Exotic Animal Hubandry

Question 1

are the qualities of a good bird cage?

Answer 1

• Non toxic
• Easy to clean
• Indesctructible
• Of an appropriate size
• In a safe location away from direct sunlight and toxic fumes
• Should have appropriate furnishings

Question 2

How is bird social hierarchy determined?

Answer 2

By height

Question 3

Describe some on-bird identification methods.

Answer 3

• Microchip
  
  • Should be placed in left pectoral muscle
• Ring bands
  
  • Placed on the left leg in the female and on the right leg in the male

Question 4

What are the components of a bird home-made diet?

Answer 4

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Nuts and seeds
• Sprouted pulses
• Water

Question 5

How should a bird be transitioned onto a new diet?

Answer 5

• Gradually, with a 10% change every week
• When transitioning off a seed mix, feeding can be restricted to 30-60 miinutes, 3 times a day

Question 6

What are some food items to avoid with birds?

Answer 6

• Avocado
• Tea, coffee, alcohol
• Bacon
• Salt

Question 7

How long should the day length be for pet birds?

Answer 7

12 hours

Question 8

Discuss UV light for birds

Answer 8

• Can be used to avoid hypocalcaemia and behavioural problems
• Should be replaced every 6 months
• Should be 30 cm away from the bird

Question 9

Describe the use of perches in raptors.

Answer 9

• Birds are tethered for training, with the exception of hand-reared animals
• Falcons sit on block perches, while most of the other species sit on bow perches
• Poor perch design is responsible for 99% cases of bumblefoot in raptors (Forbes and Parry-Jones 1996)
• Perches should have a rough surface; cover them with Astroturf, carpet, natural stone or roughened cork.
• Tethered birds wear leather straps called ‘jesses’, which are attached one to each leg. These are threaded through a swivel and attached to a leash, which is fixed to the perch. The leash should be just long enough for the animal to access the floor, food and water, else leg injuries will occur.
• The perch should be high enough for the bird’s tail to clear the ground, avoiding damage to the tail feathers.
• The perch needs to be protected from extremes of temperature. This is achieved by using a permanent shelter called a ‘weathering’, which is covered at night and heated during the winter. These also provide shade on hot summer days.
• Substrates should be easy to clean, such as concrete sub-floors, covered with pea gravel.
• Leg fractures are common in inexperienced juvenile birds, so these animals should not be tethered, but placed first in an aviary until they get used to the place and the people.

Question 10

Discuss the different food items given to raptors.

Answer 10

• Wild animals
  
  • disease risk
  • TB
  • Salmonella
  • New Castle Disease
  • Toxins
  • Alphachoralose, lead, and mercury
• Shot animals
  
  • Can cause lead poisoning
• Frozen food
  
  • Can be stored up to 3 months
  • Can be thawed in fridge overnight and then at room temperature
• Types
  
  • Rabbit, quail, chicks, mice and rats
• Whole meat
  
  • Large bones cut into smaller pieces
  • Must be suplemented with vitamins and minerals

Question 11

Describe the housing of waterfowl

Answer 11

• Knotless, nylon mesh around enclosure
  
  • Keeps safe from predators
  • Excludes other birds
• Must include a grazing area
• Must include a pond (and island)
  
  • Should be 0.75-1.5 meters in depth for swans and diving ducks
• Substrate
  
  • Concrete
    
    • Hardwearing but may cause bumblefoot
  • Grass
    
    • Important for grazing
    • Requires management
    • Can house parasites

Question 12

What are the essential components of a waterfowl diet?

Answer 12

• Aquatic vegetation and grasses
• Propriety diet
  
  • 14% maintenance protein level
  • Duckling starter protein level at 20%
• Grit
• Water

Question 13

What is the rat dental formula?

Answer 13

ncisors 1/1, Canine 0/0, Premolars 0/0, Molars 3/3

Question 14

What is the rabbit dental formula?

Answer 14

2/1, 0/0, 3/2, 3/3

Question 15

What is the guinea pig dental formula?

Answer 15

Incisors 1/1, Canines 0/0, Premolars 1/1, Molars 3/3

Question 16

What are the dietary requirments of a guinea pig?

Answer 16

• Requirement for feeding vitamin C supplement as guinea pigs lack enzyme required to synthesize it from glucose
• 10-30 mg/day should be fed
• Hay, grass, green vegetables should be fed
• Roughage is essential for gastrointestinal health and teeth

Question 17

Discuss indoor versus outdoor housing for rabbits.

Answer 17

• Outdoor rabbits
  
  • Should be checked daily, especially in perenial area for flystrike
  • Should avoid contact with wild rabbits
  • Enclosure
    
    • Should be big enough for rabbit to stretch fully and stand upright with ears erect
    • Should be out of direct contact with sunlight to avoid heat stress
    • Traditional rabbit hutches are too small and should only be used for overnight confinement
    • Can included enrichment such as tunnels
    • Hides should be provided
    • Good place for rabbits to sleep in
    • Mimics the burrow in the wild
    • Allows for escape from companions, humans and other pets
    • Should provide shelter from all the elements
    • Large run or paddock can be used as a permanent rabbit-holding solution
    • Should include an opportunity for digging
• House rabbits
  
  • Can be litter trained
  • Secure cage is essential when unsupervised
  • House must be rabbit-proofed
  • Cover cables, protect wallpaper
  • Enrichment should be provided
  • Can use cat flaps

Question 18

What are the housing requirments of a gerbil?

Answer 18

• Should be housed in single sex groups or as a breeding pair
• Cage can be plastic or glass with a mesh lid
• Cardboard rolls and boxes as enrichment
• Dust bath should be included
• Bedding
  
  • Carefresh
  • Sand should be avoided as it isn’t absorbent and can cause eye irritation
• Direct sunlight should be avoided