Aussie Finch Forum

I was appalled when I ent to the aviary this morning to find a hen cut-throat on the floor with her skull denuded of feathers, eye-lids all puffy and dreied bblood encircling her head. She was barely able to fly so I removed her to another aviary as unforunately my quarantine/hospital cage is currently occupied by a baby parrot I'm hand feeding. I guess I'm profiling but my prime suspect is her mate although there are many other species she shares with (zebs, double bars, stars, Hecks and Goulds) including a pair of her own offspring. Does any one have experience of birds turing on each other and know what might induxce this behaviour? I wan't able ot check up on her tonight so I hope she's OK.

I've had Rufous-backed Mannikins turn on their spouses & children big time on a few occasions - dead bodies all over the aviary. I haven't experienced the same with Cutthroats. Independent young can be disruptive & eject later clutches from the nest, etc but a violent attack against a family member is something I haven't heard of with cutthroats before & would think it most unusual. No chance of a rat attack or some such thing?? Of the other species in the aviary I'd probably put the Heck's at the top of the suspect list but I'd back a Cutthroat against a longtail any day.

I suppose I can't guarantee a rat couldn't get in I would expect mass carnage not assult. I will keep an eye on the longtails as they too have a reputation. Anyway today she's up off the floor and mixing with the cut-throat pair in another aviary and no other trouble in the aviary where attack took place. At this stage all I need her to do is recover as I'm moving to Brisbane in December so I doubt I'll get much breeding in before I have to get rid of the birds

Glad to hear the hen has picked up.

I'm moving to Brisbane in December

You are going to be extremely popular when you start getting rid of your birds.

Sometimes if hen not ready to nest or she is not happy with the nest area...male will try to force her which will end up with bloodied and battered hen...always have twice as many nest sites as pairs of birds.....

hey greg,

what are your finch plans when you move back to australia? will you be reacquiring the same species? something different? break for a bit to settle?

what are your finch plans when you move back to australia? will you be reacquiring the same species? something different? break for a bit to settle?

I probably need a separate post title from this or the AFP might get onto me.

I've been thinking about this very thing of late a lot of course. When we move it will be into a rented place for a few months while we search for a place to buy and hopefully watch house prices plummet (I wish) so no birds until we get a place. Then the fun starts. I'm bring back a single aviary frame (2.4m X 2.1m X 1m) which will be all I'll have for a while as I don't think I'll be in position to rebuild for at least 12 months. So If I want to breed it will be max of 2 pair of something. As for species I'll have to consider how much free time I have and that will depend on the job - assuming I can get one! Then there's licensing. I'm free of such things here (not in theory but in practice) so I may initially give myself a break from such onerous rules and go for foreign or exempt birds and build up my live food breeding skills. Any recommendations gladly accepted.

well Greg, be sure to drop by the QFS some time. You will get loads of help, cheap seed and cheap birds (compared to pet shops etc.) Gary Fitt who is the president is the resident expert on live food, particularly maggots. He is always happy to teach. Also, there are quite a few "famous" ( I use that term with tongue firmly in cheeck lol) in and around Brisbane with lots of weird and wonderful birds - who knows, you may end up with a some wrens! Anyway, don't be a stranger!