Tips On Canary Breeding
July 24, 2009 by fts
Filed under Breeding Pet Birds
Canary breeding can be done for profit or mere enjoyment of the new birds. If you want to breed your own, there are a few things you need to know. Here are a few tips on breeding canaries.
Fighting
Breeders commonly have problems with their canaries fighting. Males can sometimes be aggressive with the female. The male’s abuse may even become life-threatening. Therefore, make sure you keep an eye on things and separate the two if you have to. You can help prevent fighting by keeping the two birds in adjacent cages until they get used to each other.
Diet
You should feed your male and female a rich diet before trying to breed them. This will help give them more energy for the upcoming egg production and physical activity. You should feed your canaries apples, green vegetables, and boiled eggs mixed with biscuits.
Nest
You will have to provide each pair with their own nest. If possible, you should consider providing each pair with two nests. Common materials used to make nests include dryer lint, burlap, and shredded paper. Some birds are pickier than others.
Eggs
Most hens lay five small blue eggs, while some can produce up to eight. After a week of sitting on the eggs, you should check each one for signs of a developing embryo. Just hold it up to a light. It’s safe to toss eggs out if they’re clear. Make sure that you always wash your hands before handling the eggs. Some substances can penetrate the egg shell and harm the developing chick.
These are a few tips on breeding canaries. If this is your first bird, then you definitely need to learn more about proper care of canaries. You will learn all you need to know to ensure your little bird stays healthy.
Get useful information about house train a dog – this is your personal tips store.
Keeping a mixed collection of Birds in an Aviary
April 16, 2009 by admin
Filed under Keeping Pet Birds
[ad#blod-ad]
Keeping many different species of birds in one aviary is not always as easy as it seems. You can often mix quite diverse species, but this is normally more straightforward out of the breeding season or with single birds. The breeding season is an important factor to consider. Once it begins, the different species of birds that once lived so happily together can suddenly turn on each other as they fight for territory and protect their nest sites. Quite literally, warfare can break out.
Keeping one single bird in an aviary with several other pairs should present no problems, but if you decide to pair it up, keep a close eye on it in case trouble starts. Because the individual characters of each species vary so much, it is very difficult to give detailed advice on what species of bird you can safely keep together
The majority of birds usually moult just after the breeding season. Do not be alarmed that during the moulting period, they may not be able to fly quite as well as they usually do; this is quite normal.
During the warm summer months that follow, the new birds can familiarize themselves with the garden, the aviary, the diet, their fellow occupants, etc., so that by the time winter approaches, they should be fully acclimatized. Many birds can cope with cold conditions, but it all depends on how fast the winter materializes. If freezing conditions arrive suddenly, you may lose all your birds in one go, but if winter approaches gradually and you keep your birds in a well- sheltered aviary, in general and depending on the species involved, they should be able to cope. It is not low temperatures that normally kill birds, it is the combination of wetness and wind. If your birds become wet and are in a draught, they will rapidly lose heat and die.
Allowing your birds to bathe occasionally is a good way to keep it healthy. It is not sensible to provide a permanent dish for bathing unless you are prepared to change the water every day. It is essential to change the water because your bird will not be able to distinguish between drinking and bathing water and will end up drinking from the water it has just bathed in. A good method is to introduce a large, shallow container full of water into the cage or enclosure once a week and remove it after a couple of hours.
Introducing New Birds
April 12, 2009 by admin
Filed under Keeping Pet Birds
[ad#blod-ad]
Try to avoid disturbance during first few days by introducing it to one new thing at a time. If you have any pets, acquaint them very gradually. A common problem is with cats. You may not keep a cat yourself, but any local cats will soon become aware of the new bird in the neighborhood. Do not think that your bird is perfectly safe just because the cat cannot get to it; the sudden appearance of a cat can literally scare a bird to death.
If your bird has been kept in an indoor environment, such as quarantine, and you eventually plan to house it outside, keep it inside for a period and provide a shallow water bowl in the cage in which it can bathe. A dish with angled rather than straight sides is best and perhaps with a few stones at the bottom to help the bird get out. This approach will also help to acquaint the bird with rain. If you put the bird outside and there is a downpour of rain, it can become waterlogged and then extremely cold.
Always give new birds several food and water dishes around the aviary. Do not be alarmed if your bird does not immediately hunt for food; this is quite normal. After a few days, your bird will know where all the food and water dishes are and you can then slowly remove them until only one food and one water dish remain.
Although it may not eat for the first few hours or so, once it becomes familiar with its surroundings check that your bird is eating properly. Just because the food dish is being emptied, this does not necessarily mean that the bird is eating
Finding The Best Bird Cages
April 3, 2009 by admin
Filed under Bird Supplies
[ad#blod-ad]
by Pius Ephenus
When seeking out new birds cages, the most important thing to think about is the pet bird which you have and their needs. You have to take their size into account and the way that they behave when caged. Many birds like to fly around in their cage, some like to climb and others do both! You want to be sure that your birds cage gives your pet plenty of room to keep them a happy, healthy bird.
Your birds cages should be at least twice as wide as their wingspan. If your bird likes to fly in its cage though, you’ll want to get the largest cage that you can in order to accommodate this behavior.
Birds cages are available in all sizes and shapes with different choices of materials. While there are wooden, metal and plastic cages which you can buy, the most popular (and generally the least expensive) type is plastic coated wire. However, this material is not suitable for all birds, since some birds will chew on the wire and may become ill from swallowing plastic bits. If your bird is of a variety which has a tendency to do this, you?ll want to go with a different type of birds cage. However, plastic coated wire is favored by many because it is easy to clean.
As you look for a bird cage, keep cleaning in mind. Cleaning your bird?s cage is an important part of caring for your pet. Most bird cages have a bottom tray which is removable for easy cleaning. Remember to clean your bird?s cage at least twice a week and more often if your bird is a larger species or if you are keeping more than one bird in the same page.
You can of course always look for a bird cage that fits in with your decor scheme. There are many different varieties of birds cages available for all budget ranges, and with enough searching you are sure to find something that fits in with the rest of the room that you are planning to house your birds in. Remember though, your bird is a pet and a companion, not a decorative accessory. Choosing a cage that fits the bird is more important than how the cage looks. Even if it is the perfect cage and you need it there, fine. Put the bird in an appropriate cage somewhere else and find another bird that fits the cage you just have to buy.

