FINCHforum

I have finally finished the aviary extensions for the breeding season. I hope you enjoy the pics.

kenny66 wrote:I have finally finished the aviary extensions for the breeding season. I hope you enjoy the pics.

here are some more

i like it!!! cannot wait until I do mine!

what is that yellow bird, middle photo?

DanteD716 wrote:what is that yellow bird, middle photo?

that is my best variegated canary male, "buster" he is very tame and comes to me as soon as I get in the aviary-great dad and produces lovely chicks. His girlfriend is a clear wing and a great mum-she raised some orphan orange breasted waxbill chicks for me that were tossed or fell out of the nest. Strange for a canary but both eat heaps of live food.

Very nice Kenny, lots of room. What kind of live food do you serve? Do you feed termites?

cindy wrote:Very nice Kenny, lots of room. What kind of live food do you serve? Do you feed termites?

I feed meal worms, mini and 3/4 plus maggots (gentles) it is almost impossible to get termites even though I am in the wet tropics.

That's quite the feeding station. Do the birds wait politely until you're finished laying it all out? I'm guessing not.

Bluebonnet wrote:That's quite the feeding station. Do the birds wait politely until you're finished laying it all out? I'm guessing not.

Nup
I usually get just about knocked over in the rush, especially for the live food. It is right at the beginning of the breeding season so most of the birds are hanging out for their grubs and lettuce/cucumber!!!!

A little patch of birdie heaven you got going there Kenny.

I'm interested in your GOuld breeding set up. Do you use the cages for privacy or initial bonding? I was toying with the idea of doing something like this but did not know if it would work. i.e. pairing up in cages and then once they nest, let them out to still enjoy the aviary, but nest privately in seperate cages?

monotwine wrote:A little patch of birdie heaven you got going there Kenny.

I'm interested in your GOuld breeding set up. Do you use the cages for privacy or initial bonding? I was toying with the idea of doing something like this but did not know if it would work. i.e. pairing up in cages and then once they nest, let them out to still enjoy the aviary, but nest privately in seperate cages?

The wire cages provide shelving and an ability to separate pairs if needed. I have about 20 pair of goulds breeding at the moment with an enclosed breeding area at the front of the aviary and a more open area where the cages are. I have them out free and let them pair up naturally in a colony setting. I find that the goulds invariably breed in the brighter and more open areas. In that area once they have settled into a particular nest box I gradually move it slowly more to the back of the cage. This allows me to close off parents and young for any reason if needed. I particularly like the idea of individual cages when they have chicks because it keeps them in a safe place. Its a bit of juggling around but it works. Of course it can all come undone when some of the other finches nest right next to the goulds which the cordons, OBWB and fires sometimes do. In that case I am afraid that it is every bird for themselves!!!!

It would probably work the way you have suggested a well because once the goulds have settled on a particular box they are very reluctant to abandon it. I never pair up my goulds but rather let them choose-this works for me, and them I hope. I have, however, never got around the problem of goulds favoring particular nest sites for some unknown reason. I have had them squabbling over low set nests as opposed to high set nests and vice versa. I have had them chuck out red faced parrot finches from large cane baskets and successfully raise chicks in them. I have at least twice the number of nest boxes for the number of pairs and have one pair nesting in a half coconut and vigorously defending it against the fires that want it. Bloody goulds!!!

Beautiful aviary, thanks for sharing!

Thanks for the info Kenny. Much appreciated. At the moment I too have a colony set up. I'm running into a glitch though that if I keep some of my best bred hens, in a colony they will soon start favouring their fathers! I don't fancy a breeding setup full of cages as I prefer to let them have full run of an aviary.

I'll prob just have to make sure I keep either unrelated or sell off the parents each year.... but I do get too attached to good breeders.
Nice to see others set-ups though. It can give others ideas.