The first time I saw the Lady Gouldian Finch it was love at first sight. This beautiful finch took my breath away. However, I was warned not to raise this bird because it was temperamental and weak, requiring controlled temperature and humidity. That warning scared me away from this incredible bird for over six years. Then I saw an ad in the local newspaper by a Gouldian breeder.
I made an appointment to visit his aviary and observed how successfully he had raised his Gouldians outdoors. I purchased three pairs and the rest is history!
Addictive Hobby
My experience in keeping pet birds dates back fifteen years. I started with a pet canary and today have over 56 breeding pairs of Gouldian Finches. This hobby is addictive. I hope through this web site to help others avoid my mistakes and to also provide information which I have gained simply through trial and error. It has been my experience that very little practical information is available throughout the veterinary community to save a sick finch. Therefore, your best bet is to keep your bird as healthy as possible from the beginning.
Breeders Helping Breeders
The veterinarians which I have approached for help (including a major University Veterinary School) have been lacking in information helpful to my birds. I have garnered much of my knowledge from other breeders, which they have gained from still other breeders over the years. It is my belief that only through the exchange of this knowledge can we hope to promote the well being of the Gouldian Finch.
Raised in Outdoor Aviary
I do not raise my birds in a controlled environment. In the past, the temperatures vary from 45 degrees to 105 degrees. The humidity has also varied from 45% to 98%. Only recently have I begun to be concerned about the high, high humidity on my inside cages and flights during our summer months here in Georgia (May thru October) and I am about to experiment with adding air conditioning to the bird room in order to lower the humidity levels down to the 65% range. I feel that the temperatures will stay on or about 80 to 85 degrees. I will report later in this section as to the results of this experiment. My concern with the humidity levels stems from the fact that the Gouldian Finch comes from a rather arid part of Australia, and high humidity results in overall dampness and mold growth, which I'm not sure is good for anything besides tropical plants.
 During the breeding season, which occurs during the winter in Georgia, I maintain my aviary temperature around 60 to 65 degrees by keeping my birds in an insulated, but un-heated building. Only when temperatures outside drop into the low 20's do I have to provide any additional heat inside this building. The only variation in this procedure is with my molting juveniles. They are caged within the unheated aviary in an enclosed cage which has a reptile ceramic heater within it. This affords them a little heat until they complete their molt at which time they are added back to the open aviary either inside or out, depending upon the outside temperatures.
Unquenchable Interest
My bird aviary is housed on 32 acres in Georgia. The Gouldian Finch has been my passion and specialty. However, my unquenchable interest is in the genetics of all Gouldian mutations. As an aviculturist my goal is to develop the largest, hardiest strain of Gouldians, which can live and breed well outside of their native Austraila.
Article © lady gouldian finch.com 2000
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