husbandry of birds

Question 1

how many species and orders of birds

Answer 1

over 9000 species, 29 orders

Question 2

psittaciformes order

Answer 2

parrots

Question 3

passeriformes order

Answer 3

canaries and finches

Question 4

galliformes

Answer 4

chickens

Question 5

anseriformes

Answer 5

water fowl

Question 6

columbiformes

Answer 6

pigeons

Question 7

history of bird keeping

Answer 7

kept as pets in ancient rome and greece, once a hobby of the wealthy, now commonly kept

Question 8

why do people keep birds

Answer 8

• companionship
• aviculture
• food; meat n eggs
• sport; racing

Question 9

different way birds are kept

Answer 9

• in house; companion
• aviary birds
• poultry; backyard flocks, commercial flocks
• pigeon lofts

Question 10

5 domains

Answer 10

nutrition, environment, health, behaviour, mental state

Question 11

basic considerations of enclosure design

Answer 11

location, design/ construction, aviary management, environmental enrichment

Question 12

for location of indoor cages, what to think about

Answer 12

family traffic, security, toxins, ideally in corner, close but also with space

Question 13

general rule for bird cage size

Answer 13

cage should be large enough to stretch out wings and sit on perch without tailing touching floor

Question 14

should bird cages be longer in vertical or horizontal

Answer 14

horizontal

Question 15

why do companion birds need to be in a dark room

Answer 15

diurnal cycle; not enough to just cover the cage, they need dark and quiet for 8-12 hours

Question 16

managing companion birds

Answer 16

• diurnal cycle
• feeding practices
• exercise
• hygiene and cleaning
• quarantine new birds
• parasite control (do in quarantine, regular parasite control not required)

Question 17

how long should you quarantine new birds entering household

Answer 17

6 weeks

Question 18

types of aviaries (3)

Answer 18

suspended, full flight or combo

Question 19

location and size of aviaries determined by what factors

Answer 19

• species
• number of birds
• space available
• local government
• weather
• position of sun during the day

Question 20

considerations for aviary frame

Answer 20

can’t sterilize wood and birds like to chew wood

Question 21

aviary wire considerations

Answer 21

• 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

Question 22

aviary flooring considerations

Answer 22

• 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

Question 23

perches should be wide enough so that

Answer 23

birds can sit and their toenails are just touching, but not big enough that their feces end up on the perch

Question 24

aviary food and water bowls should be

Answer 24

heavy duty and sealed, ceramic , stainless steel or glass is good

Question 25

aviary management includes

Answer 25

• pest control
• cleaning
• feeding/ watering
• parasite control
• quarantine
• diurnal cycle

Question 26

aviary roofs can be partial or full, challenges of both?

Answer 26

• 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

Question 26

what does pest control include

Answer 26

rats, snakes, mice, wild birds, insects, pets and children

Question 27

birds should be fed

Answer 27

at least daily

Question 28

aviaries should also have

Answer 28

nest boxes

Question 29

wild birds spent ____ of day searching for and consuming food

Answer 29

80%, therefore pet birds need lots of environmental enrichment

Question 30

what is the 2 goals of enrichment (think increase and decrease)

Answer 30

1) to increase number of natural behaviours
2) to decrease number of unnatural or unwanted behaviours

Question 31

when bird is housed with food in same place every day only spend ___ of day eating food

Answer 31

20%; ratio is flipped, need to “fill” empty 80% of day with enrichment

Question 32

what are some behaviours that can happen if enrichment is not provided

Answer 32

• feather damaging
• stereotypes (repetitive behaviour that serves no purpose)
• aggression
• constant screaming
• poor socialization
• excessive sleeping

Question 33

foraging enrichment

Answer 33

act of searching for and finding food

• scatter food
• place food in cardboard boxes
• baffle cages
• multiple dishes
• covering food dishes

Question 34

physical enrichment

Answer 34

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

Question 35

sensory enrichment

Answer 35

utilizes birds senses such as sight, hearing, smell and touch
- providing a view

Question 36

social enrichment

Answer 36

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

Question 37

occupational enrichment

Answer 37

items that elicit activities including problem solving, learning and choosing and controlling some feature in birds environment