facing north pose a problem

[wilsta]

Can anyone give me some advice on ways I can improve sunlight/heat when the aviary i intend to build for finches will be facing east? (space permits me ie. small backyard)

[SamDavis]

I'd say facing East is absolutely fine. The morning sun is the most important, so you should be fine. Although North is great, it can mean it gets too hot during summer. I have two finch aviaries that are open only to the East and I don't find this an issue. The Northern side of mine is all colorbond so alot of heat transfer into the aviary - just right during winter, but too much in summer so needs shading.

[Trilobite]

East is fine, if your worried then line your north facing wall (art of the roof) with clear laserlight or equiv so that the morning warmth can get in. Finches will hunt the first spot of sunlight in the aviry in winter time.

[Brett]

Mine faces south but is very protected from the wind,it gets lots of morning sun and afternoon..


Brett

[wilsta]

How much sun light do they need?

[Finches2011]

For most finches, as much sunlight as possible, but facing east or north-east is fine.

[gouldianpaul]

My backyard layout dictated that my avairy (built last summer) would face south....I have tried to address this by installing fluro's with av lighting. Whilst I am happy with the set up as the birds still get at least 3 hours of direct sunlight it is not perfect. I am starting to plot an additional avairy that will face East...just need to convince my wife that the section of the garden would look nicer with an avairy.

As this avairy will be against the fence line, i intend to build it high enough so that the North sun comes through the side of the avairies....I feel this is important for Gouldians being breed in Melbourne....whilst only 2 hours or so of direct sunlight is essential, i believe the natural wormth will greatly assit their breeding...my example is my uncle who has a colony of gouldians in a large avairy facing north (in Sydney)...his gouldians do well every year, including the current season when many breeders have had a poor year....I don't feel he does anything different to most breeders as far as diet and avairy husbandry are concerned...I believe the north facing aspect of his avairy is the key to his success...cheers, Paul