Atrium Aviary

[AmandaB]

Hi,
I'm just starting out with an atrium aviary with 4 young Gouldians. The atrium is surrounded by our house on all 4 sides. The little finches seem very happy so far, but I would love some input from others with a similar setup on how set up the space as effectively as possible.
The atrium is roughly 2m x 4m, surrounded by glass, frosted glass and rendered brick. Covered on top by 2mm mesh, paved floor.
Contains:
Plants
Bird Bath
Water dishes x 2
Hanging feeder
Feed dish on ground
Long Horizontal branch
Hanging ropes
Mirror
Nesting boxes x 2
Hose

The only issue I have had so far is that the birds aren't using the hanging feeder, they are only using the dish I placed on the ground. Any suggestions?
Thanks!

[finchbreeder]

4 birds of the same type are almost certainly happy to eat together while they are young and not in competitive breeding mode. So you do not have an issue. If your birds are 2 pair the 2 nestboxs will be a problem, every lady must have a choice. So 2 hens = 3 nests. Mirror is of absolutely no interest to finches, so unless it is there to help you better see them or to even the light spread round the area remove it if it is big enough for them to fly into and injure themselves. Watch the glass, birds will sometimes fly into it. You may need to put tape at intervals so they register that it is a solid barrier (like people do with sliding doors for small children). And welcome to the forum from another west aussie lady finch keeper.
LML

[Shane Gowland]

My Gouldians seem to prefer eating from the ground-level feeders rather than the suspended ones. It's probably where they feel safest, given that they have nice green camouflage on their backs and originate from areas with lots of hawks.

Would love to see some photos of this atrium setup

[Rod_L]

All Australian finches, including Gouldians, feed from the ground. Eventually they might take food from hanging feeders but normally they feed on the ground. You can use a ceramic bowl for food and put it on a stand to raise it up a bit.

I assume the aviary has wire around it and is separate to the Atrium?

The birds will need a vitamin supplement. Make sure it contains vitamin D otherwise the birds will suffer from vitamin D deficiency due to lack of direct sunlight. Check your local pet shop, bird shop for powdered vitamin supplements. Avoid the liquid supplements because they break down quickly. Check the expiry date before you buy.

Make sure you have mineral grit, cuttlebone and fresh water at all times. It's a good idea to boil tap water and let it cool before using it for birds. High levels of chlorine (often found in city water supplies) can cause problems to birds. Boiling it and letting it cool can remove the chlorine. Or use bottled water.

Birds need green feed every day. Australian finches are commonly known as grass finches and love green grass seeds. You can collect these during winter and spring but make sure they haven't been sprayed with anything. Alternatively, grow your own in pots and put the pot in the aviary for the birds to eat the green seeds. The following link has information about growing grass seeds for birds.
viewtopic.php?f=84&t=21732&p=188305#p188305

You can make egg mix for the birds. Hard boil an egg for 10 minutes. While the egg is cooking, get 1 cup of cornflakes and put them in a paper or plastic bag. Use a rolling pin to crush the cornflakes. When the egg is boiled, peel the shell off and use a fork to crush the egg up and mix it with the cornflakes. Put the egg/ cornflake mix in a bowl and in the aviary. Remove it at night and throw the uneaten stuff away. Make a new mix each day.

[AmandaB]

Thanks so much for the replies. I appreciate the advice re: ground feeding, mirror and supplements etc. I have moved the feeder much lower now.
Attached are a couple of pics of the atrium (view from my family room), there is no wire at all except for the screens to the house. The birds do get direct sunlight, but only for some of the day. They seem to like hanging out on the ropes in the very top corners.

Screen Shot 2019-07-08 at 3.30.43 pm.png

Screen Shot 2019-07-08 at 3.32.24 pm.png

[finchbreeder]

If the rope is where they get direct sunlight it will be their favorite perch. My finches prefer to sit in the sun particularly first thing in the morning. So if there is no perch in the sun, string a rope accross there. You need to put the nests up further, gouldians generally nest at 1-2mtrs above ground level, and put them about a metre apart if possible. One on top of the other like that will cause arguments, because they will all want to be "top dog" so nests at the same level are the way to go. Like Rod said the birds need grit. A dish of riversand on the ground, and just pulling up weed grasses and putting them in with the soil still on the roots will go down a treat. Another good way to dechlorinate water which many fish people use is fill a bucket, put it in a safe place for 3 or 4 days then use. Enjoy.
LML

[Rod_L]

Sorry I'm a bit confused about the wire on the aviary.
What is the aviary made of?
Is there any glass windows/ panels on the back, front or sides of the aviary?

I ask because birds should not be kept in glass enclosures because they don't realise the glass is there. Lots of birds have been killed by flying head first into clear windows. They crack their skulls and get a big blood clot in their head and die.

I also have concerns about the mirror in the pictures. It is pretty big and almost looks like a hole in the wall leading outside. The birds could mistake this and fly into it. If the mirror is inside the aviary, I would remove it.

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If you plan on breeding these birds, you should get birds from different breeders/ suppliers so they are unrelated. It's also a good idea to buy birds that are showing some adult colouration so you can sex them. If you buy uncoloured birds, you could get 4 males, or 3 males and 1 female, or a couple of prs. If you get 3 males and 1 female, the males could fight over the female.

[AmandaB]

Thanks everyone for the advice and feedback