Finches 14 Blue Gouldian Talk

[finchbreeder]

I did not attend Finches 14. But have been hearing about a talk given there on Blue Gouldians, and would appreciate more info on this from those that did attend. Is it true that the speaker said that Blue Gouldians live for 18 months then fall of their perches? So to sell them fast? What is other peoples experiances regarding this? What do you think on hearing this?
This is what has come back to this area about what was said over at Finches 14.
LML

[Craig52]

I did not attend Finches 14. But have been hearing about a talk given there on Blue Gouldians, and would appreciate more info on this from those that did attend. Is it true that the speaker said that Blue Gouldians live for 18 months then fall of their perches? So to sell them fast? What is other peoples experiances regarding this? What do you think on hearing this?
This is what has come back to this area about what was said over at Finches 14.
LML

Hi FB,i'll take the bait as i can't remember any speaker saying something like that but i will stand to be corrected.I believe there are some people out there that are either jealous or have had bad experiences with the blue gouldian,probably with there management who knows,so don't believe anyone about hear say as the blue gouldian is here to stay and live as long as a normal imo. Craig

[finchbreeder]

My reaction when this was said to me was, "I would think they may have been a problem early on. Because like most new mutations need outcrossing and building up. But had got the impression that that was all past now." But as it has caused concern with a breeder or two round here I thought. Well why not put it out there and get the feed back from them that know. e.g. those of you who have mature healthy blues.
LML

[Tiaris]

Plenty of very good bird breeders have had bad experiences with blue Gouldians (heavy losses & ongoing illness problems). Fortunately more breeders are apparently developing more robust strains more recently but the original problems largely stemmed from sourcing birds from breeders who used heated birdrooms where most progeny were fostered under Bengos and most pairings were blue to blue for multiple generations. A few of these suppliers produced & sold many birds over quite a few years so the problems become very widespread. I seriously doubt the airing of these very real health issues has anything at all to do with jealousy or poor management as the problems also existed where other non-blue Gouldian stock were healthy & largely unproblematic. I have a couple of finch breeder mates who lost quite a few thousand dollars trying for years to get blue Gouldians going only to give up admitting defeat - they are as competent at finch breeding as anyone on the planet and have had great success at breeding normal and other mutation Gouldians among many other species.

[Mr Tino]

Hi FB I did not hear anything like that,but my friend had visited by two people at his place,one person was that speaker,he look at his bird was surprise how good they were looking in his owe word and also took pics of those birds,he said where he came from blue did not last to long on the perch.Sum it up it how breed the blue and doing a lot of out across to normal then you get strong blue ,like what Craig said,also you should ask guy up your way in western Australia blue I sent them,I keep in touch with them and they tell me they are doing quiet well with them,you should ask them your self to get the truth.
Another problem is they breed blue to blue which is no no.
Foster the egg under the bengo .
And last one medicate on antibiotics 24/7.
Charge people ali above top dollar for there stock.

Cheer from Mr Tino
.

[E Orix]

FB
I attended the convention and what has been reported has been taken out of text.
The speaker was referring to problems breeders had with Blue Gouldians in the past.
His line of reasoning was that there was a gene problem.
Then he discussed current birds and was quite clear that the Blue Gouldian was a far better example today
than in the past.
I was also with the international speaker when he viewed the Blue Gouldians in Melbourne and he was impressed.
It seems to me that the strain of Blue Gouldians around Melbourne seem to be a better quality and this seems to be so as
people interstate have stated so apparently.
By the way I doubt if anyone would be silly enough to tell people to sell birds that they thought would die.
Let me assure you if I was there and hearing that I would be giving them a real rev along with many others.
All that would do is drag our great hobby down.
My advice is buy quality birds even if you pay top dollar,it will work out far better in the long run.

[vettepilot_6]

Blues look like a pretty mutation...but if you cant breed blue to blue wouldn't that still make them a little dubious? just a thought

[elferoz777]

The adults I purchased have all lasted on the perch and look great.

I think the trouble is raising the young.

They require more effort than the stock standard breeder I know is willing to do for them. Seed and water will see many of them pass on.

I have read about a condition some have relating to an inability to absorb/convert some essential vitamins (forgive my vagueness I cannot remember the nitty gritty).

Some breeders I know dose up the parents before the breeding season and keep a high vitamin update right until the young have molted. That apparently sets them up. Given they way my 2 blue young died I would support that claim. they were eating, flying and chirping then all of a sudden appeared drunk and would fall off the perch and break dance on the floor.

The young I have at the moment have been getting vitamins with their seed and dont looked drunk at all. They look at strong as their parent birds.

I will say though, I will never buy a blue from NSW as the quality in Melb is very good. You seem to have breeders that breed good birds not just fast money.

[Craig52]

Blues look like a pretty mutation...but if you cant breed blue to blue wouldn't that still make them a little dubious? just a thought

No i don't believe so,a good mutation needs to be out crossed to good quality normals at all times to keep the stamina up and to stop the weaker genes from going backwards,breeders must remember that a mutation isn't normal and pops up now and again out of normal birds.Most in our aviaries survive but not in the wild as an odd coloured bird is easily predated as the birds are usually weak and stand out from the normal looking ones.
All our mutation gouldians, AD and AYB as well as the blue should be out crossed to quality normals and bred a colour to a split,if we don't we will lose them eventually and they get the name of a weak bird that doesn't survive a few months.
But in saying that,records should be kept so as when you are to sell your excess birds the buyers should be informed that they are splits of a mutation that you breed.
To be honest,looking at some pics on this forum of yellow mutations,dilute,Euro and AY,the cesspool has well and truely begun and a zebra finch like cocktail of different colour is the future.
Sorry for the rant,i'm getting old and they say the older you get the more you can see into the future. Craig

[vettepilot_6]

Blues look like a pretty mutation...but if you cant breed blue to blue wouldn't that still make them a little dubious? just a thought

No i don't believe so,a good mutation needs to be out crossed to good quality normals at all times to keep the stamina up and to stop the weaker genes from going backwards,breeders must remember that a mutation isn't normal and pops up now and again out of normal birds.Most in our aviaries survive but not in the wild as an odd coloured bird is easily predated as the birds are usually weak and stand out from the normal looking ones.
All our mutation gouldians, AD and AYB as well as the blue should be out crossed to quality normals and bred a colour to a split,if we don't we will lose them eventually and they get the name of a weak bird that doesn't survive a few months.
But in saying that,records should be kept so as when you are to sell your excess birds the buyers should be informed that they are splits of a mutation that you breed.
To be honest,looking at some pics on this forum of yellow mutations,dilute,Euro and AY,the cesspool has well and truely begun and a zebra finch like cocktail of different colour is the future.
Sorry for the rant,i'm getting old and they say the older you get the more you can see into the future. Craig

I totally agree Craig...all mutations should be crossed out...but the people in the street dont know any better or cross with the "cocktail"? I suppose thats when they would be labelled weak...and yes thats why only the strong survive in the wild..