Page 1 of 1

Better Food Mix=Bigger Clutches

Posted: 10 Oct 2012, 14:39
by Greg41
Our Finches have only ever hatched a Max of 2 each clutch.This season I have put a lot more effort to supplying them
with a greater range of food, mealworms, magotts, lots of greens and wild seed heads, normal finch mix plus my own
seed mix with a few extras added.Our Cordons have just fledged 5, with another nest full of painteds, also Double Bars
and Gouldins.Each morning they are lined up waiting for their feed.All good compared to my earlier attempts.

Cheers Greg.

Re: Better Food Mix=Bigger Clutches

Posted: 10 Oct 2012, 15:05
by Birdman1
that is fantastic, congratulations on your birds productivity increase :) . I am a firm believer in providing as wide a selection of foods as possible to our feathered charges and as your evidence shows thsi clearly works.

Re: Better Food Mix=Bigger Clutches

Posted: 10 Oct 2012, 15:18
by finches247
Congratulations with breeding. :thumbup: :clap:

Re: Better Food Mix=Bigger Clutches

Posted: 10 Oct 2012, 17:18
by Canary
Great story.

I also believe that the better the diet, the more eggs laid and chicks reared.

The only thing is to watch is that the birds don't get fat which can lead to problems.

Re: Better Food Mix=Bigger Clutches

Posted: 11 Oct 2012, 07:46
by Tiaris
Way to go. Variety inc. grass seed heads + insects = more young finches.

Re: Better Food Mix=Bigger Clutches

Posted: 11 Oct 2012, 08:35
by Loz_82
Congrats BushRanger on your breeding success.

Your right a varied diet with all those bits and peices such aS maggots, mealworms, seeding grasses and smaller dry seeds will increase your productivity. The hard part is keeping it up all year round through your breeding season.

Well done.

PS how have those Red Brows gone since the auction??

Re: Better Food Mix=Bigger Clutches

Posted: 11 Oct 2012, 22:58
by Redwing
Well done Bushranger it certainly seems to be paying off. Did you eventually manage to find a female gouldian for your lonely male? I haven't yet.

Re: Better Food Mix=Bigger Clutches

Posted: 12 Oct 2012, 00:06
by mackstaa
Could be onto something there ole mate.
What else has changed in the mean time?
More or less pairs of each in one aviary?

My clutch sizes are quite small compared to others I hear of.. I dont put it down to food though, in my case it may be a bit of overcrowding if anything

Re: Better Food Mix=Bigger Clutches

Posted: 12 Oct 2012, 10:18
by Greg41
Hi,I think my success is only good measured against my previous results. We did cut back on the number of birds of each species kept,
lots more brush for them to nest in and a more varied diet.I also rearranged the aviary,now the food is at one end and the nesting sites at the
other so they are a disturbed a lot less.
Hi L-82 the Red Browed have settled in well but no action yet,I managed to get a hen gouldian from a gouldian breeder at The Finch Soc,
the other pair have got 6 chicks in the nest and this morning the painteds fledged.
Happy little campers here.

Cheers Greg.

Re: Better Food Mix=Bigger Clutches

Posted: 12 Oct 2012, 10:28
by finchbreeder
Congratulations. Need to de-stock a little here. And keep up the greens.
LML