Issues in red-eared firetail management
Posted: 20 Sep 2014, 12:17
Hello.
When I recently picked up a REF cock in the Hunter, the fellow I bought it from had some interesting ideas about management of REFs, some of which I hadn't heard before. I would be interested in the views of the forum on these points.
(i) Need a large heavily planted aviary.
- seems many people are keeping them in smaller (down to 1x3m) aviaries, some with success. It seems this requirement has been a little overstated, or perhaps the captive-bred pirds are more tolerant. In any case, mine went down in quarantine in a space much smaller than that usually recommended for REFs.
(ii) Must be kept as single pairs with no other birds.
- I have recently seen a couple of mixed collections including REFs, in both cases the breeders said they had had no trouble. The man I got the cock from says he always keeps them with a pair of redbrows, as the REFs (and also apparently the beautiful firetails) sometime stop feeding their chicks around day 5, and the redbrows will reportedly feed them if the parents don't. He ascribed this practice to D. Myers.
(iii) Need constant Nilstat to prevent death from fungal infection
- this was a new one on me. He mixes it with the seed, and quoted the vet known as Myzo on this forum as recommending same. i would be concerned that this would lead to development of resistant fungal agents and the possibility of untreatable disease. Further, some of the people who I know have bred them successfully do not give antifungals at all ever.
(iv) Aniseed in the seed
- he reckons they have trouble getting enough protein intake, so he uses aniseed oil through the seed as an appetite stimulant. I note that they don't get insect food. He does also feed greens. I did wonder if the routine application of Nilstat to the seed was what made the aniseed necessary. My feeling on REFs and insect food was that they do not take moving food, but have taken various forms of inanimate insect food for me. Mudgbreeder has some that take maggots; I think that would be a great help in ensuring an adequate breeding diet.
The man I got the birds from is hugely respected by many birdos, and I do not doubt his skills. Some of the practices described above were new to me, however, and I would be grateful for anyones thoughts or experience on these points.
When I recently picked up a REF cock in the Hunter, the fellow I bought it from had some interesting ideas about management of REFs, some of which I hadn't heard before. I would be interested in the views of the forum on these points.
(i) Need a large heavily planted aviary.
- seems many people are keeping them in smaller (down to 1x3m) aviaries, some with success. It seems this requirement has been a little overstated, or perhaps the captive-bred pirds are more tolerant. In any case, mine went down in quarantine in a space much smaller than that usually recommended for REFs.
(ii) Must be kept as single pairs with no other birds.
- I have recently seen a couple of mixed collections including REFs, in both cases the breeders said they had had no trouble. The man I got the cock from says he always keeps them with a pair of redbrows, as the REFs (and also apparently the beautiful firetails) sometime stop feeding their chicks around day 5, and the redbrows will reportedly feed them if the parents don't. He ascribed this practice to D. Myers.
(iii) Need constant Nilstat to prevent death from fungal infection
- this was a new one on me. He mixes it with the seed, and quoted the vet known as Myzo on this forum as recommending same. i would be concerned that this would lead to development of resistant fungal agents and the possibility of untreatable disease. Further, some of the people who I know have bred them successfully do not give antifungals at all ever.
(iv) Aniseed in the seed
- he reckons they have trouble getting enough protein intake, so he uses aniseed oil through the seed as an appetite stimulant. I note that they don't get insect food. He does also feed greens. I did wonder if the routine application of Nilstat to the seed was what made the aniseed necessary. My feeling on REFs and insect food was that they do not take moving food, but have taken various forms of inanimate insect food for me. Mudgbreeder has some that take maggots; I think that would be a great help in ensuring an adequate breeding diet.
The man I got the birds from is hugely respected by many birdos, and I do not doubt his skills. Some of the practices described above were new to me, however, and I would be grateful for anyones thoughts or experience on these points.