husbandry of birds Flashcards
how many species and orders of birds
over 9000 species, 29 orders
psittaciformes order
parrots
passeriformes order
canaries and finches
galliformes
chickens
anseriformes
water fowl
columbiformes
pigeons
history of bird keeping
kept as pets in ancient rome and greece, once a hobby of the wealthy, now commonly kept
why do people keep birds
- companionship
- aviculture
- food; meat n eggs
- sport; racing
different way birds are kept
- in house; companion
- aviary birds
- poultry; backyard flocks, commercial flocks
- pigeon lofts
5 domains
nutrition, environment, health, behaviour, mental state
basic considerations of enclosure design
location, design/ construction, aviary management, environmental enrichment
for location of indoor cages, what to think about
family traffic, security, toxins, ideally in corner, close but also with space
general rule for bird cage size
cage should be large enough to stretch out wings and sit on perch without tailing touching floor
should bird cages be longer in vertical or horizontal
horizontal
why do companion birds need to be in a dark room
diurnal cycle; not enough to just cover the cage, they need dark and quiet for 8-12 hours
managing companion birds
- diurnal cycle
- feeding practices
- exercise
- hygiene and cleaning
- quarantine new birds
- parasite control (do in quarantine, regular parasite control not required)
how long should you quarantine new birds entering household
6 weeks
types of aviaries (3)
suspended, full flight or combo
location and size of aviaries determined by what factors
- species
- number of birds
- space available
- local government
- weather
- position of sun during the day
considerations for aviary frame
can’t sterilize wood and birds like to chew wood
aviary wire considerations
- holes need to not let birds get out AND in, poor quality wire can hurt the birds
- strong enough to withstand chewing
- rust proof but not heavily or poorly galvanized so that zinc is toxic to birds
aviary flooring considerations
- dirt not good due to parasites (cheap)
- gravel better but not great, must turn frequently but also good for welfare allowing birds to forage
- grass good but doesn’t last because birds eat it, also if it doesn’t get eaten how do you cut it without disturbing the birds
- tiles good but still dirt in between tiles
- best is concrete because easy to clean (expensive) but also not good for foraging behaviour
perches should be wide enough so that
birds can sit and their toenails are just touching, but not big enough that their feces end up on the perch
aviary food and water bowls should be
heavy duty and sealed, ceramic , stainless steel or glass is good
aviary management includes
- pest control
- cleaning
- feeding/ watering
- parasite control
- quarantine
- diurnal cycle
aviary roofs can be partial or full, challenges of both?
- full is good for protection against the wild but don’t get natural weather
- partial is good for sunshine and rain, get to experience natural weather, but not good for protection
what does pest control include
rats, snakes, mice, wild birds, insects, pets and children
birds should be fed
at least daily
aviaries should also have
nest boxes
wild birds spent ____ of day searching for and consuming food
80%, therefore pet birds need lots of environmental enrichment
what is the 2 goals of enrichment (think increase and decrease)
1) to increase number of natural behaviours
2) to decrease number of unnatural or unwanted behaviours
when bird is housed with food in same place every day only spend ___ of day eating food
20%; ratio is flipped, need to “fill” empty 80% of day with enrichment
what are some behaviours that can happen if enrichment is not provided
- feather damaging
- stereotypes (repetitive behaviour that serves no purpose)
- aggression
- constant screaming
- poor socialization
- excessive sleeping
foraging enrichment
act of searching for and finding food
- scatter food
- place food in cardboard boxes
- baffle cages
- multiple dishes
- covering food dishes
physical enrichment
includes objects placed in birds environment AND the environment as a whole (size, design)
- toys
- ladders
- swings
- mirrors
- space available to fly, swim, run etc
sensory enrichment
utilizes birds senses such as sight, hearing, smell and touch
- providing a view
social enrichment
social interaction between birds and between people
- indirect; bird can see or hear other animals/ people
- direct; cage mates, social rooms or flights w numerous birds
occupational enrichment
items that elicit activities including problem solving, learning and choosing and controlling some feature in birds environment
