Aussie Finch Forum

Bubba hanging upside down barking is a classic .

The sirens going off is just damn annoying , actually makes you want to hit your head on a brick wall to make it stop .

Having been a victim of neighbour's complaints and consequently being forced by council to get rid of ALL my birds, I understand the comments about keeping birds in smaller enclosures.

However, by bringing birdkeeping to the European scenario ie smaller indoor enclosures, we are forfeiting the greatest advantage we have as birdkeepers- our climate ( well, in most areas anyway!!!), as EOrix has said.

Never underestimate the vitality that exposure to natural sunlight brings and the stimulus produced by rain.

The other issue with keeping birds in smaller enclosures is the decrease in exercise and fitness and the increase in obesity.

In parrots, the obsession with keeping parrots in relatively small suspendeds has seen pairs become overweight and lose fertility after several seasons and also increased the incidence of behavioural problems, in my opinion. On the plus side the security provided by suspended cages has improved breeding results with many species as they feel more secure when keepers can't enter their enclosure.

So if people decide to keep birds in indoor smaller cages, particular care needs to be taken with diet, pairing and even environmental enrichment- yes, even with finches!

Myzomela wrote:even environmental enrichment- yes, even with finches!

Thats what Ive been worried about, I do have a variety of perches and different seed bowls, one of those perch swings and provide cut foliage from the garden as well as millet stems and seeding grasses in all the aviaries. You can just see my new quail family too!
At the moment I have one BFPF cock hes in this aviary with all the above and 3 emblema cocks and 5 gouldian cocks, its not crowded and no fighting or chasing, but I have noticed he does the....fly to one perch(front left), hop to another thats on a bit of a slope, hes able to slide down that perch a little way then he flies off to the chain(back right near the red coloured plant), three bounces up the chain and back to the start again. Bit like the lion pacing in the cage.
Aviary is 9ft x 5ft x 6ft. I think he just wants to get to the female in the other aviary.