Aussie Finch Forum

I have some black headed nuns that crossed with my white headed nuns before I had the chance to build separate aviaries; now have nice looking look-alike black headed nuns (with dark charcoal heads). I was going to move them to a holding aviary, but am wondering what would happen if I bred the crossed birds with crossed birds? Would I get (on average) 1 pure blackhead, 1 pure white head, and 2 crossed? Or doesn't it work that way?
And if it doesn't work like that, what is the best way to sell my cross-breeds - they are very nice looking birds, I imagine some people would want them, but what do I call them? Thanks for any answers.

I am sorry to say it but ignorance is no excuse. I feel very strongly about what has happened to the Asiatic Munias and you haven't helped.
There is absolutely no place for those cross breeds, that crossing is why we have so few decent Black Headed Munias.
It would take a lot of back breeding to get any where near decent black headed birds in the mean time what happens to
the earlier birds bred, dump them on unsuspecting people.
This cross was done on purpose years ago and the young sold off as Burmese Nuns, those guys were not very popular when their
actions were discovered.
I would love to say knock them on the head but that would be frowned upon. You sell them on they will breed(fertile hybrid) and
continually breed the brown headed mongrels. They are not mutations(no splits etc) they are hybrids

E Orix wrote:I am sorry to say it but ignorance is no excuse. I feel very strongly about what has happened to the Asiatic Munias and you haven't helped.
There is absolutely no place for those cross breeds, that crossing is why we have so few decent Black Headed Munias.
It would take a lot of back breeding to get any where near decent black headed birds in the mean time what happens to
the earlier birds bred, dump them on unsuspecting people.
This cross was done on purpose years ago and the young sold off as Burmese Nuns, those guys were not very popular when their
actions were discovered.
I would love to say knock them on the head but that would be frowned upon. You sell them on they will breed(fertile hybrid) and
continually breed the brown headed mongrels. They are not mutations(no splits etc) they are hybrids

I agree with all E Orix has said and can't add anything other than to say euthanase them. Craig

Unfortunately this is so. These birds are hybrids even though they are so closely related. (human to chimp equivalent) If it was me I would put them in a holding avairy, and let them live out their lives without breeding. I would definately not sell them as these genes are something that should not be perpetuated. Yes I am a softy.
LML

Just to add, if you have a holding area let them live out their days I guess, but don't let them breed,
as it will only expand the problem

Ok, thanks everyone for your replies, I have just about finished another nicely sheltered holding aviary, they can live there, and I will ensure no nesting.

Unfortunately these things happen. I see it mostly when it's newcomers to the hobby and they don't know that these birds will hybridise. I'm also not pro destroying them, so agree that they should live in a holding aviary. They could be housed in cabinets and used at fosters for pure birds, obviously any of their own eggs should be destroyed. We are sitting with that exact problem with the Chestnut-breasted Mannikins over here. You will never get a pure bird out of pairing those together, can improve when put back to pure Black -heads, but only causes further polution. Just make sure none of those ever leave your premises!

Wont stop the problem. .bloke in Rockhampton done same thing but is onselling...reckons they cross in the wild so its natural

Ok,
There are a couple of options here. 1. Euthanase...it was our fault, they do not do the species any favours so knock them on the head. But in all reality does anyone knock the hybrids of the parrot finches.? Personally I couldn't do it.

2. Put them in a holding aviary and let them live their life out... who is going to feed something for up to 5 or 6 years with no return and also wasting space?

3.Maybe you could use them as fosters, as willy said, but in all reality you have to get them into breeding condition to do the foster.

Better you than me.

Ken.

Masterfincher wrote:Ok, thanks everyone for your replies, I have just about finished another nicely sheltered holding aviary, they can live there, and I will ensure no nesting.

Sorry but i am not a softy, nuns live for 7 or more years and i can't see them living in your holding cage for that long without you giving them away or selling them at some stage. If you can't do the deed get someone else to do it, remember that we can't get imports for these birds so what we have in pure birds in this country is final.

Craig