Aussie Finch Forum

I get the Australian Bird Keeper Magazine, and I see a lot of articles where they talked about breeding large parrots, and conures ect. They also showed pictures of the place where they breed the birds, practically there is just rows and rows of cages, with a perch or two at the end, and maybe a toy or two, as well as a nest box.

As well as breeding finches in tiny cabinets… I don't know, it just gives me the shivers. I am against factory farming, as in sow stalls, battery hens, ect, but isn't this sort of the same? Does anyone else have a problem with keeping and breeding birds like this?

Yes be it feed lots for cows or birds bred in tiny cages I think most people are appalled by it ...sadly there is and always will be a percentage of greedy people who are only in it for the $$$$ .
What I hope is that for every greedy animal breeding factory there is at least one person willing to stand up for the animals ..even a letter to the RSPCA can get the ball rolling and have inspectors at their door hopefully with enough evidence to close them down .
The thing that annoys me even more than animal factories is people who stick their heads in the ground and pretend it doesn't happen.

It does happen , it happens a lot .

Its just I don't agree with keeping one pair of birds (finches ect) in tiny breeding cabinets! These are little active birds, and I know many people want to 'mix colours' but aren't you able to keep them together for a week or two, then realise them into a larger aviary, where they can socialise but can be bonded?

Note ....I doubt ABK would be publishing photos of birds kept in less than ideal situations . Some of the suspended aviaries used for parrots do look small however are supposed to be ideal for the bigger parrots .

Myself I dont like them but the powers that be deem them suitable .Who knows on one hand the birds do breed so that makes you think they are happy on the other hand ...I dont know ???

This is one of those controversial topics , right up there with wing clipping , pellets , hybrids BLAH BLAH ....


Also like most parrot breeders I have 1 pair per aviary ..its just how it is with parrots that want to kill each other .

I also have 1 pair of finches in a cabinet ...different strokes for different folks .


Only other thing I can say is good on you for being so passionate about animal welfare . If every one was like you maybe there would be no more animal cruelty .

Hi teg, lets say I do agree and don't at the same time. Yes factory breeding of birds isn't the best way to breed alot of birds but unfortunately if there's a high demand on a certain product (birds in this case) people will jump on the money train to make a quick buck and in most cases the birds welfare isn't considered. As for keeping finches in cabinets this could he a huge debate. I myself do keep birds in cabinets, I have multiple canaries in breeding cages through the breeding season this is and has been done form many years and I have not seen any Canary that has been sick or injured due to the environment. This also allows me to pair off canaries so I don't have inbred birds and doesn't allow cocks to fight over hens. As for finches alot of people that breed more aggressive types such as bloods and Cubans only to name a couple will place young in cabinets/holding aviery to stop parents (mainly dad) from killing their young. As for breeding mutations alot of gouldian breeders will breed them in cabinets to make sure that they know who the parents are due to they don't bond very much and in a large colony you don't really know who the father is. During off breeding time all my birds are released into the aviery except my Cuban young as dad has killed before I don't want to risk any injured birds. Sorry to say but in a perfect world there would be no caged animals at all but this world isn't perfect so cabinet breeding will continue but just remember that most bird keepers have the birds best intrest in mind and will stop cabinet breeding/holding if they see that the birds are in distress.

Interesting topic.
I tend to dissagree in general with the argument. I think there is a lot more that can be used to judge whether or not a breeder should be sterio typed as being a 'mill'.
Eg, people who pull eggs to incubate and increase turn over never allowing chicks any interaction with parents. Pulling chicks and never letting parents raise chicks right through, which may cause frustration issues. People who overlook hygeine or cleanliness of housing. breeders who think they don't have issues with mice etc but have half inch wire down to the ground with no barriers, let alone a decent rat wall under ground. Aren't these people dis regarding certain aspects which are vital for a birds mental and physical well being?
I breed my parrots in a pair per flight scenario to avoid agression. Some of my parrots are, in the wild, colony breeders but I am unable to offer this to them. I have limited space which needs to be taken into account. My flights are average in size, huge by some standards and small by others. I tried to find a medium so I am able to keep enough pairs to prevent in breeding for the betterment of the species. IMO this is more important than having the largest flight.
I feed pellets as the main source of food. This ensures that the birds get all the vitamins that they require without me stuffing up. Is this detrimental, even though they get their fresh extras every morning which I constantly vary to provide stimulation?

Some of these larger breeders who live off what started out as a hobby aren't rolling in cash and careless in terms of the birds health and well being. Taking care of that amount of birds takes up so much time. I have a minimal amount of birds and on a good morning it still takes me up to an hour to get everything sorted.

Next season I intend to breed my lovebirds, a colony bird, in individual cages. Why? Because I want to know the parentage of chicks to prevent in breeding. I want to breed slectively so I can breed true to type. I want to maintain a line of pure (no mutant traits) of a species, I want to build up so strong albino's.

My point is you can't use some of the things that have been stated above to generalise breeders as 'mills' or not having the bird's interest at heart. It is narrow minded. Everyone has there own hurdles to overcome, whether it be money, time space, limited access to species/mutations etc. Others have their own goals; a certain mutation, no mutations, no in breeding, building up a foreign species, purifying a tainted species etc. Some people have turned their hobby into a living. Good on them, it's a huge job and I for one don't envy being tied down to my hobby.

Don't judge people by your own agendas or idealistic views.

Yea i agree bleeding green. Theres so many variables! Hey hows all your birds going? Hope your dad is well and say hi for me. Hoping to have lotsa baby Red faced parrot finches this season. Theyve started this last week and the cock is madly chasing the hen around. Just hope these cold snaps go away!!

Ben

Hey benson. My birds are doing OK. Had a mixed season from the lovebirds. Plenty of young to pick from for next year but had a couple of pairs really play around after their first nest. The RFPF haven't kicked into gear yet. One pair is sitting on eggs but not sure how long they have been there. They build their nest so tight I pretty much need to destroy to get a look in so I just leave them alone.
Today I had my first canaries hatch which was exciting. Hopefully she feeds them. I only have the one pair and they are in the aviary. Really only only have them for the whistle, so if I get young it's just a bonus.
And nothing from the conures yet. 3 pairs and none of them seem interested at all, although all of them to frequent their nest boxes.

What about yourself?

Yea bred a few painteds again but thats it. Got longtail young a few months ago aswell but yea thats not recent. Also a few failed red cheek cordon nests. Only got it rite once so far with them. But having said that i bred the lovebirds straight away. Have had two sucesful clutches of 3 young since ive had them so thats good.

Your dad been having much success? Hopefuly i have a good spring but i will keep you posted. Also those redfaced have been great have not had a drama there realy solid little birds have become super tame also. They eat like pigs tho jeez first to everything.