Conure Haven, the Aviaries of Sallie Klink

Abstract

An impressive assortment of conures live at the end of a pleasant narrow road which runs through a typical central Florida oak hammock. There are 20 conure species breeding in an airy pole barn situated under the oaks. The aviary is surrounded with plantings of ginger, clerodendron, crepe myrtle and ferns. The din-floored barn will eventually be enclosed with screening to limit the inevitable Florida mosquito problem. Guinea Fowl remove any spilled feed under the cages.

Conures and lories share the barn.

Cages are suspended from the ham rafters and are arranged in two long rows with an aisle between them. The cages are uniform: 30 in. wide, 3 ft. high, and 51/2 ft. long. The floor of the cage is four feet above the ground level. There are visual divisions between the cages. Sixteen gauge wire (1 x 'Ii in.) galvanized before and after welding is used for the entire cage, including the floor.

Perches are natural wood placed high in the front and rear of each cage. All nestboxes are positioned at the rear of each cage. Because of the chewing ability of most of the conures, their nestboxes are made of wood with wire lining.

Food and water dishes for each cage are inserted into a wire box that is made exactly to the height of the dishes. There are opening cut in the top of the wire box that matches the top opening of the dishes. This way the birds cannot pull the dishes into the cage. The wire box is fastened to the cage floor against the cage front. There is a door at the front to access the dishes.

The entire facility is fenced. Several dogs prevent any raccoon problems from developing and Guinea Fowl serve as excellent "watch dogs." A neighbor's Java Green Peafowl, Mincus mincus, eliminates any of the local pigmy rattlesnakes.

Sallie Klink's Aratinga conure collection includes Peach-fronted, Aratinga aurea, Red-masked, Aratinga etytbrogenys; Mitred, Aratinga mitrata; Half-moon, Aratinga canicularis, Goldcapped, Aratinga auricapilla; Whiteeyed, Aratinga leucopbtbalmus; Jenday,

Aratinga jandaya, Brown-throated, Aratinga pertinax aeruginosa, Dusky, Aratinga unddellii; Red-throated,

Aratinga holochlora rubritorquis;

Cactus, Aratinga cactorum; Bluecrowned, Aratinga acuticaudata; and Sun, Aratinga solstiuatis, Conures.

Other conures include the Greencheeked, Pyrrbura molinae; Blackcapped, Pyrrhura rupicola, Pearly, Pyrrbura perlata sp.; Maroon-bellied, Pyrrbura frontalis, Slender-billed, Enicognantbus leptorbyncbus, and Patagonian, Cyanoliseus patagonus, Conures.

Samples of breeding records are as follows: Gold-caps breed yearly having three to four clutches with four eggs in each clutch. Black-caps produced fertile eggs at 18 months of age. Slenderbills produced three chicks in August of 1997. Klink notes that the Slender-billed Conures, when hand raised, make unusually good pets. They are also exceptionally fond of carrots, cooked corn and fruit.

All of her birds are fed a half-andhalf mixture of a Cockatiel seed mix and Roudybush pellets. Fruit is added and sunflower seed is fed during the winter. All food is replaced daily and the water dishes are flushed with a hose and refilled with clean water. All bowls are washed and bleached twice weekly. The cages are pressurecleaned every two weeks. The feeding and maintenance is done by Klink, herself, with some help from family members.

 

Visitors are not allowed in the breeding areas. Nestboxes are examined each week and Sevin (5%) is dusted lightly in the nestboxes between clutches. This is to keep away mites, lice and any other insects that might interfere with the nesting period. Conure (and Jory) chicks are left in the nestboxes for 10 to 12 days before removing for handfeeding. Once removed from the nest they are syringe fed using EXACT handfeeding formula.

At the proper degree of maturity, potential breeders are surgically sexed. Chicks destined to be pets are blood (chromosomal) sexed. All newly acquired birds are also surgically sexed not only to identify their sex but to have the avian veterinarian observe other organs inside of the bird.

 

 

PDF