Gouldian Young

[Page0044]

Hey Pauline, glad to hear that the others are doing fine, as for the nest some people leave them in through winter so the gouldians have some where to roost and get out of the cold while others remove there nest for winter so maybe need our members to put there ideas forward and keeping in mind the different temptures throughout the States.

[Matt]

Hi Pauline. It can be dissappointing to lose youngsters like that. I have lost plenty of gouldians and parrot finches late autumn and early winter in previous seasons. All of my pairs stop brooding between 7-10 days. There may be the odd bird that sits longer, but none of mine do.

I wouldn't go removing the nests just yet though as this is the perfect time for goulds. Most of my pairs are just finishing up their second clutch and will still have one more round to go before it gets really cold. As it gets colder, I will be shuffling eggs around and removing any infertile ones to ensure each nest will have 5-6 young. Larger clutches don't seem to suffer so bad as there is more body warmth.

[Misso]

Hi Pauline. It can be dissappointing to lose youngsters like that. I have lost plenty of gouldians and parrot finches late autumn and early winter in previous seasons. All of my pairs stop brooding between 7-10 days. There may be the odd bird that sits longer, but none of mine do.

I wouldn't go removing the nests just yet though as this is the perfect time for goulds. Most of my pairs are just finishing up their second clutch and will still have one more round to go before it gets really cold. As it gets colder, I will be shuffling eggs around and removing any infertile ones to ensure each nest will have 5-6 young. Larger clutches don't seem to suffer so bad as there is more body warmth.

Hi Matt, intresting how you move eggs to create balances in clutch size, i assume the eggs have to be of similar age, or do you move hatched goulds?

do parents object? or they don't notice?

so you find this to be successful when it comes to colder times. did you find you were losing babies to cold, then decided to try this and had more success?

sorry for the questions, just curious.

Jarryd

[Matt]

Jarryd,

I got sick of losing young ones so I thought why not. I only move eggs that started being incubated within a day or two of each other. Definately wouldn't move already hatched young. I havn't had any nest desertions yet. I will also make sure to keep track of the parentage by putting yellow headed eggs into red headed nest, or yellow back eggs into normal nests etc.
Hopefully I wont even need to do it this year as most of my pairs are giving me 5's & 6's anyway.

Just one more note. I don't condone fostering out eggs like this purely to create more young/profits throughout the breeding season. I will only do this in their final clutch and any birds that are left with no fertile eggs are given an early rest.

[Misso]

Jarryd,

I got sick of losing young ones so I thought why not. I only move eggs that started being incubated within a day or two of each other. Definately wouldn't move already hatched young. I havn't had any nest desertions yet. I will also make sure to keep track of the parentage by putting yellow headed eggs into red headed nest, or yellow back eggs into normal nests etc.
Hopefully I wont even need to do it this year as most of my pairs are giving me 5's & 6's anyway.

Just one more note. I don't condone fostering out eggs like this purely to create more young/profits throughout the breeding season. I will only do this in their final clutch and any birds that are left with no fertile eggs are given an early rest.

It Makes sense, all the best for the rest of the season.

Happy Birding

Jarryd

[gomer]

Pauline i leave my nestboxes in most of the year and only take them out during there moult.As some will roost in them but most dont.

[regalado95]

According to sites the fostering parents are society finches or zebra finches but to be safer use your society finches hope they can raise them
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