Aussie Finch Forum

Wow what a day today, went in this Arvo to do the norm change water feed and check birds, well after checking one flight with 4 fledged young goulds mainly the runt went to next flight and checked on young stars all looking great then last flight which have a couple of siskins, gouldians and a pair of Cubans and all look healthy and fine. When I started to put seed in tray I caught a flash take off to the back wall-mouse went in to go and kill it when I noticed it was a baby Cuban and the first young this pair has ever had when I turned around to leave it be there was his nest mate sitting under the feed tray and this was a great surprise i didn't even know that they were nesting and this is the first young for a long time- haven't bred Cubans for many years. What really surprises me is that they haven't been getting any sort of live food for 3-4weeks and only raised young on seed fruit and veg and the occasional Green seed. When should young be removed i was thinking about 3 weeks from now or would they be ok since im guessing breeding will be finishing? Like i said been a long time since ice uad them and to have young now I'm stoked.

Danny,3 weeks would be about right to remove them and don't think that your cubans have a breeding season,once they have a successfull nest they pretty much keep going.So remove young at that stage or you might be picking them up of the floor pecked to death. Craig

Thanks Craig I just couldn't remember the correct time needed to keep young alive before dad decides that they may be competition and kill them. He has killed a male before I brought him so I know he can do it.

Here is a picture of one of the young ,they are both up and flying this is a great surprise as both seem healthy and alert just a bit wobbly at the moment, estimate they are around about 24 days old.

Very nice, got quite a bit of colour around the neck.

I have a pair of Cubans in one of my aviaries and they have had four successful nests. I still have no idea where they are nesting and infact I wouldn't know when and if they were nesting as they give nothing away.
You can remove them when they are fully feeding themselves,by 3 weeks you should see the adult pairs starting to push them around.
Don't leave them too long as most pairs will slaughter their own chicks especially if the next clutch is about to fledge.

Eorix yes mine were the same didn't see anything happening at times both were sitting oj the perch snuggled together as well as only ever seen one. As for nest got me buggered where it is and I guessing my aviery is smaller than yours .
BB they both seem to have a bit more yellow than what I recall but I just assumed that dads yellow mask is very bright and a bit bigger than my last pairs that they might take after dad, just might end up being boys maybe, only time will tell.

Danny, not many people realise there cubans are nesting unless it is pretty obvious,and even them you will most likely see them together when you approach the aviary.At the slightest sign of danger the cock calls the hen,and she's out of the nest in a flash.This is an observation i have had in the past. Craig

I have a story I have often told about Cubans.
Well before I was married I had aviaries at our family home.In those days Cubans were one of my popular species kept and were
reasonable expensive.Anyway a particular pair found a way of escaping their aviary.I would get home to find both birds feeding on the lawn.
Catching them was not a great problem so I would catch them up and put the back into the aviary only to find them out the next day. I went over and over the aviary without any idea of how they were getting out.No damaged seams or holes,after about a week my mother actually found a hole in the middle of a wire panel. This was repaired and no more escapes.Much to my delight and surprise 2 days later they fledged 3 chicks,those birds had been going back and forth into the aviary to feed their chicks.I had no idea they were actually sitting let alone with chicks

Yep,heard that one before orix,clever little dicky birds arn't they. Craig