Amadina Goulda: keeping and breeding at home

Among the variety of birds found in the world, representatives with a variegated color and the ability to bewitching singing deserve special attention. The varieties of such birds include the Gould finch, which, in the light of their decorative appeal, are kept at home.

According to recent characteristics that were given to these birds, in addition to wild nature, they were able to exist only in greenhouse or terrarium conditions in captivity, which significantly narrowed the range of their relevance. However, over time, Gould's finches still managed to adapt to an environment that allows them to grow attractive birds in normal home conditions. Today, among poultry farmers there are a number of unofficial names for this breed - guldiki, guldyat, guldy and other derivatives from the official one. Gould's finches owe their universally recognized name to the discoverer of these birds, traveler and explorer John Gould.

In their natural environment, finches inhabit most of the north of Australia. In this part of the continent, flocks of finches with a certain frequency migrate along the coastline, being guided by the weather conditions of the continent, from which the peculiarities of the availability of one or another food, as well as the accepted terms of reproduction, follow.

In its natural environment, the Amadina Gould is a small bird with colorful and bright feathers. However, despite their miniature size, they are able to withstand various extreme conditions related to the specifics of their habitats.

Like other types of finches, they belong to the schooling species that migrate through the territory together, in large numbers. Bird watchers identify 3 main types of Gould finches that can be found in the wild and hot nature:

• blackheads;
• orange-headed;
• red-headed.

In some cases, there are female representatives with an intermediate head color. Differences in the color of representatives of the same species may differ depending on gender. Therefore, like most birds, female finches have a faded feather color, but in the same color scheme, which helps to distinguish one individual from another.

Also, breeders have bred hybrid forms of this breed, which have distinctive characteristics not only in the color of the feathers on the head, but can also be distinguished by differences in the color of the thoracic region. Today, if you wish, it will be possible to purchase pink-breasted birds, individuals with a white or pastel color.

It is worth noting the distinctive characteristics of Gould's finches.

• Birds are notable for strong and well-developed immunity. This allows breeders to have beautiful birds with a long lifespan at home, provided the proper conditions for keeping them.
• Among the features of finches, it is worth noting the unique trills that males are capable of.
• The main advantage of the species is considered to be its colorful color, which remains in birds throughout their lives.
• In general, finches show a positive attitude when kept together, even with birds of other species. Individuals also maintain friendly relations with each other.
• With proper breeding, representatives of the species acquire excellent stress resistance.
• A preliminary study of all the intricacies of bird care will allow you to have colorful singing birds at home, with a minimum of effort to keep them.

However, this species also has other distinctive features that can be attributed to the disadvantages of the breed:

• high price;
• shortage of birds;
• the need to maintain high humidity in the cage;
• reproduction of finches has its own nuances that require direct participation from the breeder;
• birds have a predisposition to certain rare diseases.

Guldova amadina does not differ from her close relatives in her preferences in terms of location, therefore spacious cells will be a suitable option for content.

This is due to the need for activity and communication with other members of the pack.

The optimal size of the cage for two individuals will be design parameters with a length at least 80 centimeters, while the height must be more than 50 centimeters. Such a dwelling will allow the birds to take off, briefly lingering in the air. To keep the gould finch, you will also need to place several crossbars inside at a height, but in such a way that they do not become obstacles in flight. Removing the perches from the walls of the cage should be 2-4 centimeters, and their thickness should not be too large, so as not to provoke curvature of the paws.

As neighbors when keeping birds of different species together, preference should be given Japanese finches, which can contribute to the breeding of goulds.

Amadines are very fond of water, therefore, in addition to perches and feeders in the cage or aviary, swimsuits should be present, which are usually attached to the inside of the wall.

Water should be readily available around the clock for birds to use when needed.

Among the commonly used accessories that can be useful for birds in a cage or aviary, it is worth noting swing, but not all representatives of this species use them, everything will depend on the nature of the feathered individual.

In light of the fact that even in captivity finches live in several pairs in one cage, the breeder will need to constantly monitor their condition and cleanliness of the home. Care involves filling the bathing suit and cleaning it from dirt. Also, clean water should be in the drinking bowls.

The frequency of harvesting cages is a question that is decided individually in each case. Everything will depend on the number of birds and their behavior. However, in order to avoid unpleasant situations, the tray in the cage should be cleaned every day. As for the routine cleaning of the entire enclosure, such work can be carried out once a week. The essence of general cleaning will be reduced to washing the perches, swings, rods of the cage itself. At this time, the birds should be temporarily transplanted. It is not recommended to use any special detergents for washing, It is best to carry out the treatment with soapy water, then pour boiling water over all the elements, wipe dry.

The basis in the diet of birds will be a special grain mixture, consisting mostly of unpeeled millet.

As a rule, the nutrition of finches does not undergo drastic changes throughout their life. In the wild, goulds eat insects, they also feed their growing generation, but at home, not every individual prefers such a variety in the diet, however, it is possible to accustom birds to "live" nutrition. In addition, the presence of such a component in the menu will have a beneficial effect on the health of finches, but there is no urgent need for this.

The owner of these birds should also include in their menu greens. It can be dandelion leaves, wood lice.

Birds will respond positively to treats in the form of fruit. These can be apples and other quite affordable seasonal options.

Also, breeders of gould will need to accustom them to use. sprouted grain which contains almost all the necessary vitamins and minerals.

Before purchasing finches, breeders should know that small birds have an accelerated metabolism, so even short hunger strikes are extremely contraindicated for them. Even a day without food for the bird can be disastrous.

Ready-made grain mixes do not always contain gravel, which is vital for these birds. In the wild, birds get it on their own, swallowing small grains of sand or stones. It is this component that will become important for the complete digestion of food, as well as for the natural emptying of the intestines. Therefore, the owner of the gould will have to purchase it additionally.

There are different ways to give gravel to birds. Some owners of beautiful birds use a separate feeder for feeding, you can also pour a small amount of gravel on the bottom of the cage, add it to the grain. The choice of adding gravel to the diet will depend on the personal preference of the breeder.

Another important point in ensuring a healthy diet will be the presence of a drinking bowl in free access with clean water. Depending on the size of the cage and the number of birds, there may be several of them.

It is believed that Gould's finches are bad parents. However, this is not quite true. The attitude of birds to their chicks is due to the specifics of raising offspring in the wild, where the breeding of goulds occurs during the rainy season, when there is no shortage of food - the plants develop quite quickly, the seeds are pollinated, and insects are also abundant. And when the chicks have already hatched, the air temperature and humidity are at their peak, which allows parents to leave their nests for a long time, without fear that the growing goulds will freeze.

However, in a city, when keeping finches at home, it will be extremely difficult to create similar conditions for them, therefore, breeders will need to make every effort to produce offspring. You can keep the chicks warm with lighting fixtures, or you can allow other birds to raise the offspring of gould, if available.

For finches to start nesting in a cage, they will need to make a nesting house for their masonry with good bedding, which is usually feather and rags. The size of the nest will be small, since the clutch itself and the birds are not distinguished by their large dimensions and weight. The optimal age for mating for a female will be 1 year, it is during this period that birds should be combined to obtain offspring, material should be placed in the cage for building a nest.

You will learn more about finches by watching the following video.