Aussie Finch Forum

I was just thinking about possibly making a couple of cages to breed some finches. I would make them 1m long x 60cm wide and 60cm high but would make two. I was wondering what type of finches I could breed in them that would do well in such small cages. I'm open to any suggestions..

I went to the Hamilton Bird Sale last weekend and I have realised how much I miss the little blighters.

Thanks,
Brodhi ;)

maybe a pair of Gouldians in each cage

Yeah that's what I was thinking. I have bred them successfully before. Don't know that I'm allowed to get them though because my friend just bought some and said I can't get any because it would be competition for him to sell. I though they would sell fine.

mate there is competition every where one is not going to drive down prices. if people want them they will buy them....pete

hi i have 3 pairs of gouldians in breeding cabinets anmd are all doing really well. although i cant wait for them to have stopped breeding so they can go in a large fliight and do what birds love to do FLY.

/Any breed really , those are good dimensions for a breeding box , add some tea tree up one corner and away u go.

If you don't want to upset your mate by going with gouldians, there are plenty of others that breed well in cabinets. The parrot finch family, zebs, javas & bengalese have all bred well for me in cabinets.

I've been watching on the sidelines waiting for somone to tell reveal a long list of suitable species but other than a suggestion of parrot finches the options look limited. This is prpbably why all the waxbills and strawbs died out here in the Philippines because they aren't sutable for cabinet breeding which is what 99% of the locals do. Admittedly they tend to foster under Society finches and what has persisted are Hecks, Stars, Gouldians, Double Bars, Cut-throats, Diamond Sparrows and Masked finches, however the latter three species are only just hanging on because they really resent the daily interfearance that comes from maintaining these small cages. Well able to fend for themselves and self-rear in cabinets and aviaries are Societies, Zebras and Java Sparrows. If you can get onto some of the European sites they would tell you anything can be bred in a cabinet but knowing just how to tweak the system when the birds aren't really accepting of it is the problem. If you mange to get anything other than the ones I listed to breed in cabinets I'd love to hear about it as they would then become my target for importation since the DENR here is now quite strict about denying importation permits without a viable breeding plan.

Brodz wrote:Yeah that's what I was thinking. I have bred them successfully before. Don't know that I'm allowed to get them though because my friend just bought some and said I can't get any because it would be competition for him to sell. I though they would sell fine.

I hate to tell you Brodz, but there is already more than two finch breeders in the Mount.So another one breeding goulds in the biggest city outside of Adelaide in S.A .Is going to make no difference to the market.Maybe if your friend feels so strong about this.And you want to keep a good friendship breed different head or chest colours.

Yeah, I'm not allowed to have different colours either .

I have decided that I don't think i really want to be breeding in cages for the finches. I will most likely try to tak over my sisters old cubby house and transfer it

I was wondering how much rigmerol and paperwork there is required to keep and sell finches with just the basic licence birds in SA? Was thinking Diamond Firetails, Masks, Crimson and Yellow Rumps all in an aviary that is 3m long x 2m wide x 3 metre high?

I saw in the latest birdkeeper magazine that a fellow did an article about diamond fireltails and had them in a similar aviary with all these species.

Thanks, Brodhi