Breeding longtails

Yellow Billed and Red Billed (Hecks)
Includes Species Profiles
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Jayburd
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Joined: 08 Dec 2009, 12:08
Location: Canberra

Hi all,
My longtails have a nest!
I'm wondering about a few things.
Firstly, the hen appears to be incubating already-three out of three times I've been put today she's been sitting quietly in the nest while the males singing away in the flight. Problem is, the nest doesn't look complete. I can see through gaps in the walls. But she doesn't seem to mind.
It's also quite small compared to my last longtails's nest.
And also, at the moment all they have is seed and water. Pending my parents decision as to whether to let me buy maggots, I've been offering seed and water. I tried greens, a commercial salad mix, Lebanese cucumber, peas, corn and seeding heads but no one is interested!! They just sit there at the seed dish and pay no attention to the fresh stuff. Thus I've stopped feeding it as I was getting full bowls the next morning.
The female is obviously happy enough with herfood to be sitting. Has anyone here actually bred longtails without greens or live food??
On another note my painteds have been singing and my jacarinis jumping so something's in the water.
Julian

Birdwatcher and finch-keeper.

Feel free to check out my photos here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/lewinsrail/
And my birding antics here: http://worthtwointhebushbirding.blogspot.com.au/
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Buzzard-1
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Joined: 27 May 2010, 21:24
Location: Narrabri North West NSW
Location: North West NSW

Re: High protein finch mix. Feedback required
by Buzzard-1 on 12 Jan 2012, 06:06

Well I guess you could say the trial is over, Considering the breeding season I would have to say inconclusive. 1 pair longtails 4 young on perch all healthy with live food and no mix, another pair 1 on perch went to nest again 4 on perch all healthy using this mix and no live food so I guess you could say it does work, but the spares went to nest in holding cage and hatched 3 with only seed and daily spouted seed mix so I guess I have to say inconclusive. If anyone does want to try it themselves I found once they got used to it they liked it better dampened down to a crumbly mix. So I guess the jury is still out on this one.
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Pete Sara
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Location: Byford WA
Location: eastern suburbs of perth w.a

Hey young fella , I have bred a few mainly hecks over the years never fed them on purpose live food , they were in with softbills but never seen them take any live food at all , they did take a liking to the soft food when they had young.
When ever I would put fresh seeding grasses in they would be all over like a rash and always had about 3 to 4 young every clutch, the one thing I did find with mine was they had 2 distinct breeding seasons autum and mid spring , would stop around november and start again in late march. My best results were in late march so also they always used a cane nest basket , but as for the yellow billed form when I get them to make a half decent nest I will tell you. They on the other hand seem to make thier own nest and are pretty crap at it.... But they are young and it all about learning.....pete
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Jayburd
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Location: Canberra

Thanks guys,
Yes I forgot to mention these Ones made their own nest.
What type of soft food were you feeding poitta?
I've been attempting to sprout some seed so I'll see how that goes.
I wonder why hecks and YBs are different in nesting... My last ones were hecks and they built a stunning textbook nest.
This one remind me somewhat of a doves nest :lol:
However. The walls may be crappy but the neat base itself seem seems solid.
Not many good grasses around, and the ones I grow never seem to seed.
Julian

Birdwatcher and finch-keeper.

Feel free to check out my photos here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/lewinsrail/
And my birding antics here: http://worthtwointhebushbirding.blogspot.com.au/
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SamDavis
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Joined: 03 Jan 2011, 14:01
Location: Douglas Park NSW

Hi Jay,

Great news! Hopefully they'll fledge some.

I've certainly bred longtails without livefood, however I'm pretty confident that feeding livefood (mine get both maggots and termites) makes a huge difference to the number of nests and in particular to the number of chicks per nest. When mine have young they eat heaps of livefood. I have two pairs of YB Longtails going at the moment (parents of yours) and they regularly fledge 5 or 6, without livefood I'd say 3 or 4 is more likely.
I'd also continue with the greenfood as they will eat it. I forget how many pairs you've got now, but as a guide I have aviaries with 7 breeding pairs plus assorted young (maybe 30 to 40 odd birds) and they'd eat about a quarter of a cucumber, a small handful of diced salad mix and about 2 tablespoons of mixed veges and sprouts. If there are few young being fed by parents then the consumption goes down. I also chuck in a handful of whatever grass is seeding each afternoon. So if you've only got 6-10 birds that aren't feeding young then they wont eat much, but I reckon they need to know it's available for when they are feeding young.
Hopefully they'll finish off the nest as they sit. Mine build a pretty solid nest, not a mansion like diamonds but solid enough that I can't see through it.

Sam
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Jayburd
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Thanks Sam :D
I'll continue with the greenfood in smaller amounts. I have noticed a few making tiny pecks at the cucumber but not enough to show a visible difference.
I now have a pair each of Painteds, Longtails, Plumheads, Tri-Coloured Nuns, Jacarinis, and a female Saint helena as well as a male little button quail.
Probably getting close to full capacity. Then again they are all fairly peaceful species. How big are your aviaries?
I hope so too. Like I said earlier the base is solid but the walls are pretty thin.
Julian

Birdwatcher and finch-keeper.

Feel free to check out my photos here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/lewinsrail/
And my birding antics here: http://worthtwointhebushbirding.blogspot.com.au/
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E Orix
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Location: Howlong on NSW/Vic Border 30km from Albury
Location: Howlong NSW

With all Finches, "WHEN IN DOUBT FEED SOAKED SEED"
Apart from what grows in the aviary which is shared by many,all my birds get soaked seed daily.
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Jayburd
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Location: Canberra

:lol: :thumbup:
good advice! and I shall take it wholeheartedly.
I should also mention I cannot see any eggs, she just spends a lot of time sitting in there. I'm certainly not going to poke around in their first nest!
Julian

Birdwatcher and finch-keeper.

Feel free to check out my photos here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/lewinsrail/
And my birding antics here: http://worthtwointhebushbirding.blogspot.com.au/
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Pete Sara
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Joined: 09 Nov 2008, 19:44
Location: Byford WA
Location: eastern suburbs of perth w.a

ITs the passwells softfood bud, also the insectavore mix that I would have in with the wrens ,which was the wombarro mix they ate both.

Never had to soak seed as I had a good supply of panic grass at the old place , but now having to soak seed as skippy has found my stash of seeding millet, good luck with them it will be well worth the wait, apart from my hiatus form aviculture when I was with the exwife I always had longtails in some form, would have to be one of my favorites....pete
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Jayburd
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Joined: 08 Dec 2009, 12:08
Location: Canberra

Thanks for that pete. There's a lot of soft food mainly egg and biscuit at work, I'll ask if I can have some.
Longtails were my first real finches, straight after zebra. I love their personality and their head bobbing display! After buying a pair of parsons at the singleton sale as a present for my best friend I made up my mind to try and find some more :D
Can't wait to how Sam Davis his birds progeny hopefully soon!!!
Julian

Birdwatcher and finch-keeper.

Feel free to check out my photos here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/lewinsrail/
And my birding antics here: http://worthtwointhebushbirding.blogspot.com.au/
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