Breeding season is near.
-
monotwine
- ...............................
- Posts: 352
- Joined: 15 Jun 2010, 20:36
- Location: Cape Town, South Africa
- Location: South Africa
Pre-breeding I pretty much give the aviary and flight a scrub down/disinfectant after giving preventative course of treatments (worms, cocci, mites & protozoan nasties that we can get).
I sell off additonal young that I don't want for breeding and try find pairs for any that require it.
I remove nests / brush over winter. Come spring I place cleaned nest boxes into the aviary and go hunting for more brush for nesting sites. I place fresh nesting material around - dry grass, feathers etc.
I slowly increase the seed mix from winter to my summer mix (less fats and higher proteins) and at a similar rate start upping the eggfood and live food. This is probably one of the few quirks that I do. I don't like changing an animals diet quickly.
EOrix what do you do?
I sell off additonal young that I don't want for breeding and try find pairs for any that require it.
I remove nests / brush over winter. Come spring I place cleaned nest boxes into the aviary and go hunting for more brush for nesting sites. I place fresh nesting material around - dry grass, feathers etc.
I slowly increase the seed mix from winter to my summer mix (less fats and higher proteins) and at a similar rate start upping the eggfood and live food. This is probably one of the few quirks that I do. I don't like changing an animals diet quickly.
EOrix what do you do?
Monique
-
E Orix
- ...............................
- Posts: 2740
- Joined: 29 May 2009, 23:30
- Location: Howlong on NSW/Vic Border 30km from Albury
- Location: Howlong NSW
PANIC!!!!!!!
First thing I do is catch up all the birds I intend to use and make up even numers. No point having 2 hens and 6 males in the same aviary if they are pair bonded birds.
Make sure all breeding birds are rung so I will know what are young and what are adults if the young are left in the same aviary to colour up.
Go through the aviary and trim,remove or re organise all the growing plants, then remove all the old brush and replace. Remove any nest boxes,clean out and submerge into a bucket of water with Coopex mixed in.Leave them to dry for several days fill will swamp grass and put back in the same place. This does not apply to Gouldians as ttheir bxes are put into place far later in the year.Finally I start tweeking their diet upping the amount of plain canary seed as it is higher in some of the protiens required
I then move into getting my fly boxes cleaned out, Mealworm bxeschecked and readied and in general getting all the live food facility ready to produce for the season
Once all this is done I sit back and let the birds calm down after all the upheaval and I live in hope.
First thing I do is catch up all the birds I intend to use and make up even numers. No point having 2 hens and 6 males in the same aviary if they are pair bonded birds.
Make sure all breeding birds are rung so I will know what are young and what are adults if the young are left in the same aviary to colour up.
Go through the aviary and trim,remove or re organise all the growing plants, then remove all the old brush and replace. Remove any nest boxes,clean out and submerge into a bucket of water with Coopex mixed in.Leave them to dry for several days fill will swamp grass and put back in the same place. This does not apply to Gouldians as ttheir bxes are put into place far later in the year.Finally I start tweeking their diet upping the amount of plain canary seed as it is higher in some of the protiens required
I then move into getting my fly boxes cleaned out, Mealworm bxeschecked and readied and in general getting all the live food facility ready to produce for the season
Once all this is done I sit back and let the birds calm down after all the upheaval and I live in hope.
-
monotwine
- ...............................
- Posts: 352
- Joined: 15 Jun 2010, 20:36
- Location: Cape Town, South Africa
- Location: South Africa
Panic? ... never. LOL I would panic if I had to prep your sized aviaries... though I am handy with a chainsaw for pruning!
EOrix I know you not keen on medications etc, but do you give any pre season treatments? Or do they all just fall into a rhythm.
EOrix I know you not keen on medications etc, but do you give any pre season treatments? Or do they all just fall into a rhythm.
Monique
-
E Orix
- ...............................
- Posts: 2740
- Joined: 29 May 2009, 23:30
- Location: Howlong on NSW/Vic Border 30km from Albury
- Location: Howlong NSW
Monique, I do not give any medication at all prior to the start of the season.
The decision to medicate or not is up to the individual
Far cleverer people than I, say you should which is fine.
I prefer to get them into condition, then settled before the best breeding period is on us.
The decision to medicate or not is up to the individual
Far cleverer people than I, say you should which is fine.
I prefer to get them into condition, then settled before the best breeding period is on us.
-
toothlessjaws
- ...............................
- Posts: 534
- Joined: 25 Apr 2009, 09:54
- Location: Melbourne, Victoria
- Location: melbourne
okay. the warm weather and the introduction of some newbies here seems to have set off my birds early. so i have:
1) fresh brush cut, wired together and placed in clumps against the walls (except the one stand of brush i left over winter because the weavers i bought from E Orix have already woven 2 nests in it)
2) basket nests cleaned and placed back in.
3) wire hanging basket hanging from roof absolutely packed with dried grass (an experiment - judging from the interest so far i'd say its got potential)
4) transplanted another large native grass clump from front yard into aviary (the ruddies seem to prefer these clumps for ground nesting)
5) started feeding mealworms
6) created a fruit fly bucket with mesh top to see if they can can catch the flies on the wing - this is new to me)
over the next two weeks i am going to start introducing insectivore mix and i'll make some finch cake. i am also selling the californian quail which i have found to be flighty, messy and likely discourage the finches from nesting.
wish me luck.
1) fresh brush cut, wired together and placed in clumps against the walls (except the one stand of brush i left over winter because the weavers i bought from E Orix have already woven 2 nests in it)
2) basket nests cleaned and placed back in.
3) wire hanging basket hanging from roof absolutely packed with dried grass (an experiment - judging from the interest so far i'd say its got potential)
4) transplanted another large native grass clump from front yard into aviary (the ruddies seem to prefer these clumps for ground nesting)
5) started feeding mealworms
6) created a fruit fly bucket with mesh top to see if they can can catch the flies on the wing - this is new to me)
over the next two weeks i am going to start introducing insectivore mix and i'll make some finch cake. i am also selling the californian quail which i have found to be flighty, messy and likely discourage the finches from nesting.
wish me luck.