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Bird/Greenhouse

Discussion in 'Growing Areas' started by rothschildianum, Aug 2, 2009.

  1. rothschildianum

    rothschildianum New Member

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    My first post, thought i'd introduce myself and show my grow area. I am from upstate New York.

    ai1014.photobucket.com_albums_af267_rothschildianum_GH2.jpg

    ai1014.photobucket.com_albums_af267_rothschildianum_Gh1.jpg

    ai1014.photobucket.com_albums_af267_rothschildianum_GH3.jpg
     
  2. Chris

    Chris New Member

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    Hi roth! Good to see you here! NICE grow areas.
     
  3. Tom_in_PA

    Tom_in_PA I am not an addict

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    Looks like a nice setup you have there. What kind of birds do you have?

    BTW...welcome to OI and thanks for sharing your growing area with us and some of your bloomers as well!
     
  4. rothschildianum

    rothschildianum New Member

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    Here's a photo of one of the inhabitants. A pair of white-tailed black cockatoos.

    ai1014.photobucket.com_albums_af267_rothschildianum_whitetails.jpg
     
  5. rothschildianum

    rothschildianum New Member

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    Some of the other inhabitants:

    Red-tailed black cockatoo (this is the male):
    ai1014.photobucket.com_albums_af267_rothschildianum_6412_1176010689321_1499724476_30476.jpg

    Gang-gang cockatoos (this is the female):
    ai1014.photobucket.com_albums_af267_rothschildianum_n1499724476_30216362_7734.jpg
    ai1014.photobucket.com_albums_af267_rothschildianum_2391_1074237745061_1499724476_30216.jpg

    Major Mitchell's Cockatoo:
    ai1014.photobucket.com_albums_af267_rothschildianum_2391_1074237825063_1499724476_30216.jpg

    Blue mutation African Grey (this is the female):
    ai1014.photobucket.com_albums_af267_rothschildianum_n1499724476_30216368_8510.jpg
     
  6. Mary Jane

    Mary Jane New Member

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    very nice. Thank you for sharing your space and birds with us.
     
  7. Tracey

    Tracey Interloper

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    Gorgeous birds. It's difficult to get Major Mitchells even here now. There is a large flock of red-tailed blacks which take up residence for a few weeks each year in my neighbour's trees. I love seeing them (hearing them, not so much)
     
  8. Karen

    Karen Species nut

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    Welcome, rothschildianum!
    Nice growing area & birds!
    Do you have a preference in what kinds of plants you grow?
     
  9. rothschildianum

    rothschildianum New Member

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    Hi Karen,

    I grow (mostly) Cattleya species, Stanhopeas and Paphs. . .
     
  10. Home Grown

    Home Grown Hakuna Matata

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    Gorgeous. The set up of my dreams!!:cool:
     
  11. T&J San Antonio

    T&J San Antonio New Member

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    Welcome to the board and thank you for sharing your birds and orchids as well. I gotta ask... Where do you live? I somehow doubt you could be in upstate New York now. Enquiring minds want to know. My wife had Macaws for a while (before we were married) and she has the scars to prove it. Unfortunately when her late husband got sick the Doctors said the birds had to go. I know she misses her birds but orchids keep her busy enough now so she does not to think much on the birds anymore. Your plants all look very nice. Oh the birds too for that matter...

    just tom
     
  12. Ray

    Ray Orchid Iconoclast Supporting Member

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    I've often thought of birds flying loose in the GH, but the ones that can tolerate the temperature range eat plants!
     
  13. rothschildianum

    rothschildianum New Member

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    I am in upstate New York, in the Finger Lakes region.
     
  14. rothschildianum

    rothschildianum New Member

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    You could certainly keep some softbills free-flighted in a greenhouse and they wouldn't eat your plants. I have a pair of miniature toucans in the greenhouse that I thought about free-flighting but decided against it because they would actually be too disruptive to the other birds.
     
  15. Ray

    Ray Orchid Iconoclast Supporting Member

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    Maybe I should have clarified: the ones that can tolerate the temperature range, are easy to come by, and are inexpensive eat plants.
     
  16. T&J San Antonio

    T&J San Antonio New Member

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    Hmmm.... I somehow thought you were in a warmer area. Have you wintered over in your greenhouse yet?

    OK so I'll play the dummy... What is a softbill? Like Ray, I also have also wanted to have birds free flighting in my greenhouse. My exhaust fans are well gaurded but the thought of them eating on my plants has kept me from persueing the idea any farther... What do you think about a pair of canaries or finches? As you might guess I'm not a bird person but I do enjoy them..

    just tom

    PS what species of Catts do you grow in your area? I know the northern states can grow many orchids that we can't grow down here and vice versa. We grow a lot of the big Catt hybrids and species along with Dendrobiums and all of the Vandacious genera.
     
  17. rothschildianum

    rothschildianum New Member

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    Yes, winter. it gets quite expensive to heat, in the winter, i maintain daytime temps of 80 and night time temps of 60. There are more bird areas, which also must be heated.

    softbills are birds like canaries and finches. (parrots are considered hookbills). Canaries should do fine free-flying in greenhouse, though i'd prefer a better flier. Finches would do well. there are lots of finches that would do well in a greenhouse atmosphere (any really) and they would not eat any of the plants (they might and will eat any bugs they can find).

    Cattleya species. . . eldorado, nobilior, trianae, luedd, bifoliates such as bicolour, schilleriana, etc. though the greenhouse is not huge, it's large enough to allow for microclimates allowing me to provide different environments for each type of plant.

     
  18. T&J San Antonio

    T&J San Antonio New Member

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    You and I are the same on our winter temps but then when it does get cold enough, it normally doesn't last but for a few days at a time. My bigest problem is keeping it cool durring the summers months. So far since the begining of last month we had 38 days of temps in the triple digits. All we can do to keep it below 90 during the hotest part of the day. I also run 10 fans circulating air on the plants and monitor the leaf temps closely. Our main greenhouse is 14 by 28 feet with a high pitched roof that might work well for the birds. I think I'm going to look for a pair of Finches.

    I also have a trianea and a schilleriana but they are not doing as well as I would like. You should be able to click on my name and get a glimpse of our greenhouses if you like. Gotta go the wife is calling me for dinner.
     
  19. rothschildianum

    rothschildianum New Member

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    Looking at your greenhouse pictures, the birds should do fine. The fans aren't too big of a concern for finches (I wouldn't think). they have fairly small feet and even if they were to land/perch on the fans, their feet shouldn't touch the spinning blades.

    The cheapest finches would be a pair of zebra finches. . . though they're not terribly colourful, but still neat to watch. If they do well, you could always add more/other species.

    This summer has not been terribly hot for us. It's only hit 90 a few days this summer so it hasn't been a very big issue. On the one day it hit 98, the greenhouse maintained a high of 85 (summer temps are 85 day/65 night). I do run two air conditioners.


     
  20. T&J San Antonio

    T&J San Antonio New Member

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    Well the three cealing fans are not used anymore because the blades fell victim to the high humidity and statred to droop so I disconneted them but left them hanging. I figure they might provide a nice perch for the birds, in the center of the greenhouse.

    just tom