Aussie Finch Forum

garyh wrote:When you see the birds ripping your young apart through the wire,and attacking the young right in front of you,your pretty sure it's butcher birds,i will gently let them go a safe distance from my place,garyh

wait you actually see it happen

easy solution then, no trap needed

butchers and hawks don't like getting sprayed with high pressure water, bloody brilliant

I've had hawks as well as the butcher birds,but i've never had them wait around long enough for me to get to the hose,turn it on and then aim,think i'll try the trap,garyh

garyh wrote:I've had hawks as well as the butcher birds,but i've never had them wait around long enough for me to get to the hose,turn it on and then aim,think i'll try the trap,garyh

Mate I had plenty of time

Both the butcher and hawk wouldn't give up

Kept swooping the aviary right over the top of my head, couldn't believe it

The hawk knocked him down and the butcher got blasted

well I have 1 persistent butcher bird. He wont go near the trap so it would appear I wasn't driving far enough away when i was releasing them. My large planted aviary doesnt have casualties as the birds hide up the back. My holding aviary is the main death trap as it is open with no where to hide. Apart from hoses, electric fences, rat traps. bird traps and air rifles. Would putting a screen down one end of the aviary help? has anyone tried it prior to me mucking around for 1/2 a day to find it doesnt work? thanks john

If you mean a screen that is outside the avairy and about 10cms from the avairy, yes it will work. Have not done it myself, but have seen it done.
LML

thanks time to ponder

Sounds like the quail could be the problem but if it is the Butcher birds which I had some problem with there is a fairly simple solution. Put star posts or poles in the ground about 30cms from the aviary side and string fishing line across at intervals. Outside birds hit this and fly off without too much trauma to them or your birds.
Picked up the idea whilst enjoying fish and chips under a horizontal setup like this at Cicerrelos Fremantle. Keeps the Seagulls at bay.

I brought some bird netting from bunnings ,attached it to the roof and then let it hang down,then moved it about a meter from the cage at the bottom so it didn't drape on the aviary,glad to say no more attacks,hope this helps,i hate those butcher birds,garyh

OK since loosing the last batch of birds I was frightened to get more and its been 20 months since I have had anything in the aviary. I finally purchased some more finches yesterday and avoided king quail as people have suggested. I have provided some more shelter to provide somewhere to hide and the indian mynas that use to attack the aviary have moved on however we have some Australian Mynars about. We have a cavoodle watching the backyard too. I still have some cat issues but will set traps and take theme to the animal shelter until the owners get the message my yard is out of bounds. I have only 4 zebras to start and will persist solving any problems this time as I love to have finches in my yard.

I am moving from a dirt and mulch floor to a concrete one with a sump drain so I can wash it clean as the aviary is on a 2 brick base ad nowhere to wash the waste water out.

Anyway wish me luck.
Wayne

Good luck this time round, hope it al goes well.
LML