Aussie Finch Forum

Jeez some people are hard to please. I was thinking how attractive they were in their non breeding plumage!
I heard/read somewhere that Saint colonies need replacing every couple of years as the Saints become accustom to raising a strange chick. Anyone else heard this?

Yes have heard of this

Never kept them myself- have enough in the yard claiming the feeder.
But Congrats Sam know out your way its a challenge and expensive commitment to keep them. Wish you all the best success with them.

I've also heard the Saints can be replaced, but also heard they associate nesting areas with parasitism and you can have some success by changing aviary around to give them new sites.

Not sure how successful that is though. Apparently in the wild colonies move sites to evade continual Pintail parasitism. My poor Saints don't seem to know that rule. Year in and year out the come with Pintails in their clutches.

Thanks for the tips. At this stage I'll be wrapped to see a single pintail fledge.

You should be able to hang onto your Saints for quite a while if you can move nesting sites around, with that huge aviary moving nest sites shouldnt be a problem!

The first of many saints fledged today. I counted 4 fledglings out but there are heaps of saints nests so heaps more to come. Unfortunately the Pintails are just colouring up now so I guess no pintails till at least the next round of Saints. Also the bush budgies have started to fledge - 1 out of 5. They were on eggs within a week of being released into the new aviary. Looking at this thread it was the 26/8 when all the Saints were released, so 50 days ago.

Congrats Sam. Do you plan on keeping the young in there to increase the colony size, or is the colony big enough already?

Cheers Ian

iaos wrote:Congrats Sam. Do you plan on keeping the young in there to increase the colony size, or is the colony big enough already?

Cheers Ian

I'll have to catch up most of them I think or they'll take over. Mind you I'm yet to sort out a trapping system.

Are they all in your lovely scenic aviary?? They have such a beautiful view.
Fingers crossed for a pinnie or 2 (or 3 or 4 or....)
Cheers
Tom

Congrats Sam Nice youngsters