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Lee Pycroft

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Everything posted by Lee Pycroft

  1. Hi to you up there in Hartlepool ,Northeast! Used to visit Hartlepool alot during the early 90's watching stock cars, the race track/stadium is now a big supermarket now :-( Welcome to the forum.
  2. Hi Mike, Welcome to the forum.
  3. That's spooky Emmy... On Thursday last week I went to put some stuff in the bins before letting the birds out! Well stone me if they weren't already out???? rather confused as the wire was in the closed position.. So went into the avairy to find that "tag team zebra" had built a nest in the recess of the flap using basically anything they could find off the avairy floor such as millet sprays!!! In doing so they had propped the door open and got out into the flight lol
  4. Thanks for your kind words Emmy.. When I fitted the cat flap I attached a steel wire to it.. I fed the wire through several eyelets (bag of hook and eyes from BnQ) cost me 99p.. The wire goes across the top of the flight then outside where it's attached to a key-ring metal hoop! I pull the wire and hook the hoop over a hook and it raises the flap and stays in place via the hook.. As night falls the birds return to the inside aviary (helped by putting fresh millet in) and I just unhook the loop and the flap closes! :-) Will post some pictures when I get chance.. xxx PS, If Andy and Dave H are reading this, yes they all have names, all named by my 6 year old daughter, apart from two CFW hens which I called Pepsi and Shirley lol PSS, My fav picture is the one of the pied!(4th pic) We have called him scruff,he's been like that for months, no change, think he's stuck in mid moult lol.....
  5. So I've finished glazing the remaining two windows (which are only temporary for winter) and let the birds out.... They love it... Here's a few piccies of them playing out lol.. Freedom Hope you like?
  6. Brilliant!!! birds everywhere lol... re breeding and control of.. I think its best to cage breed if you want to be able to sell some birds on. Buyers like to know what they are buying, no nasty surprises when they hatch lol spilt for this split for that etc.. I'm learning (slowly) Blind dates lol luv that!!! Don't know about you but most of my zebbies have naturally paired off so will keep them as they are when i decide to breed them!!! ;-) It's funny how when night falls they all have their certain part of the aviary to sleep!!!! I have two CFW's, both brothers and both huddle up in the grit dish at night, why they have chosen there is beyound me as there are loads of spare perches!!! lol
  7. lol Emmy, glad the bird bath is still proving popular with your birds..As for my shed, only a 5x7 foot one sadly, so basically just an aviary for them to sleep and eat!!! I did put provisions in the design to add some nestings boxes at a later date but I have decided to do away with the idea of ever "Aviary" breeding!!! So, I have purchased two breeding cages and put them indoors(in my utility to be exact) and no it hasn't gone down well with the wife lol... Currently have two pairs, 4 eggs in one so fingers crossed!!! Will rotate my pairs giving all my birds a chance of breeding and i can better control the type of birds i want!!! I'll keep the birds i like/want and sell the ones i don't want.... Going to learn how to breed properly before getting more serious about it all... Might need to buy another shed for that, I bigger one lol.. Thanks for the comments everyone.... ps... there is always something you forget or wish you have done differently but that's the challenge I enjoy!! Working things out, sometimes as you go! Want to be able to sit and watch them as they are very relaxing to watch and funny at times! As for TV! what's that? don't really bother with it, as you say, usually repeats or soaps... nah, rather clean the avairy floor lol
  8. 1st of September!!!! By heck, it's been a while since I updated this topic..lol..Sorry.. So for those interested I begunwork on the outside flight at the back end of the year, late November to be precise, and yeah it was cold then too.... I have took pictures during the construction and hope you like them? Any questions or suggestions gratefully received! The first spade went in here, the holes for the foundations to hold the frame in place! 8 altogether! The Front frame! We now have a front, back and side! The back and the side have been covered with felt to prolong the life of the flight and protect the wood from the elements! Connected to the shed.. Panelling the front, I also fitted mesh behind the panelling for extra security! Amazing what a bit of paint does eh! The safety porch so I can enter the flight without risking birds escaping! I can stand in here, close the door and drink my brew watching the birdies.. Peace! :-) Roof done, guttering done, decided to attach a water butt in order to water the garden in the summer! Inside the safety porch. Going to fit a fold away seat eventually.. A view from within the safety porch... Bird bath was an ebay bargain, and the entry/exit to the flight from the indoor aviary is via the cat flap top left!.. This is operated via steel cable from outside the aviary! Another internal view! Pea gravel on the floor, £2.50 a bag.. Cheap as chips! Closer view of the cat flap and the perches around the entrance! View from the other end, the two topiary balls, £6.99 Home bargains, solar powered and light up at night! lol The tree stump is my other seat so I can take pictures of the birds as I'm keen on my photography! Birds eye view from top perch! Two Meshes! For extra security I have meshed the outside and inside of the flight! Lot's of ivy to give it hopefully a more natural look! I was hoping to let the birds out this weekend, but with plunging tempersure's they'll stay in another week, so guys what do you think?, they always look nice before they have been soiled by the Zebbies lol.. One last thing to do, As it is still cold and windy I'm in the process of building two small square frames with see-through plastic attached to slot over the two main openings/windows! They will only be temporary until the weather improves! At the moment the 2 openings/windows are uncovered and the 3rd filled in with some twin-walled polycarbonate which I got free of a mate who is in the building trade.He was demolishing an old conservatory! He gave me three of the roof panels and I've used one so far to seal the last window as you can see below.
  9. Happy Birthday fella, hope your having a great day!
  10. I'll third that lol... bought two pairs of Dave earlier on in the year.. All doing well and quality looking birdies.. Oh, and I bought a cock Penguin too of him the other week at Stafford.. Welcome to the forum, where about's in sunny Manchester are you?
  11. Lee Pycroft

    Size

    so feeding them on Meat Pies, crisps and Iron Bru is not the answer? lol
  12. Lee Pycroft

    Size

    Good question, I can't answer it but it's still a good question lol..... It's something that has puzzled me for months, at the show on Sunday the difference in sizes of some of the Zebbies was vast... Now, local to me are some pet shops who sell Zebra's, but most are what most people regard as "pet shop size" ie small or standard size... Now most of my birds are "Exhibition sized" but I've had to buy them from breeders as I've never come across "Exhibition" sized Zebra's in pet shops, so the question is.... How do you get them so big? Foods? Breeding? If you mate a big bird with a small bird what size will you get? If you have Exhibition sized birds and they breed with fellow Exhibition sized Zebra's will they always be big? Are the "pet shop" small birds a product of continuous over breeding or are Standard Zebra small and it's the breeders who have made them bigger over time? ... ps sorry to Hi-Jack your thread, but it's just something that has had me thinking for a while!
  13. So come on then Emmy, stop Basking in the limelight from winning the photo competition, I've shown you mine, so you show me yours!!! Lol... the bird bath btw ;-)
  14. welcome to the forum, seems you have had a er? challenging re-introduction to keeping Zebbies... Hope things are all going well now and things have settled down for you.!
  15. Your welcome re the bath. . Just thought posting it other members might think it helpful!!!.... Ps... think we all need bigger sheds lol Pps... and more money to spend on birds to fill them lol...
  16. lol, a chair you say?...Of course.. Well actually made a box/storage between aviary wall and shed wall...I have put a lid on it with hinge that lifts up and has all my "finch" stuff in it.... You can see it in one of the pictures posted (without lid at the time).. I going to get the lid upholstered so it's a bit more comfy... Oh, and i'll put a wee shelf in to rest my brew on while I sit there watching them! :-) Thanks for your comments Emmy... in this picture you can see the box with the brown(unpainted lid) propped open!...
  17. Just thought I would share this little idea I had and then created... We all know our Zebbies love bathing, and you can buy baths for them to hook on the outside of cages...However there isn't much on the market for baths to go into your indoor aviaries...Ok you can buy big stone baths or similar but there more for outside flights but usually expensive... I currently don't have an outside flight so if I want them to bathe I need to put in a tray of some kind, the problem with that is the water goes everywhere and soaks everything...So I came up with this yesterday! Bought the tub for £2.99, cut a hole out, wee bit of wood for a perch so they can get in and out easily and hey presto....And with the lid on the water stays inside, no wet aviary..... They love it....... had 8 in it at once this afternoon! very amusing...They came out like drowned rats lol..
  18. Thanks fella. ... :-). ... will keep posting pictures and updates.. I know many might not be interested but if it generates some comments both positive or constructive then I'll keep posting. . .
  19. Lol...you got me... they were my choice hahaha.. too be fair I was going to go with bevis and butthead but the look I got off the wife I decided to go with pepsi and Shirley!!!!!... la la and dipsy were discussed lol
  20. Thanks Stephen and Emmy, will always seeking advice from the wealth of experience and knowledge from members on here.. This is a picture of the inside of my shed.I have put white Lyno on the walls, for two reasons, one, easy to wipe clean, and two, shows off the birds better with a white background. [/u [/u [/url This is a picture of the 8 holes I've put in the side panel to allow access to the 8 breeding boxes! [/u don't want them breeding yet so have put a square piece of plastic between aviary and breeding box.. [/u [/u mad max this little guy. This guy is Oscar This hen is Jerry These four are, Pepsi and Shirley (2 cfw) and the other two are Mellman and Bella.. love this, Pepsi,Oscar and Bella watching to cocks birds down on the floor kicking off.. They were both stood high on their legs, chest puffed out running at each other lol Peter and Penny Pied... last one for tonight! " you talking to me? are you? you talking to me?" Peter chatting to Max with Alec the CFW just not interested! lol
  21. Yeah I know what you mean, but they are all birds from breeders so have various rings on them.... my daughter is very interested at the minute (she's 6).. so all the birds have names ;-) I have also taken pictures of each bird and I'm going to put them in a book to be kept in the shed.... I've numbered the boxes and I'll ring any babies when they are born and log their parents etc... I know it's not as simple as that but not really interested in getting as serious about the keeping and breeding of them as some of the keepers on here!!! Really is for fun and as long as my birds remain healthy and I get the odd baby to watch grow I'll be happy... I'll enjoy keeping them, and if I get babies then great, I will keep some and sell some and go from there.... Well that's the plan lol.... :-)
  22. no real room to cage breed at the minute, I have one large breeding cage that is currently in my utility which I can put a pair in if I so wish! I may just keep that for a "sick bay" if any have problems.... I have set up the aviary in the shed so that I can breed "in the aviary"... I have panelled a 1/4 of the front of the aviary and cut out 8 holes in it, at the moment I have put small boards over the holes, then attached the breeding box on the outside... Once the "new" season starts i'll remove the small boards thus allowing the birds to gain access to the box.... At the moment the birds have been in just over a week, things have settled down after WW3 at the start of the week... I don't want them to breed but a few of them are now making cosy in the food dishes! Infact 3 pairs now sleep in them at night... I just hope they don't start breeding in them! I haven't put any nesting materials in the aviary but reading a few bits here and there on internet, that doesn't matter with zebbies lol... Think if I stood still long enough in the aviary they would breed in my pockets... Will post pictures of the aviary and the breeding boxes set up and you'll understand better... A picture paints a thousand words and all that... May ask Merv round to give me his opinion also, but will post a few pictures and seek some comments, either positive or constructive on here! Oh one last thing, joined the Zebra Finch Society earlier in the week, received my welcome pack through the post today, many thanks Dave Edwards... Will have a sit down over the remainder of the weekend and have a read of all the stuff sent! Proper job now lol