Aussie Finch Forum

After a long search for a Red Crested hen I finally picked up one up today,from a friend who had a spare hen.
Jack

Do the hens have a crest too? (I've never kept them)

Jack
You don't know how lucky you are.
They are so hard to locate
Tiaris they do have a crest but it is not up right like normal crests but fans out across the head
and is a brilliant red.
These birds are getting so rare with cock birds available but oh so few hens.

Can i ask the question why hens are so few. Is it due to aggression of either sex as i believe they are in the same category as the WA crimson finch. Or is it that far fewer hens are bred than cock birds.Thanks, Craig

In general female chicks tend to be slightly weaker in my opinion.
Maybe this is the reason for more cock birds surviving especially with regard R.Crested.
The chicks fledge very early and clamber around the plant growth, they always look under done
and I presume young hens at times fall away and die.
Also at breeding time cock birds are often aggressive when chasing a mate.
After all that females are affected far more during the breeding process(egg laying etc) and can be lost.
I just hope those who have them give their birds every opportunity to breed if not the
will be lost.

Thanks David.

Pretty little things. Very pleased for you.
LML

I thought that by the price, these birds were becoming more available . . obviously not . . or at least as pairs

They are a challenge, to put it mildly . . and I still feel that they are a 'one pair per aviary' bird



A couple of house keeping matters . .

There are at least 2 threads on this subject . . can they be merged?

Secondly . . There was an article on the RCF in the Jan '13 newsletter . . but I can't seem to access it . . probably an ID TEN T issue/ but are these old newsletters still available?

In my opinion and experience they are definitely a one pair per aviary.
I have had the resident cock bird slaughter another cock bird within hours of it
accidentally entering into its area.
Also I prefer to bond pairs together prior to being released into an aviary.
Cock birds can be quite rough on hens if the cock bird is already established in that aviary.

I meant as sole occupants