Hi Again.
Heres a very handy link for those of you who would like to beed birds successfully.
In order to do so, a very important aspect is record keeping.
Firstly it is very important to be able to identify your birds. Dont rely on your memory too much.
When your birds start breeding well and there are a lot of youngsters, its important to know who their parents are and where several babies are reared by one pair of parents, you need to be very careful not to
match siblings together to breed at a later stage. This will inevitably lead to interbreeding deficiencies, deformities, and may result in weaker and poorer performing birds, ( which incidently should never be sold as this just exacerbates the problem ) and a definite drop in your bird breeding success rate.
So its important to ring the babies according to a system, so that data can be recorded for each individual bird. In the case where its not pratical to ring babies in the nest for fear of parents deserting,
or any other reason Coloured Split Plastic Rings may be used as these can easily be fitted after the birds have fledged.
So check this link out on a Record Keeping System for your birds; its about as good as it gets and is very comprhensive. Click Here http://www.birdsevolutionpro.com/
Rand Avicultural Society
Friday, December 31, 2010
Monday, December 27, 2010
Getting Started by building your first aviary
Now that the festive season is upon us and we are in holiday mode, you may have the desire to keeping a small collection of birds with the aim of managing and breeding them. You are sold on the idea but are not quite sure what is the best way to build an aviary or more for your birds.
We at RAS drew up, after a lot of research conducted by our Breeders Group, some basic specifications for building aviaries suitable for keeping and breeding birds . Bear in mind that these relate to the geographical and climatic region in which we are based, ( at an altitude of about 1500m and average distance of 500kms from the coast) so these specs may change slightly for other areas of the country eg for coatal areas.
Before you even start, its most important to decide what you would like to achieve.
There are at least 3 different routes you could follow when setting up a collection of birds.:-
1.You may just be interested in keeping a collection of birds in a single large aviary, mainly for display purposes. In this case, due to interference by certain birds, you may find that that the birds do not breed well in a display aviary. However, you can get a lot more pleasure by just sitting and watching your birds in a display aviary. (see Picture below)
2. You may decided that you really would also like your birds to breed well, which would add a lot more interest and motivation and can even cover the cost of their upkeep and even more in many cases. In this case, Cubicle aviaries would be more appropriate, as they are smaller and therefore are more easily managed and controlled. (See Pictures below)
3. The third choice you can make is a combination of both. This would give you the best of both worlds i.e
the pleasure of watching and observing your birds in a display aviary perhaps in a garden setting, and the satisfaction of breeding birds, some of which may be quite uncommon.
The main purpose of this post is to focus on suitable accomodation for your birds. There are other forms of housing them but here the focus is specifically for Finches and Sofbills
RAS BREEDERS GROUP: Setting up the most ideal. environment in an aviary for Finches and Waxbills
The following are considered the moist ideal specifications which were determined by the Breeders Group in August 2005, taking into account limitations of most members aviaries regarding space and finance :-
1) The sleeping quarters and flight to face in a Northerly direction.
(This is to ensure that sunshine reaches the flight from early morning till late afternoon producing adequate heat and light for plants in the aviary to grow. It also ensures that the flight and shelter is protected from the cold southerly winds in winter.) Make sure the birds can receive early morning sun which can assist them in recovering from a very cold night.
The inside of the aviary should be painted a light colour to brighten up inside
2) The most northerly end of the aviary should be sheltered from the northerly winds that are most predominant throughout the year.
( This can be in the form of clear plastic sheeting, glass or similar screen which can be removed in the height of summer for ventilation.)
3) The sleeping Quarters should be made from insulated material to restrict temperature fluctuations to a minimum. (Try and avoid using sheet metal which reaches very high and low temperatures during summer and winter respectively.)
4) The floor of the sleeping area should have a sandy or cement substrate and should be raised about brick-height above the general level of the flight area
( This is to ensure that rain water does not flood into the sleeping area)
5) Feeding utensils should be under cover and protected from the rain.
There should preferably be 2 feeding stations to prevent bullying this applies mainly to larger display aviaries.
6) Drinking Water should be protected from wild birds droppings which could cause disease and introduce parasites.
7) The aviary should be made as vermin proof as possible. ( This is probably one of the most important items
as the biggest killer of birds in aviaries is not Cold, Not Disease, Not Wet conditions from rain, but.......... Rats, so it is absolutely imperative to have your aviaries Rat Proof, especially in the Winter months when Rats are especially partial to live food such as birds.
8) Seeing that Finches and waxbills are totally dependent on grass in the wild, there should be clumps of suitable grass planted in the flight area. ( this provides seeding heads, and greens and creates a community of insects---aphids, moths, spiders, crickets and beetles. ---an important source of protein especially when feeding young.
The grass also provides hiding places for the birds to hide in as well as nesting sites and nesting materials.
9) The flight area should also have shrubs and/ or clumps of blue bush or similar. This is to provide not only for nesting sites but also, very importantly, for ROOSTING SITES. The same applies to the sleeping quarters regarding clumps of Blue Bush being placed in strategic places for the birds to roost in. Having bare perches in the sleeping quarter should be avoided at all costs since many birds may be lost due to the cold and insufficient shelter if they do not have some form of plant material in which to find shelter on cold nights.
An Example of a Display Aviary
Further Examples showing Cubicle Aviaries
We at RAS drew up, after a lot of research conducted by our Breeders Group, some basic specifications for building aviaries suitable for keeping and breeding birds . Bear in mind that these relate to the geographical and climatic region in which we are based, ( at an altitude of about 1500m and average distance of 500kms from the coast) so these specs may change slightly for other areas of the country eg for coatal areas.
Before you even start, its most important to decide what you would like to achieve.
There are at least 3 different routes you could follow when setting up a collection of birds.:-
1.You may just be interested in keeping a collection of birds in a single large aviary, mainly for display purposes. In this case, due to interference by certain birds, you may find that that the birds do not breed well in a display aviary. However, you can get a lot more pleasure by just sitting and watching your birds in a display aviary. (see Picture below)
2. You may decided that you really would also like your birds to breed well, which would add a lot more interest and motivation and can even cover the cost of their upkeep and even more in many cases. In this case, Cubicle aviaries would be more appropriate, as they are smaller and therefore are more easily managed and controlled. (See Pictures below)
3. The third choice you can make is a combination of both. This would give you the best of both worlds i.e
the pleasure of watching and observing your birds in a display aviary perhaps in a garden setting, and the satisfaction of breeding birds, some of which may be quite uncommon.
The main purpose of this post is to focus on suitable accomodation for your birds. There are other forms of housing them but here the focus is specifically for Finches and Sofbills
RAS BREEDERS GROUP: Setting up the most ideal. environment in an aviary for Finches and Waxbills
The following are considered the moist ideal specifications which were determined by the Breeders Group in August 2005, taking into account limitations of most members aviaries regarding space and finance :-
1) The sleeping quarters and flight to face in a Northerly direction.
(This is to ensure that sunshine reaches the flight from early morning till late afternoon producing adequate heat and light for plants in the aviary to grow. It also ensures that the flight and shelter is protected from the cold southerly winds in winter.) Make sure the birds can receive early morning sun which can assist them in recovering from a very cold night.
The inside of the aviary should be painted a light colour to brighten up inside
2) The most northerly end of the aviary should be sheltered from the northerly winds that are most predominant throughout the year.
( This can be in the form of clear plastic sheeting, glass or similar screen which can be removed in the height of summer for ventilation.)
3) The sleeping Quarters should be made from insulated material to restrict temperature fluctuations to a minimum. (Try and avoid using sheet metal which reaches very high and low temperatures during summer and winter respectively.)
4) The floor of the sleeping area should have a sandy or cement substrate and should be raised about brick-height above the general level of the flight area
( This is to ensure that rain water does not flood into the sleeping area)
5) Feeding utensils should be under cover and protected from the rain.
There should preferably be 2 feeding stations to prevent bullying this applies mainly to larger display aviaries.
6) Drinking Water should be protected from wild birds droppings which could cause disease and introduce parasites.
7) The aviary should be made as vermin proof as possible. ( This is probably one of the most important items
as the biggest killer of birds in aviaries is not Cold, Not Disease, Not Wet conditions from rain, but.......... Rats, so it is absolutely imperative to have your aviaries Rat Proof, especially in the Winter months when Rats are especially partial to live food such as birds.
8) Seeing that Finches and waxbills are totally dependent on grass in the wild, there should be clumps of suitable grass planted in the flight area. ( this provides seeding heads, and greens and creates a community of insects---aphids, moths, spiders, crickets and beetles. ---an important source of protein especially when feeding young.
The grass also provides hiding places for the birds to hide in as well as nesting sites and nesting materials.
9) The flight area should also have shrubs and/ or clumps of blue bush or similar. This is to provide not only for nesting sites but also, very importantly, for ROOSTING SITES. The same applies to the sleeping quarters regarding clumps of Blue Bush being placed in strategic places for the birds to roost in. Having bare perches in the sleeping quarter should be avoided at all costs since many birds may be lost due to the cold and insufficient shelter if they do not have some form of plant material in which to find shelter on cold nights.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
In addition to about 45 aviaries of Softbills, they also have a large orchid nursery.
We had a very good turn-out considering the distance to travel (about 25 total in all ) and
it was a great time of bonding and sharing experiences about our birds and having a good time
with a lot of laughs and good food as well.
In view of the number of people, we divided into two groups and Nollie and Tinus each took a group
on a guided tour of their set up.
They have an amazing collection of softbills with some really rare birds.
We saw some interesting Barbets, colourful Starlings and Jays ,some ugly Hornbills , and even some beautiful Bee Eaters.
Probably the most eye-catching of all were their pair of hand raised ground hornbills, about 2 1/2 years old. These Birds only start breeding from the age of 7 years and raise only one baby at a time in the wild, and have become very endangered.
Tinus and Nollie have offered their place again as a venue for our 2011 year end do and I`m sure it will become a popular RAS event in the future.
Below are a few more pics of our braai and some of the aviaries..
A Pair of Hand raised Ground Hornbills which only reach breeding maturity at 7 years old
Friday, November 5, 2010
RAS EXOTIC BIRD EXPO
Our Bird Expo went off very well with people coming from all over the country.
It proved to be a great success and there was a huge interest from the public.
Our Boyz n Blue, so called because of our branded Blue shirts decorated by our Logo, the beautiful little Swee Waxbill on the pocket, provided a wonderful team and we a had a lot of laughs and fun.
We Displayed as much as we could of the full range of birds that we keep, such as Finches: Foreign, African and South African, Some beatiful softbills and Lorrikeets, doves and quails.
We invited two other specialist clubs to join us ie The Gouldian Finch Society and The Zebra Finch Society, who put on a good variety of the different mutations. The West Rand Bird Farm , to whom we are extremely grateful for sponsoring the aviaries, also had a good stand where apart from a lot of "bird things" for sale, they also had live demos of hand-rearing baby parrots.
So much for the chit chat. Heres some Pics which can say much more:-
 |
| Some of the Boyz in Blue Team who helped put it all together From Left to Right: Marcus Hiefer, Dad Stefan, Andreas Hiefer, Eelco Meyjes, Sarel van Zyl, Mike Pidduck, Nollie Cilliers Jan Opperman |
 |
Some interested Bystanders Some more interested Bystanders |
 |
| Mike signing up new members |
Pieter and Jan concluding a deal
 |
| Mike and Jan debating an important point |
 |
| Three of our youth group Marcus , Brooke and Andreas  Aviary containing some of our beautiful indigenous Finches. (Note no smoking sign, created spontaneously by one of our youngest member, Markus ) |
Taking a well earned Break!
Left to right:Tinus, Nollie, and Wimpie
Bridging the gereration gap
11 year old Brooke da Cunha( who has already written and published a book on horses) in a discussion
about some of the more finer points of breeding Gouldian Finches.
To the left is Eelco Meyjes, RAS member and Film producer, and Fred Barnicoat (Chairman Zebra Finch Society and retired Latin Master ) and a pioneer of aviculture in South Africa.
West Rand Bird Farm
 |
Well what do we have down here ??  |
Entrance to West Rand Bird Farm
When you`re out of carry-cages theres nothing like a paper bag !
Sarel van Zyl , RAS member and also member of the Zebra Finch society,
representing the Zebra Finch Society.
A Handsome pair of Zebra Finches
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
EXOTIC BIRD EXPO-----Not to be missed Oct 23rd and 24th
The Rand Avicultural Society (RAS) is proud to announce that we will be hosting an Exotic Bird Expo for the first time at the Hillfox Power Trade Centre on October 23rd and 24th 2010.
If you have any interest in Birds or Bird Keeping, then don’t miss the chance of visiting us . There is no entry fee and we will be combined with Hillfox B&B Markets ( situated Corner Albert and Hendrk Potgieter Sts., Weltevreden Park )
We are a generalist bird club and cover virtually the full spectrum of bird species, ranging from Parrots, finches, softbills and doves to groundbirds.
We will have these categories of birds on display and there will be many
write-ups of the different species to inform would be aviculturists on their care, housing and breeding requirements.
RAS will be combining with other specialist bird clubs who will also be showing birds , such as Zebra Finches and Gouldian Finches.. There might also be a limited number of birds for sale.
In addition, there will be a number of aviaries on show and for sale, sponsored by West Rand Bird Farm, who will also be giving demonstrations of hand rearing baby parrots. They will also have a range of bird accessories, nests and nesting logs and branded bird food for sale not to mention a wide range of DVDs dealing with many subjects of Bird Keeping in the South African environment.
We also hope to have Bird Rings and Candling Inspection lights for sale.
(Not always readily available)
Also Not to be Missed: a new Wonder product for birds, which not only elimimates all parasites but also has a profound effect on vitality, fertility and resultant improved breeding Results.
Rand Avicultural Society has been in existence for more than 35 years and would welcome new members. We hold monthly meetings at the Honeydew Country Club and provide a wonderful opportunity for likeminded members to meet , get to know each other, talk and learn more about their birds. Interesting talks, DVDs on specialised subjects and swopping notes or getting answers to problems are what members can experience on an ongoing basis.
Anyone wanting to join or attend one of our meetings or would like some further information please contact Mike Pidduck 082 452 4261
You can also see us at the Expo and join up there.
We will also be having some interesting prizes to be won!
If you have any interest in Birds or Bird Keeping, then don’t miss the chance of visiting us . There is no entry fee and we will be combined with Hillfox B&B Markets ( situated Corner Albert and Hendrk Potgieter Sts., Weltevreden Park )
We are a generalist bird club and cover virtually the full spectrum of bird species, ranging from Parrots, finches, softbills and doves to groundbirds.
We will have these categories of birds on display and there will be many
write-ups of the different species to inform would be aviculturists on their care, housing and breeding requirements.
RAS will be combining with other specialist bird clubs who will also be showing birds , such as Zebra Finches and Gouldian Finches.. There might also be a limited number of birds for sale.
In addition, there will be a number of aviaries on show and for sale, sponsored by West Rand Bird Farm, who will also be giving demonstrations of hand rearing baby parrots. They will also have a range of bird accessories, nests and nesting logs and branded bird food for sale not to mention a wide range of DVDs dealing with many subjects of Bird Keeping in the South African environment.
We also hope to have Bird Rings and Candling Inspection lights for sale.
(Not always readily available)
Also Not to be Missed: a new Wonder product for birds, which not only elimimates all parasites but also has a profound effect on vitality, fertility and resultant improved breeding Results.
Rand Avicultural Society has been in existence for more than 35 years and would welcome new members. We hold monthly meetings at the Honeydew Country Club and provide a wonderful opportunity for likeminded members to meet , get to know each other, talk and learn more about their birds. Interesting talks, DVDs on specialised subjects and swopping notes or getting answers to problems are what members can experience on an ongoing basis.
Anyone wanting to join or attend one of our meetings or would like some further information please contact Mike Pidduck 082 452 4261
You can also see us at the Expo and join up there.
We will also be having some interesting prizes to be won!
Friday, September 3, 2010
We Recently Held our Breeders Awards at our last club meeting.
Some of the main awards presented went to :
Parrot Breeder of the year : Hira
Breeder of the Year : Walter No less than 777 birds bred and increase of 85% over last year!
Nick Boshoff Dove Breeder of the year : Walter
Rare Breeding Award : Walter for Swee Waxbill
Tinus and Nollie: for San Blas Jay and
Green (Inca ) Jay
Meritorius Breeding Award: Nollie and Tinus for Green ( Inca ) Jay
Well done guys . Keep it up!
Some of the main awards presented went to :
Parrot Breeder of the year : Hira
Breeder of the Year : Walter No less than 777 birds bred and increase of 85% over last year!
Nick Boshoff Dove Breeder of the year : Walter
Rare Breeding Award : Walter for Swee Waxbill
Tinus and Nollie: for San Blas Jay and
Green (Inca ) Jay
Meritorius Breeding Award: Nollie and Tinus for Green ( Inca ) Jay
Well done guys . Keep it up!
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Superb DVD Produced by one of our Members Eelco Meyjes : A real Bird adventure
The Shelly’s Crimsonwing (Cryptospiza shelleyi) is one of the rarest finches in Africa. It inhabits the same dense Albertine Rift highland forest as the threatened Mountain Gorillas of Uganda, Rwanda and DRC of central Africa.
Today, thanks to the early pioneering work done by Dian Fossey in the late 1960’s and the movie Gorillas in the Mist, more is known about the estimated 680 remaining Mountain Gorillas than is known about the elusive Shelley’s Crimsonwing finch. Both keystone species act as ambassadors for the diminishing tropical forests of the word.
This bird is categorized by Birdlife International in the IUCN Red Data list as Vulnerable (likely population 2 500 to 9 999) but lack of data prohibits a more accurate classification. Extensive field research conducted by the Rare Finch Conservation Group (RFCG), which is made up of a group of highly dedicated finch enthusiasts, suggests that the finch is in dire straights and needs urgent attention.
This DVD shows the remarkable story of how the RFCG, with the support of worldwide donors, is overcoming enormous logistical and financial hurdles to save this bird from probable extinction.
(Appropriate running time: 60 minutes)
Review
By David Dennison (Editor : Avizandum)
I was asked to review this new DVD produced by Birds of a Feather, South Africa. Adele and I watched the DVD right through and we were both most impressed with the quality of the presentation. We expected to see a DVD just about finches and some finches in equatorial rainforests. Instead we were treated to the most fantastic 60 minutes of multidisciplinary conservation effort that one can imagine.
For instance the first ever photograph of a live Shelly’s finch was taken by staff of the gorilla conservation group in the DRC during a netting survey of the bird species present in that park. Although there are only 680 Mountain Gorillas left in the world there is more known about them than about Africa’s rarest finch. The Institute of Tropical Forest Conservation makes accommodation available for visitors to the area. The unique feature of birding in this area is not only are there many endemic species of birds and a total of 350 species to be seen of which 43 species are finches, it is the only national park in Africa where one can see both Mountain Gorillas and Chimpanzees.
The Bwindi National Park where the search is being conducted thus offers visitors gorilla watching and birding. This park also offers the opportunity to see all four species of seedeaters, a wonderful opportunity for bird watchers with a special interest in finches.
Knowledgeable bird guides and drivers who all speak English are readily available for hire. The bottom line is the more visitors the area has the more chance there is of the survival of the environment and the Bwindi National Park and its rare birds and mammals. This DVD is worth every cent of its purchase price.
Today, thanks to the early pioneering work done by Dian Fossey in the late 1960’s and the movie Gorillas in the Mist, more is known about the estimated 680 remaining Mountain Gorillas than is known about the elusive Shelley’s Crimsonwing finch. Both keystone species act as ambassadors for the diminishing tropical forests of the word.
This bird is categorized by Birdlife International in the IUCN Red Data list as Vulnerable (likely population 2 500 to 9 999) but lack of data prohibits a more accurate classification. Extensive field research conducted by the Rare Finch Conservation Group (RFCG), which is made up of a group of highly dedicated finch enthusiasts, suggests that the finch is in dire straights and needs urgent attention.
This DVD shows the remarkable story of how the RFCG, with the support of worldwide donors, is overcoming enormous logistical and financial hurdles to save this bird from probable extinction.
(Appropriate running time: 60 minutes)
Review
By David Dennison (Editor : Avizandum)
I was asked to review this new DVD produced by Birds of a Feather, South Africa. Adele and I watched the DVD right through and we were both most impressed with the quality of the presentation. We expected to see a DVD just about finches and some finches in equatorial rainforests. Instead we were treated to the most fantastic 60 minutes of multidisciplinary conservation effort that one can imagine.
For instance the first ever photograph of a live Shelly’s finch was taken by staff of the gorilla conservation group in the DRC during a netting survey of the bird species present in that park. Although there are only 680 Mountain Gorillas left in the world there is more known about them than about Africa’s rarest finch. The Institute of Tropical Forest Conservation makes accommodation available for visitors to the area. The unique feature of birding in this area is not only are there many endemic species of birds and a total of 350 species to be seen of which 43 species are finches, it is the only national park in Africa where one can see both Mountain Gorillas and Chimpanzees.
The Bwindi National Park where the search is being conducted thus offers visitors gorilla watching and birding. This park also offers the opportunity to see all four species of seedeaters, a wonderful opportunity for bird watchers with a special interest in finches.
Knowledgeable bird guides and drivers who all speak English are readily available for hire. The bottom line is the more visitors the area has the more chance there is of the survival of the environment and the Bwindi National Park and its rare birds and mammals. This DVD is worth every cent of its purchase price.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Update on Guira Cuckoo
After about two weeks of incubation we noticed egg shells on the floor one morning. When we took a closer look in the nest there was no chick and we realised the egg was discarded from the nest. All the other eggs later proved to be infertile. This is the second time this has happened and we have decided to take the male to a vet for a check-up as it seems that this must be the problem. 
Monday, July 26, 2010
A remarkable recovery :Red Faced Crimson Wing
Yesterday Morning, on inspecting my aviaries,I noticed my Red Faced Crimsonwing cock on the floor in an up right position, but looking very dead. On examination it was found to be still alive (but only just) and quite warm.Being late for an appointment, all I could do was give it a few sips of honey water and place it in a double breeder cage which had a lot of sunshine shining into it.(one of the most important items to treat a sick bird with is applying suitable heat to raise its metabolism)
On Arriving back late in the afternoon fully expecting it to have died I was most surprised to see it very actively flying from perch to perch. It was as though nothing had happened.It is now back in its aviary and full of life.I wonder if anyone else has had a similar experience
On Arriving back late in the afternoon fully expecting it to have died I was most surprised to see it very actively flying from perch to perch. It was as though nothing had happened.It is now back in its aviary and full of life.I wonder if anyone else has had a similar experience
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Guira Cuckoos breeding at Boscia
The flock of Guira Cuckoos have started incubating a clutch of 6 eggs last week. These South American birds are communal nesters and several females lay in one nest and will help with the incubation. They resemble African Coucals in the way they run on the ground and scuttle between branches. We feed them on day old chicken meat, mealworms and the occasional pinky. Being part of the Cuckoo family the eggs hatch within 12 days and the chicks flegde five to six days later. These birds are very easy to care for and can become very tame.
New Avairy for Northern Carmine Bee-eaters at Boscia
Building of a special avairy for the pair of Northern Carmine Bee-eaters we acquired in July 2009 has started a week ago and hope to have it finished within the next two weeks. The avairy is just over six meters wide by five meters long and will be 2.4 meters high. 
In the one corner of the avairy will be a small dam and above it an artifical sand wall in which pipes with nest boxes will be positioned at various positions to act as nesting sites. The paper written on the nest boxes at Animal Kingdom at Disney in Orlando, Florida, USA, was of great help and we hope to replicate their success with breeding this species.
Bester birds imported five pairs about a year ago and we managed to secure one pair. The other four were allready booked for a collector in Malelane, Mpumalanga. We have spoken to Mike
Bester about the possibility of importing more birds and we are hoping to get at least another pair soon.
The Northern Carmine Bee-eaters will share their cage with a pair of Bruce’s Green Pigeons and a pair of Roul-roul Partridges that we got recently.
Updates on the progress on the avairy will be posted regularly.
In the one corner of the avairy will be a small dam and above it an artifical sand wall in which pipes with nest boxes will be positioned at various positions to act as nesting sites. The paper written on the nest boxes at Animal Kingdom at Disney in Orlando, Florida, USA, was of great help and we hope to replicate their success with breeding this species.
Bester birds imported five pairs about a year ago and we managed to secure one pair. The other four were allready booked for a collector in Malelane, Mpumalanga. We have spoken to Mike
Bester about the possibility of importing more birds and we are hoping to get at least another pair soon.The Northern Carmine Bee-eaters will share their cage with a pair of Bruce’s Green Pigeons and a pair of Roul-roul Partridges that we got recently.
Updates on the progress on the avairy will be posted regularly.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
parrot breeding
1.I feed my parrots a mix of mealies,barley.sorghum which i cook let cool and feed this mix to the birds. Is this healthy as the birds dont have excess to this type of food in the wild.
2.in winter i remove the nest boxes from may to end july, clean them out and add new nesting material.does this effect the birds breeding cycle.
3.can i add wheatgerm oil to the you chicks soft food mix, does this effect them.
4.why do some parrots and parakeets pluck their young in the nest box.
5.prior to the breeding season when is the best timw to feed the following
sprouting seeds, high protein softfood, and adding vitamins and mineral supplements
2.in winter i remove the nest boxes from may to end july, clean them out and add new nesting material.does this effect the birds breeding cycle.
3.can i add wheatgerm oil to the you chicks soft food mix, does this effect them.
4.why do some parrots and parakeets pluck their young in the nest box.
5.prior to the breeding season when is the best timw to feed the following
sprouting seeds, high protein softfood, and adding vitamins and mineral supplements
Representation of groups of birds we keep
Finches
Gouldian Finch 
Sexual behaviour of the Gouldian Finch
Soft Bills
Royal Starling
Parrots
African Grey Parrot
Doves
Diamond Dove
Ground-birds
Chinese Painted Quail
.jpg)
Friday, May 14, 2010
This is an experiment to see if there are any passionate birdkeepers out there who would like to make contact with our birdclub and members, by sharing any experiences,comments,queries, prolems encountered, breeding successes,advice etc.
Our birdclub is called Rand Avicultural Society (RAS) and is based in the Johannesburg region of Gauteng, South Africa.We cover a wide spectrum of avicultue eg Its members specialise in South African, African, Australian, Asiatic and South American Finches and Doves, as well as Softbills, Parrots and Parrot-like birds.
Members and non members interactive participation are welcomed and you are invited to post your comments on this blog.
New members are also most welcome, both local and "country" members
We hold monthly birdmeetings where we have interesting talks, informative DVDs, presentations, and much more and its a time when members can get together,
swop notes and learm more about their birds.
Mike Pidduck
Chairman RAS
082 452 4261
Our birdclub is called Rand Avicultural Society (RAS) and is based in the Johannesburg region of Gauteng, South Africa.We cover a wide spectrum of avicultue eg Its members specialise in South African, African, Australian, Asiatic and South American Finches and Doves, as well as Softbills, Parrots and Parrot-like birds.
Members and non members interactive participation are welcomed and you are invited to post your comments on this blog.
New members are also most welcome, both local and "country" members
We hold monthly birdmeetings where we have interesting talks, informative DVDs, presentations, and much more and its a time when members can get together,
swop notes and learm more about their birds.
Mike Pidduck
Chairman RAS
082 452 4261
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