Housing

The housing must be prepared before birds are acquired.

The literature gives information for the cage sizes of birds. The suggested dimensions given for Pekin Robins in most cage bird literature are the absolute minimum and inadequate to breed the species or to accommodate their behavioral needs. To keep a pair with breeding in mind and even for display requires an enriched habitat-enclosure to enjoy this and other bird species.

Even for maintenance, 1.2m x 1.5m x 2m high (4’ X 5’ X 6′-6″ high) a minimum to create an enriched enclosure. The back and half the sides should be solid to give them privacy. Pekin Robins are understory dwellers and actually like the “boxed-in” effect which simulates dense bush much better than a four-sided meshed cage. One side could be glass as well, but it should be screened with twiggy conifer branches or dense bamboo or other means to prevent glass impact trauma. Understandably not everyone can commit this much space inside a home. For breeding an outdoor planted aviary in combination with a sheltered indoor space is ideal. Where the local climate does not make the outdoor keeping practical and an indoor enclosure is considered, one must attempt to mimic the seasonal temperature and day length changes to stimulate breeding and general good health. Pekin Robins are stimulated to breed by lengthening photo periods in the spring. In my flock the spring breeding behavior begins with spring equinox and it seems that >12 hours of daylight induces nesting behavior. This must be given consideration when birds are brought into a home for the winter where they are exposed to extended days by artificial light since it often triggers out of season nesting with usual failure to raise chicks.

While we often hear that an aviary should be as big as we can afford, there is an optimum from a management perspective. A planted space can become too large to monitor the birds and locate the nests for banding the chicks. A good viewing distance from front to back is six to eight feet, depending on how densely it is planted. If the enclosure is too deep and the vegetation is quite dense, one has difficulty to monitor the birds in the environment. A lesser dimension may be practical for surveillance and keeping the birds in view, but not advisable in order to respect their flight distance. This is the comfort zone which keeps the birds from becoming frightened and take flight or cover when approached. The flight distance is different from bird to bird based on level of trust and experience.

Pekin Robins are by nature secretive when in choosing a nest site and caring for the nestling. While birds become tame enough to take meal worms from a hand, they will “freeze” when stared at near their nest and do not move until the keeper has left. If the enclosure is frequently visited, the birds may either get used to the intrusion or, much more likely, abandon their nest or young. A 6 x 8 x 8 feet high aviary will allow us to provide sufficient “wild” habitat for the birds to breed and raise their brood. I have noted that pekins and other species bred more readily if the aviary is 8 feet in height ( to 19 feet) . To have an aviary much larger than 9 x 12 feet is not advantageous unless it is a walk through aviary. A simulated habitat depicting the bamboo forest/shrub setting with some conifers, evergreen bushes is not difficult to establish.

The most important aspect of a breeding aviary is a densely planted portion for nest sites. My “battle cry” is: IF YOU CAN LOOK THROUGH THE AVIARY FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER , FORGET ABOUT REARING CHICKS. Three 4-foot high cedar hedge plants or dense bamboo clumps planted tightly together is all that it takes to allow the birds to hide their nest from our view. This simple matter is in my experience the main cause for Pekin robins failing to breed in captivity. Live food is the other critical point.

Pekin Robins love to bathe. A simple way to offer fresh moving water is a slow drip of water into a shallow bird bath. The overflow can be used to water the plants in the aviary or evacuated by a tube to a drain. The presence of running water has been noted in the literature as an asset to entice Pekin Robins to breed. Perhaps this relates to the diversity of insect life in a wetland habitat.

I have not found running water courses to be essential. One word of caution: young fledglings are attracted to water and there have been cases where they entered it got chilled and drowned. It is best to fill the deeper basins with pebbles during chick rearing time. Be mindful of water containers in which birds can drown such as deep pans, watering cans, smooth bowls and ponds with steep sides .
A landscaped aviary should have enough room to walk into it for maintenance. It should have high perches at either end to give birds room to get away from the person cleaning the enclosure and to give a long distance for free flight, even though Pekin Robins move more typically through the underbrush cover.

Solid walls in the back and partially on the sides create a wind protected bay and a sight barrier. The mesh wire should have openings of no more than 1/2 x 1/2 inches. It is a good idea to paint galvanized mesh with a dark, flat color to make it easier to see through and to preserve it at the same time. An oil based fence stain d works well, it is not shiny and does not peel.

Measures must be taken to eliminate rodents and predators. A 16 to 18 inch curtain of sturdy mesh wire extending from the bottom of the aviary frame downward into the ground at an outward angle is normally sufficient to discourage digging varmints from getting inside.

An out-door aviary should have a safety porch to provide a double-door-entry, so that there is always one door that can be closed between the birds and the “great outdoors” when the aviary is entered or exited. All my doors have heavy rubber bands, made from inner tubes, or bungee cords to always close the doors behind me. It has prevented otherwise inevitable escapes.

The planting in the outside aviary is best done in the ground. Perches should be positioned to cause the least amount of droppings to fall onto the leaves. Once the birds have established their movement pattern it becomes obvious where most of the droppings are accumulating. It is here where patches of sand can be placed to allow for easy cleaning. It will take a period of adjustments to refine the arrangements.

The plantings in an indoor enclosure or an outside aviary with a wire mesh bottom to keep predators and rodents out, are best done in pots or planters. Shallow pans to catch surplus water are good to keep the sand covering on the floor or other bedding material dry, which is an important consideration to keep the bacteria and fungus development down in the organic material which will accumulate on the ground. A dry substrate is an unsuitable environment for slugs and earth worms, both feared as intermediate hosts of the gape worm, a parasite to be avoided. Due to the limited space in the indoor enclosure there will be more deposits of fecal material on the leaves. If we have the plants in pots it is easy to simply take them out and wash them off and return them or have an alternate set standing in the garden to be cleaned by rain and “sterilized” by the ultra-violet sun rays. As an alternative, freshly cut green fir or cedar trees/branches can be placed in an enclosure in a bucket with moist sand to make do for vegetation cover. The trees hold out long enough to complete one or more nestings. According to one breeder, even plastic Christmas trees are accepted by the Pekin Robins to nest in. Soft-needled conifers are favored for nest sites. The author considers the presence of live plant material highly beneficial for the birds comfort and esthetics and essential for breeding.

Quarantine and hospital enclosures are smaller specialized cages. They must have means to regulate the ambient temperature and day light hours, afford easy cleaning and placed where disturbances are minimal.

Shipping boxes must be built with special consideration for softbills. The main aspect is the front screen mesh opening . Softbills make determined efforts to escapes which can result in facial injuries. It must be fine enough to prevent birds from forcing their bills though the mesh. The box must have two perches to give the birds an opportunity to safely act out their anxiety by hopping from perch to perch. This reduces stress . Proper perches keep them off the floor, out of the water dishes, fecal material and wet food (fruits) and away from the front screen. If the box is well designed the birds will arrive at their destiny in good condition with clean, dry and undamaged plumage.