nest thievery-help!

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mickenglish
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Joined: 29 Dec 2017, 14:24
Location: Chifley ACT 2606
Location: Chifley ACT

I added some new finches to the aviary, including a pair of cutthroats. Within half an hour the cutthroats had moved into the Firetails nest. I wouldn't mind but the firetails have been sitting on a clutch of eggs for at least a week. I tried to catch the cutthroats with a view to caging them separately for a week or two but I am not very good at it. Any suggestions?
Mick
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vettepilot_6
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Painteds probably wont go back now anyway. ...but two people amd a net would be fastest way to catch them 😉
The Bitterness of Poor Quality Remains Long after the Sweetness of Cut Price is Forgotten
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Rod_L
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are the cut-throats looking after the firetail eggs? if yes, let them :)

if not, be grateful they only took over a nest with eggs. Once the firetails get use to the new birds they should make a new nest and start again.

what else is in the aviary besides the firetails and cut-throats?
death to all cats & ants
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mickenglish
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Location: Chifley ACT 2606
Location: Chifley ACT

Hi folks, I checked in later tonight and it appears that Mrs firetail is back in possession of her nest and eggs. I'll continue to monitor the situation but I don't mind confessing that I was aggrieved when the cutthroats just moved in on the Firetail nest- it offended my sense of order and fairness.


Rod-L, it is a bit of a "stamp collection": I have a pair of red face Gouldians (feeding young) a pair of blackface (nesting and laying), 2 pairs of firetails (1 pair incubating and the other pair appear to be nesting), a pair of charcoal Zebras (who are nesting for the second time - the first clutch was infertile), a pair of red face Star finches who are paired up but don't yet appear to be nesting, a pair of Orange breasted finches (added today), a pair of Ruddys (added today), a pair of Cordon Bleues (added today) and the Cutthroats which I added today.
All up, I have 10 pairs plus 5 squawking young red face Gouldians. I think I will have 5 more blackface Gouldians, maybe a clutch of zebras if they get it right this time, and a clutch of Firtretails if the real estate dispute is resolved amicably. I am a newcomer to this so it is challenging but I have found the forum to be a great source of guidance as I work through the learning process.
Cheers all
Mick
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finchbreeder
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Sounds like your birds are happy if they are settling into nesting. Also sounds like the avairy is filling fast, so do you have a 2nd avairy for the young to move to? Or to just change the mix if it does not work? Try putting in another couple of nests that are similar in location and type to the one that got thieved. Then they can both have similar nests without dispute. Good luck.
LML
LML
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mickenglish
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Location: Chifley ACT 2606
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I'm contemplating a second aviary Finchbreeder. In the meantime, I'll hunt down a few more large woven nests and see if that makes everybody happy.
Mick
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Tiaris
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Cutthroats & to a slightly lesser extent Zebras will pose a high nest interference risk if kept in the mixed collection irrespective of available nesting options. I personally would remove them to achieve better breeding results from the other species. They won't hesitate to evict live hatchlings of other finch species onto the ground without any obvious prior warning signs - they simply cannot be trusted in mixed company IMO.
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CathyCraftz
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If the new finches keep moving into other finches' nests, place them in a separate cage for a while. The original inhabitants must be furious, imagine what you would feel if a stranger moved into your house without permission!
Have a nice day!
Sincerely, Cathy
“It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” – Albus Dumbledore
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