finch aviary

[budge4ever]

i'm thinking of making a finch(sparrow,finch,quail) aviary,a frendily Aviary. i was wandering what birds go togeather.

[Birdys.stirling]

With finches they will all mix, they aren't like the hook bills and cannot harm each other. You may get the odd sqeaking match or the odd feather pulling but thats it.

What species are you thinking of having?

[budge4ever]

well like the small finches green singers,bengals,zebra,java sparrow

[budge4ever]

but is there any other to brighten it up?

[Birdys.stirling]

well like the small finches green singers,bengals,zebra,java sparrow

The green singers may be difficult to get hold of now, not many people breed them and i know that i haven't seen any forsale for years. But the bengals, zebras and javas are all pretty common and can handle the cold, but where possible shelter is good:) Singers may need a heated aviary, not sure though.

[Birdys.stirling]

but is there any other to brighten it up?

It depends canaries would mix with them thats really the only thing i can think of for adding colour, at the moment anyway.

[budge4ever]

well i have 1 green singer so i would put that in but i seen some singers for sale put 85 pound each=/

[Birdys.stirling]

Yeah they are expensive, the reason for it is that the government said that the rare finches such as the singers etc, can no longer be imported and thsi is where all the cheap birds came from the only ones you can get now have been bred in this country but demand is so high so that increases the prices:)

[budge4ever]

well yh i was speaking to this pet shop owner and he said few years ago the used to be 7.50 !! now they cost alot of money. they sing beutifully tho...

[Birdys.stirling]

Yeah they did i used to be able to buy weavers, cut throats, and the green singers, for about £10 each around here but not now, as i said i haven't seen any for years:o

[Softbill Man]

I bred over 200 Cutthroats last year and they are as common as muck now and normals are only £40-50 pr, Yellow banded are now down to £60pr opals and Albinos are alot more expensive fetching about £450pr.
There are pleanty of green singers about as well as hundreds of Waxbills and other smaller finches. Many species of Mannikins are bred in good numbers now as well.
Green Singers are now between £60-70pr and being bred easily in cages just like canaries. I bred these last year and found them easy enough as well.

You can find lots of birds out there. The Waxbill Finch Society has hundreds for sale at there meetings, on the feathered flyer website www.ff3.co.uk has thousands of finches for sale all over the UK, so worth looking on there as well as the Birdtrek website.

Mixed aviaries are great but i wouldnt house breeding Green Singers with other birds as they become territorial whilst breeding and will even kill there nest mate.

Thee are still plenty of birds out there at reasonable prices.

John

[crackatinny]

I have gouldian finches (these come in many bright multicoloured mutations), zebs, canaries, diamond doves, and king quail, all living in harmony together.

[budge4ever]

thanks guys