buy single males than females. Not sure what I now do about her parents and my other pair who breed consistently higher numbers of females.... Do I sell both pairs (would be reluctant ) while they're still young or what??

[finchbreeder]

If your 2 existing pairs are breeding good to very good colour and high numbers of females, I think your idea of keeping the brightest young hen and getting a bright boy. And keeping the existing 2 pair is a good one for this season. Can be reassessed in another year, depending on what happens.
LML

[flap]

Redwing, is 3 pairs only the painteds or total birds? If I was wanting to breed for colour but was limited, I would look at using just one breeding pair but retain the best coloured bird each time (so if you get a good offspring, keep that one for breeding and sell the parents). That is what we did. If you have a nice female that is certainly the best option. Our best coloured one was a male. Still trying to get a nice female for him but for now he has a mate and they are nesting. It makes it harder to sell if you can't offer unrelated pairs but not crucial. Maybe come to an arrangement with others who also breed painteds (there are a few of us around) to join forces and make up unrelated pairs and share the "profit" (I use the term loosely! ). There is also the option of keeping gouldians in breeding cages under the patio. As for room, trust me I could find plenty of room in your garden from memory (one nice aviary next the chook pen...)
Pete, I think I need your treasury... I am the treasury and sadly doing a shocking job of sticking to a budget...

[Redwing]

Thanks Finchbreeder and Flap. Will do as you suggest Finchbreeder. Have sold all the other young and kept the 'bright' female and have a young 'bright ' male lined up for her that I'm picking up during the week.
Sorry wasn't very clear about numbers, will have a total of 6 pairs, including 3 painted pairs. Know that doesn't sound a lot for the size of the aviary but it looks very different with a whole lot of young as well. Perhaps I need to relook at my space in backyard and under pergola Flap, should get you over with a tapemeasure!

[flap]

Redwing. You haven't seen our back yard have you? Sounds great re your painteds.

[Redwing]

Saw it when I picked up the winnower. There wasn't much grass to mow then. Have you got more aviaries since then?

[flap]

Maybe we haven't added any since you were here then, though have considered the option several times . Having a child who wants a garden to play in gets in the way of more aviaries . Not to mention not having the time...