Amazing what a difference a new aviary makes

12 Apr 2013, 20:39

Finished a new aviary a month ago. About 13 metres long and five feet deep. Have got ten pairs of gouldians, Aus yellows, splits, and a couple of split blues plus a couple of normals. They went nuts straight away. I now have six nests of chicks screeching away. Praying that the weather doesn't get too cold over the next few weeks. Hoping that I get a couple of surprises colour wise.

12 Apr 2013, 21:11

Thats Great news Hope they all make it to fledging Well Done

13 Apr 2013, 11:41

tims wrote:About 13 metres long and five feet deep.

Need some pics to visualize that!

13 Apr 2013, 13:19

bluebutterfly213 wrote:
tims wrote:About 13 metres long and five feet deep.
Need some pics to visualize that!

Ditto. Good size but unusual dimensions. And well done with all the chicks screeching - it's the best sound!

13 Apr 2013, 13:54

I agree with the photo....now I am curious.

Top stuff

13 Apr 2013, 19:14

First three chicks fledged today...will try and upload a pic tomorrow...the gouldians love the long narrow flight...as a colony they segregate into groups...interestingly all the yellows have congregated at one end and the greens at the other...bar the odd intermarriage. Have a pair of canaries and a pair of Princess parrots with them.

Alistair · 17 Apr 2013, 04:18

Hi, praying/ hopeing that the weather stays fine is a curious way of breeding Gouldians, I see you live in Victoria, I live in Queensland and have my Gouldians protected from the worst of the weather up here, I think its a more successful method than prayer. I'm told they drop off the perches in Queensland if left to their own devices, best of luck lets hope the weather is mild.

I notice you say you have Australian Yellows, Split A/Ys, normal's and a few split Blues, how do you keep control of them, i e stop AY to AY, stop split to split, split to normal, black head to yellow and Red etc etc.

I agree its nice to have stacks of youngsters calling for food but whats their Genotype going to be?

Your split Blues unless mated together will just disappear, possibly to reappear in some strangers birds at a later date.

All the best with your breeding this season, Alistair.

19 Apr 2013, 18:15

It is interesting how Victorians gouldians are evolving to be increasingly resillient to the cooler weather. In regards to genotype and colour..I have decided to abandon single pair matings and thinking too scientifically about it all in preference for the sheer enjoyment in watching the birds interact in a far more natural context. In regards to head colour, the latest research suggests that the birds take care of this themselves with their own natural preferences. As far as body colour goes, I don't really care at this point. I am more interested in developing the most hardy birds possible and am enjoying the possibility of a surprise. The three chicks who fledged slept through two nights in the rain before choosing the sheltered part of the aviary and have survived and seem to be thriving. Temps around 10 degrees and wet.

19 Apr 2013, 19:25

Sorry,but cant agree,polluting the blood lines of ay to eu yellow and then to everything else is just a no ,no,unless you intend to keep every bird for yourself ,in which case do as you like, but please do not put your c**p out there for others to receive and then pollute their blood lines,garyh

19 Apr 2013, 20:50

Sorry, but you are way off. I have only AY with split blues and AY splits. I agree with not mixing AY and EY.