Articles
AVIARY HINTS
By M.R. RuutzI would like to explain in this article my ideas of keeping finches. Once established you quickly settle down to your own way of breeding birds, that may not always coincide with either bird fanciers, but may be of some assistance to new members.
During the nights I use lights to keep my birds a little warmer and to cut down the risk of broken necks because of night fright. Some say this makes your birds soft, but when you have irregular weather and the possibility of sick birds going into shock from catching and placing them in a hospital cage, I prefer the lights.
Be careful on the amount of rape seed that is made available to your birds, Or you could have a diarrhea problem that may be fatal.
Cane toads can be one of the most destructive creatures to your birds, they slip in through the wire when little and quickly grow, poisoning anything they come into contact with.
I can highly recommend mealworms as a supplement and since introducing them have saved many hours collecting white ants. The way I store my mealworms is very simple, I use plastic buckets with a nylon stocking stretched over the top to stop the codlin moth whose web entangles the beetle and to stop the beetle from escaping. Birds will not produce fertile eggs if you do not supply them with enough protein, but do not overfeed, or your birds will become too fat. This could have an adverse effect and make it difficult for them to breed. The only ingredients is processed bran 100mm thick followed by a layer of hessian bag. The reason why the bran is only 100mm thick is that if it is any deeper it becomes wet through condensation. Food and moisture are supplied by placing a carrot on top of the bran, this will give me a continuous supply of live food, which most of the birds accept.
This mixture I give my birds daily is taken as soon as it is placed on the plate. It consists of a handful of mixed seed soaked for forty-eight hours with the excess water removed, and rinsed thoroughly. Then I add an even
mixture of egg and biscuit and protein mix till it becomes a crumbly mix.
I have had no problems with egg binding {because of the sprouted seed} and it keeps my birds in a good healthy condition. Excessive amounts of vitamins and minerals will cause kidney damage and too much soaked seed will cause the birds to have soft beaks.A problem that can be detrimental to your birds is loitering around in the aviary for too long. Certain birds will not enter nests to feed their young or go and have their nightly feed, which supplies them with body heat.
Always give your birds plenty of time before it gets dark otherwise they will not find a suitable roosting place. This problem can be overcome by placing lights in your aviary situated so they throw no shadows, so that the birds will not think they are perches. A dimmer should also be connected so the lights can be slowly reduced enabling the birds time to settle down for the night. For air sack mite, I use mortien mini strips as they work for me and it is a lot better than using poisons, because certain birds consume more water than others.Always water lime down when you spread it on the floor or it could blow up and make your birds go blind. What I find ideal for a seed hopper is a plastic bucket with the bottom cut out. I then put a small V in the rim and place the bucket on a large plastic dish with a piece of fibro on top. They are very cheap and easy to construct and hold a large amount of seed that flows at a good pace. This is excellent if you have to go away for a few days. If you live in a new estate be very careful when a new foundation is being sprayed nearby. Do not be shy to approach the builder and explain to him that you could lose a valuable collection of birds if the wind carries the poison into your aviary. Find out on what day it is to be done so you can cover or hose whatever your birds eat or drink. Whole collections have been lost because of spraying. Do not fall into the trap of buying sensitive birds when you are not ready for it. That bird has a very slim chance of living because of lack of experience on the beginner's side. In concluding this article I would like to remind you that this is my way I conduct my aviaries. If the way you run your aviaries brings you success don't alter or you will only upset your birds.
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BLUE FACED PARROT FINCH
By M.R. RuutzIt was brought to my attention by fellow aviculturists who purchased blue faced parrot finches from me, that there was very little information available on these exquisite birds. Over the years that I have been keeping them, I have had very good results with very few losses through diseases, which is encountered with a lot of other birds.
The colour of these birds can only be described as magnificent especially when they are basking in the sun, their feathers have an iridescent effect. The deep navy blue of the face contrast beautifully with the green of body then adding to their splendour is a red tail that only Mother Nature could supply.
Trying to sex these birds can be very difficult and after many years of breeding them I still find it hard to determine cock from hen. The telltile sign of sexing them is the cock has more blue around the face and the hen has more brown around the vent. If placed in the sun the green feathers on the hen are not as shiny as the cock bird and the tail is not as deep in colour.
Due to their irregular flying behaviour a reasonable large aviary, approximately three meters, is best suited to houseing them, but when placed in a carry cage they become very placid.
The aviary should be well planted as they enjoy a large quantity of green food as well as building their nests amongst the thick shrub.
They are a bird that needs to be watched when being fed hulled oats, because they have a tendency to overindulge and will become too plump. The same problem will be encountered when feeding a protein mixture. But when you can raer young without live food, then they would have a bird that can not be overlooked in the aviary.
Once established in the aviary they become prolific breeders with mainly nests of four and only have a short recess when the weather becomes too hot. I have never had any trouble selling the young as I have always found a good demand from people wishing to keep them. Always choose a good strain of bird and you will never have any trouble with loosing them. They will stand up to all kinds of adverse conditions. The hen will dominate the sex of the young. For example, she will either throw more cocks or hens and I have found it better to produce an equal amount.
As far as mixing them with other birds, I have never had any trouble, they are very compatible and have a very pleasant disposition. When you purchase your birds add an extra cock per pair, this will make sure the hens produce more nests. The hens are very hardy and can stand up to the rough treatment that is handed out by the cock birds.
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RED-BROWED FIRETAIL
Emblema temporalis.This familiar finch is common along the coast and associated highlands of eastern Australia from Cape York to the vicinity of Adelaide, including Kangaroo Island but not Tasmania. It has been introduced to Tahiti and a feral population persists precariously in the Darling Ranges in south-western Australia.
After breeding it congregates in flocks that may wander locally, but it is generally sedentary.
Red-browed Firetails feed mainly on the ground, the flock scattering to gather small seeds and, sometimes, insects and small fruits, and flying up to shelter in low bushes if disturbed. Flocks build special roosting nests in which to spend the night. The pair bond is permanent
and very strong; even in winter flocks the members of a pair stay close, roosting together and frequently preening each other.
Breeding occurs from August to December in the south, December to April in the north. Constructed mainly of grass and lined with feathers, the nest is a flask-shaped structure with a hooded side entrance; it is often placed in a thorny bush within a few metres of the
ground. Four to six eggs from the clutch. Incubation (by both sexes)
takes 13 to 14 days, and the young fledge at about 15 to 17 days.
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PINK COCKATOO
Cacatua Leadbeateri { led'-beet-er-ee: "Leadbeater's cockatoo", after B.
Leadbeater, British naturalist }
The Pink Cockatoo { or Major Mitchell's Cockatoo } has an extensive distribution across the arid interior of mainland Australia but if tends to be uncommon and local in occurrence, and rarely congregates in the large flocks typical of other "white" cockatoos in its genus. Although it occurs in most kinds of open country {wherever water and large nesting trees are available}, it has in general been adversely affected by changes in land use since European settlement; marked declines have been noted in some areas. Breeding pairs are generally sedentary, maintaining permanent territories at about 500 hectares; young birds from wandering parties. Most foraging is terrestrial, the diet consisting mainly of seeds, grain and tubers. Breeding occurs mainly from July to January. One to three eggs from the clutch, laid in a tree cavity.
They hatch in about 26 days and the young fledge at about 56 days.
Both parents prepare the nest hollow, incubate and care for the young.
Food
There has been a lot of information on what should be fed to our birds. To beginners this can be quite confusing. The main achievement is to establish a diet that supplies our birds with all their dietary requirements.
Seed
The way I like to feed seed to my birds is in an open dish. This eliminates the problem of seed hoppers clogging. Thus causing loss of birds through starvation. With a sideways shake the husks will rise to the surface where they can be easily removed by gently blowing. If this is done daily you will be insured that there is always seed available. Without being biased I find that the seed supplied by our club is the best I have come across. Especially since the dust is removed. That dust causes quite a lot of losses through crop fungus.
Water
Again I like to use an open dish where they are able to wash themselves. This is a good alternative to some of the other outrageous ways to supply water to your birds. The rule that I like to follow is that if you don't do it to yourself you don't do it to them.
Greens
While this is the essential part of a bird's diet, your birds may not be getting their daily requirements if a variety of greens are not used. The following plants can be easily grown in large containers free from chemicals and pollution.
· Green Panic
· Johnson Grass
· Conferee
· Broccoli
· Lettuce
· Strawberry leaves
· Small clover
· Chic Weed
It is very important that only very small pieces of each green are given. Too much of only one plant can cause irreplaceable damage or even death.
BY M.R RUUTZ
Keeping the worms out of our birds is a problem that can not be ignored. Many losses that occur are due to the incorrect care or our birds. Worms would account for many losses that simply should not happen. A simple dose of Oxfendazole bird wormer every three months will take care of this problem. The cost of a 50ml bottle of Oxfendazole is only $3, the loss of our birds could be much more. Unlike most of the other wormers Oxfendazole is very effective at a low rate, which makes it safe to use through the warmer months. The birds should be redosed 21 days later to destroy the worms breeding cycle. I have also noticed with Oxfendazole that the birds actually like the taste, which is not the case for other wormers.
It is possible for you to test your birds for worms, but this is quite time consuming and difficult. After placing a sheet of paper on the floor of the cage, place the paper along with the birds droppings under a microscope to be studied. However, if your birds are wormed regularly this will be unnecessary.
There are many ways for birds to contract worms, so it is quite certain they will have them at some stage. A light dose of Condycrystals, following Oxfendazole wormer will help heal any scar tissue on the stomach lining.The dose rate for Oxfendazole is 1ml to 1litre of water, which will treat Round Tape Lung and Intestinal worms.