First Time Showing Finches

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FinchGirl
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Posts: 15
Joined: 14 Jan 2018, 22:35
Location: Perth, WA

This year I am finally getting the chance to be more involved with my finch-keeping (the addiction in now chronic), so I thought I might go out of my comfort zone and enter my local finch society bird show. Not so much to win prizes, though that’d be great, more to get some feedback on my birds to guide future breeding goals.

The show is about a month away and I am thinking of entering 2-3 Gouldian cock birds, mostly yellow-backs as all my green-backs are nesting at the moment. I am confident in handling and transporting my birds, but not too sure how to get them ready for the big day. Does anyone have any showing preparation tips for a complete newbie? :geek:
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Rod_L
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Joined: 05 Mar 2018, 15:30
Location: Mandurah WA

Good food, lots of green grass seeds, vitamins, etc, assuming they don't already get this.

If they are in an aviary, put the birds you want to show in a smaller cage and bring them indoors so they are around people. This helps them tame down a bit and they will be less stressed at the show when people are standing in front of them talking and waving their arms about. Have the small cage in your living room or kitchen or somewhere people spend lots of time in.
If you have a cat or dog in the house, put the cat in a separate cage and make sure the dog can't get the birds.

While indoors, keep the birds away from cold drafts (like air conditioners). And don't cook any spicy food near them. Cutting and cooking onions near the birds is also not recommended.

If the bird show is in the evening, encourage your birds to stay up a bit later than normal. Basically have the room lights on until 10pm, then cover the cage with a sheet or something. Wait 30minutes before turning the room light out.
If the show is during the day (which was normal for WA finch society) then leave their sleep pattern normal.

About a week after the show, put the birds back in the aviary. During the week after the show, monitor the birds for any signs of disease, puffed up feathers, watery eyes, nose, wheezing, etc. There is always a chance they might pick something up from the other birds at the show and you do not want to introduce a disease into your collection.
You should also feed and water your main collection of birds first, and then clean the indoor cage for the week after the show.

Good luck and let us know how you did :)
death to all cats & ants
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FinchGirl
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Joined: 14 Jan 2018, 22:35
Location: Perth, WA

Hi Rod_L and thank you for all your helpful suggestions.

Yes, I’ve found over the last few years that good nutrition makes all the difference, I just wish I could get my hands on more green grass heads! I’m thinking of using chatted seed as substitute. Though I understand it’s not at all the same, have you tried it before with any success?

This makes sense, like ‘show training’ I guess. I have about 3 weeks to go, so better get to it now. I have 2-3 birds I’m thinking of showing, should they be alright together in the one holding cage for 2-3 weeks and then transfer them into their own show boxes the night before? As you mentioned, the FSWA show is in the morning.

I usually quarantine new arrivals, it makes sense any returning show birds too. I presume it’s probably better to quarantine the show birds and any new birds separate from each other just in case.

Plenty of great tips on pre and post show care and quarantine, thank you very much, gives me a bit more nerve to go through with it. I will post some pictures from the show :D
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Rod_L
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Location: Mandurah WA

I have not used chatted seed. I just grow my own grass seeds. It's really easy. 30cm plastic pot with some shade cloth in the bottom to stop potting mix draining out the holes. Fill pot to about 1 inch below top with basic potting mix. Sprinkle a handful of finch seed over the potting mix. Cover with a thin layer of potting mix and then water. As soon as the seed sprouts and you see green grass, start fertilising them with Thrive liquid plant fertiliser. Use half strength and water it on them once a week. The rest of the time just use water. Start a couple of new pots each week and you can have green grass seeds all year round. When the grass seeds are lush and there are lots of them, put the pot in the aviary and let the birds go nuts :)

You can feed soaked or sprouted seed too. Soak 1/2 to 1 cup of finch seed in a container of water overnight. Put into a sieve and rinse off under tap water. Then gently shake most of the excess water off and put the seed into a zip lock bag. Inflate the bag and keep in a dark place for 24 hours. Take seed out of bag and rinse well under tap water, then put in a bowl for the birds.
In cooler weather the seed might take longer to germinate so just look for a little tiny root coming out of the seed. Feed it when you see the root.
Soaked seed has no root yet, sprouted seed has the root. You can feed either, however I prefer sprouted.

Replace soaked/ sprouted seed each day. If there is any left over from the previous day, throw it on the floor of the aviary and put a thin layer of sand on it. It will grow and the birds can eat the grass.

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If the birds are currently living in the same aviary and they show no aggression to each other in the aviary, they should be fine together in a smaller holding cage. If you plan on showing 3 males then they should be fine at your house in a smaller cage. If you have 2 males and 1 female then it might be safer to have the males separate from the female so they don't argue over her. The only time you don't do this is if you have a bonded pr, then they stay together in a cage. Or if you have a family, the family stays together. But it sounds like you are just going to show 3 young males and they should be fine together.

Keep the 3 together (assuming they don't fight) until the night before or the morning of the show, then put them in their individual show cages.

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Yes, quarantine your show birds separate from any new birds you get at the show. And try to keep them in different parts of the car travelling home. I know it sounds obsessive but you have to treat every new bird as a potential disease bag and the less contact they have with your birds, generally the better. So keep them on different sides of the car if you can. When you get them home have them in different rooms and when you feed the birds, do your aviary birds first, then your show birds, then the new birds last. And wash up with warm soapy water after feeding/cleaning them.

If your show birds are fine and healthy after a week, and the new birds have shown no signs of disease, then put your show birds back in the aviary and continue quarantining the new birds for a few more weeks. If any of the new birds show signs of disease during the first week, keep your show birds quarantined for longer too. Birds have to show no signs of disease for at least 3 weeks before I add them to an aviary.

While in quarantine you can treat all new birds with Ivermectin or something similar to get rid of any parasites like air sac mites, worms, etc. You can listen to the new birds breathing and if you hear them gasping or making any funny noises while sitting there resting, then they probably have air sac mites and will need treating. If any of the new birds have air sac mites, then treat them and the birds that went to the show.

Be careful about feeding green feed to any new birds. Try to find out if their owner fed them greens on a daily basis. If the birds were not fed greens every day, then only offer a very small amount of green feed to the new birds each day. Too much green food given to birds that don't normally get it can cause an upset intestine and make them sick. Same deal with soaked/ sprouted seed or any new food. If the birds have not eaten them before, then only offer a small amount every couple of days so the birds don't gorge themselves on new food and become unwell from a sudden change in diet. Gradually increase the amount of greens and how often they are fed slowly over a few weeks.
death to all cats & ants
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BrettB
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Joined: 13 Jun 2012, 23:28
Location: Perth

I just wish I could get my hands on more green grass heads!
Should not be a problem this time of year in Perth
The crab grass is in full swing and can be found in just about any garden
Green panic is still seeding and is very prolific in producing seed heads, grow a bush in a pot or the garden (it gets quite big in the garden)
If you don't know anyone that has some them pm me, but most of the Finch Soc members would have some lurking around somewhere ;-)

Brett
"We don't see things as they are, we see things as we are ." Anais Nin
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Rod_L
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Joined: 05 Mar 2018, 15:30
Location: Mandurah WA

no wild grass seeds around Perth at this time of year. In people's back yards, yes, but virtually everything around Perth has finished seeding by November. However, they will be appearing in a couple of months after the rain comes, assuming it does :)
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finchbreeder
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Location: Midwest of West.Aust.Coast

Choose a patch of garden for the finches, plant seeding grass. Reticulate. Explain to hubby why the finch patch keeps getting bigger. No problem. :flower:
LML
LML
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CathyCraftz
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Joined: 14 Apr 2018, 12:21
Location: Sydney, NSW

Show the flashiest cock birds you have! Make sure to buy them each a show cage too.
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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