Lady Gouldian Finches | Breeding | Choosing a Breeding Pair

Meadowlark Farms

Lady Gouldian Finches - Choosing a Pair

Meadowlark Farms

Lady Gouldian Finches - Choosing a Breeding Pair

As discussed in the Breeding Condition page, maturity is the first thing to consider! Yes, I'm repeating myself,
but...before you get too carried away, you want to make sure you have a very healthy pair of birds in top condition that get
along well with one another.

For the best chance of success, they should be AT LEAST a year old, but preferably two years old.

Breeding issues all seem to revolve around maturity, or lack thereof, in the breeding pair. If the hen is too young, she could
experience egg binding - a potentially deadly problem, or she might toss eggs and/or chicks.

A young cock bird, in his eagerness to impress the hen, may try to continue building the nest right over the top of the eggs!
AND a young pair may feel there is an invader in the nest and toss or peck at chicks. If you wait until they are mature, you
should avoid many of these issues!

SELECTING A PAIR

Choose your birds wisely. First, it is not a good idea to breed siblings. This can lead to smaller, less robust birds and
other health issues in the chicks associated with potentially weak genes. Some chicks may not even hatch and die in the
shell.

Choosing the right pair of birds can make or break the success of your breeding season.
Below are a few more things to consider before breeding your birds...

AS IN PREPARING THEM TO BREED, SELECTING THE RIGHT PAIR IS CRUCIAL

NATURAL SELECTION VS HAND PAIRING

When breeding your birds, you may allow them to choose their own mate, or if you are interested in a particular color result,
hand select the birds you wish to breed. Whichever method you choose, it is important that both hen and cock are
interested in each other and compatible.

PREVIOUS BREEDING RESULTS

Be sure not to pair birds with a "lethal" gene. See the Genetics page for more information on what color combinations can be lethal to the young. I
truly recommend you pair only non-related, similarly aged birds of like coloration and genetics. You want to find a pair of birds who were born in
the same month, and are of similar age. These birds will molt at approximately the same time and, if primed, will come into breeding condition at
approximately the same time. When I say "primed", I am referring to having been fed the proper diet and given the right amount of light.

Unlike some canary cocks, finch cocks help the hen raise the chicks. The cock bird may sit on the nest at night with the hen, or will stay very close
nearby and keep a watchful eye over the nest. He may, like my good boys, sit with the hen during the day. The pair will also take turns sitting on
the eggs, and relieving each other for short breaks.

Once the chicks hatch, the cock will feed the young as often as the hen. They work together as a team to raise their young, thus the importance of
a good match.

If your birds are housed in a "colony" setting, you may find that a hen will find her own mate as the cocks court the ladies. You will begin to notice
the courtship "dance" in which the cock sings to the hen, then begins to jump up and down (while singing). He may lower his head and shake it
quickly from side to side. The hen, if interested, will respond in kind by leaning in close to the cock while he sings. She may flick her tail toward the
cock, and/or lower her head and shake it too. This response indicates that she has accepted the cock and is willing to raise a family with him.

If you choose to pair birds yourself, or if you only have one pair, you will want to pay close attention to the dynamics of their relationship. When
hand pairing, it may take several weeks for the hen to accept the advances of the cock - or they could just hit it off right away! The best way to
ensure they are attracted to each other is to separate them during the off season. When the hen's beak turns a deep glossy black, she is ready to
breed. You can then set up your breeding cage and introduce the pair.

Once you cage them together, be certain to watch them closely for any signs of incompatibility. You do not want one bird attacking the other and
potentially injuring themselves! But remember, all new marriages have their little problems. The birds may fight a bit, but as long as they don't get
too rough, they will be fine. Just watch to make sure there is no "dirty" fighting where one bird is pinned down and the other is attacking it! That is
a bad sign and the birds will need to be separated.

If for some reason the hen will not accept the advances of the cock, place a second cock bird in the breeding cage. Once the hen sees the second
male, she will usually accept the advances of the first bird. As soon as you notice the cock birds fighting, or the hen and cock in the nest together,
remove the second cock bird. You should have no problems from here on out if both birds are ready for the breeding season.

Another item to keep in mind is previous breeding results.

If you know you have a successful pair, chances are good that they are highly compatible and will continue to successfully raise additional clutches.
If a pair does not lay, or lays infertile eggs, do not pair them again until they are older - or pair them with different mates. If you are breeding for
color, you may have to wait a season and try again. It may be that the birds just aren't compatible. It is therefore extremely important that you pay
close attention to them.

If a pair tosses chicks or pecks at the chicks or eggs, do not pair these birds again until they are older or try to pair them with another bird.

If you keep complete records, including information about how the pair get along together, how many eggs they've laid or chicks they've raised,
you'll have a better idea of whom to pair next season. Your records should include information on each adult, each breeding pair, the number of
eggs and when the eggs were laid, when the eggs hatched and the behavior of the parents during this time. Once the chicks hatch, keep track of
the colors or mutations, their progress, and when they fledged. You may also want to keep additional information about items such as when they
began to peck at seed themselves and when you've moved them from the breeding cage to a flight. I also like to track whether a hen is skittish
about my hands in the nest, or if she has any difficulty passing eggs, as well as when the fledglings start their juvenile molt.

Complete, detailed records will allow you to choose pairs for future breeding seasons.

This is the golden question!!!

HENS:

A hen in breeding condition will have a slate grey to very black beak. When in estrus, she will drop her wings and arch her rump. The folks in my
circle of breeders often call this "egg butt" - but it does not necessarily mean she is producing eggs just yet! If she is with a cock bird who is
showing no signs of attempting to court her, she may poke him in the chest with her beak and chirp at him to get his attention if she likes him! It's
her way of scolding
him for not moving fast enough!

While this photo is overexposed and the hen hasn't completed her molt (she is 14 mos. old)
due to some issues in the aviary during her juvenile molt and again during her annual molt,
her beak shows evidence of being in condition. She will not, however, be bred until her molt
is complete.

I will post more photos of "hens in condition" as it occurs (like the "egg butt" type of stance).
Right now most of them are sitting on eggs and I do not want to disturb their efforts so it will
have to wait until another time!

COCKS:

A cock bird in breeding condition may begin to show signs of aggression toward other males in the cage. He may pick a fight, or he may sing, jump
and court the other males. The tip of his beak will become a much darker shade of red, with the red spreading a bit further up the beak than when
he's not in breeding condition.

HOW DO WE KNOW WHEN THEY ARE IN CONDITION?

If a cock bird is ready to breed, you may see him attempting to gain the attention of hens in other cages as he hangs from the cage bars and sings
to them. When he sings, he will arch his neck, raising the feathers on the back of his head and neck. He will sing a short little song, then begin to
jump straight up and down on his perch. If he's caught the attention of a hen, he will drop his head down nearly to perch level and shake it very
quickly back and forth.

If the hen accepts his advances, she may also lower her head and shake it, but will usually tilt her tail toward him as she stands on the perch. This
is a sure sign that the two are compatible. It's time to give them a nest box and see what happens!

Head on over to the "Setting Up a Breeding Cage" and "You Have Eggs" page for more information on what to expect and do next!

COMPATIBILITY

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