Aussie Finch Forum

Just to clarify, I wasn't thinking of keeping them in cabinets permanently, just for breeding. I would prefer them in the aviary but how can you control who pairs with who that way? Still trying to source the right head colours for the birds we have - need a couple of RH normal hens and BH normal cocks. Not sure what to do re our BH WB hen yet... Then hoping to maybe get 3 breeding pairs or so and sell the others. But not so easy to find them ATM as they young ones are still colouring up...

Cabinets have their advantages when breeding as well as generally keeping the birds healthy and happy . When the finch aviary is finished Im only putting 1 pair of goulds in and the other is staying in the cabinet just so I know who is who in the zoo.

Fact is, if you colony breed in an aviary you have NO control over the pairings. In that case, I would definately recommend having same head colours together.

Pete is right. Birds kept in cabinets do get fat and are not as fit as those kept in aviaries. That being said, an austerity period in the aviary for 6 weeks trims them down again. I prefer breeding in cabinets as I breed a lot of mutations and I don't want to lose track of who's mating with who. The results you get with single pairs in cabinets WILL be better than in an avairy. You don't have to worry about the alpha pairs dominating, no plucking or birds going bald and you know with certainty what the offspring's genetic makeup is. The biggest problem I have with cabinet breeding is the young interfering with the next clutch and damaging the eggs.

Give it a go and make up your own mind.

I currently breed in cabinets because of my circumstances. Its only been one season but i haven't had too many issues with it so far. I do however worry a bit about the lack of stimulation

I just built some cabinets aswell for outdoor use and will be using them for 3 pair this season myself. Again agreeing with matt and pete for the limited time just so i can be specific as to who breeds with who.

True Matt, no control in an avairy. They will pick their own mate and bother you. "Pair bonding" in a cabinet for a period will sometimes work, as does the going back to the same mate. But not always. Sometimes a pair will split at the first sign of new prospective mates. And sometimes when they do they do much better with the new mate, so maybe they know something we don't.
LML