Goldfinch sexing

[Jake w 232]

Picked up couple of young birds been told they are both cock birds guy said could tell with feathers in wings just wondered if they can be sexed like that any input be appreciated 

[gnipper 6,466]

Its the feathers around the shoulders that they use, the bit under your thumb on the picture. Personally I prefer going off the blaze and whiskers around the beak.

[Jake w 232]

Oh right at what sort of age do they start to get there colours coming through mate? Cheers 

[gnipper 6,466]

I've never kept note before but I would say 3 to 4 months by the time the head moults out red, its the last thing to moult. Give em plenty of dark greens like dandelion leaves and broccoli etc and they will go red enough. You will need a sulfur drug to stop them going light through the moult,  ive found baycox the best and they need a 2 days a month until they finish moulting. Feed them on a decent quality british finch mix.

[Jake w 232]

Oh right and yeah cheers mate will give them plenty mate and il order some of that baycox mate cheers 

[Jake w 232]

This the stuff matey?

[royboy 5]

An old birdkeeper and dabber i knew years ago told me that he sexed Goldies by the blaze. The red blaze on cock birds almost always extends behind the eye but on hens comes through the eye. Hope that helps.

 

[Jake w 232]

4 minutes ago, royboy said:

An old birdkeeper and dabber i knew years ago told me that he sexed Goldies by the blaze. The red blaze on cock birds almost always extends behind the eye but on hens comes through the eye. Hope that helps.

 

Yeah cheers mate il see what they looking like after the moult mate 

 

[gnipper 6,466]

As they start to moult out young cocks will get a black tash just above the beak before the blaze has come through. The feathers on their shoulders are blacker in cocks too and like a greeny brown in hens.

[lurchers 2,768]

2 hours ago, royboy said:

An old birdkeeper and dabber i knew years ago told me that he sexed Goldies by the blaze. The red blaze on cock birds almost always extends behind the eye but on hens comes through the eye. Hope that helps.

 

Don’t always believe that as you can get shit cock birds and cock marked hens so never just go by the mast.Like said check the wing butts once matured and that will give you a good indication to.

[Jake w 232]

On 04/07/2021 at 16:53, gnipper said:

I've never kept note before but I would say 3 to 4 months by the time the head moults out red, its the last thing to moult. Give em plenty of dark greens like dandelion leaves and broccoli etc and they will go red enough. You will need a sulfur drug to stop them going light through the moult,  ive found baycox the best and they need a 2 days a month until they finish moulting. Feed them on a decent quality british finch mix.

Hi gnipper do you know anywhere I could order some of the baycox you mentioned what’s in the uk and not in the litre bottle or are they all 1litre Iv looked but they are all out of uk? 
 

many thanks Jake W 

Edited July 6, 2021 by Jake w

[gnipper 6,466]

I got mine from mercasystems but the stuff I had before was off the old gamekeeper.  Know any keepers they will have some knocking around.