Phil

[Phil 134 0]

Hi All

[Emmy 528]

Hi Phil
 
Welcome to the forum.  You'll find you will get lots of advice and help from the members here.

 

This is a photo of my outside flight.

 

http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a590/Emmy1851/OutsideflightApril29th20142_zpsa092a710.jpg

 

and this is the inside flight

 

http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a590/Emmy1851/insideflightMarch26th2014_zps10608986.jpg

 

The shed with the inside flight is 8ft x 9ft with access to the outside flight which is a slightly larger area.

 

In my aviary I have about 25 plus zebra finches (I've lost count now - but I have both cocks and hens and they have been nesting -lol)

 

Alongside the finches I also have canaries, 2 diamond doves, 3 Bengalese, 8 Chinese painted quails, and 3 cockatiels all with free access to both the inside and outside flights.  I also have a few pairs of other types of finches in cages inside the shed.

 

I'm really not sure about your question about just keeping one sex of bird-but if  you didn't want them to breed guess that would be the answer.    I think if you did get some of both sexes if they had made a nest you may find it very difficult to remove the eggs- I know I would and I'd like to put a bet on that your curiosity would get the better of you and you would want to see what happens- its so interesting watching  them rear their chicks.

 

I'm not 100% sure if they need extra light in the winter if you don't want the to breed I'm sure some of the more experienced members will be able to fill you in on that.

 

I do have a heater that I will be using if the weather gets very cold (this will be the first winter I've had the aviary)and my shed with the inside flight is insulated  and the window is double glazed.

 

Not sure if this information will help but I'm sure some others will give you more details

 

Wishing you good luck with your project I'm sure you will enjoy having those adorable little birds

Emmy

[Chill 15]

Hi phil welcome, sounds like a nice sized aviary and that hedge will offer good protection from the cold and wind in winter,you might need to cover a bit more of it in winter ( I use clear tarpaulin )just to keep the cold draft off the birds ,it's the cold wind rather than just the cold which seems worse for them as for keeping just males this is great but you could keep hens as well but just don't give them any nesting material or boxes you will probably still get courtships and bonding going on and the odd egg in the food bowls ect . As for how many birds to keep all I can say is a general rule of thumb is about 1 pair per 3 foot of floor space max but I personally feel that the less birds the more they thrive and happier they seem to be I breed outdoors in aviary and my pairs settle better and have larger more successful clutches when there are less birds in there. Heat in winter isn't always needed for zebs but obviously has it's plus points who knows what Mother Nature will throw at us so be prepared with a few holding cages maybe in the shed , light is a good idea maybe near feeding stations as it gives the birds an extra few hours in winter to get a feed as when it's dark they eat less which in turn doesn't help them stay warm and keep there energy levels up .good luck with the finches I guarantee if you do get hens you will probably want to start breeding within a few years as watching them pair up and courtship is a big part of the fun for me with keeping these cheeky little birds .