FINCHforum

I planted a patch of finch mix late spring and after what has felt like forever, I finally have some decent seed heads - yay! I'm not expecting a great crop this season but, theoretically speaking, the grasses should grow back stronger each spring. So here's hoping





It didn't take the birds long before they tucked right into it

How how fun. I'd love to try something like this in the future.

Colt you must, it's easy to get going and the birds go crazy for it!!

Once the leaves and stalks have dried out, I cut them into smaller sections and let the birds use it for nesting. So all round, it's quite useful and great variety for the birds

Rox That is a FABULOUS idea, talk about NO WASTE. That's just brilliant. Do you get season's where you are? (Your post says "...each spring...") If you don't mind, how are your seasons. Like do you get 4 seasons, and what are your winter temps? I would love to try something like this, BUT i don't know how the seed would grow I am in Massachusetts, USA, and our spring starts out cold (first day of spring today & it's 22F) and our summer starts in late june (starting around 70-80F) and ends in Sept. temps can and will get up to 90-100 F, but not for too many day stretches. And our winters are from Dec. -March with temps ranging from -5F to 40F with snow, and strong winds, blizzards, etc.

Rox BTW that Gouldy is BEAUTIFUL!!! Also, love the littel orange cheek waxbill, they are so cute!!! All the birds I can see in your photos are just lovely!

Rox
What a great idea & the birds look like they love eating the fresh seeds.

I couldn't tell from the photos whether you actually grow the grass inside the aviary or just on the outside. If you do grow it inside the aviary, do the birds dig up the seeds from the soil?

I have planted seed in my aviaries and behind them. The seed inside the aviaries gets demolished, especially by the canaries. In my one aviary I have a seedplant that grew taller than 2 meters. I had to bend it sideways. I just pull the seedheads out of the plant, then it makes new ones.

Great idea! Betcha the birds LOVE it

MariusStegmann
Love the photo of the gigantic seed plant. I'm surprised the birds didn't eat it up before it got that high!

I've sown some finch seeds in pots and the plants are about 6" tall now. I'm considering bringing the pots into my aviary, but am afraid the birds, especially my canaries would demolish the plants.

Rox that is fantastic! What lucky birds - an aviary and the freshest of foods!

Where do you live to be so lucky? State? Country?

vienneparis Your canaries would devour it before it's seeds are ready. They are the bird equivalent of locusts. The one part of the giant seed plant was still protected by a leaf, which I removed. I would love to know what kind of a seedplant it is. My wife said jokingly to me that I planted corn in my aviary. Maybe I must save some of the seeds and plant it.

vienneparis the grasses are planted in my backyard, otherwise the birds would probably strip them before they have a chance to grow. I basically just harvest a couple of seed heads at a time and give them to the birds. It's a great way to keep fresh food on offer

Lol Marius, that does look like it could be corn growing!

Rox Interesting that you say that next year it would be better. I thought that it dies off after a year. I noticed that with the white Millet, if I pull the seedhead out of the plant, it just makes an addisional 2 new seedhead on the sides of the plant.

MariusStegmann From what I have read, you cut the grasses back over winter and then next spring they start up again. We shall see