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Advice needed!!!
Posted: 30 Mar 2013, 19:48
by maureen_g
Re: Advice needed!!!
Posted: 30 Mar 2013, 20:16
by SamDavis
Hi Maureen.
Wow, off to a great start. It sounds like your aviary is a roaring success with that many birds on eggs so quickly. I wouldn't be concerned too much about the zebs, just make sure to remove the young ones as soon as they're independent so numbers don't explode. Once chicks hatch they'll devour heaps more live food and seeding grass but it sounds like you have it under control.
Cheers,
Sam
Re: Advice needed!!!
Posted: 30 Mar 2013, 20:55
by maureen_g
Thanks Sam. Then why am I such a nervous wreck?
Should I be giving them more mealies? How many can such a tiny bird eat!! They are about 1yr old and had built a beautiful nest in tea tree and laid eggs but abandoned the nest when parrot finches nested underneath them (for their previous owner). The pairs were also housed in separate aviaries. I feel a bit guilty that I was so unprepared for them to behave like this. I now have another aviary just today and can't put any birds in it because all seem to have eggs except maybe that pair of WB goulds. Even then I can't disturb any birds in that aviary because it might upset the DBs and stars. Oh dear! I might have to get more birds!!
Re: Advice needed!!!
Posted: 30 Mar 2013, 22:20
by finchbreeder
Do you have a safety door that the WB's can go into and be caught? If so that is the way to transfer them to the new avairy. Where they can then do their thing undisturbed by the other birds.
LML
Re: Advice needed!!!
Posted: 30 Mar 2013, 23:56
by maureen_g
Yes LML I do have a safety cage and that sounds like a great idea! I do hope that they haven't eggs already but they do spend heaps of time in the flight but usually don't go into the safety area easily. Even as I'm tying the seeding grasses to the perch they are waiting very close by and will start on it sometimes before I've left the aviary! Even if they have eggs I'd be willing to sacrifice them just to have less birds in there so the DBs might have more chance of success in a less crowded aviary. The zebs also easily go into the safety cage but they might even have chicks even though I can't hear any. The male was carrying some poo the other day! Is that a sign of something?
Re: Advice needed!!!
Posted: 31 Mar 2013, 07:39
by finches247
maureen_g wrote: The zebs also easily go into the safety cage but they might even have chicks even though I can't hear any. The male was carrying some poo the other day! Is that a sign of something?
Usually from what I have found that means chicks are in the nest and he is cleaning the nest up.
Re: Advice needed!!!
Posted: 06 Apr 2013, 17:49
by maureen_g
Re: Advice needed!!!
Posted: 10 Apr 2013, 12:03
by maureen_g
Re: Advice needed!!!
Posted: 10 Apr 2013, 12:48
by emmo
It sounds like you are doing great. Properly very patient to avoid nest inspections but my double-bars don't mind me checking their nests. I think you will be in for a pleasant surprise when finally little DBs emerge, already able to fly and even return to the nest. Good luck. Keep us posted.
Re: Advice needed!!!
Posted: 11 Apr 2013, 08:51
by COUNTRY CAPITAL
young doublebars in the nest sound similar to zebras when being fed, maybe not quite as loud though, so you will know soon enough.
my only advice would be to interfere as little as possible(no nest inspections).
once they fledge and learn to fly they will be ok.
i too would look to moving the zebras....understocking is the way to go.