Diet is an important part of breeding any bird, and Gouldians are no exception. Too often, new bird owners do not consider diet until it is too late (e.g., "My birds have laid 5 eggs that should be hatching any day now, are there any special dietary needs I should be aware of??").

The real answer is this: Whether breeding or not, Gouldians (and all birds, actually) require a diverse diet their entire lives. This is especially true if you intend on breeding. Birds are no different from people in that they require sufficient vitamins and mineral intake, as well as a wide variety of food choices in order to remain healthy.

The Book
If you intend on breeding, the best possible thing to do is to go out and purchase the Gouldian Finch book by Stewart Evans and Mike Fidler. There is a wealth of information available in this book; from food, to housing, to breeding, to genetics. They propose a feeding schedule that replicates what birds would encounter in the wild. It is my belief that structuring food like this is what adequately conditions birds for the different seasons: Breeding, Molting and Resting.

Seasonal Feeding
Gouldians require a different diet when they are breeding than when they are resting. A Gouldian fed the same diet year round will likely not be very successful at feeding and may have difficulty molting properly. This could be a factor in why so many suffer from abandoned eggs, tossed babies, and other problems. There are very specific environmental and food triggers in the bird's natural habit which signal its body to begin preparing for breeding, molting, etc.

Breeding signals are usually triggered by such changes in the environment as temperature and seasonal rains coming. Seasonal rains result in new seed heads sprouting, seed producing grasses growing, and an abundance of food in the form of protein rich seed and insects. Unlike some species of finch, Gouldians do not rely entirely on a change in daylight hours to trigger breeding behavior - rather, it is the change in their diet that usually has the largest resultant effect.

The seed blends I use are the three blends formulated specifically for Gouldians with the help of Mike Fidler. The brands are "Birds R Us" and they are offered exclusively from Fabulous Finch, owned by Bill Van Patten. When the birds are breeding or molting, I offer the "Birds R Us" Breeding/Molting formula. I also offer a quality soft food, which alternates between the Mike Fidler Complete Soft Food and the Versele-Laga Orlux Gold or Forti Patee and Morning Bird's Miracle Meal. My birds and juveniles also get California Golden Spray Millet [supplied exclusively by Emily McLain of Gammy's Finches] regularly.

Also offered to my breeding pairs and molting birds daily is freshly sprouted/soaked seeds and fresh vegetables, offered in a "mash" of sorts. Just sprouted seed heads are more nutritious than the dried seed itself. As the seed just beings to sprout, it is packed with protein, and the longer it grows, the more energy is used by the seed to produce the sprout, and the less nutritious it becomes. The images below should give you a good idea as to what your sprouts should look like when they are fed. As with introducing any new food, if your birds have never seen sprouts, they may not immediately recognize it as food. You need to be persistent with offering it, and eventually your birds will get the hint. Try adding a little dry spray millet around the tray of sprouts to get your birds interested. You will find they will wait for these sprouted/soaked seeds and devour them once they become accustomed to them.

Here is a picture of sprouts at the perfect time to offer them - just as the seed is beginning to split, or "chit", is when they should be served. I use the Birds R Us Black and White Sprouting Mixes at a ratio of about 1 cup white mix to 1/4 cup black mix.

For the veggie mash, I simply combine whatever vegetables I plan on using for the day in a small food processor, blend, and serve.

You can either mix them directly with the sprouts, or serve along side them. Trust me - once your birds realize this is food, they will go nuts over it! The following vegetables can be used (all, or a combination of):
Collards
Kale
Mustard Greens
Broccoli
Carrot
Red Pepper
Green Pepper
Zucchini
Celery

There are many other options that are not included here, these are just a few of the options I use most frequently.

All of my birds have powdered kelp, crushed charcoal, and a convenience soluble grit mixture available in separate treat cups daily. Offering these minerals in this way allows the birds free choice - but sometimes liquid supplements are necessary where birds do not take to the free choice supplements available. My birds also enjoy the Twin Beaks Aviary Hatched! organic ground Egg Shell and enjoy picking through their Herb Salad as well. Both of these products are available through this site, and I will happily include free sample sizes of each with any Gouldians Galore order if you are interested in trying them out first. I guarantee your birds will go nuts over the Hatched! Organic Ground Egg shell!

When not breeding - it is important to switch the birds to a maintenance diet, or an austerity diet to help trigger the molting response. Gouldians should go through an annual molt - but sometimes year-round high protein diets prohibit this natural response, which can increase stress and decrease breeding success in the birds. Placing the birds on an austerity diet for 2-4 weeks just after nests are pulled allows their bodies to come out of breeding mode and go into molting mode. An austerity diet, as well as a maintenance diet (for resting periods - between molting and breeding) are also available on the Fabulous Finch website.