Breeding

[mabob]

Hi Guys, I have not have luck with finches simply because of the Indian Myna birds in our area. I have had to hand raise a couple of society finches (had 4 two survived) after the parents were killed. Anyway I just now have a couple of zebra finches on a covered veranda and again covered by netting - the society one (the Myna got to the other) doesn't know it is a bird and lives inside as I don't want to go through loosing her as well. My question is when an egg is laid and the next day it is just crushed shell, what may be the reason? By the way I have tried trapping the Mynas but no luck - we have native pigeons in the area too and they kept getting into the trapping cage little piggies.

[Rod_L]

Hi and welcome to the forum

Eggs can be pushed out of nests or picked out by other birds. I wouldn't worry about the eggs on the ground.

What you need to do is make an aviary around your current bird cage so the wild birds can't get to the ones in the cage. Basically you have 2 cages, the inner cage with the birds and an outer cage that is at least 6 inches, preferably a couple of feet away from the inner cage.

Make sure the cage is covered with something solid (sheet metal, fibreglass roofing, etc) and the only section with wire is the front.

Make sure the cage is a reasonable size so your birds can sit at the back and not have to worry about wild birds landing on the wire.

Have lots of plants in your cage to provide some hiding places for your birds and make it harder for the wild ones to see them.

If worse comes to worse, kill the ones that are attacking yours.
And if you mods don't like it, tough. I am sick and tired of wild birds killing my pets and other people's pets.

[noah.till]

Time to get out the sling shot mate, and get rid of some or otherwise the problem will just keep on getting worse and worse
There are no laws against shooting Indian Miners, as they are a recognized pest by the government
They are your birds and your responsibility, please do something about it soon
Thanks
Noah Till

[Brisbane_Finches_333]

Shooting them would be a bit cruel, wouldn’t it? Surely there would be another way to rid them?

[finchbreeder]

One of those big water pistols might work? Rods Idea of an avairy, say something 2mtrs square with a 2nd layer of wire about 15cms in is a good one. And it would be big enough for the Society to spend time with the Zebs if you change your mind. Re broken eggs - are you feeding your birds cuttlefish? and clean grit? How long have you had them? The answers to these questions will make it easier for people to work out what could be the cause of broken eggshells. Enjoy your finches and hope you can shoo the Myna's off.
LML

[Rod_L]

Shooting them would be a bit cruel, wouldn’t it? Surely there would be another way to rid them?

Once wild animals find a food source or something they like, they tend to stay there until it is too dangerous or unpleasant for them to go there. Using a super soker water pistol or garden hose to try and squirt the wild birds might work. Running out there and waving your arms about and yelling can sometimes work. Do this randomly throughout the day so the birds don't work out the times. But birds are pretty smart and once they work out you can't catch them, they will just wait for you to go back inside and then they go straight back to work on yours.

You can try putting the plastic raptors (hawks, owls) above your cage but make sure your birds can't see it otherwise they will freak out. These are available from hardware stores or plant nurseries. Move the owl/ hawk to a different spot each day or even throughout the day.

A slingshot with cape lilac berries can be used to try and drive wild birds away, aim for the chest so you hurt them but don't cause permanent injury (unless it's a high powered slingshot). However, sometimes the berries don't work and you need to resort to something else (slingshot and ball bearings and aim for the head). Make sure no people or pets are near the aviary when using a slingshot and don't shoot your own birds.

[noah.till]

I use a sling shot with lead fishing sinkers

[Craig52]

All the advice above needs to be considered very carefully, it is illegal to use any device that propels a solid projectile even towards a non Native bird.
AFF does not condone any comments above and will not be responsible for others who complain about it.

Please read the rules and regulations.

Thankyou Craig

[noah.till]

Yes, thats true Craig
Its a lot easier for people like myself that are on a larger property, if you are in suburbia thats another story in itself
Fruit netting works like a treat
And also to mention, cap guns scare birds off very easily
Thanks
Noah Till

[matcho]

Mabob,
Are you sure the Indian Mynas are the problem? The brown ones with yellow on their face and white on wings or the grey Noisy Miners who attack in droves? I have had birds for years and the Indians cause me no problems at all but the native Noisy Miners cause me no end of grief every day when the breeding season comes around. They land on the aviary wire and scare the bejesus out of everything. They are very territorial and attack everything. Birds in small cages outside invariably get scared to death or bash themselves to pieces. Larger aviaries also get there attention as many members here will attest. In all reality, give me Indians any day!