Aussie Finch Forum

Just wanted to update that my Scarlet-chested Parrots are on at least 4 eggs, but when I peeked in the female was in there too, so I assume she was covering up more. Also my Painted Finches have built a nest in a little bird house I put up for decoration, not nesting, but oh well, they're breeding! These are my first birds breeding, rather very excited. Just a few questions... When should I ring the birds? Before or after they fledge. And I will have more questions I assume soon.

You can tell spring has come! The Figbirds at school are back (they only come in Summer), birds are breeding and I'm wearing shorts and a T-Shirt (Very odd for me, I generally much rather Black Skinny Jeans).

Going out tomorrow during the Teachers strike and brushing up the aviary a lot more, I hope that that will encourage a few more to build a nest, or more, use the nesting baskets when they're more hidden in brush!

Very exciting for you Nathan!
Try to avoid disturbing/peeking into the painted's nest too much, and be especially careful while you're adding brush to the aviary. Scarlets are usually okay with you checking their box every few days. Why do you need to ring them? I never ring any of my finches whilst in the nest and if I need to ring them I always wait until I catch them up to put in a holding cage.

Ahh, that sounds good, won't need to ring them untill I sell them, so I'll do it as I catch them!

When you say be careful putting brush in, what do you mean by that? Just avoid bumping the nest while I put it in?

I wouldn't put any new brush up near the painted nest. Best to leave them as they are as much as possible. And if they leave the nest while your in the aviary I'd get out quick and wait for another day. I've been wanting to add brush to one of my aviaries for ages but there are a few nests so I've just left it alone. Mine are stars and plumheads who can desert if they think you've even seen the nest - painteds are much more tolerant, but best to be careful.

I wouldn't be doing too much other than feed and water while you have birds on the nest. The brushing could wait for a week or two...couldn't it?

When I had more than one pair of a species in an aviary I used to band a couple of days after they fledged just in case another pair of the same species had young fledging at the same time, plus a few days after they fledge they don't fly as well so are easier to catch.
Now that I only have 1 pair of different species in each aviary I can leave it a bit longer, but not too long other wise they get too fast and wily and it stressed the birds and me trying to catch them.

I like to put rings on my breeding pairs so I can tell the difference between my keepers and the young. The only young birds that I put rings on are my canaries so I can tell the difference between blood lines and only do this when they feed themselves and are removed from where their parents are. After breeding season when all the birds are placed back into the aviery is when I ring the young finches this is due to all the flights are opened so all birds have access to all flights.

Its realy kinda annoying for me as everytime i want to catch a bird or add something somneones always sitting or building. Always seems to be bad timing.

BENSONSAN wrote:Its realy kinda annoying for me as everytime i want to catch a bird or add something somneones always sitting or building. Always seems to be bad timing.

Probably why most breeders only run a couple of pair per avairy....

Okay; My Scarlet-chested eggs are due to hatch on Friday and the Painteds are due to hatch not tomorrow Monday, but the Monday after. My conundrum is that I don't want to put brush in the aviary untill the painteds have fledged. But, the Cordon Bleus are beginning to build their nest (Or so I assume, as they're putting grass in a cane basket and the like), but the place which they're building a nest is no where near private enough for them to not desert it (I know that they are very finicky when it comes to nest inspections and you shouldn't even go close to their nest). The only way to make the nest private enough for them is to brush up where their nest is, but it's within a meter or so of the Painted Finch nest, which I wish not to disturb. Should I wait untill the Painteds hatch, and then are the parents more devoted and put brush in then? Or what?

Damn bird nests... xD

If the Cordons are building in the cane basket, then I'd say they feel it is private enough. I would discourage you from altering/adding anything near either nest. And Nathan, are you feeding livefood? For the cordons this will be pretty much essential.