The aviary started with a cockatiel that my niece rescued whilst walking her dog in a wood. He was soon joined by a white cockatiel, a pair of Diamond Doves, Java Sparrows some Bengalese Finches and Zebra Finches. That was years ago - before we got hooked on fancy chickens.
I am now down to a pair of grey cockatiels and the white Bermuda Pintail above who has been moved to a separate, but will be getting some more finches when the weather improves.
We are currently giving the bird shed a
revamp as I have removed the potting shed at the back of it so I can get to
replace some rotten boards. We had a rat move in recently so we need to extend
the concrete foundations and block up the holes. I will go back to only feeding
the birds inside. I think the feeder in the aviary was the reason the rat moved
in. We live next to a cornfield so we normally have invaders over winter. They
don't cause too much of a problem where the ducks are, as ducks never leave any
food, but the aviary birds have their favourite seed and just scatter what they
don't fancy. Anyway the bird feeder is back for the garden birds (blackbirds and dunnocks always keep the floor clean) and I am back to using the pots the baby
cockatiels are sitting in above.
My pair of grey cockatiels have presented me with three babies (two grey and one
lutino) and have another brood hatched, but I don't know what or how many yet.
For my birthday (2007) I had a pair of lutino cockatiels and a pair of budgies.
The cockatiels have already paired and have taken over a nest box. At this rate
I will be over-run!