The Weather Beat Me Today.

[E Orix]

It was 46c in my bird room,I left the birds alone and they were fine.
In the aviaries I simply floaded them literally. I am fortunate to have our own water bore and from 8am until 6pm the thing ran flat out.
Estimate over 40,000 lt. same tomorrow I guess,I was trying to keep the humidity up but while all the adults were fine I presume nests
of chicks and eggs will suffer.It was interesting that the only birds to go to ground in my big aviary were the 5 pair of BH Gouldians I released
the other day. The rest went about things normally but possibly a little slower.
In heat like that provided they have access to water they are all best left alone.
The big danger is having unlined metal clad aviaries,they end up like ovens and the birds are forced to the ground just to survive,even an
old piece of shade cloth thrown over part will help.

[AMCA26]

Misso, i will have to think on what on want to do as the BHs/Blue cocks were to go with Blue hens so not sure if i go Splits or just go for normals and move back a year on the BH Blues.
My next one was my Zebs which have young but all was good with them, have lost alot of these in the past with the Zebs having young.
Thanks All.

[Canary]

AMCA

Sorry to hear about the losses. I have experienced it first hand a few years ago when it got to 45C here.

[Mortisha]

I have a couple of tiny misting sprinklers that I leave on for the hottest part of the day on one side of the aviary.
So the birds can choose to hop in or near when they feel like it. Yesterday they had a lot of fun sitting on close by perches and feeling the mist

Misting sprinklers can be adjusted to use only a couple of litres an hour but still be effective. So they won't run up your water costs.
Scroll down http://www.irrigationwarehouse.com.au/category66_1.htm

Sorry for your losses, just awful.

[Diane]

Sorry to hear of your losses.
I was worried about my birds too, but with a combination of watering the floor, blinds and shadecloth draped over the aviaries plus ice I got them through the 44C we had here yesterday, although when I was in the car the climate control gauge registered the temp outside (when moving) as 48C.

Noticed some go into the aviary later in the day. Is it better to ice the water just before it gets really hot and then leave the birds or to go back and refresh/re-ice the water later in the day. Im always worried that by going back in Im stressing the birds into flight and to the top perches even for the short time Im in the aviary.

[finchbreeder]

My avaries are uninsulated tin. They are under a huge old lilac tree. And partially open on the south. The auto retic flushes the water bowls at 11AM and 3PM. We, luckily have not been over 44, though between 34/44 for about 10 days straight. No problems. But I do not go near the avairys when it is hot, so as to leave them in peace.
LML

[mr.fox]

46 here on the 4th. Fierce! I didn't loose a bird though. 1 pair of Emblemas had left their nest the day before. I assumed the chicks had perished in the heat, but 2 little faces greeted me when I checked the nest a few days later. A pair of Turquoisine Parrots decided to nest very late and have 4 chicks in the nest still, but they also survived (lid removed).thumbup: A combination of shade sails and sprinklers helps big time on those disgusting days. I always wet the sand floors down the day before and during any very hot weather. The sprinklers go on every hour or so, also. 40 predicted today was quite tolerable due to SE breeze all day which kept it down to perhaps 36. Temps downgraded for rest of this week, thankfully. Was looking at another run of scorchers!

[E Orix]

Is there any knowledge on what temp an egg needs to reach to kill the embryo.
I only have a couple of birds still sitting now and I am not sure if I should pull the eggs.
The first time in my memoy that I can say the heat has beaten me with regard my birds.
Not one adult bird lost but my what a list of young and eggs in nests that have perished.
Basically a full round, Weavers ,Waxbills the lot even 2 nests of 2 young Red Crested have perished.
The only bird that seems to not be bothered are a pair of Crimson Chats,their 3 feathering chicks seem to be fine
and they are even located in a shelter which is hotter than outside.
It will cool and away they will go again I guess.

[Canary]

E Orix, gee that would certainly hurt. I wish you all the best for the next round, and hopefully they will hold off nesting for a few weeks until the temperatures settle down.

It is forecast to be 43C here tomorrow and 41C on Saturday. I will be leaving the fan on in my birdroom tomorrow to ciculate the air. It is not directed at the birds at all, just to circulate the air so that the hot air is not trapped towards the top of the room.

At lunch time I will give all my birds a good spray with cool water, and as I have sand on the floor of my cages they will dry out by the evening with those temperatures. I have 7 chiiks still in the nest and one hen on 4 fertiile eggs. I will also be spraying the hen and her eggs well and truly with room temperature water to make sure that they don't dry out completely.

[Mortisha]

Is there any knowledge on what temp an egg needs to reach to kill the embryo

The lethal temperature for chicken eggs is 39.4oC. Only a degree or two above the recommended temperatures can kill chicks within 15-30 minutes, depending on how high the temperature is and the stage of development of the chick embryo.

I don't know how this would translate for finch eggs, but because they are so tiny compared to chook eggs maybe temp changes would be much quicker on exposure.