New aviary/flight cage project!

[finchman]

The project is coming along! I have installed the cage back as well as the slide out tray with vinyl tiles which removes from the rear of the flight. I put the cage on wheels so I can move it out easily for cleaning. The door has 1/4 mesh painted black, and I cut a window on one side also painted black. The plexiglass front is installed, I'm thinking of adding a second coat of stain to darken the frame and make it match better. I installed a UV light in the top, and thinking of adding a second one on the other side of the cage. Hoping to have the project complete by this Sunday. The Orlando bird mart will be on then so I'm going to pick out the new occupants. Still waiting on the background from China, hoping it will be here this week.

[debbie276]

Coming along nicely!

[finchman]

All done!!!! I included 2 doors, slide out tray (rear), 2 nest boxes (back outside of cage), and artificial plants from Hobby Lobby. Total cost including the entertainment center was right at about $275. What do you think?

[debbie276]

Gorgeous! !

[lovezebs]

finchman

I think it's absolutely lovely, and it didn't take you all that long either. Wow!

Elana

[Leo519]

It looks really good - and you finished it in no time flat!

[jonvill]

Very nice!

[finchman]

The new occupants are here! Went over to the bird mart in Orlando this morning and arrived right at 9am when they opened. Managed to snatch the last blue hen from West Coast exotics as well as a normal OH male and double factor yellow male. (Sorry for the poor photography)All are supposed to be split to blue (except the blue of course) so hoping to breed and see what comes out. I also picked up 3 society finches and have only confirmed one as a male. I am keeping them as backups for fostering, would a 2 female, 1 male trio work? I was really hoping for 3 males as unlikely as that is.

[lovezebs]

finchman

Very pretty kids, congratulations.
How come no pictures of the Societies?

Might be a good idea, to let the Societies have a clutch of babies, to give them some practice, if you want them to know how to raise chicks.

Would be much better to let your Gouldians raise their own babies. No reason why they shouldn't be able to incubate, hatch and rear their own chicks.

Good luck

Elana

[Leo519]

Beautiful birds, they look great in your new flight with that backdrop!

[finchman]

Does anyone know? Is the blue female a lilac breast or purple breast? just noticed it looks like it is lighter than the other female, or is this just because she is blue?

[Sally]

That aviary is gorgeous! Societies will work as fosters in many combinations, though often people use three males. If you have one or two females in the trio, you will have to watch for Society eggs, as the hens almost always try to add some of their own eggs to a fostered clutch.

[debbie276]

If you are housing the society in with the gouldians watch they don't take over the gouldian nests especially if the goulds are young and not so experienced yet.
good luck

[josh1810]

My best trio of societies is a 1M 2 F trio... They are amazing fosters. When I set them up to breed the hens usually always start laying simutansely. I always take their eggs out and replace them with dummy eggs until they are done. Then add them back in. My male mates with both hens. They raised 17 babies back to back... AWESOME TRIO!!!

I have not had much luck with my societies raising gouldians. I believe mine have the disease that most societies do. I can leave the baby gouldians in for a few days with them to keep them alive, but I always try to make sure I have a gouldian pair to raise the babies. I won't keep gouldians that won't raise their own babies.

I will at least try to get eggs off the reject pair and foster under other gouldians especially if I'm wanting their color genetics.

Good looking aviary... Congrats