HousingMy preference of building materials is Galtube with galvanized cladding and roof to minimize maintenance. Wire mesh used should be wire brushed to remove any flakes of galvanizing and washed thoroughly with vinegar. Failing this the mesh should be weathered for at least 12 months before birds are exposed to it. A good size aviary for a breeding pair of neophema would be 2.1m long by 60-80cm wide by1.8-2.1m high with 1.2-1.5m of roofed area for. I have found it desirable to provide access from a passageway at the rear allowing entry to the aviary without the birds having to fly past you when you enter the cage thus reducing stress. It will be noticed after a short time that the birds will become very quiet and look forward to your attention. Being in a warm area I have chosen to use suspended aviaries for my breeders in an effort to reduce the incidence of disease and worms, to date I have achieved this with no disease and no worms in my breeding stock. The size of these aviaries is 1.8m long by 60cm wide by 90cm high with access from a passageway at the rear. My birds have reached a point where at times I do have difficulty keeping them in their cage while I am attending to their feed and water as they have no fear of me wanting to sit on my hands while I am working. When providing aviaries for young remember that young birds need room in which to exercise to aid in their development. Due to my limited space I have used aviaries measuring 3m by 1m by 1.8m. If you have the room these dimensions could be increased to 6m by 3m by 2.1m. Several things should be kept in mind when housing any bird, the first being when a bird is roosting for the night it will always look for the highest perch therefore perches in the shelter of the aviary should be positioned higher than those in the open. These perches should be of natural timber of varying sizes so as to exercise the birds feet, never use doweling. The second greatest enemy of birds is draft hence the need to seal the cladding of the shelter. Draft is created by things such as nail holes or gaps in the cladding not by having an open front on the shelter. Another condition that should be avoided at all cost is damp. Keep floors in sheltered areas dry at all times.
This facility should be cleaned thoroughly between uses. <><><><><><><><><><><><><> FeedingIn addition to the basic seed mix these birds need to be fed greens such as chickweed, thistle, dandelion, silverbeet, broccoli, peas and seeding grasses. They also enjoy a feed of apple and sweet corn which should be partly cooked then cooled beforehand, this is to avoid the possibility of sourcrop which can happen if raw corn is left with the birds for too long. Soaked or sprouted seed is also fed to these birds by many breeders. This can cause problems if not approached in the correct manner. The method I have used is to soak a mix of millet, pannicum, sunflower and mung beans in water overnight, the mix is then rinsed thoroughly before spreading out in a tray for 24hrs. when it is thoroughly rinsed again, spread out for a further 24hrs. then given a final rinse using an anti-bacterial solution (which can be purchased at any good pet supply store) before feeding to the birds. The use of a product called Aviclens from Vetafarm can be most helpful in eliminating problems when carrying out this process. Being an early riser I feed sprouts, greens, apple and corn at first light removing any leftovers after 4hrs. A few other items that should be available at all times are cuttlebone and shellgrit along with a good supply of clean fresh water which should always be provided in glass, china, porcelain or stainless steel avoiding any porous materials. <><><><><><><><><><><><><> WormingExternal parasites: such as lice and mites must also be controlled. To achieve this I use Dichlorvos strips (Shelltox) hung in the aviary at all times so that the birds are unable to come in contact with them. If this fails I have found a product called Avian Insect Liquidator from Vetafarm to be excellent for the control of all external parasites. <><><><><><><><><><><><><> Breeding Being a prolific breeder any person attempting to breed these birds should be able to look forward to success provided they are prepared to spend a little time in the preparation of housing and the feed requirements. If you are intending to breed mutations now is the time to decide upon a method of keeping records as this is most important. My method is simple but effective with a database set up on the computer which is updated daily. For ease of identification I allocate enough numbered metal rings to cover the expected young of each breeding pair. When splits are produced (or proven) plastic rings of different colours are placed on the other leg to show what that bird is split to. e.g. red = split to Rosa, blue = split to cream and black = split to rosa and cream. The breeding season for the Bourke's Parrot is from July to February in Australia or one month after the shortest day of the year extending for seven months for other countries.
I have found it best to limit the birds to two clutches of 4-6 or three clutches if thefirst two are small say 2-3 young, as the hens tend to burn themselves out for the following season. The hen will start sitting at the laying of the second egg, all being well the first hatchling can be expected 21 days later. The young should leave the nest after 28 days and reach independence after a further 21-28 days. A few tips for the beginner that I would like to offer are : When using a new breeding hen for the first time, never chase her from the nestbox to inspect the eggs or young and never handle the young. As the hen gains experience she will also gain tolerance to being disturbed while in the nestbox. For nest boxes I use a good quality plywood box measuring 20cm. square at the base by 30cm high with the sides tapering to 10cm. wide at the top. The entrance is a hole of 5.5cm. around 7.5cm. from the top with a landing platform 10cm. by 7cm. placed 2cm. below the hole. Inside I place a wire ladder 7cm. wide from the hole to the base to allow easy access for the hen and easy escape for the young at fledging. In my situation the nest boxes are hung externally at the rear of the cage allowing easy access to keep an eye on the happenings within nest the box.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><> Recommended LiteratureA Guide to Neophema & Psephotus Grass Parrots By Toby Martin published by Australian Bird Keeper. Toby has done an excellent job in putting this book together giving descriptions of the birds and his methods. Aviculture in Australia by Mark Shephard published by Black Cockatoo Press. This I refer to as my bible. In this book Mark has covered all aspects of keeping and breeding birds of all types in Australia. Australian Birdkeeper is a bi-monthly publication which keeps up with all the latest in bird keeping, new birds available, new products and advances in bird care. For those interested in the health and well-being of their birds, a book I feel worthy of a mention is: Everybird: A Guide to Bird Health Edited by Pat Macwherter covering all aspects of aviary management, recognition and treatment of diseases and medication. A must for any serious birdkeeper. <><><><><><><><><><><><><> Although brief I hope this is of some value to anyone involved in or intending to become involved in the keeping of these birds. <---Good luck---> LinkExchange Member
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A must when introducing newly acquired birds to any aviary. A cage for this purpose does not have to be large but should be placed at a distance of around 10m from other birds if possible. Here they should be examined thoroughly and treated for worms, external parasites and any disease that may be detected. If there is any doubt as the health of the birds your local avian veterinarian should be contacted. Quarantine period should be for a minimum of 30 days. The birds can be introduced to the main aviary only when you are able to give them a clean bill of health.
There are many different nesting materials used. Some of these are mixtures of sawdust or pine shavings and peatmoss, sawdust and crushed termite nest, wood dirt from rotting timber and sawdust or the one I use, a mixture of seed raising mix sawdust and peatmoss with an avian pesticide dust mixed with it to help in the control of lice and mites which can be a problem at breeding time. During breeding time feeding is of utmost importance. The normal diet should be maintained with emphasis placed on the greens, soaked seed and seeding grasses and the provision of food such as egg and biscuit which should be available at all times. It will also be found that the parents will look for more sunflower seed.
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