GOLDFINCH GOLDFINCH PART
The beauty of the plumage of the goldfinch combined with the harmony of his hand, gave rise to ancient times till the interest of fans as the profane. For many years he was the subject of indiscriminate arrest to be kept in captivity or as an ornamental bird song. Probably because of objective difficulties that the reproduction of this bird was meant to captive, apart from sporadic attempts of pure breeding, they used to employ only males mating with females of a canary, in order to produce hybrids with excellent quality in canore.Solo More recently, the evolution of animal feed, together with greater specialization of farmers, have allowed the targeted initiative of the Goldfinch, and more generally of all those species of birds from the requirements complesse.In this way could create enough of strains well adapted to life in a cage and we were able to fix the first mutation, especially at work of Belgian livestock that might be considered the pioneers of this delicate process of "domestication." At present, therefore, the maintenance and reproduction of this beautiful finch has become quite manageable, if not agevole.Ovviamente, not having been able to "benefit "like the canary, hundreds of years of life in a cage, this bird still has a poor fit against a poor or inappropriate diet and less resistance to various diseases, so it needs more attention and care by those who decide to try breeding. However, this should not deter the novice, since, as long as you dedicate the right amount of attention, the goldfinch lives and breeds for years providing great satisfaction to those who breed.
GENERAL
One of the most important factors for those who decide to undertake the rearing of the Goldfinch is to assess the environment where players will be accommodated. While not suffering the cold in a particular way, these birds endure the evil rapid changes in temperature as well as a high humidity. In view of this, if it meant bringing in a room, it would be appropriate to assess the environmental parameters of the same, and its exposure. Possibly the use of a dehumidifier unit could very well solve the problem of moisture (which should not exceed 70%), while a small stove connected to a thermostat prevents the occurrence of sudden changes in temperature inside the locale.Ovviamente for those who kept outside only need to have cages or aviaries so that they can benefit from a few hours of sunshine and are well protected from drafts (very helpful the use of sheets of polycarbonate cages to protect from the wind). With regard to the cages, the ideal size is 120 cm in length, but I myself have sufficient space to reproduce without any difficulty in cages of 90 and in some cases even 65 cm.Ovviamente nesting females calm and experienced no problems in small spaces than the less confident or early reproductive experiences .. very important for the welfare of these birds is to exercise a minimum of flight, so it should not reduce crowding cages and perches to a maximum of two, as far as possible from each other and possibly with different diameters in order to keep in good condition the muscles of legs and fingers. Required the use of grids in order to prevent persons may feed on food debris fell to the bottom in contact with the feci.Data quite competitive nature of the goldfinch, it will be a good norm placement of different feeders, so as to avoid the most quarrelsome people systematically depart from the more timid food. In some cases, those animals must be separated to demonstrate excessive aggression, because in the long run would eventually lead to the other occupants in a situation of stress.Negli stressed animals, there is a drop in immune function, for which they might get sick and often In the absence of early intervention, even to die. For this reason should avoid entering new occupants living in a cage where already other goldfinches. Where it can not be avoided, use the foresight to leave a few days the newcomer in a cage adjacent so that others get used to his presence.
POWER
said that food plays an important role in breeding of these birds may seem superfluous, but it has been widely documented that the majority of health problems that plague captive goldfinch originate from their diet errata.In market there are many types of seed mixtures, from the spartan to those considered "technically perfect" the cost-farebbegiusta mind horrify most of the farmers. There are also several "schools of thought" about what goldfinches that absolutely should or should not eat. According to many authoritative authors (forgive the pun), for example, the plaster should be a good part of the mix, and the birds should be forced to eat it willingly or unwillingly, in order to maintain a low proportion of lipids due to dangerous enteritis and dysfunction epatiche.Viceversa other farmers take the opposite view and are the seeds such as hemp and niger, the basic component of their miscela.Personalmente are convinced that animals generally possess a good instinct, that we should try to counter the less possibile.In nature, in fact, goldfinches feed on a wide variety of seeds and make of rotations food "determined by seasonal availability. In this way, depending on time of year they feed mainly on one type of seed. In captivity, things are obviously very different.
For the full year our birds are fed a compound in which the various percentages of seeds remain unchanged. The goldfinches, then, once entirely consumed the seed that best meets your needs at the moment is forced to consume the least appreciated. My food strategy is based precisely on the denial of this principle. Several years ago, when I was searching for an optimal type of power began to implement some sort of experimentation. Thanks to the example of a group breeders of Cassino (FR), I decided to make available to some individuals, in separate containers, the seeds that abound in our countryside and in the finches in the wild usually eat. To do this I bought seeds of lettuce, small sunflower, chicory and perilla more than that, though absent in our country, was very hungry. After I ensured that all seeds germinate properly started to let them freely available to the test group was fed parameterised so the rest of the finches, which continued to feed with the best mixture of seeds of commerce. Not without surprise I found that the subjects of the group selected for testing free of both the blank faced as the harsh winter, performing the beautiful and wetsuits are in great shape for the breeding season. The mortality rate, although not given any medication, it was steady at almost insignificant. Even during the breeding pairs supplied with the system of "free choice food", proved up to their compito.Le my observations have enabled me to see that they tend, based on temperature and time of year to eat certain foods but mostly other, making a sort of rotation similar to that normally implement in nature. In addition, the wide availability of food results in a large reduction in competition for food among those living in the same cage. In this way, the goldfinches tend to stress a lot less, to the benefit of their health. This system, implemented and refined over the years, I was able to minimize the use of medication and to keep the birds in beautiful forma.Ovviamente what I write does not want to be absolutely absolute value, as each farmer has to deal with the type of environment in which to breed is in order to identify those strategies that can be successful. The rest is just a little common sense to understand that the problems and the situation of a farmer in Palermo, are quite different from those with which confront a breeder in the Piedmont ... Either way, however, I suggest a great deal of attention paid to the quality of seeds, grit and cuttlefish bone always available, a beautiful leaf chicory when possible and a few drops of a good complex vitamins in the drinking water.
PART
Play the goldfinch until a few years ago was a difficult undertaking to say the least. Today, thanks to the market availability of a wide range of products (mash for indigenous insects, boiled and frozen etc..), but also the opportunity to work with individuals born in captivity, making it much easier.
Although it is preferable to have at least a modicum of experience in field ornithology, if you follow a few simple rules coupled with a minimum of sensitivity and common sense of satisfaction will not be long in coming.
Here are some tips for people wishing to start breeding this beautiful carduelide:
The preparation of the players has a fundamental importance. The subjects are gradually accustomed to eat foods that we propose to use during the breeding. As the photoperiod, the effect of light artificial, or the approach of spring, you will begin to increase given the seeds germinated on a weekly basis, which will be increased gradually until it became the day. Similarly, the share will be increased protein by the administration of foods such as animal food, the larvae of insects, or the egg. The increased availability of food (together with the increase of hours of light and temperature) will cause birds to achieve the form of love. This process is of vital importance for both sexes. Even the males, in fact, require a careful preparation for the breeding season, without which the risk of not achieving a perfect form of love.
hatching cages should not be measuring less than 90 cm in order not to force the players in too small a space that would lend itself to a little bickering all'involo of courtship and of weds. It would be a good idea to place them as high as possible, in order to make the girls feel more secure in the interest of nesting. A good trick is to nell'infrascare nests in order to ensure greater peace of mind to Cardellina during the hatching and breeding of chicks. Particularly suitable are the branches of artificial Christmas trees, ornamental plants, plastic or simple green network Always type of plastic used to protect citrus trees. Will be sufficient to damage the material to the bars so as to cover all the area where we want to put the portanido, taking care to shield the upper part also. These materials are virtually indestructible, and are suitable to be reused after thorough washing, for several years. As material we use jute, vegetable and wadding. The lucky ones who live in the country may collect fluff from poplar, which generally leads in females a real frenzy ... nidificatoria
The formation of pairs is a particularly sensitive time. The strategies are fundamentally two. The first is to let the couple with paint remover. This system allows between the two creates a good harmony. The downside is that often the female will not accept other males in particular, that what has come to know, so if the male dies or we decide to replace it with another would run the risk of irreparably scondizionare mate. The alternative is to keep the sexes separated until they begin to give clear signs of being ready to mate, the males with the loud singing and repeated, females carrying the so-called wheel and fly around the cage. At this point we groped to form pairs for a few days of using a partition, in such a way that the two quarrel too much. Established mutual satisfaction, they can be united. With this system we will have the advantage of being able to choose the pair with more peace of mind and make any (the inevitable) changes in the last minute without great difficulty.
The deposition and hatching of eggs generally do not present great difficulties even though sometimes, especially young females may give some problems, such as laying out of the nest or refusal to hatch. In the first case should lower the perches as possible to retrieve the eggs and groped through a layer of foam or cloth is placed on the bottom from which we removed grids. In this way the damage that the eggs laid by perches will suffer will be minimized and they can be entrusted to a nurse. If the goldfinch, which normally starts from the third egg to hatch on, does not show any intention to do so, however, you should leave the plastic eggs in the nest for a few days and give mercy to the real ones. Not infrequently some female begins to hatch a few days after the end of the deposition because of a delay in the formation of plaques incubazione.Se instead everything goes well, the Cardellina will assiduously to hatch out of the nest only to feed. For the duration of the brooding power should be light and fairly spartan. In practice made only by seeds, so as not to overload the digestive system. The vegetables should be abolished as well as food proteici.Il male, once made the replacement of the eggs should be separated and placed in an adjoining cage where the partner can see it, so it decides to abandon the nest. After 5 or 6 days away we will be able to use it with other females or leave it where it is to assess when to rejoin the Pullus 7-8 giorni.Alcuni males will behave in an irreproachable manner, the primed female hatching and chicks until weaning. However, the confined environment of the cage often induces abnormal behavior in the male, ranging from the continuous harassment to the female until the breaking of the eggs and even the killing of newborn children. For this reason, typically use separate them as soon as the deposition, to put them back when the children have about a week. If after careful observation aggression I rate feedback to let them into the cage from riproduzione.La presence of the male, when he decides to cooperate, allows a second nest in a considerably shorter period of time. In fact, with the male that provides the weaning of the novel, the female can certainly devote a second brood. But be careful to separate the father with the young people who might otherwise smear of feces and the new nest uova.Nel case in which the care of young people must be entrusted to the sole female remove the old nest and do not provide material for the new so as not to stimulate a second brood. After about 25-30 days after birth the young begin to eat alone and we allow it to trigger a second brood.
The nestlings of the Goldfinch born after thirteen days of incubation. During the first few days of life is good to disturb the mother as little as possible, except for a day visit to assess the health status of children. If the inspection on the day following the birth will occur and prosperous life will mean that everything is going well. If, however, appear weak, dehydrated and need to be evaluated under a moving balia.In coincide with the hatches give the mother all those foods with high nutritional value that we had stopped feeding during the breeding, feeding and cues in order to stimulate their children. Normally, after days of "hardship" the female is hungry and will not delay to feed their young. Personally, since second-third day of life are usually provide small amounts of chicory leaves (leaf no more than half), which will be increased in the days following a leaf in the goldfinch giorno.In generally, if in perfect health, are revealed of good mothers raising children without problems up to five per brood.
THIRD PARTY
The ringing of nestlings is a practice that requires a minimum of attention from the ' breeder. Some females, in fact, can not bear the presence of any foreign object in the nest and do anything to get rid of. Paradoxically it is precisely those that give nurses the best of these problems, coming to hurl out of the nest to get rid of the odious small metal circle which is so important for us instead. It is often sufficient to apply a small strip of tape to prevent this reaction.
This year, moreover, there is also the ring-type "Y" on the Belgian model. This type of ring used for subspecies Mayor, allows you to delay a few days of placing the rings which would make it harder (hopefully) to throw the little mother out of the nest.
Weaning usually takes place around the twenty-fifth day of age. About at this age young people begin to feed on germinating seeds that you will be gradually reduced so as to accustom them to dry seeds. Most helpful are the ears of panic, which in addition to speed of weaning, they provide a useful diversion for young people, helping to reduce the phenomenon of pica, which often occurs between the novelli.Per security is good to leave the novel in the same cage parents until they give clear signs of having become independent. If the female was intent on a second nesting will be appropriate to use partition or placing young people in a cage attached to the cage for hatching, so they can enjoy some cue supplementare.Nel case of small particularly reluctant to wean the device can be useful to place them in a small cage and put them at the disposal of previously crushed seeds with a glass bottle. Weaning is a particularly sensitive time. Young people often struggle to feed themselves properly, parents begin to show clear signs of impatience, they start the fights and competitions with his brothers. All this can induce a state of stress, which in the goldfinch almost always involves an increase in coccidia. Bearing in mind that coccidiosis is the number one enemy of finches in general, but especially young people, this time it should be a mild treatment with coccidiostats (ESB3, Baycox, Disulfa AS). Once this phase young people would be accommodated in the gabions, where they can exercise and prepare for the flight suit of feathers. It 'best to avoid the overcrowding (max 5 people in a cage 90 cm) and always leave with the same subjects, taking care to isolate those individuals who prove to be overly aggressive. CONCLUSIONS
The goldfinch is a very special bird. His colors are beautiful and her singing some of the features that make it so intriguing. It has in fact what we might call a true "individual personality" that makes every subject that is absolutely different from others. Its beautiful design is a real challenge for those who wish to get involved in the selection aimed at obtaining more typical subjects and well-colored. Its mutations are absolutely spectacular. All this makes an animal that anyone with a passion for ornithology should try to allevare.Solo twenty years ago when I was a kid, just make a few kilometers out of town to run into these birds. Even during periods of migration, it was not difficult to see them pass even in gardens and parks. Today, sightings of finches in the wild is increasingly rare. Persecuted by poachers, victims of pesticides and herbicides, their number is decreasing considerably. In this respect, the widespread farming of this species in captivity may eventually turn out to be useful by reducing the levy in kind. Indeed, as was done for the Cardinalino of Venezuela, could lead to tomorrow repopulation of this species in those areas from which it disappeared. Even for these beautiful birds, hence the motto "to protect breeding" proves to be more appropriate than ever ..
