|
|
 |  | | Cando Aviary | | Panama City Beach, Florida |
| |
| |
About the aviaries, sizes and names
I have several different living arrangements for my birds.
The cCrazy Bird House resulted from the house next door being bought for realestate investment. Until the market turns around we have no plans on doing much with the house so I figured it would make a lovely home for my finches and would give me great room to try many different type settings. My husband has been a miracle worker making my vision become reality.
The house has been split up into many different avairies and cage rooms that are described in the following catergories.
The Planted Aviary
A wired enclosed carport that has a rotation of potted plants or dried grasses and bamboo. Mostly used as an excercise flight for nonbreeding birds. Size approximately 18' x 12'.
The Finch Nook Aviary
A wired enclosed outdoor area 6' x 4'. This is where the flock of Goldbreast Waxbills live.
The Balcony Aviary
This is an area that has not yet housed birds... inhabitants coming this spring. 19' x 8' space.
The Sunroom Aviary
Pure viewing enjoyment. Has different occupants from time to time. 6' x 3' area.
West Wing Room
This is a room containing approximately 20 black cages from 30"wide x 18" deep in varying heights, 18", 36" and 55". Currently housing Red Throated Parrot Finches as they grow out.
South East Cage Room
This room
North Cage Room
This room contains 25 cages and is where I have foster Society Fiches and many young Gouldians coloring out.
The Breeding Building
Here is what has been happening!
October 2009
Lady Gouldians are in different stages. Some are finishing up their yearly moults. Feathers are everywhere in the room. Some are on eggs and some have chicks. Just had my 5th Blue Chick fledge.
I am finishing up handfeeding a clutch of 4 that were abandonned. Also the societies are raising a clutch of 5. New birds that I had bought from a military couple that were relocating were on eggs. The Owers kept the eggs but the pairs were in breeding mode. They layed and incubated but tossed the chicks upon hatching. They are either bad parents or are having a difficult time adjusting. I wasn't able to get concrete information about their history. One pair are sitting on eggs again so hopefully they will raise these.
I have seperated the chicks into 15 holding flights/cages. They are in many different stages of moult. I have 45 chicks from the late spring/summer season. I have Red heads, Orange Heads, Black Heads with Purple or Lilac Breast. Body colors in Green, Yellow, Blues and Dilutes.
These youngsters have big appetites.
The red Throat Parrot Finches have settled in this past year. The Years offspring is 13 so far from 3 different bloodlines.
In the Finch Nook Aviary the Goldbreast Waxbills are still actively breeding. I enclosed the outdoor aviary in heavy plastic for the winter and they are still in there. I will move some to the indoor facilities once the nest are empty of chicks.
Zebras are now in the Planted Aviary. I have not bred but a few pairs this summerhich I will retain for nest years breeding and who will be offered for sale. Please contact me if interested in some wonderful birds.
Red Throated Parrot Finches I have one pair that are raising 3 chicks. They are about 12 days old. I have set up 2 other pairs and increased the protein level of their diet. The nest are hung and they .
Society Finches are new on the seen. I bought them back in August for possible future fosters. I had a couple of pair of gouldians toss and was handfeeding. I had good success but thought societies would be a good bird to have on hand for future needs when I may not be able to suppliment feed. I have had them raise a few gouldians and they have proven to be clear of some pathogens that they may carry without illness but once exposed to gouldins prove deadly to the gouldian chicks. This line of Societies are clear/clean and I have 6 offsprings from them, 4 of the chicks are crested. These will serve as future fosters or for sell to people desiring clean foster birds.
Scarlet Chested Grasskeets had the nest boxes pulled earlier due to early moulting. I will rehang and try breeding indoors over the winter.
November 2009
Never seems to be a dull moment around birds.
In the Rose Aviary, the 3 Parrot Finches have fledged. Two seagreed red throats and one normal colored red throat. Parents are on eggs again... 3rd clutch. I will be removing the 3 young from the aviary soon so they will not interfere with the incubation of the new clutch. I have another pair that has laid 3 eggs but has not started to incubate. The third oair I have set up had many infertile eggs. I have cleared those and they have just been playing with the cocofiber and nest. No new eggs.
The 4 pair of red headed gouldians in the Pine Tree Aviary are busy colony breeding. Chicks in the nest from a few days old to 2 weeks.
In the gouldian building I also have many pairs with chicks. 4 new blue goulds were born a week ago and some pairs that have yet to ever breed are with chicks or sitting on eggs. Not peeking too much as the new timers sometimes are flighty.
In the Breeding Building a pair of red heads that I had bought from a military couple that were stationed to England had bred but tossed the chicks. They were the ones I was handfeeding last month. They are now weaned and doing great... Anyway, this pair had a clutch of 5 and tossed one. I fed the young chick and lipped it back under the parents and they did not retoss. They have 5 beautiful soon to fledge chicks.
Societies finished raising their 2nd clutch and some tossed gouldin chicks.
In the Finch Nook Aviary the Goldbreast had a couple of late chicks emerge from the nest in the outside aviary. I didn't even realize they were still actively feeding. I was still supplying eggfood but not much was being consumed.
Put in a large order for bird seed, eggfoods, greens, pellets, fruits, nuts, etc. 500+ pounds. So I have been busy repackaging and stocking the freezer. I am set for the winter...like a bear storing food.
It that time of the year to be thankful. And that I am. God is so good. I am so thankful for my walk with his Son, Jesus Christ.
I wish all a very Happy Thankgiving.
December 2009
Wow, another month gone by...another year.......
The Rose Aviary has since had the 3 beautiful Parrot Finch offsprings removed to their own individual grow out cages. The parents are now feeding a new clutch of 5 parrot finch chicks. They are sonn to fledge in a week or so.
In the PineTree Aviary I have had 1 gouldian chick fledge and 4 more ready to... 3 nest with incubating pairs.
In the Finch Nook....still having late Goldbreast fledglings...did loose two youngsters.Parents just quit feeding. These little guys starve so quickly without supplimentation. By the time I realized they were not being fed... they were too weak to save.
Societies have nine new chicks!!! I will be seperating them all by the sexes.... a population explosion. I will have proven clear fosters for fostering other species for sale. Clear means they are not carriers of certain diseases that can be passed on and deadly to gouldian chicks.
The gouldian Breeding Building is very busy. Just removed and banded a total of 15 chicks from 4 pairs from their parents cages to grow out in 2 flight cages. I have nest with 9 chicks presently and 5 nest with hens incubating eggs. So this Breeding Building will stay busy for the months to come.
My Scarlett Chested Grasskeet has been going in and out of the nest box. Today she laid an egg on the floor of the cage. It broke. Hopefully they will figure get it right. This is the first time breeding for the pairs so they are inexperienced.
All is well with the Birds. All is well with my soul. Christmas is upon us and I give God all the glory. His gracious gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, Is the greatest gift anyone could ever receive. May you all open your gift of everlasting life and rejoice in the birth of our Savior.
Merry Christmas.
January 2010
Wow, a new year. And what a blessed year it was.Taking inventory/head count, I have had 92 gouldians chicks born,11 red throat chicks born ,and several goldbreast, zebras and societies this past year..
Many gouldian pairs are on nest or with chicks early in the new year of 2010 and I hope I have the health and survival rate of last year.
I have red throats also on nest but all of the other finches are in resting mode. I do have some scarlet chested grasskeets finally on eggs and am hoping to finally get some chicks.
I went to a larger bird fair in Orlando a couple of weeks ago and met many fellow birders. I brought 3 beautiful blue goulian cicks home to introduce to my breeding stock. They are still in quarentine and are just something.
I am now gearing up to go to my first fair ever in Pensacola, FL on the 27 & 28 of February. I am very excited and hope all goes well. Been busy printing up care sheets, ordering new cages for transport, making reservations, etc. Hope to see lots of finchers there.
February 2010
Where did February go???? Flew by. I started closed banding this year and have banded 41 gouldians and 7 parrot finches so far. I have some itty bitty in the nest too.
I bought out a breeder that was retiring, 37 new gouldians came to live at Cando Aviary. Many silvers, blues and some really nice lilac breast. Some normals and dilutes too. They will be a great new source of bloodlines and now to breed for silvers and blues..... It will be great fun learning even more of these genetic mutations this marvelous little bird has to offer. Well forward March.
March 2010
Warm weather and I am getting spring fever. Some cleaning out of the aviaries. I sold many of my zebra finches. I have maybe 8 left. Set up a new breeding room for newly aquired and out of quarentine birds. Have just set them up as of the 1st of March and already 2 pairs on eggs. Most of the breeders that bred over winter in the gouldian building are finishing up thier 2nd and 3rd clutches. They are being seperated for a rest... and relaxation in the sun. Though some of my birds are just now showing an interest in breeding. Some of my last year chicks that are approaching thier first hatch day.
The goldbreast have started to breed with the warmer days..... it is know the middle of March, daylight savings time tonight... that makes me happy.... more daylight to enjoy the birds.
April 2010
Spring has sprung! Spring cleaning and garden planting have taken most of my time these days...not to mention the new gouldian chicks. The group I bought from the breeder in February are out of quarentine and some are set up with new partners. Many on eggs already and two pair with chicks in the nest. I have more chicks in the Pine Tree aviary where the RH normals are colony breeding. One I am handfeeding and 2 were lost. The Dad seems to be more interested in building a new nest and breeding some more instead of finishing feeding his young. If the chicks can leave the nest and fly some he will continue to feed but if they are too young they leave the nest out of hunger to be ignored by their parents. I am handfeeding these orphaned ones. I don't care for the colony breeding and as soon as this last clutch fledges, I will remove the pairs. I will cage breed gouldians in the future, though I find the parrot finches and goldbreast do best in large aviaries.
I have many juvieniles that I am hoping finish their moult soon. I plan to go to the Bird Fair in Tallahassww mid May. If they are not ready then I will try again in August.
|
|
|
|  |
|
|
