weavers

[Trilobite]

MaybeEeorix is best placed to answer this one more precisely, but here is what we do, basically a good clean breeder mix of dry seeds (white french, panic (red and yellow) jap, canary, niger and some maw when available). They will take our soft food mix (basic internet finch cake mix) mixed with sprouted seed mix (same mix as above), grit, maggots, some mealies, moths, feeder roaches, green seed (frozen and on stem) oh and water. As for cost at around $300 your looking at Grenidier. I am going out on a limb here and say that the cost of the bird does not really equate to what they have been feed - bollocks, it costs me the same to feed all other finches as it does weavers, so either I am selling my gouldians too cheap or my weavers too much.

[E Orix]

Cost ratio to birds produced!!!!!!!!!
I have never ever worried or done the exercise of cost to produce young birds.But I guess thats up to the individual.
Weavers are generally regarded as course feeders,basic seed mix during no breeding season, during breeding season the same
except I add more Canary seed,plus soaked seed(2 to 3 hours only not mush) and live food when the birds are breeding.
The chicks grow that rapidly that large amount of livefood is a must. If too little live food is fed you will have small numbers fledging or non at all.
Its not the breeding birds fault its because the chicks just can't develop without the protien.
Bush Fly Maggots will/can make up the bulk,with Mealworms assisting greatly.If you have access to small crickets they are very very good.If you have access to Termites it is the way to go. The point I must stress is there has to be livefood available from ***DAWN*** until dark,this is the value of Maggots. Just heap them in their dish with excess to run into the next day before you refresh again.
As for seeding grasses,mine would rather eat soaked seed. Currently I have White and Red Millet seeding in my aviary and I have not seen one Weaver feeding on it,everything else though.
Weavers have the reputation of being hard to breed,manage etc etc.That to me is not so,there are alot of finches harder to breed.
If you set up their aviary to what they need and general common sense management then they are no harder than most insect eating seedeaters.

[GregH]

Not that I've got weavers or anything at the moment but I was down in the Riverina last weekend and what are called reeds there are a type of Phragmites australis as shown here from the Victorian Flora site



I think this is what Eorix was talking about.

[MadHatter]

You are right Greg. Phragmites sp. are indeed the reeds in question.
I have never kept or bred weavers, but from what I understand, they generally need fresh green strips for nest construction as these are more pliant and easier to weave when green. Personally, I would not attempt to make the strips myself as the birds, once they hang of it, are likely to be far more adept at creating the strips they need than I would be, provided they have suitable raw materials with which to do so. To that end, I would personally cut a bunch of Phragmites stems and provide these as is for the birds to tear strips from. I imagine the stems should stay green for a good few days if the cut ends are put in water.

[E Orix]

Thanks Greg you are exactly right
The Reeds are easily dug up with a root mass but don't just plant them in your aviary as they will spread further and faster than any Bamboo.
After alot of trial and error, I get one of those blue plastic 44gal chemical drums. Cut it in half and sink it in the ground.Then I drop the reeds in and put about 3 or 4 plastc buckets full of dirt then fill it with water, do not fill to the top with dirt as the reeds will dry out. After a season you should have a thick reed bed restricted by the sides of the drum.
The Weavers will fly to the reeds and nip the green blade to the depth of a match head at the leafs base then simply fly off with the strand in his beak.
The leaves are very fibrous and hold their shape even when old and brown coloured

[djb78]

Are the reeds easily obtained through a nursery or do we have to start finding these at the side of lakes/rivers. Being a water based plant I assuming that constant water is needed to keep the reeds alive, will the water turn in the barrel and if it does will this harm the birds if they consume stagnant water. Sorry just working out all the creases for future reference as this might he a good investment even for my finches.

[MadHatter]

You may be able to source the reeds through a nursery, though they may not be easy to find. There are some varigated ornamental varietys around. I have a very large ornamental specimen growing in the grounds of my block of units on a drier site than most wild forms are found. The native form grows anywhere the soil is sufficiently damp - Along lakes and rivers, dams, drainage ditches and any boggy soils. Based on my observations of the plant in the wild, i don't think you would need to keep them inundated in order to grow them so long as the soil they are in is kept sufficiently damp. in a large tub, I imagine a decent layer of gravel over the top of the soil would allow for sufficient collection of natural rainwater to sustain the reeds without the risk of the birds falling afoul of the open water. some supplementary watering may be required in the drier months.

[djb78]

Ok decided now that I'm not quite ready to take on weavers just yet, might need to get appropriate setup and maybe a good live food setup running to before I grab some another season or two won't hurt and will give me time to hopefully set my private affairs in order so when the weavers arrive I can spend alot mire time trying to get them going and keep them fit and healthy but those reeds I will invest in some soon which would be good for my finches and would be good to have established for when I get some weavers. Would like to thank everybody that helped which helped me make my decision which would be unfair foe the birds if I got some to soon but I will still find out what ones they were as this is killing me not knowing if they are a grenidier or an over priced madigascar pr.

[Tintola]

Enough with the weavers already..... Now,...... about these "Private affairs" Just kidding, Keep em private.

[E Orix]

If you want to get the Reeds,just get a shovel and dig a clump up from the waters edge.
As I have said earlier get a half drum,drop the clump in and pour up to 4 plastic buckets full of dirt.
This does 2 things,it anchors the clump to the bottom and the Reeds roots will spread through the dirt.
Then fill the drum to the top and the rest just takes time.
If you sink the drum into the dirt it is quite attractive and many specie will spend time climbing up and down the stalks
in particular the Nuns and some of the Aust. Finches. They don't strip it BUT the Weavers do.