Aurora keeping/breeding info

Includes Species Profile
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Painted4
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Joined: 27 May 2014, 20:13
Location: Adelaide Hills, SA

Sorry if this is hijacking the thread, but I was talking to a breeder who has had his Auroras throw/abandon all the young, only livefood fed are maggots (not sure in what quantities) just wondering if this is because they aren't getting enough live food? or something else?
I've been considering a pair for a while, but have had mixed reports on them throwing young/needing termites to breed.
Thanks in advance.
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Craig52
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Joined: 11 Nov 2011, 19:26
Location: victoria

Tiaris wrote:Will still breed ok on maggots, but better on termites.
I tend to disagree Tiaris,most Aurora's,pytillia's Red face and Yellowwing as well as Melba's will only breed down here if they are fed termites,anyone fortunate to feed termites to their birds down here sell their off spring which are absolutely hooked on them.
From experience,all of the above i have keep and tried to breed on maggots have failed though i did breed one Melba chick that survived but for months i would find dead black chicks all over the aviary floors.
They need to be weaned off termites and on to maggots slowly over several months to breed successfully if you buy termite fed adult birds imo but it can be done,i bred bluecaps on maggots and the young from those prs didn't know what a termite looked like. Cheers Craig
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Tiaris
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Joined: 23 Apr 2011, 08:48
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I"ll try again: if buying young birds, maggots are ok but termites are better (far better). If buying adult birds from some one you don't know & cannot reliably seek info on their age, diet etc. (which I would never do under any circumstances with any finch), maggot-reared birds will rear young ok on maggots, but previously termite fed birds will encounter significant juvenile losses whilst trying to convert to maggots if they have ever been used to termites. Exactly the same as with Cordons. Auroras can breed & rear young with reasonable consistency on a maggot based livefood diet if that is all they have ever known (same as Cordons). However, the results achieved using termites will always be far more consistently productive IMO (with Cordons too). Bluecaps & Melbas are another story compared to Auroras. With these, I reckon if you are not feeding consistent quantities of termites, your breeding results will be intermittent at best and regular losses of pre-fledged young will be common. The only cases I have ever experienced & know of where these species have been bred in consistently good numbers are in termite fed collections.
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Craig52
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Thanks Graham, :thumbup: Craig
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vettepilot_6
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Years ago (many) I bred Aurora's on maggots and whatever they sourced out of the compost heap that was in most aviaries at that time.
The Bitterness of Poor Quality Remains Long after the Sweetness of Cut Price is Forgotten
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