British Birds In Avicuture - an indepth view of breeding British softbill & hardbills

Siberian Goldfinch by Paul Meek

carduelis c.major

Experience level needed in this species in there keeping and breeding:
~~Novice~~ - Intermediate - ~~Experienced~~

Things to take into account if you're just starting out with Siberian Goldfinch

These birds must be kept in a clean environment, they don’t like damp conditions and feed the correct seeds and extras,
they are also prone to going light, and I have found a little extra feeding time in the winter months do these birds well.


Male Goldfinch	Female Goldfinch

Distribution:

Southwest Siberia, USSR region

Size:

Approx 15cm

Feeding:

Winter Feeding diet:
During the winter months feed a good seed mixture (continental style) this will contain a lot of niger, perilla, lettuce, plain canary, wild seeds. I find kings goldfinch/siskin is ideal & needs nothing adding.
Offer your egg food mixture twice a week.
I offer greens chicory, lettuce

Breeding Diet:
To condition, up the eggfood to 3 times a week add frozen pinkies, buffalo worms also add a conditioner like breedmax or opfok (aves)i mix haith kracker tonic and conditioning seed 50/50.
I also offer a dish of weed/wild seeds.
They will also benefit from live buffalo and mini mealworms when they have young.
A friend in Holland uses nothing else other than cede to rear his birds. f the aviary.

Sexing:

Sometimes difficult to sex in these birds, hens tend to have brown in wings and on the back of the head, brown bristles on upper mandible, many people will have other ways to sex these birds these are just some of the characteristics I look for.

Color mutations:
Many mutations exist, brown, agate, pastle, satinette, eumo, isabel, yellow, agatepastle, brownpastle, isabelpastle just to name a few.

General information:

These birds are friendly and can be housed in groups over the winter period, some times difficult to sex but as you gain experience with these birds it will come to you.
They don’t like damp conditions this is what kills them!

How You Introduce Pairs:

Introducing these birds should be easy, make sure you have a pair, I always place them in there breeding aviaries about beginning of March, some times there might be a little bickering but they will soon settle down.

Housing:

These birds do best in flights for breeding.
In September or October, I bring them in doors out of the way of the damp weather; you can house many of these birds together over the winter without many problems.

When To Breed:

I place them into the breeding aviaries in March.
I place no nesting sites in till the beaks are completely white and both birds have settled down and are looking compatible.

Nest Sites:

I offer 2 nest site these are continental type (a wooden house) I place some artificial Christmas tree around them, I offer moss, the heads of reeds (when they go fluffy, April), sisal & jute.
Usually 4-5 eggs are laid and hatch after 13 days.

Potential Ailments:

These birds are prone to going light (coccidiosis), mycoplasma and salmonella.
Most of these ailments have the same symptoms.

Annual medication:
Treat every few month with esb 3; followed by sedochol as a routine I treat them twice a year for salmonella (theraprim).
A good intestinal conditioner will also benefit these birds (cometose)
I feed a little dish of blue maw once or twice a week as this has good affect on the birds.

Any other information you may think useful:

They need to be rung with a size C ring either BBC or IOA.
Extras they are fond of and should some times be offered are chicory, German thistle, teasel, evening primrose & blue maw.