ShadowGhost

I'm looking to build an aviary when my house is finished, and I have some requirements that pretty much rule out the Absco aviaries common to bunnings and the like, such as a roof that is taller than me, a door that is taller than me, and an airlock. Now, last time I had an aviary my father built it from treated pine. I don't think I need to tell anyone how that worked out. I know better now, but only so much as not to use woods treated with arsenic or other such deadly chemicals. So what is a good wood (some kind of hardwood?) and if needed, a type of sealer or treatment, given that I know the budgies will chew on it. I had considered metal, but I don't know anything about working with metal posts or anything.

Great info. Thanks guys. I put the nest box back in after 5 days or so but I don't have any bark just yet. It's not looking like they're doing much though so I'll probably shut it down in another week and put them back in the flight cage until after I'm in the new house in May.

My experience: I expect to see some kind of action within a week (and usually it happens). If it doesn't I put them back in the flights and put in a different pair. I select birds to put down in cabinets to breed when they are in top breeding readiness. I can't afford to put birds in a cabinet and wait for them to come into condition. In fact I think it's detrimental to leave birds for weeks or months in a cabinet waiting for something to happen. I like them to be in a breeding cage the absolute minimum because I like them to be able to fly and forage. When you release a dud pair to the flight after they have been boxed up for a week they have got to know each other and that often means they will go straight to breeding together when you try them a month or two later. How do I know if they are interested? I load the nest boxes with clean litter such as eucalyptus bark. As soon as you see the litter dragged out onto the floor you know you have a goer. It also replicates natural conditions somewhat in that the hen has to excavate a breeding space, just as might occur in a native tree. Some hens clean out the box with surgical skill, others chew the some of the bark into crumbs which makes a natural aerated bedding. Good info jaz. It sounds like you breed them for sale? I agree that its not fair to keep them in a small cage until something happens, I'm somewhat lucky in that my "breeding" cage is larger than the average breeding cabinet. I am trying a couple of the suggestions here and if it doesn't happen in a week or two I'll put them back in the flight cage. I'll be moving about the middle of April so I don't want barely hatched chicks at that point, I either need them fully hatched and in the flight cage or not at all. I do like your bark suggestion, I will have to give that a go!

We were told the same thing in relation to Gouldian finches, so we did. It ended it fights and the males pecking at the females, and the dominant male attacking the other male. They seem to co-habitate reasonably well at the moment, but they sure as heck aren't breeding. We learnt the hard way on that one.

No offense taken. Shadow is definitely a hen, but I guess there is always that chance that Egg is a hen too. From everything I've read Egg appears to be a male, in that he has a sort of purplish cere. I know he's not under 4 months old too!

Nice to know. I got home and took the nest box out, looked inside and find quite a few white body feathers (the hen is a white DF spangle (I believe)) inside. I guess she must have been in there at some point, so I've left it in for now. I know they "like" each other, they always sit together and do the kissy thing and follow one another around the cage. Sounds like I have a few things to try before giving up just yet

Thanks Kaz, I'll give that a try when I get home

No sign of any change in behaviour. I tried removing the cock in the morning and then puting him back in in the evening for 4 days in a row but nothing changed. I guess these two don't want to breed!

They're right outside the front door, which is right on our living area, and our front door is usually open (its QLD after all!). We were lax because its never happened to us. I suspect it happened on dusk when it got a bit darker either just before I got home from work or just after I went back out to the shop for 10 mins. We do have a close door policy when neither of us are home though, but now we will also be closing it whenever we're not in a position to monitor it. They wont be taking off with a cage when the door is shut!! We have a balcony on top of the garage that isn't accessible from the front, so if I could find a way to protect them from wind and rain I'd probably put them up there instead.

It's something to consider definitely. I just my house was almost finished rather than just being started (for more reasons than one!). It makes me angry too, makes me want to put video surveilance there and when I find who's doing it, well... we wont go there just yet! It's not just that they were mean to me, but they were mean to the bird as well. Their narrowmindedness could have killed him, cutting him off from shelter, food, water and protection from predators. They are guilty of animal cruelty if you ask me.

Thanks Liv, I feel very lucky, though it was a sickening feeling to see your budgie walking on the driveway from upstairs. I know it wasn't the kids this time (like it was with Cookie the Explorer), the cage is up too high for them to reach, so it was definitely an adult. It'd be nice to lock the cages, but my big cage has 12 doors, not to mention all the doors on the other 3 cages...

I live in 1 of 8 townhouses along a purpose built common driveway. There is stuff all room in the back "courtyard", so my birds are at the front of the garage looking out onto the driveway with the garage door open during the day for sun. This hasn't been a problem for the last 6 months, with the majority of our neighbours stopping to say hello to the birds on their way past. All is well. This morning I am upstairs and my partner says to me "That's a pretty sounding bird" to which I replied "that's a budgie", but it's not mine because the garage isn't open yet, and while you can hear them from upstairs, there is a distinct muffled sound because they're enclosed, but this bird is loud and clear. So we look out the window thinking maybe someone has lost a budgie, and to my horror I see a white budgie walking across the driveway in front of my house. Well I instantly know its mine (I have 3 white ones) and its at my place... so I rush downstairs and outside, it jumps into the bushes rather than flying away. Upon closer inspection it is my new bird, White Eye, with the violet rump patch. After a minute or so of coaxing him I'm able to put my hand on him and pick him up (I have been thinking he was handled a lot as a chick, and I think this proves me right, as his wings are not clipped and he didn't fly away from me, though he did a little runner). So now I think, okay, how the heck did you get out of a closed garage, so I go open the garage and find to my horror that the feed door peg has been removed and clamped 2 rails across (no, a budgie can't do that!) and the cage door is stuck open high (a gap of about 10cm). I don't think a single budgie could do that on its own, it would have escaped long before getting the door that high. So that leaves only one option, someone, the day before, has come past and let him out. Being young and half tame, he thankfully hasn't gone far and has hung around. Now, we have some new neighbours of an... "in your face" religion who came knocking yesterday. I'm not laying blame, but my experience with these types has rarely been good. Thankfully, I have my bird back, but now I'm paranoid that someone is going to try again.

Don't want to rain on your parade, I love eastern rosellas too, but you may need a license to keep one. The person selling it to you should have one if they are required in VIC (and it appears so as they don't appear on VIC DSE's list of birds you don't need a license for). http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/CA256F310024B628...axa+-+Basic.pdf You need a license for all Rosellas except the Western (standard red, or soup rosella).

That sounds like it pretty much. They're sleeping on the swing together at least

Not concerned, more just interested to know what other peoples experience is. I can't really expect anything after 3 days, but I like to know things...

I have no reason to believe they aren't after reading the FAQs. Summer months are no different in QLD than winter.

okay, is there some kind of known "average" amount of time after a pair are introduced to a cage that they might start to inspect it, even out of curiosity? My pair seem to be bonded, or at least friends (they've been in the other cage together for 6 months), and they follow each other around the breeding cage, but I haven't seen any sign of them checking out the nesting box. Its only been 3 days so I'm not expecting miracles, but it made me ponder if there is some average amount of time that passes before the birds start getting curious, or whether I should start thinking about removing the cock for a day.

I have to agree with KAZ 100% here. Is it possible that cinnamon on grey looks kind of reddish? Maybe he gave it that "bird feather colour enhancer" that claims to "enhance the red colour in budgies, canaries and finches".

nice, thanks.

I apologise for the photo, it didn't come out anywhere near as good as I would have liked. The hen is not albino, my best guess on her is DF spangle (totally white, iris rings, silver cheek patches). The male I believe is a recessive pied (has a plum colour cere, bright orange beak, pink feet, no iris rings).

LOL! I've seen budgies do some pretty silly stuff, and I know its not the half of what they can do. As an interesting side here, what kind of chicks would that pair likely produce?

You're right. I just went and checked him, on his right side he only has 6 flights (missing outermost, and 3 inner most). He has 9 on his left side (missing the innermost). I don't know how that happened, I was sure he had grown them all back after the horrendous hair cut given to him by the store girl when I bought him. I realise they should have them all for breeding, but it certainly didn't stop him powering around the house this afternoon!

That's good to know... they're in the garage at the moment, which is open during the day for them but snug at night, and they can see the other birds in the big cage as well.That's a good point Neat, I'll have to keep that in mind for the future. If these two are successful, depending on the mutations they make, I may be tempted to switch it out for the new bird I got (but he's only 4ish months old, so thats not gonna be for a while). And here they are. Egg & Shadow. http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm164/k...11222008124.jpg

Well, its getting to that stage. I have a few budgies bordering on 12 months old and I'm starting to think how I'm going to set their cage up for breeding, and I was just wondering whether I should cover 3 sides and leave the top open, or if it doesn't matter? Also, does it matter if they are in site / earshot of the aviary birds?

Oh By The Way, collecting budgies is addictive and may contain traces of nuts.