Getting Javas next week - tips?

[cindy]

Domenic, sometimes it is best to wait a bit, read up and be all set to bring them home.

We find that when at shows something unusual catches our eye, my husband will ask what I think of them, do you want to get them. I usually say no, not now. We have passed up certain birds because I wanted to do a little research on them before getting them and I was just not ready for them at that time.

Let us know when you do get them, we would love to see them.

[lonchura_boi]

javas are one of my favourites! in fact at the moment they are the only finches i have. i have one pair, a normal cock and a lightly pied pastel hen. they have their daughter who is almost identical to the mother, and she is about 10 weeks old now, and mum and dad are currently on 7 eggs, due to start hatching very soon.

although they have a rep for being aggressive, ive found that with very few exceptions, they mix well with other species. although they are the dominant ones as a rule, they are seldom outwright aggressive towards other species, of course there are exceptions. i used to have a fawn hen that was downright nasty towards anything other than other javas, even then quarrelsome.

mine are fed a diet of trill complete budgie mix, dont know if you get the same stuff over there, but its in a small green box and i usualy get it at the supermarket, to which i add paddy rice (unproccesed rice), and they get millet spray aswell. cuttlebone is always available, and eggfood when they have young. so far this pair have turned thier beaks up at greens, but thats not to say all javas will, most love greens.
they possatively love to bathe, mine have constant access to a bath and use it several times a day.
males songs will vary but tend to be a jumble of squeeks, chirps and bubbling noises. young males can learn to imitate simple tunes when they first learn to sing, which they incorperate as part of their song, but nothing spectacular.
the courtship display is facinating, the male starts by giveing a series of short sharp bows to the female, usualy iterspersed with rubbing the beak on the perch and the odd little bob up and down. whilst also making a clicking or grinding noise with his beak also. he then will arch his back and start to bob up and down more and begin to sing. he may also present a gift of nesting material at the very start of this display.

in a group they are quite quarrelsome but give fair warning of any attack, they will stick their neck out with the beak open and sway their head from side to side and make a loud chattering/growlish noise.

[Ursula]

Well, I'm a fool. # I was 100% sure I was going to get the birds but after the whole situation with the puppy I have decided that I am simply not ready for any more animals. I dive into things too quickly and end up regretting it later, so for now I am going to hold back on the Javas—at least until I am sure I have the proper housing and environment for them. I will still be getting them though so these great tips will be used some day.

Too many people get animals too quickly and then can't handle the situation. That's why so many end up in shelters.

I'm sure you will be so much happier with them when you have set up an environment for them. You'll be glad you waited, I'm sure! And you are NOT a fool!!

I know I am hijacking a post again, but I just read a story this morning in the paper that fits that category and made me wonder what some people are thinking. They were talking about candidates for the TV show "it's me or the dog". It's a reality tv show about unruly dogs and their owners and some dog trainer who's helping them training the dogs. (Somewhat like the "supernanny for dogs." ) So one of the candidates - a couple actually - has 3 year old twin boys, 2 french bulldogs who are fighting all the time, a rescued lab with anxiety issues, and... now that's the part I found disturbing... a presa canario puppy!! Now, the fighting dogs and anxious dog, I can understand that. BUt if you are already over your head in dogs and kids, why the h... would you get a puppy, and on top of it one that will grow into a huge powerful dog????

For those who don't know how that dog looks like, here it is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perro_de_Presa_Canario
(Btw: I have never seen the show, I don't like reality TV. )

[Domenic]

I don't think you hijacked, that story was totally relevant to this post. It's been a month now or two now and I still haven't purchased the Javas even though they are $40 a pair and a 10 minute drive from me. It just doesn't feel right to me, I can't explain it. The same feeling I had when we got the puppy on Christmas is the feeling I have towards the Javas. It's this huge excitement for new birds and new songs and new colors and I want them so badly—but then there's this nagging little voice in the back of my head saying I'm letting my addiction get the better of me (and yes, getting new finches is absolutely an addiction of mine ). But rather than ignore the little nagging voice, this time I'm giving it full attention. Last time I ignored it ended up being one of the worst experiences of my life (the puppy) and I won't let it happen again. And I'm not saying Javas have the same emotional effects on a person as puppies do, I'm saying that I'm going to follow what I SHOULD do rather than what I WANT to do no matter how small or insignificant it may be—even spending $40 on a couple of finches.

Thanks for bringing this up again Ursula, it was really helpful to look back on this situation and brought some fading thoughts back into perspective.

[cindy]

Domenic,

It is good at your age to listen to that "should do voice" and not the "I want voice". Sometimes getting caught up in getting what we think we need only ends up in frustastion and regrets in the end.

You are very smart, I wish more young people your age would think more like you.

[Sally]

Domenic, you are wise beyond your years. I have bought too many birds on impulse, then I get home and wonder what was I thinking! My whole plan to concentrate on African species went down the toilet--Parrot finches, Owls, and Stars are not Africans!! Don't get me wrong, I love them, but cage space is getting to be a premium around here.

[JohnBoy]

Domenic, you are wise beyond your years. I have bought too many birds on impulse, then I get home and wonder what was I thinking! My whole plan to concentrate on African species went down the toilet--Parrot finches, Owls, and Stars are not Africans!! Don't get me wrong, I love them, but cage space is getting to be a premium around here.

DITTO

[CandoAviary]

Dominic,
Always follow that little voice ... it knows best Years ago when I started keeping finches I had a pair of many species. I found when they bred I had only related birds and many buyers wanted pairs and many times unrelated birds were hard to come by. I didn't want to be at the root of purchasers buying and then inbreeding. Also with so many species it was hard to do them all justice. So I found other breeders of some of the species and sold or gave them mine to further their lines. They were doing better with them than I was anyway. That is when I started breeding only canaries and Zebras. Since then I have branched out to a couple of others, goldbreast, parrot finch(only one species), and gouldians. At the same time I discontinued the canary breeding. I have also gained much more space to house each of these species comfortably. I find it much more rewarding to keep, study , and really gain an understanding of a species as opposed to just having a lot of different birds because they are pretty or because of an addition. I am sure there will come a time when I want to learn about new species and I will phase out of the ones I am currently into. Especially if I find a breeder with the passion for that bred that I could pass my stock onto that I felt great about. I find in doing it this way the finches are best kept and my enjoyment level is high, dissapointments and frustrations are low.
You are wise to think more about the birds in your care than about your own desires. You are a great asset to birdkeeping

[Ursula]

I was deliberately NOT going to the last couple of birdfairs because I know I shouldn't put more birds in the aviary. And I was VERY sad when I threw out 2 budgie eggs just last night because I think 9 budgies is the max I should have, otherwise the finches would suffer... (And I took the hanging planter away too that they used as nesting cave...)

I know what you mean with "addiction" and some weekends when it's Sunday night and I am finally done with cleaning the aviary and 3 big fishtanks and brushing the dogs and cleaning the floors from pawprints, I wonder if I am taking on too much. And when I have these dreams of another aviary outside, and an adopted greyhound, and a terrarium with a snake... then I remind myself that most of my spare time is already spent on pets and I'm not getting any younger either...

And remember, you have so much more time left to get these birds eventually than a lot of others on the forum (for example me) have left...

[cindy]

Ursula...I am the same way. We skipped the last show in Orlando because I have to place young yet. I set a boundry as far as how many cages and where they are placed. I took me over 3 hours to clean everyone today, new substrate and bars and perches cleaned. That was a big cleaning, but it is done.

A hobby should be a labor of love and not to the point of exhausting you and you questioning why are you doing this.

I would love to free up 2 of the cages to get a special pair of birds. I can wait...a little!

Domenic, you are wise to wait until the time is right to add to your birds.