The Aviary...
Our aviary affords our Gouldians a great deal of natural sunlight and privacy for breeding. There is plenty of space for flight and you can hear the birds happily chirping all day long.
Our chicks are raised by the gouldians and not fostered out to Society Finches. While some breeders have done this in practice due to challenges in raising chicks we have not found this necessary. Most of our gouldians have proven to be fine parents. The odd exceptions to this are simply not bred further if they have failed after a couple of attempts. The young are removed when independent and kept separate while they mature. Any that we decide to keep once coloured out are simply returned to the aviary. Records are kept of all the birds to ensure we know what breeding is occuring. Each bird is leg banded for identification.
Nests...
Our Gouldians have a variety of nesting sites, from the wicker type baskets to wooden boxes. We have found equal success with both types and leave it up to the birds to choose. I have a personal preference to the nest boxes in terms of space for the chicks. The nest boxes are 6 inches wide, 6 inches high and 8 inches deep.
Diet...
Our Gouldians diet consists of commercial mixed finch seed, spray millet, egg food and a variety of fruits and vegetables (they seem to prefer oranges, spinach and broccoli) as well as oyster shell and charcoal. We feed a diet with a lot of variety for their optimal health.