Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2005 10:19 pm Post subject: Looking for more birds / Advice
Hey, as i bought an aviary i want to put just a couple more birds in it, has anyone got anything going to a good home or any advice on what to put in it...
At the moment im putting 2 kaks (M & F) and 2 budgies (male) into the aviary but i want to put two more 'small parrots' into the aviary...
I was thinking of a pair of lovebirds as i think they look nice but wasn't sure on companion ship with kakarikis...
Any Advice..
(For going to a good home... england only please...thanks)
Dont be fooled by the name Love Birds...they are not very well suited to mixed aviaries.
U would be far better off with something like Burkes
Do not over crowd your aviary
This creates stress, not just for your birds but you u to...an aviary should be a happy enviroment to sit down with a good cuppa coffee and watch with interest and humour.
Over crowding also creates a four lettered word....Work...water has to be changed, extra feed trays, cleaning floors etc more often
A mixed aviary with say 'tiels budgies etc can be rather uninteresting as they just sit their...on the other hand a flight with just kakariki 3 or 4 as a community (without nesting boxes) one can watch for hrs..Kakariki are on the go from dawn to dusk, playing, swimming, climbing.
Throw a table tennis ball, a sheet of newspaper, or even a old shoe...it will goive u and them entertainment for hrs/days.
Even the chicken carcass from last nights dinner (3 or 4 remove at the end of the Day 15 kakariki it will all but disappear
I know it is tempting and thought of having mixed avairies would look good. (been there done that) A flight with just a flock of Kakariki looks impressive, even visitors tend to watch these flights and spead little time in front of the mixed flights.
We have 2 flights with just kakariki in now 1 with 7 the other with 15, these are the most rewarding bird communities to watch and interact from inside we have ever encounted. (Other posts describe these, pics in gallery)
There are 3 other mixed flights with kakariki and kings/ crimsons/burkes/finches
We very rarely sit and watch these now unless we suspect something is up. _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
We have a couple small quail in the bottom of each of our flights
Yep they tend to clean up any left over veggies, get on well with kakariki.
Also, if u find them perched up high, even next to a kakariki, it is a sure sign u have mice.
Never had a conflict other than arguing ove a piece of food, and that is rather humourous rather than stress.
They will nest along with kakariki nesting....ours will only nest in the flights that dont have a full roof, and grasses...they only nest under these.
At the base of the aiary have a kickboard at least 250mm high other wise the baby quail chicks will go thru the mesh.
Dont use shallow water dishes on the ground, the quail chicks have a habit of drowning....keep it 3 inches off the ground or use high sided water troughs.
We use pumice sand on concret for the base of aviaries, in a cnr also have a pile about 1/2 inch deep, they love dust baths.
They are like miniture hens....if u have ever kept a few hens for fresh eggs u will know what I mean.
I have also heard..not seen..of ppl having guinea pig and bantum hens to clean up _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
I have breeding colonies of Fischer lovebirds (18) and peach faced lovebirds (22). The previous owner of the peach faced said he bought four lutino peach faced and the existing love birds killed all the newcomer within a day.
I put two tame hand reared lovebirds into an aviary with a pair of cockatiels and a pair of redrumps. There were loads of extra nest boxes. The fischers killed the cockatiels babies (I removed the fischers) and two weeks later, the cockatiels killed the red rumps babies.
Female budgies can also turn nasty and kill babies in other nests.
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