Comments on: Six Months of Philippine Bird Keeping http://www.finchme.com/2008/02/18/six-months-of-philippine-bird-keeping/ Your Philippine Online Guide to Everything Finch Thu, 20 Nov 2008 08:52:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Greg http://www.finchme.com/2008/02/18/six-months-of-philippine-bird-keeping/#comment-485 Greg Wed, 15 Oct 2008 00:35:59 +0000 http://www.finchme.com/2008/02/18/six-months-of-philippine-bird-keeping/#comment-485 Just an observation to update some information on this post about overcrowding and mixed collections. The zebra that paired up with a female shaft-tail separated so I wasn't getting any more hybrid eggs but now the reverse has occurred with a twist. I thought after seeing a shaft-tail build and sit on a nest that I was at last going to get young but I was disappoinded when the young fledged last week to see that they were all zebra finches. The shaft-tail continues to feed the young but I do have to get a new aviary or get rid of the zebras. Just an observation to update some information on this post about overcrowding and mixed collections. The zebra that paired up with a female shaft-tail separated so I wasn’t getting any more hybrid eggs but now the reverse has occurred with a twist. I thought after seeing a shaft-tail build and sit on a nest that I was at last going to get young but I was disappoinded when the young fledged last week to see that they were all zebra finches. The shaft-tail continues to feed the young but I do have to get a new aviary or get rid of the zebras.

]]> By: Greg http://www.finchme.com/2008/02/18/six-months-of-philippine-bird-keeping/#comment-341 Greg Fri, 29 Feb 2008 08:48:54 +0000 http://www.finchme.com/2008/02/18/six-months-of-philippine-bird-keeping/#comment-341 Hi Jamal. I've got my new cage installed last week but there are so many birds on nests or with young that I don't want to disturb them by going in and netting the excess. I want to keep the finches, so the only one I may sell would be related diamond doves(I can guarantee that they are easy to breed). Just an update on the Stars I noticed that a hatched egg-shell appeared outside their nest two days ago but since then they have started to construct another nest immediately below their old one. I take it that their third nest has perished soon after hatching (I didn't look this time) so I suspect that I need to get a new pair or break the old pair up and try with new partners as they don't seem to feed their newly hatched brood. Hi Jamal. I’ve got my new cage installed last week but there are so many birds on nests or with young that I don’t want to disturb them by going in and netting the excess. I want to keep the finches, so the only one I may sell would be related diamond doves(I can guarantee that they are easy to breed).

Just an update on the Stars I noticed that a hatched egg-shell appeared outside their nest two days ago but since then they have started to construct another nest immediately below their old one. I take it that their third nest has perished soon after hatching (I didn’t look this time) so I suspect that I need to get a new pair or break the old pair up and try with new partners as they don’t seem to feed their newly hatched brood.

]]> By: Birds http://www.finchme.com/2008/02/18/six-months-of-philippine-bird-keeping/#comment-340 Birds Fri, 29 Feb 2008 07:00:38 +0000 http://www.finchme.com/2008/02/18/six-months-of-philippine-bird-keeping/#comment-340 HI Greg! I'm pretty interested, are you selling this kind of pet? You got me interested to raise a few after reading this post, Thanks for the very useful tips! -Jamal HI Greg!

I’m pretty interested, are you selling this kind of pet? You got me interested to raise a few after reading this post, Thanks for the very useful tips!

-Jamal

]]> By: Greg http://www.finchme.com/2008/02/18/six-months-of-philippine-bird-keeping/#comment-335 Greg Mon, 18 Feb 2008 16:10:11 +0000 http://www.finchme.com/2008/02/18/six-months-of-philippine-bird-keeping/#comment-335 Hi Rommel. I can't comment on degree of exposure for your cages specifically but in general I have been surprised that most breeding set-ups here are in cages open on all sides. I haven't kept birds in the tropics so I don't know if it's necessary to get air movement to prevent mold or cool the birds. Bird rooms in temperate regions are usually in wire fronted cabinets and this is so the birds aren't left exposed and can retreat from the front. Finches aren't parrots and don't really tame or get comfortable with people close to them so I think a place to shelter or retreat to is essential. Shelter is important too, even the largest outdoor aviaries have a dry shelter for the feeding stations and the the nesting areas - although ocasionally a pair will choose to build in bushes in the flight area. I don't know if there's any science in it but usually the sheltered part of an outdoor finch aviary is 1/3 to 1/2 of it's length but the trend is increasing to enclose even more in colder regions. Here we don't have to worry about cold but typhoons. My aviary is a post-Milenyo structure so I don't know if it will withstand winds like that but it is improrant to protect your birds from them. Wire mesh provides less wind resistance than solid walls so if you build an aviary you can't skimp too much on the frame. My fist aviary here re used an existing plant shade house so I didn't have to pay the full cost of the steel and that cost is what has stopped me getting my modular aviary. If you do have a single mixed display cage remember that you will have to make decision as to what Zebra finch mutation you want as you won't be able to keep the types pure. I enjoy my aviary but as I pointed out in the article there are management issues that you can only manage by getting more cages or less birds. For me, the former is a better option. Hi Rommel. I can’t comment on degree of exposure for your cages specifically but in general I have been surprised that most breeding set-ups here are in cages open on all sides. I haven’t kept birds in the tropics so I don’t know if it’s necessary to get air movement to prevent mold or cool the birds. Bird rooms in temperate regions are usually in wire fronted cabinets and this is so the birds aren’t left exposed and can retreat from the front. Finches aren’t parrots and don’t really tame or get comfortable with people close to them so I think a place to shelter or retreat to is essential. Shelter is important too, even the largest outdoor aviaries have a dry shelter for the feeding stations and the the nesting areas - although ocasionally a pair will choose to build in bushes in the flight area. I don’t know if there’s any science in it but usually the sheltered part of an outdoor finch aviary is 1/3 to 1/2 of it’s length but the trend is increasing to enclose even more in colder regions. Here we don’t have to worry about cold but typhoons. My aviary is a post-Milenyo structure so I don’t know if it will withstand winds like that but it is improrant to protect your birds from them. Wire mesh provides less wind resistance than solid walls so if you build an aviary you can’t skimp too much on the frame. My fist aviary here re used an existing plant shade house so I didn’t have to pay the full cost of the steel and that cost is what has stopped me getting my modular aviary.

If you do have a single mixed display cage remember that you will have to make decision as to what Zebra finch mutation you want as you won’t be able to keep the types pure. I enjoy my aviary but as I pointed out in the article there are management issues that you can only manage by getting more cages or less birds. For me, the former is a better option.

]]> By: seonadancing http://www.finchme.com/2008/02/18/six-months-of-philippine-bird-keeping/#comment-334 seonadancing Mon, 18 Feb 2008 13:35:15 +0000 http://www.finchme.com/2008/02/18/six-months-of-philippine-bird-keeping/#comment-334 Speaking of ideal set up. It's nice to have all that space for the birds to fly around. I'd go with the bank of five and separate the birds. Great set up! Speaking of ideal set up. It’s nice to have all that space for the birds to fly around. I’d go with the bank of five and separate the birds. Great set up!

]]> By: Gsas http://www.finchme.com/2008/02/18/six-months-of-philippine-bird-keeping/#comment-333 Gsas Mon, 18 Feb 2008 11:41:39 +0000 http://www.finchme.com/2008/02/18/six-months-of-philippine-bird-keeping/#comment-333 wow greg. wish i had your space, money, and knowledge in breeding. This is one heck of an article. thanks for sharing. your 4 X 2.5 X 2.2m cage setup is amazing. i'm planning to do the same but i think our current house location won't allow it because of the wind draft. Even now when my cages are shielded on two sides, I feel like my birds need a more enclosed space, because the wind here in Batangas is just really strong. Do you have any suggestions? wow greg. wish i had your space, money, and knowledge in breeding. This is one heck of an article. thanks for sharing.

your 4 X 2.5 X 2.2m cage setup is amazing. i’m planning to do the same but i think our current house location won’t allow it because of the wind draft. Even now when my cages are shielded on two sides, I feel like my birds need a more enclosed space, because the wind here in Batangas is just really strong. Do you have any suggestions?

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