Aussie Finch Forum

I am helping a mate put an aviary together and i am after a list of finches that require little or no live food to breed.

Others will give you more but here is some "I have bred" without livefood (although a couple will do better if given the option)and not all of these are a good mix either.....

Ruddies, Stars, Parrot Finches, Goulds, Zebs (of course) Bengalese, Javas, Longtails, Chestnuts.. (basically any Lonchura)

And Gouldians of course




Most birds will do better with livefood . .

But many that are regarded as livefood dependant will produce if provided with abundant extras such as softfoods and greens

Pictorellas, which many will say are white-ant dependant will produce large clutches if given green seed and green 'stuff' such as celery provided fresh several times a day

These days with all the techniques for storing livefood (well explained on this forum) there are few excuses for not providing these extras

And few birds will breed well on a diet of dry seed and water

With lots of greens and minimal live food you can add Cubans and Painteds to that list.
LML

they will get greens every second day and occasionally seeding grasses but as he is not there for most of the day and occasionally over night they would most likely only be fed mealworms about 2 or 3 times a week, so I thought that if we set it up with species requiring little or no live food he might have a good chance breeding them.

I seem to breed a good amount of Gouldians and zebies fine with no live food, just lots of seeding grasses, my Stars have bred on same diet also but i wouldnt say they bred vast numbers.

Most Aussie species can be bred without live food in vast quantities. Yeah they like it and will eat it if its offered but its not totally necessary. Seeding grasses seem to be the key. Its mostly your African species that need it, like weavers, cordons, pytilias etc, although fires, orange breasts, cutthroats and silverbills don't necessarily need it.