Aussie Finch Forum

well, my pair of crimson finches are definitely breeding. never had crimsons before. put the pair in a 2.2 x 1.7m aviary, with just a pair of painted quail on the floor. the floor, all the front, 1/2 the sides & 1/2 the roof are lined with 6mm wire to stop mice, then a sheet of alsynite over that on the 1/2 of the roof open to the sky. the rest of the aviary is steel. lined the shelter with teatree branches, & suspended a finch motel (600mm long wire cylinder stuffed with dry grass), 1/2 the floor covered with sand & shellgrit, the other half with november grass. feeding them finch breeder mix, frozen milk seed (red pannicum, white & siberian millet), termites & other seeding grass heads.
they've only been in there a couple of months, according to the books they should breed in summer, but here it is in temperatures of 0 to minus 3 at night, cool sunny days, and I am just thrilled that they are breeding (in the motel).
fingers crossed they are successful!

They sound like they're in finch heaven by your description.

Apparently you can't believe everything you read

I've never had Crimsons, but I swear by your (motel) method. I've been using hay filled baskets for years when I was in Vic with good success. I suppose at the end of the day, they (the birds) know what they are doing, winter or not. You're obviously supplying everthing they need to produce and rear young.

I guess only time will tell.

Good Luck

Redwing wrote:They sound like they're in finch heaven by your description.

sure are. learnt the very hard way after years of disappointments that the only way to successfully keep finches is to give them EVERYTHING, protect them from EVERYTHING, feed them EVERYTHING, read EVERYTHING, and do EVERYTHING!

The time of year usually plays apart in bird breeding, but you find that now even some birds don't care how hot or cold it is and just start to breed, its very hard during the winter months on the birds as well as us the breeder due to a mulititude of things that can go wrong, but on the up side congratulations on the success of the crimsons wanting to breed hope they can give you some healthy strong babies.

I find winter is better time for breeding here in SE Qld for most of my finches...poses some risks with egg binding, night frights resulting in dead chicks and young leaving the nest only to have to spend a couple of cold nights on the floor.... I guess they recognise that the usually 'seasonal' food is available year round so they don't need to wait until spring???

I've got Chestnuts, Parsons, Ruddies, Gouldians, Cutthroats, Long Tails, Cordons, Munias, Stars and Orange Breasts all at various stages of breeding at the moment.

Hope to give the Bloods a go one day...good luck.

I noticed that even here in southern NSW, - minus temps frost and icey winds, that my crimsons would start nesting during winter and then stop when summer, 40 plus temps, hit.

I have a few nests just self sufficient. And a few sitting at the moment.