Housing
My small garden only allows
space for small aviaries. Even so, I still prefer aviaries to breeding cages. I
know that some breeders get good results from breeding splendids in cages as
small as 3 foot long, but then so do farmers who use battery-farming
techniques! Splendids like to fly and fly fast! If cages are used for breeding,
it is essential to have a flight where the chicks can have space to develop and
grow up strong.
It should be noted, that in
comparison to other grass parakeets, splendids are very tolerable of each other
and other birds, however it is not advisable to breed more than one pair per
aviary/cage.
Grass parakeets are relatively
tough little birds and are accustomed to the cold dry Australian nights,
however they are not tolerant to the damp and draughty conditions that are more
typical of British Winters (and Summers). Be warned, Splendids are probably
more susceptible to damp and draughts than any of the other grass parakeets.
For this reason my aviaries have a number of features that afford the birds
some protection, such as perspex frame panels, that can be attached to the
flight mesh during the colder months.
I use Hawthorn branches for
perching as the bark is very robust and long lasting. It should be thoroughly
cleaned before fitting and I also remove all the thorns to prevent injury.http://www.robharvey.com/information/plants.html
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Heated area
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Brown Aviary
The brown aviary in which I
winter the birds, has a small enclosed 'indoor' area with a 250 watt
thermostatic tubular heater, set to keep the temperature above freezing.
Although, the birds use this area in the day, they still prefer to sleep in the
open.
Also in the brown aviary, I
have a low wattage night light situated near to the feeding area, that comes on
1 hour before dawn and goes off 1 hour after dusk and stays on during the day
if there is insufficient daylight. This allows the birds a to get a bit of
extra feeding time during the short dark winter days.
Green
Aviary
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Shed
'Aviary'
This is not really an aviary,
but a large cage built into my garden shed. One end is open to the outside. I
use it for breeding only.
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The aviary floors are concrete,
which makes them easier to clean. I clean the floor and perches with water
containing a small amount of vinegar - a natural disinfectant and strong enough
to kill any worms. In the shed aviary and in the enclosed area in the brown
aviary I put newspaper on the floor, which also makes the cleaning
easier.
Grass parakeets are by their
nature ground feeders, therefore I have the feeding area positioned low down,
below the enclosed sleeping area in the Brown avairy and 'roofed' in the Green
aviary which prevents it being fouled upon. Also it is positioned such that the
seed is kept dry.
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Feeding area
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© Ian Sadler 2007-2008 |