Mixed Species & Cross-Breeding

[Ragdoll]

Hi everyone,

Up until a month ago I had one Gouldian and two Zebras in a large flight cage. Now I have one Gouldian and FOUR Zebras - which is really exciting!!!

My dilemma is that the cage we have has a fixed nesting box tucked high in the peaked roof and no sooner had the babies fledged, than Junie is sitting on eggs again. I have read that following one lot of babies close on the heels of another lot is very stressful on everyone. Any suggestions or advice, given I cannot remove the nest box from the cage?

In an ideal world I'd buy a new cage, but the one we have was a gift to our kids (along with the Gouldians) from my brother-in-law, and at the moment the budget just wont stretch to a better designed cage. (It really is a poor design on a number of fronts, not just the nest box!)

Also, tonight I went to check on everyone (it's starting to get cold here at night and last winter we lost two juvenile Gouldians, so I'm paranoid about the cold). Anyway, Dad and two fledgling are tucked up on the roof of the nest box and inside the box is Junie (Zebra) sitting on her eggs, with my MALE GOULDIAN snuggled up next to her! Given she's already had babies with the male Zebra, do I have to worry about her cross-breeding with the Gouldian???? The fledglings are obviously Zebras, with the grey colouring (even though Mum is white with black teardrop). Could she be that fickle? LOL

Any advice is much appreciated!!!

[tammieb]

Gouldians aren't known for cuddling, so I would guess yours was feeling a bit chilled rather than amorous. ;)

Is there anyway you can cover the entrance to the nest box?

[Ragdoll]

The 'chilled' bit is a worry, as we think that is what was responsible for losing two Goulds last year! One pet store suggested putting a heat lamp near the cage to help with warmth, but I'm also concerned about leaving a heat lamp on overnight inside the house (the cage is inside). I cover the cage with a woollen blanket at night to try and help a little. Perhaps having a nest to share will help protect him this winter.

Due to poor cage design, I can barely reach the nest box with my finger tips. There is one sliding door down low on the left side of the cage, and the nest box is up near the roof apex. This set-up has worried me from a cleaning point of view too! I can't access the nest to give it a good clean out or disinfect it at all. Are mites likely to cause problems if the nest cannot be cleaned? Perhaps a new cage is my only real option.

Thanks Tammie.

[Sally]

Pam, what I used to keep my birds warm last winter was ceramic heat emitters (usually found in the reptile section of pet stores). They are kind of expensive, but they are supposed to last 5 years and don't put out any light, just warmth. I used them in those round reflector clamp lights that are used in poultry brooders. I clamped them onto the cages with the reflector pointed towards a perch the birds liked to use at night, and they would roost in that warm area all night. The birds really seemed to like them, and it was a lot safer (and cheaper) than using space heaters.