Clutch size

[dazzab]

Hi all!
It's been quite a long time since I have been active on this forum. I have however learnt huge amounts of information to help me with my bird keeping/breeding. So thank you to all who helped with advice and information to get me set up for the last season. I will say my last season (i have rested my birds now for the colder months) was the best I have had for many years (wasn't hard as all I had to do was not go backwards!!).
Anyway I did manage to breed a few birds. A few red faced parrot finches and a couple of ruddies. I didnt get anything from my painteds or stars.
My main question is in regards to clutch size. Only the red faced and ruddies actually nested, and when they did they only ever had 2 eggs whether they hatched or not. So they only ever fledged 1 or 2 young.
Is there something I can do to help increase clutch size?
Feeding wise throughout the breeding months and apart from a seed mix and water, I fed soaked/sprouted seed and either some cucumber or seeding grass I had growing at home daily. They always had a finch crumble available as well as grit and cuttlefish bone. I also fed maggots or mealworms when I new they possibly had young in the nest.
So am I missing something that would help improve clutch size?
Any ideas will be appreciated!!
Thanks
Daz

[Tiaris]

I find the best way to get optimum clutch size with most species is to get a diversity of unrelated birds when sourcing stock & mix them as widely as possible when pairing up.

[matcho]

Dazzaab,

Don't know if this will help but I notice that you say you feed the livefood when you think they have young in the nest. I would try and introduce the live food shortly before the breeding starts so that they become accustomed to a regular supply of live food which might stimulate larger clutch sizes. To my way of thinking the abundance of the live food indicates to them that it will be available when chicks are in the nest and larger clutches will be easier to raise rather than if there is little or no live food at the start of the season which is why you are getting small clutches. Just compare it to a mouse plague year, plenty of mice means plenty of food for predators and larger litters/clutches ensue. No mice/drought means minimal if any breeding at all by those species that require them.

Just my thoughts

Ken.

[werty]

Hi all!
It's been quite a long time since I have been active on this forum. I have however learnt huge amounts of information to help me with my bird keeping/breeding. So thank you to all who helped with advice and information to get me set up for the last season. I will say my last season (i have rested my birds now for the colder months) was the best I have had for many years (wasn't hard as all I had to do was not go backwards!!).
Anyway I did manage to breed a few birds. A few red faced parrot finches and a couple of ruddies. I didnt get anything from my painteds or stars.
My main question is in regards to clutch size. Only the red faced and ruddies actually nested, and when they did they only ever had 2 eggs whether they hatched or not. So they only ever fledged 1 or 2 young.
Is there something I can do to help increase clutch size?
Feeding wise throughout the breeding months and apart from a seed mix and water, I fed soaked/sprouted seed and either some cucumber or seeding grass I had growing at home daily. They always had a finch crumble available as well as grit and cuttlefish bone. I also fed maggots or mealworms when I new they possibly had young in the nest.
So am I missing something that would help improve clutch size?
Any ideas will be appreciated!!
Thanks
Daz

do your birds get direct sunlight?

[dazzab]

Thanks guys

Tiaris- when spring comes around I might look at swapping some birds with a local guy to try to get a greater mix.

Matcho- I will give that a go too. Do u think the live food is a must with the birds I have. Well for getting bigger clutch sizes?

Werty- when I built this aviary I decided with the advice of a successful local breeder that I wasn't going to put any sheets of clear or other types to let extra light in through the roof because my aviary isn't very high. Only 2m high. The reasoning for this was because in summer it might trap too much heat in being low so the extra light would mean extra heat trapped in. I do have clear sheets on the sides for the first metre to allow the morning and evening sun to warm the aviary up in the cooler months. My aviary is about 4m deep and 2.5m wide. Not huge but I feel should be OK for a few pairs of birds. If anyone thinks I have got it all wrong with not allowing extra light in the roof please tell me. I have a few months to make some modifications before I start the birds off in spring again.

Thanks again
Daz

[matcho]

Daz,

I will put it this way, used to buy mini mealies, not cheap. Stars and painteds did good. Plenty of chicks, without them maybe one or two but plenty of dead chicks . I have started my own mealworm farm because I want to try Diamonds and maybe Orange Breasts and Saints which require live food. Ruddies are the same.

Ken.

[dazzab]

Daz,

I will put it this way, used to buy mini mealies, not cheap. Stars and painteds did good. Plenty of chicks, without them maybe one or two but plenty of dead chicks . I have started my own mealworm farm because I want to try Diamonds and maybe Orange Breasts and Saints which require live food. Ruddies are the same.

Ken.

Cheers mate. I'll make sure I have plenty for them.

[werty]

Thanks guys

Tiaris- when spring comes around I might look at swapping some birds with a local guy to try to get a greater mix.

Matcho- I will give that a go too. Do u think the live food is a must with the birds I have. Well for getting bigger clutch sizes?

Werty- when I built this aviary I decided with the advice of a successful local breeder that I wasn't going to put any sheets of clear or other types to let extra light in through the roof because my aviary isn't very high. Only 2m high. The reasoning for this was because in summer it might trap too much heat in being low so the extra light would mean extra heat trapped in. I do have clear sheets on the sides for the first metre to allow the morning and evening sun to warm the aviary up in the cooler months. My aviary is about 4m deep and 2.5m wide. Not huge but I feel should be OK for a few pairs of birds. If anyone thinks I have got it all wrong with not allowing extra light in the roof please tell me. I have a few months to make some modifications before I start the birds off in spring again.

Thanks again
Daz

2 years ago I made a huge mistake by covering up my aviary with clear plastic

Small clutches..dead clutches..infertile eggs

Im only covering the avairy at night now

I have gouldians

Birds need direct sunlight...sunlight through plastic is useless

[dazzab]

I've thought of another question so will ask it in this thread.
I'm spelling my birds through the winter. Not separating the birds, just not feeding the extra foods and giving nesting material. I have still left some brush in the aviary and there is some straw on the full concrete floor. I haven't identified where the birds spend the cooler nights. Would it be a major shock to them if I removed all brush and straw? Would they be using this to keep warm at night? Obviously with some brush in the aviary there is still a chance of them trying to nest while its cold and I don't want them too. Possibly using the straw for the nest maybe. Should I just take everything out and leave it out until spring? Will it upset the birds too much?
Daz

[Craig52]

I've thought of another question so will ask it in this thread.
I'm spelling my birds through the winter. Not separating the birds, just not feeding the extra foods and giving nesting material. I have still left some brush in the aviary and there is some straw on the full concrete floor. I haven't identified where the birds spend the cooler nights. Would it be a major shock to them if I removed all brush and straw? Would they be using this to keep warm at night? Obviously with some brush in the aviary there is still a chance of them trying to nest while its cold and I don't want them too. Possibly using the straw for the nest maybe. Should I just take everything out and leave it out until spring? Will it upset the birds too much?
Daz

Daz,it's not a good idea to remove everything now.Your birds will use the brush and old nests to roost in at night. If you want to rest your birds from breeding you will have to separate the sexes but if you leave them there and just feed the basics some will still want to continue to breed. It's a catch 22 and depending on what you keep,some species breed over our Winter including gouldians.

Craig