Owl Breeding Colony? Just an idea.

[managermania]

This may be common, uncommon or yet another silly question by yours truly.
What are your thoughts on colony breeding Owl finches? Right now I have them separated in pairs in different flights and cages? If I know the owls are all unrelated, can I put them all in one big flight just for owls and then breed them? I would then remove all fledgings once they are weaned. I am talking about 4 pairs max.

[cindy]

Chase, I have mine set up colony wise and single cage wise. I see advantages with both ways. The colony way is nice because they all tend to sit with the young, more room to free fly and different nest for the young to sleep in.

Now this is very interesting...the young from this last clutch in the single 36 inch high cage is noisey, begging non stop, taking longer to wean out. The babies in the large 5 ft long colony flight are so quiet barely begging and younger and eating on their own.

The babies in the colony floight are not bouncing off the walls of the cage like the ones in the single cage next to the parents (the first clutch that were single cage bred are next to their parents and younger siblings). The siblings that are 5 months old are bouncing off the common wall trying to get to the young and their parents...I may take the common wall out and make one big flight like my colony cage.

Just a word of advice..even after weaning I would not be quick to remove the young from their parents. The ones in the colony are calmer than the single cage breed. They may need their parents for a while, parents don't seem to mind as long as they stay out of the box and sleep in the tube nests provided.

[managermania]

Thanks Cindy! How many do you have in your colony?

[cindy]

the colony is 5 adults and six young at this point. single cage of 4 older young, single cage of a pair with 6 young and about 6 more very fertile eggs.

These little guys love the width flight and use every inch of the colony cage. There is a tiny bit od territory issues with adults which stopped once one pair picked the box. I even found a thrid owl adult sitting with the pair in the box...I have been so busy with other things I have not really watched to see it the unrelated adults are helping with feeding but they don't seem to mind the young which all fledged better than a week ago. It is funny to see them all feeding there are 10 tails in the air!!