I got a bit side tracked when I decided I would go ahead and touch up (paint) some of the flight cages this week and let them air out before using them in the bird house. As for the questions I don’t know how to answer them without explaining how I got to this point…
The whole plan is still an idea in motion – subject to change at any time.
I’m trying to create an almost perfect environment for them by allowing them free access to flying but then also contain them when breeding and or coming out of breeding.
Since my flock is predominately Gouldians I have to be very careful of what I allow and don’t. For example the first year was a trial process to see how things would come together as a flock and now that it has been a little over a year through the various seasons I can honestly say I detest aviary flock breeding. Sure there were successes but so many failures. I’ve come to the conclusion that our environments are TOO SMALL for our flocks no matter how hard we try to make it work. MY Gouldians are VERY aggressive and for the area I have to work with I would be limited to allowing only two or three pairs of Gouldians the rights to breed – anything more is absolutely maddening! My birds have never looked so beat up! I take great pride in my flock and since this whole thing began it has been one horror/error after another.
Let’s take the flights for example. There were four individual flights to allow for resting, molting and lots of exercise. Because the flights were built with wire the birds could see and hear one another and this is where it went wrong. The males AND females were in constant battle against one another vying for the other sex. So I made it so they couldn’t see one another – well this was a little too late so to speak. Within a few weeks of “hoping” things would settle down, it then went to the Gladiator arena!! They beat the hell out of one another with their frustrations of being denied the rights to breed!
Since I focused on the Grenadiers, Blue Caps, Owls and Violet Ears this past fall and winter in cages it left little room for anything else to be set up in cages. Well that isn’t going to work. My intentions are to allow the “other” species free range to breed where they want and the Gouldians will be caged when breeding or needing to molt. I have so few “other” species that if they will not willingly breed in cages they will be allowed to breed wherever they see fit.
One more thought here regarding the flights… The time spent cleaning the flights was very time consuming and never manageable… the constant bending over and heavy lifting was killing me and I found myself avoiding the chore of it and I don’t do dirty aviaries... Disgusting… In my aviary if poop/dander is visible then it needs to be cleaned up…
As for the outside flight – well this is a test of my own to see if I can get Gouldians to thrive in our humidity. Their temps are ranging between 65 and 85 on any given day right now. They do not have an air conditioner or a dehumidifier and haven’t since last year. I don’t coddle my birds – they either make it or don’t. So the plan is to allow certain Gouldians out to have plenty of exercise and the birds that need to be controlled through their cycles will be in cages. Here is an example – once a pair is done breeding they will be left in separate sexed flight cages until they start their molt, because once they start molting they usually have no desire to breed at that point. They then will be allowed to have open access to outside and inside. None of the Gouldians will be allowed to breed uncontrolled anymore. The juveniles will be kept away from adult Gouldians except their own parents. Once they have molted they then will be allowed to be part of the “flock”.
I don’t know if I answered all the questions but there are no concrete answers yet.
Now the question I have even for myself is the humidity in my bird room while breeding... I have not put this into full consideration yet and it is on my list of either trial and error or it is going to be one way or another kind of thing.
The indoor flights were part of the building but everything was screwed together so that we could take it apart. There were a few areas removing them damaged the walls but FRP is up now.
I should have listened to Neil on several things when we were putting the bare bones together in the beginning and I didn't. One of his suggestions was to use FRP panel everywhere - I didn't want to because I wanted color on the walls, now I could care less, I should have used FRP from floor to ceiling from the start. But then this is all part of "What I would do different".
I'm beat from the heat today
You are going to have some happy birds 
I'm really not sure why I ever got to the point of thinking they couldn't thrive in Georgia outside, well I know how but you get the point.
