A roomy cage or aviary free from dampness or drafts is essential for the gouldian finch. To keep them fit, make sure you provide them with roomy, hygeinic quarters in which they can fly, as they frequently love to do so. Male gouldians are brightly colored, whereas the females have colors which are less intense. The male will utter a low song and call more frequently, whereas the female will make her less frequent high pitched "Weep Weep!" sound. In the wild, the yellowhead is the rarest head color. They are smaller than javas, total body length can range from 5 to 5.5 inches.
A big misnomer attributed to the Gouldian finch is that they are not good parents in rearing their young. To the contrary, gouldians are wonderful breeders as they get older. The age I would recommended to start breeding them is 1.5 to 2 years old, preferably the latter. In my experience, the most successful parents will be the ones that are a few years old. Societies should be kept on hand for fostering emergencies, especially for inexperienced pairs. If you decide to partake in breeding goulds, keep in mind they are not for the novice breeder, as there is a level of difficulty doing so. Zebras and societies are more suited for beginners. Before acquiring these Australian gems, read and do as much research as you can, and seek the advise of an experienced breeder.
My gouldians are fed a fresh assortment of various vegetables, sprouts, a bugs and berry mix, eggfood, some insects and fruit. I can't stress how important it is to be consistent feeding your goulds a diverse diet early on, for they can get quite picky. I would recommend supplementing with extra proteins and tonics during the breeding season and a feather conditioner for ease throughout molting. Goulds can become very trusting once they get accustomed to you. I find that the pairs I keep now are also socialable as pets.
If you find yourself acquiring a pair that is older and perhaps stubbornly set in their ways, try housing them with a "teacher" bird. This bird can be a society, canary or other finch role model in your flock. Before you know it, this bird will teach yours to eat healthily and enjoy bathing, if they arent already. For some excellent information on gouldian care and genetics, check out my LINKS section. |
