new thoughts

[jusdeb]

The reality of it is do you have the $$$$ to be replacing birds lost while you do the trial and error thing .... in time Im sure you will have ample space to fulfill all your dreams of breeding rare birds.

[BENSONSAN]

Jay go on the clifton finch aviaries site and email marcus pollard. Top bloke has helped me alot getting my red cheek cordons to do the thing with out tossing young. But alot in general and hes more then happy to hear from you. Jaye im 31 years old and just as enthusuatic mate you got longer then me ahead of yourself....just dont burn that candle of love for birds to fast make sure your stil like it for years to come mate.

i envy the fact that your prob gonna keep weavers good luck jay.

Ben

[Jayburd]

It was suggested that I try out the new aviary first - start with common things, like zebs, plumheads, painteds, etc.
Just to see how it's gonna work with the expensive ones, and as a trial period to fix ay problems that might crop up, concerning the birds. Major bummer to go out one morning and find a loose wire has impaled a night - frighted blue cap and a grenadier has found a tiny hole.
I don't think I'll be having them too long, maybe just one or two seasons, testing this and that, maybe getting some breeding done.
I'm thinking (since compatibility = the number of birds per aviary, quoted from an earlier post be E orix), plumheads, gouldians, zebs, painteds, cordons, a parrot finch, and cutthroats (and YES I will sell off the cutthroats! but not until I sell the other ones!!) 1 pr of each

do you guys think it's a good idea?

I'm very keen to get onto more exciting birds, but then, it'd suck if there was an unforseen problem and the expensive birds carked it

not that I'm being heartless and saying I don't care if common birds cark it.

[jusdeb]

Yep start out with a couple of easy peasy birds ( not zebs ...no challenge in making them breed ) and build up your experience , then down the track get a pair of something a little more challenging then a while later something even more challenging ...get my drift .
Work your way up the finchy ladder , it will be less heartbraking , less expensive and more fulfilling.

[E Orix]

Jayburd
You are now on the right tangent.
Pick 2,3 or 4 pair of middle of the rung species.By taking this way you are not breaking your mothers bank account.
It will allow you to work out how good your aviary design and location is as well.
I know you have preferences but the 4 species I would pick are normal Cordon Blues, Red or Blue Faced P/Finches, O'Breasts or Painted's and Ruddies or St Helenas.
Why, all species are available especially as good young breeding stock if you look around and ask people.All are compatable with each other and can nest in different areas of your aviary.
They will require a reasonable amount of good management to have them fledgeing full clutches several times a season.
Finally the chicks are all easily sold at a birds sale etc. When you sell the excess you can then put it towards a more advanced specie.
That is what the good breeders do,their bird sales cover the cost of their purchases
If you are not sure of what birds you really like,drop off a specie each year and replace with a new one. This will eventually lead you to the species you really like and are successful at as well.
The smart people look at the quality and breeding results of the birds you keep rather than the rarer types in name only.
Having expensive species doesn't make you a good breeder of birds.
You will get there just rush slowly.

[Jayburd]

Thanks E orix,

I like the suggestions, out of that I'd probably choose Painteds, Cordons, Blue Faces, Saint Helenas.
would cordons bicker with the blue faces?

[E Orix]

No not at all being similar in colour is no problem.
One reason for for picking them is they are all non aggressive territorial species.
They will also move around the aviary differently.
Parrot Finches active and moving constantantly.
Painted's on the ground if it is dry
Cordons and Saints,similar movement but will nest in different areas.
Just remember the more species or pairs in your aviary the more pressure is put on the breeding birds.

[Jayburd]

ok, thanks!
will probably have some pics from the Sept. bird sale then! wasn't expecting to buy birds this year, but these ones should be affordable.
I pay for all my birds, and mum has generously offered to build my aviary THIS time
At least I get to help my friends do their shopping in the August sale

[Jayburd]

I thought also that maybe red instead of blue faces would be good, as I've found they are more hyperactive than BFPF's, and are extreme escape artists. Thought It'd be best to make sure there is nowhere to escape.

[MadHatter]

In my experience the Blue-faced are just as hyper as the Red, and last I checked, a fair bit cheaper. Best to start out with the cheaper ones on a test run - that way you are less out of pocket if you do lose some. If you've not bred parrot finches before, and especially if you are starting out with an untested aviary, I'd advise you to start with a pair of blue-faced, get at least 1 good breeding season out of them and only then think about trading them in for a pair of Reds.
As for compatibility, I assume you have heard the rule that you should never keep just 2 pair of birds in the one cage or aviary? It's either one pair, or three or more, otherwise the dominant pair will beat the ever-loving daylights out of the subordinate pair, right? Well, it goes the same way per species in a mixed collection. Birds will generally aggro others of their own kind first, and everyone else second, so 2 pair of the one species will often square off against one another - even in a mixed collection with other species present. I strongly urge you to go with one of the following options:
1. select 4 or 5 species and start with a pair of each.
2. select 1 species and start with a colony of 4 or 5 pairs.
In terms of space, I would also strongly urge you to plan for success. What I mean by that is this: We all feel the temptation to stock our aviaries with the maximum number of pairs they can hold, but consider what happens when the birds breed - with the first lot of fledglings, the aviary instantly becomes over-crowded. You are then forced into having to sell off un-coloured young as soon as possible in order to keep the numbers down. So plan for success - make sure you have sufficient aviary and holding space to accommodate both adults and young, so you can sell off the surplus when you want to, and not when you have to.