Gouldians have hatched.

[cranberry]

Took a sneak peek yesterday while topping up the seed and saw that 3 Gouldians have hatched. My other 2 pairs are also sitting on eggs so I think they have taken to the much bigger aviary and better conditions very quickly. They seem to be a lot healthier in there with the concrete floors and draft protection. I think this is the key to successful finch breeding - dry floors and no drafts. Cheers.

[Diane]

Congratulations.

[karl]

Congratulations cranberry well done

[finchbreeder]

Congratulations. Definately agree that draft free is the go.
LML

[Buzzard-1]

Good on you.Hope the others do well

[FinchFan]

Congratulations to the hatchings -

[Will_36]

Well done cranberry. It's been a bumpy ride.Looks like the new set up done the trick. It's been very cold late good to see they are going alright.

[cranberry]

Thanks all for the words of praise. I feel I'm going down the right track now with what they need to thrive, thanks to this forum and the fine people that give great advice on a regular basis.

One thing I wanted to ask...Do they really need soaked seed to be reared successfully? The reason I ask is because I have cut this out of their diet completely as I feel the last time I offered it to them it was not completely free of bacteria, hence the problems I may have been having a couple of months ago, as well as the wet floors etc. Don't the parents break down the seed with their gastric juices before regurgitating it to the young anyway? So what is soaked seed apart from ungerminated wet seed? What value does it give?

[Diane]

I didnt give my birds soaked seed until well towards the end of their last breeding season.

[gomer]

Good to see you have had some success.I breed gouldians with good success for many years on a dry seed diet.Although chitted seed is best.The nutritional value is said to be 300 times better.