Marcus Pollard

Winter has made its presence felt in Tasmania lately, which means it is time for breeders to remove the shadecloth from the aviary roof and finish all those chores to get our finches ready for cooler temperatures. Whether you are locking down or gearing up for a spot of winter breeding – hop to it!

The cold should see the number of birds imported from the mainland slow down at least. Few people are demented enough to import birds during winter unless they want to winter them in their houses. Me? Okay, I’ve done it just the once.

Meanwhile, finch lovers in far north Queensland love this time of year because they use it to import their finches safely in milder temperatures.

Whether you are importing finches in cold or mild temperatures, you can prepare them for travel by supplementing their diet with an electrolyte mix. A touch of Glucodin™ and Troy Vita-B™ is good to give approximately a week before you send your finches off.

This is also suitable for use when your new charges arrive at your premises before entering quarantine.

I also have a mix great for topping up vitamin D3 without using water-based treatments. I call it my Polly’s Calcium Mix and it has proved to be a real winner with our finches down here, particularly the Gouldians!

Basically, take a container of Dr Colin Walkers (Australian Pigeon Company) PVM powder (or Bio-cal™ or a mixture of both) and combine it with a liberal amount of Canundra shell or very fine shell grit. Mix thoroughly and place it into a container.

Sydney’s Elenbee Seed Company, has all the ingredients you need to make your own Polly’s Calcium Mix – tell them Marcus sent you.

Still on the topic of importation, Tasmanian wildlife authorities have introduced a new system where all finches proposed for import into Tassie must have an Environmental Impact Statement prepared for them. They must then go through a panel before being cleared for import.

Apparently the reasoning behind it is to prevent species from going feral and overpopulating Tasmania. Hmm. I’ll keep you updated!

Marcus Pollard