Aussie Finch Forum

Hi all,

I've always believed gouldians didn't eat mealworms - Until.......

The last few weeks, gouldians I bred last year have been getting in to the mealworms along with the Stars, Jacarinis and Emblemas in the aviary. Is it that they are currently breeding and need the live food or are they just imitating the other birds.

Curious,
Frank

Congratulations - have tried mine with various worms bugs etc no luck, even when in shared aviaries with others that search them out. Im sure your chicks will benefit from the extra protein...

Could be imitation or a need for extra protein , either way its a good thing .

Could be imitation or curiosity, birds can be 'trained'to eat food they are normally not acustomed to. I've recently got young Scarlet Honey eaters to eat Termites, something their parent never do, even though they are in withe Wrens & finches that do. They normally eat flying insects & insects they find amoung the foliage, but never go near the termite dish. This was done by cathcing vinager flies & putting them in a chinese container with a hole in the top, the birds would sit ontop of the container & wait for the flies to emerge. Then one of the started sticking it's head in the container to get them before the others got a chance, & were still sitting on the fruit put in the container to prevent them all comming out at once & only a small portion being eaten. When I noticed this a small dish of termites was placed in the cage were the fly container goes, & one came straight down & started eating them. Now when the termites go in, they fight over who gets first go, even before they drink their nectar mix, wich is what their parents head straight for. Weather this was good luck more than good management, I don't know, but it just goes to show what can be done if you observe, improvise & persist, particularly where diet & nutrition are concerned.

PS Sorry it's so long winded, but hard to abbreviate

Thanks guys,

I'll just watch and see what happens over the next few months & breeding cycles.

Frank