The last few days has seen daytime temperatures around 42 degrees.
How do others help their finches to cool down? I have a smallish aviary and the zebras don't take kindly to water mist from a spray bottle. I keep fresh water baths in the aviary but they don't use them.
Keeping Zebras cool
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AMCA26
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- Posts: 870
- Joined: 14 Jan 2010, 17:28
- Location: Melbourne, Vic
- Location: Melbourne
I don't go near any of my birds until well after Tea time. My Show zebs are no different just check they have water and sometimes you may find they will just stand near the water bowl and get the coolness from the air flow off the water.
Breeding Show Zebra Finches, Blue Gouldians, Pied Orange Breast.
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Denozo
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- Posts: 210
- Joined: 25 Feb 2014, 16:18
- Location: Adelaide
Hi Davlee, I have shadecloth over the aviary and a mister wetting this down. It works like an evaporative air conditioner when the wind blows through it and cools the whole aviary down. Temperatures in my aviary have been mid to low 30's and I'm out on the flat past gawler and we were well above 40.
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finchbreeder
- ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
- Posts: 11629
- Joined: 27 Jun 2009, 20:00
- Location: Midwest of West. Aust. Coast
- Location: Midwest of West.Aust.Coast
Auto watering so they are never without cool drinking water (11AM and 2PM is my setting) Shade from a big tree and shadecloth. And do not disturb. Has worked for me for for years, and we get those sort of temperatures almost every year. Weirdly cool this year but.
LML
LML
LML
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E Orix
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- Posts: 2740
- Joined: 29 May 2009, 23:30
- Location: Howlong on NSW/Vic Border 30km from Albury
- Location: Howlong NSW
It is 8am and current temp here 32c and will go into the 40's
Since 6am I have been pouring water onto the aviary floors, the wetter the better because when it becomes too hot for the birds they will
go to ground and the damp soil/concrete will assist. Metal sided aviaries are like ovens so the birds have to go down.
On hot days I double the ratio of soaked seed. Feed early and evening and stay right away from the birds.
All water containers are checked, fortunately we have our own water bore so each big aviary has it's own hose with a small rose sprinkler.
The only other thing is I have a nest of 3 young Chaffinches feathering but not quite fledging age so I have draped a piece of shade cloth from the
roof to the ground to try and shade the outside wall near where the nest is located.
I do not use overhead sprays unless I can run them constantly as the on/off ratio could cause the sun to damage my plants. The birds do like
hopping through wet foliage but it is very sort term.
Since 6am I have been pouring water onto the aviary floors, the wetter the better because when it becomes too hot for the birds they will
go to ground and the damp soil/concrete will assist. Metal sided aviaries are like ovens so the birds have to go down.
On hot days I double the ratio of soaked seed. Feed early and evening and stay right away from the birds.
All water containers are checked, fortunately we have our own water bore so each big aviary has it's own hose with a small rose sprinkler.
The only other thing is I have a nest of 3 young Chaffinches feathering but not quite fledging age so I have draped a piece of shade cloth from the
roof to the ground to try and shade the outside wall near where the nest is located.
I do not use overhead sprays unless I can run them constantly as the on/off ratio could cause the sun to damage my plants. The birds do like
hopping through wet foliage but it is very sort term.