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Page updated 03/06/2002

Other bird species kept in with my Java's
Orange Bishop Weavers
Zebra Finches
Bengalese Finches
Green Singing Finches
Orange Cheeked Waxbills
Cordon Bleu's
Magpie Mannikin's

Two Java's with an Orange Bishop Weaver

This Page will give you my idea of the minimum Requirements to House Java's

When building or buying cages for Java's remember that Java's will grow to approximately six inches when fully mature, so your average finch cage will be to small. The following measurements are the sizes I use for my birds, I must just say here, finches are better off in longer cages rather than taller ones, the reason for this is because it gives the Java's room to fly from one end of the cage to an other.

As you have probably seen on my other pages I use double breeding cages to breed and house my Java's, they serve two purposes, one I can keep a single Java in one half of the cage or have a pair in the whole cage with the partition removed. The cage size is 48" x 18 ½" X 15" this is a comfortable size to house two or three Java's in, I would say don't go any smaller than this.

See how to build this cage on my
Build a cage page [ link ]

Single Cage 24"x 18 ½" x 15"

Bath hooked on its very safe

Perches suitable for Java's are made from ½" square or rounded wood, if you are going to keep Java's permanently in cages I would strongly recommend using branches of fruit trees it not only looks good, it will also exercise their feet with the different thickness along the branches

My Java's are kept as outdoor aviary birds, not as a pet. I have many photos sent to me of people keeping their Java's as household pets and using wire made cages from the pet store, if you can afford to always buy the biggest cage you can get for your Java's. An excellent second purchase is a clip on or hang on bath as Java's just love to bathe.

Here are some tips to consider when sighting a cage.
• Never put a cage where there is a draft. E.g. by opening and closing doors, by open windows
• Never put a cage where it may get damp
• Never put a cage where it will be in direct sunlight. My outdoor Java's are always sitting in the shade when the full afternoon is at its peak
• Never put a cage to near heat source, fire, radiator,
• Don't put house plants near the cage were the Java may reach the foliage (see Toxic plants page! ) [ Link ]
• Also don't put the cage in front of or by loud speakers


If you build your own cages or see my projects page on building a cage then you will be looking for cage fronts, the fronts you will need must have ½" gaps between the bars, I would not go any bigger than this, as young Java's may get their heads stuck. If you go smaller it makes viewing the bird harder. If you have seen the cage front's page on this site there are different lengths and heights you can buy or have your own size specially built. A good tip! If you paint the cage fronts black using enamel paint, it makes viewing the Java's much easier as it takes the gleam off the new cage fronts also it stops them from rusting up to quickly.


			Because my bird room is so small, I am forced to use internal next boxes, but ideally they would be better hung on the outside to give the birds more room in the cage. The budgie boxes I use are 9.5 inches long, by 6 inches wide, by 6.5 inches high, with a sliding inspection panel at one end, the entrance hole being 2 inches in diameter. The nest boxes are fitted with two brass plates so they can easily be hung up at the back of the breeding cage by two screws and easily lifted off for inspection. I have designed the cage fronts to come off very easily for cleaning the cages and for inspection of nest boxes, you can see how I have done this on my, build a cage page.
Again as Java's are much bigger than your average finch you will need to bear this in mind when buying nest boxes or wicker baskets. There are many different types of nesting containers available on the market. I have found this type of box to be ideal for my purposes; also they are very easy and cheep to make your self with off cuts of plywood.


I am often asked if my birds live outdoors all year round? Yes! My Java's have access 24 hours a day to the out door flight. Every aviary I have built always has an indoor flight as well, 98% of my Java's go indoors to roost at night with the odd few what will stay out. Only on extreme cold nights all the birds will go in.
	My indoor flight has lighting to extend the feeding times, especially if they are feeding young. The lighting is connected to a time switch so I don't forget to turn the lights off at night or if I come in late, also the birds get use to the time the lights go off and usually settle down an hour before the lights go off. (Must have a built in clock themselves) All my birds are feed from the indoor flight, one it keeps the outdoor flight from having seed husks blowing round and helps stop the vermin feeding as well, secondly its also easier for me to change seed, another advantage is if you want to catch a bird for some reason they have got to come in some time to feed, that's where my trap door comes in very handy, I have only one entrance to the indoor flight and fixed to it is a sliding door, that is kept open by fishing string, the other end of the string is by the shed door where I come in and out, so when the bird you want comes in to feed just release the string and the door shuts (hay presto you have your bird). I only Use low energy lighting in my indoor flight to save on the running costs, also I keep a deep layer of seed husks on the floor for installation in the winter months
My indoor flight.
Ventilation: All bird rooms big or small must have some form of ventilation. However, it is important to avoid direct draughts on your roosting birds. In my bird room I have made two vents on the rear wall about 12" from the floor and two vents high up on the front face. These are covered with zinc gauze to prevent birds from escaping and insects from entering. This gives a gentle airflow throughout my bird room and helps prevent a buildup of disease in closed quarters. You can just see one of these vents in the photo on the back wall just off the floor




The indoor flight is heated only over the worst winter weeks with a gentle back ground heat to keep the frost away, the heating is supplied by an ordinary greenhouse heater with a built in thermostat so I can set the temperature at a round ( 15 c) approximately (59 f)			This Heater the heater is made for a greenhouse and is approved for use in damp conditions. The heating power is 2kW. It has an auto frost-stat activated below 5 C. Also a thermal overload safety control. It also run's very quietly as well. In the summer it also blows cool air round the bird room, if required.