HOT WEATHER: KEEPING FINCHES COOL

[gomer]

Dont send it this way thanks Diane.

[Mickp]

you've had it easy Diane, six days now over 100 here and a few to come after looking at the long range forecast.
have mist sprays set up in the roof of my aviaries and the birds love them. I turn them on for about 5 minutes every hour. drinking water is hooked into the same system so that is also kept cool & fresh. have noticed that the gouldians will sit under the sprays while most of the other birds fly through it or are on the ground underneath them. orange breasts seem to be part fish cos they are always sitting in the water dish.
have only lost 2 newly hatched button quail due to the heat so far which is fine with me as they are breeding like rabbits at present

[jusdeb]

My Orange Breasts are the same , always perched on the edge of the water dish .
I think they may eventually evolve webbed feet .....just call me Deb Darwin

[Diane]

The canary babies left the nest early as it was hot last week too. They have spent the last week in a plant pot with a block of ice
The orange breast hen is still sitting, I can see her beak sticking out of the nest now and again I just hope any babies will be ok, they are due to hatch tomorrow.

[scott]

My parrot finch babies came out about 4 or five days early, totally bald headed, that was last sunday. They only had three leave the nest this time, all 5 other occasions have had four babies. Not too worry. The babies are doing great. All flying quite well despite their size and bald headedness. I'm assuming that they came out early due to the heat. Thankfully they have really stable parents. I was concerned that the ants which are a problem here at the moment would get them, but thankfully not.

I'm also concerned that my Orange Breasts and Quail eggs will die in the current South Australian heat. I'm assuming that if the nest gets over the brood temperature that the eggs will be no good? I lost a few clutches of eggs in the last heat wave earlier this year. Fingers crossed I guess. I can do my best to keep my birds cool, but keeping their eggs cool is a whole other ball game. I've set up shade so that the nests are never in direct sunlight, I should get a thermometer and see what sort of temperatures are actually being reached near the nest sites. Ideally, it'll be significantly less than the general outside temperature.

Scott.

[Will_36]

I've been hosing down all my vegetation first thing just to give some releif. My Aviary only get full sun for half the day this time of the year.
Have five 2 week old painted's looking a little hot atm. Seem to be doing alright.They are only 1m off the ground, so sould help.
Had 4 days of near 40dec only 3 more to go.

Scott get stuck into the ants with some coopex.
Topic here if you havn't seen it yet.
http://www.aussiefinchforum.net/viewtop ... f=75&t=408

[jusdeb]

Was a delightful 40c day today with a storm brewing on the horizon ...birds coped well but are going through a lot of water probly taking lots of baths
...poor old ferrets didnt do to well thought we lost the boy silly buggers think burrowing under a blanket is going ti cool them down.....so no blankets just a wet towell for now and lots of cool dips in the bucket .
Axle the wonder dog (black staffy ) has his favourite hip hole and of course the air con when we are home.
And as always working with the public on a stinking hot day just makes you love your critters more than ever. BRING ON WINTER

[w9cae]

My pair live inside & we have AC. But I still have given then there bird bath every day. And I change all the water several times during the day. If I do take my pair outside its in the early morning, when its still kinda cool.

[Diane]

I have some gouldian hens in the long breeding cages I made with the help of my Dad earlier in the year, they are outside but Ive moved them next to the family room window so that they get the benefit of the evap air con as it blows through.

[Lionel C]

I’ve learnt that if you can ensure water is cooled all day (dripping) you won’t have issues.