Aussie Finch Forum

I agree Mick- wouldn't bother with common species adapted to local conditions but it does depend on the individual set up.
Draught protection is more important than heat.

Personal choice ... no criticism or arguments .
I stated my opinion however I also stated that I do have a heater on hand just in case .
Different strokes for different folks .

No need to be over it , we all do things different and no one should feel bad for how they keep their birds alive.

mm interesting..as I said the zebs only reason for the heat now is because they get wet late at night..from tonight I will be only giving them a very small dish of water so they cannot all fit in and party on
the gouldians I will keep the light on 24 hrs a day as iv had a dredful run with them dying..the rest I will just watch,im glad I got the clear plastic and covered the fronts as that seems to be a good plan looking at posts.The birds are all indoors but the house is a drafty one and gets cold in winter time

amalan heres my 2 cents. If you were to breed the tanimbars out side during winter you may need a heated nest box for the eggs but that would be about all i rekon. As long as there outta the draughts its fine. But yep if you do use heaters and it works for you then sweet as i say. Im beliave that alot of our birds now days are hardier from sheer natural atrission...if thats how you spell it. So most likely alot of birds died to become as hardy as they are now especialy tropical birds a gouldians a such. But hey i could be wrong. Just a theory of mine.

I was initaly worried when i first got my red cheek cordons but theyve made it through plenty of outdoor winters now so i think if they can do it most should be ok.

Oh by the way deb ive seen your double bar pic so many times and never get bored of it! I love that pic!

Hehe Bensonsan ...it just keeps popping up hey

Another 2 cents worth.
I think the catch with heaters is not how you keep your birds, but what you do with their offspring.
I'm sure plenty of people on this forum have bought birds which have died quickly, and after further investigation found out that due to the conditions they were raised in, these birds were never going to be suitable to their new environment.
If heaters etc are required for you to keep and enjoy your birds, then by all means use them. But remember that you should have an obligation to inform any potential buyers of the normal conditions your birds are kept in. They can then make an informed decision to buy or not.
This is a general observation and not directed at you Amalan.
Good luck whatever you choose, and enjoy your birds.

Agreed .

I agree as well.I dont use heaters on my birds.Except when buying expensive birds mid winter,I will use one in a holding aviary.If you use a heater yourself good on you,But let anyone know who is buying birds off you that this is the case.If i started loosing more then i was breeding i would consider heaters after having a very good look at my setup diet etc..Luckily I breed alot more then loose, although it still hurts loosing a silver gould,Two young crimsons,a plumhead and a full red fronted emblema this week.Buy the way I am probley in a way colder area here.

Agreed, if you want to keep your birds alive and can afford it, heat them....but don't be fooled, you need to be comfortable that you have a fail safe mechanism for that heat source if something goes wrong or you're not around to fix it.........Your species are not that delicate or expensive, however you can turn them soft quite quickly, even the hardiest species like Zebs will succomb to a cold night if you've artificially protected them from extremes of weather.

PS: I'm not in favour of aviary heating, even in much colder climes than mine, but I do bring any bird showing signs of distress/illness into a hospital cage and care regime immediately.

ok.I hd not thought about the idea of the birds needing heat if I give it to them so I will just watch closely and see how they go..from the sounds of it they will be ok in Sydney