immature male

[lardles]

Hi, I have a colony of BH normal with one young immature male in amongst them, he has enough purple on the breast to now he's a male, but is a long way off being fully coloured up . He is madly displaying and singing at the moment, it is great to see him stand up straight and get airborne of the perch, chasing other birds!
I was wondering with him not being fully coloured up if the females will take him seriously? Has anyone ever had immature birds breed before, or a semi-coloured mal breed with a fully coloured up female?.

Thanks, lyle

[Craig52]

Hi, I have a colony of BH normal with one young immature male in amongst them, he has enough purple on the breast to now he's a male, but is a long way off being fully coloured up . He is madly displaying and singing at the moment, it is great to see him stand up straight and get airborne of the perch, chasing other birds!
I was wondering with him not being fully coloured up if the females will take him seriously? Has anyone ever had immature birds breed before, or a semi-coloured mal breed with a fully coloured up female?.

Thanks, lyle

Yes lyle he will breed half coloured,i had young uncoloured gouldians that were left in the aviary with their parents breed once and they were only 4 months old. Craig

[matcho]

I am going through the same dilemma. First clutches, starting to get coloured,although partial. They wont fully moult until Oct or Nov. They are picking up nesting materials, and also being very intrusive. They will pull chicks out of the nests and if you have stars or painteds that are nesting they will not survive because they are so strong and a larger bird. In saying that I have just built a "holding Cage" for all of my young goulds, read at least 30 birds at this stage. I dont let them breed until they have their first full moult because in all reality some are only 6 months old. Just my thoughts.

Ken.