home wrecker

[SherLar]

Two months ago we bought a pair of fire finch and cordon blues from a breeder. The male cordon blue died the next morning. Since then the female cordon blue broke up the fire finch courtship. The cordon blue male has just been replaced and we caught the female and put them in their own cage. How long should I keep them separated before putting them back into the aviary to ensure they have bonded and the fire finch have bonded with each other?
Sherri

[lovezebs]

SherLar

Hi Sherri,

How big is your aviary?
If it's a large aviary then the two pairs should be ok together once your CB's form a relationship.

I would make sure you have several nests available in different ends of the set up, to make sure they don't get territorial, and have a choice of nesting sites.

I would also add greenery either natural (if outdoors) or artificial to offer hiding spots and private areas for all of them to be able to get away from each other if they wish to do so.

As to your CB pair....
Once you see them snuggling and preening each other, I would say they're good to go.

Get the mealworms ready, lol.

[Sally]

I agree with Elana, it depends on the size of your aviary. Both species are relatively passive, as long as they have enough space to set up their own territory.

Welcome to the forum! There's lots of good reading at www.finchinfo.com, where you will find many articles on finch care and breeding. If you put your general location in your profile, it makes it easier for members to help you.

[SherLar]

Thanks for your replies, Elana and Sally.

Our aviary is about 60" deep, 84" wide, and 84" high. We have several bird-safe live plants, as well as a large plastic tree, perches, multiple water and feeding stations, and 10 nests. Currently, we have 4 Lady Gouldians, 4 Owl finches, 2 Red-billed Fire finches, 2 Star finches, and 4 Button quail in the aviary.

We bought the CB pair a couple months ago. Unfortunately, the male died the next day, and as the breeder was several hours away, we decided to wait to replace him. In the mean time, the female CB paired up with the male Fire finch. We finally replaced the male a few days ago, and have the m and f CBs in their own cage temporarily. They seem to get along well, but we'd like to know how long we need to keep them separated for them to form a pair bond, and also to allow the Fire finches to reaffirm their bond.

Thanks

[lovezebs]

SherLar

I don't think there is any set time really.

It depends on the individual birds , and how quickly they form or reform an attachment.

I would keep the F CB far from the M FF, so that they can't see or even hear each other.

As mentioned above, when you see them sleeping together and preening each other, and/or the male doing his little display and the female being interested, I would say that they are bonding.

[SherLar]

Thanks again, Elana. Hopefully the female CB has a short memory and forgets her love for the red bill. Maybe the male CB is dashing and sweeps her off her feet. It does not matter too much if they have any young, it was more important that everyone has a best buddy/spouse. We enjoy watching the different courtships. Hmmm.. is that voyeurism? Makes us sound like perverts.
sherri and larry

[lovezebs]

SherLar

Hi Sherri and Larry,

You sure gave be a chuckle, lol.

No you are not perverts (or at least I hope not ). I think we all enjoy watching our little friends going about their lives, whether it's doing a courtship dance, building their nest or raising they're babies. That's the joy of sharing our lives with our birds.

Personally, I absolutely love watching the male Gouldians doing their bouncy courtship dance. No matter how many times I've seen it, it always always makes me laugh (especially when they hop really high, miss a step and tip off the perch). I mean the sight of a bird looking all sheepish and embarrassed is enough to crack anyone up.

[wilkifam]

I would quarantine the new bird for 90 days before putting him with any of your existing birds.

[lovezebs]

SherLar

How are things going with your feathered kids?