DISEASES OF SONG AND ORNAMENTAL BIRDS

ROSSELKHOZIZDAT 1980

VETERINARY REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAINTENANCE AND FEEDING OF BIRDS

When keeping birds at home, the main attention should be paid to disease prevention. Advanced chronic cases of the disease often cannot be treated or show short-term improvement.

The veterinarian must not only cure the bird, but also give advice on its proper maintenance and feeding at home.

Content.

Some hobbyists let birds out of their cages to roam around the room. The cage in this case serves only for food intake and night rest. This content prevents metabolic disorders, especially with a tendency to obesity.

Good results are obtained by keeping them in aviaries and large bird cages, where the bird is able to fly freely and choose communities of other birds. However, birds should not be placed in enclosures in severe frosts or hot weather. During the formation of pairs when kept in enclosures, birds may show aggression towards others.

One or two birds are often kept in a cage; it is better to place a larger number in an indoor aviary. Making a good cage that meets all veterinary requirements is not an easy task. The ones that go on sale are almost always small, often round or polygonal-shaped cages with a pointed roof. For many species of birds they are completely unsuitable. The most suitable one is a flat, rectangular cage size depending on the type of bird (they are listed below).

The cage for large birds should be equal to the full wingspan so that the tail and flight feathers do not deteriorate. There should not be more than three or four perches inside the cage, which the bird could hit when taking off from the floor. For parrots, it is necessary to install a swing, taking into account their number. It is best to make perches from soft wood (elder, willow, linden, etc.), the thickness and elasticity of which promotes the exercise of the toes and prevents abnormalities of the finger flexor tendons.

Nesting devices

1 - basket, 2,3 - houses for small birds, 4 - closed basket, 5 - house for small parrots, 6 - house made of natural material, 7,8 - nesting pads

Sometimes on sale there are cages with plastic perches that are easily disinfected and washed, but due to their hardness they can cause inflammation of the plantar pulp (pododermatitis) in birds. Place a perch inside the cage away from the drinking bowl and feeder to avoid contamination of food and water. After carefully studying the behavior and movement of the bird, you need to position the perch in such a way that the bird i.e. could touch the walls of the cage with its feathers.

The main cause of injury in budgerigars can be damage to the skin and limbs from the protruding corners of a feeder, drinking bowl, nest, etc.

Different species of parrots have different attitudes towards bathing, but it is always a good idea to have a bath tub filled with water. Many species of parrots in nature bathe in plant flowers or near falling water, others - mainly in leaves covered with dew. In the cage, you can use wet lettuce leaves and sprouted oats for this purpose. In some cases, parrots can be bathed under a light stream of a warm shower. This is especially important for those species whose homeland is in countries with hot climates and high humidity.

To maintain the condition of the beak, it is recommended to place branches of fruit trees and birch in the cage.

Budgerigars and lovebirds feel better if I have the opportunity to fly freely in cages. The dimensions of the cages for budgerigars are 50 X 30 X 40 cm, for lovebirds - 80 X 40 X 60 cm. The risk of injury and disruption of plumage during movement often depends on the restlessness of the bird.

Granivores are kept in boxes or open cages; it is recommended that this type of bird be given more freedom of movement. The minimum cage size for two canaries is 50 X 30 X 40 cm. Most granivores love to swim, so there should always be a bath in the cages.

Keeping and caring for insectivores in most cases requires much more work and care than granivores, and they are kept much less frequently. A suitable cage for them is one that is longer than it is wide, allowing them to jump from perch to perch. For example, the minimum length of a cage for this type of bird is 50 cm, for nightingales - 60, for blackbirds - 75 - 80 cm. The roof of the cage is not covered with a net, but with soft material to prevent head impacts. A bird room or aviary is best suited for keeping insectivores, but the roof should also be covered with soft material. Most insectivorous birds are migratory; therefore, in the fall and spring, when kept in cages, they show significant anxiety. Under unfavorable conditions, insectivores' plumage is disrupted when they hit the net.

The droppings of this bird species are moist, so the floor must be kept clean and the sand or sawdust changed frequently. If kept in an unsanitary manner, the droppings are mixed with a layer of sand and form growths on the legs after drying.

Insectivores, like granivores, are big fans of bathing, so a bathing suit is placed in the cage, with plastic placed around it to prevent excessive moisture from entering the bedding. You should always remember that heavily soiled bathing suits or baths can lead to the development of dangerous infectious diseases.

Swallows and swifts are placed in a cage in exceptional cases: only in case of illness (swallows cannot tolerate being kept in cages). In this case, heating the cage with a specially equipped heat source, reflector, or infrared lamp is of great importance.

Lapwings are the most sensitive to home conditions of keeping and feeding. This need is often associated with damage to the wings and legs. Birds use peat as bedding for this species.

Wild birds are kept in cages or, better yet, in aviaries. All bird species in captivity gradually lose the ability to fly. Certain species of wild birds practically cannot develop in cages because they are naturally predatory.

Sea bird species capable of long flights are especially difficult to tolerate captivity. To help a sick or injured bird, it is placed in a special cage that limits movement.

Within the confines of this book, it is difficult to note in detail the feeding features of numerous species of birds, but you should pay attention to the basic recommendations, as they help in diagnosing and preventing the disease.

Feeding

Feeding rations for birds are tailored to their species and age. The food must contain the necessary nutrients: fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, macro and microelements.

The need for nutrients is closely related to the activity of individual birds: when kept in enclosures and freely placed nutrients, the body needs more than when kept in cages and rooms with an optimal temperature.

Fats and carbohydrates serve poultry as energy material; in addition, fats can be vehicles for fat-soluble vitamins and the functions of individual organs (for example, egg production, secretion of secretions, fats).

Proteins are the main component of muscles, organs, feathers, skin, beaks, bones and eggs. Enzymes and hormones are also formed from proteins. Vital essential amino acids are not synthesized in the body; they must be contained in the feed. Depending on the presence of amino acids in the diet, we can talk about the completeness of feeding. Their amount in seeds poor in protein (millet, millet, barley) is lower than in fat-containing seeds (rice, sunflower seeds, anise, poppy, hemp, walnuts, groundnuts), and most of all in animal feed. Red, white and yellow millet contains almost no essential amino acids - lysine, tryptophan; it also lacks methionine. For granivores, the diet should include several types of grains. With a combination of millet and oats, the bird is provided with all the essential amino acids. During molting and feather formation, the need for amino acids and minerals for feather formation increases significantly. The bird must be provided primarily with sulfur-containing substances and amino acids. During the breeding season and feeding of young animals, nutrient requirements also increase.

A decrease in the fertility of eggs and the death of embryos indicate malnutrition, despite the fact that there are no visible disorders in adult birds.

Along with fats, proteins and carbohydrates, the body needs vitamins, macro- and microelements for the normal functioning and reproduction of birds. Grass seeds serve as a source of vitamin B complex but do not contain vitamin C and D. Yellow corn grains are the most important source of provitamin A. Grain sprouted before pipping is rich in all vitamins (especially vitamin E), therefore, during the breeding season of birds, the grain is placed in a flat dish (plate, cuvette), cover with gauze and moisten with water until the sprouts hatch.

Depending on the type of bird, feeding should be specific and varied. In order to prevent diseases of metabolic disorders, it is necessary to include natural sources of vitamins and microelements in the diet of birds: green grass, sprouted plant seeds, carrots, apples, oranges, juice of fruits and berries, and in winter - dried leaves of clover and alfalfa.

Parrots and canaries as a feed additive should be given twigs with bark and buds of various trees (birch, cherry, apple tree), which contain trace elements and other vital components.

Most metabolic disorders in the body occur in late winter and early spring, when vitamin reserves in the body decrease and the need for nutrients increases sharply due to molting and preparation for the sexual season.

Bird owners use a grain mixture (canary seed, millet, oats) for feeding. Before feeding the grain mixture, it is advisable to view it through a magnifying glass and select quality ones based on color and appearance. The new food is given gradually, adding it to the remaining small reserves of the old one. A sudden switch to a new food can lead to gastrointestinal diseases. Normal digestion is facilitated by gravel (fine river or sea sand), which must always be in the cage.

Sometimes poultry farmers use multivitamin preparations A, B1, B2, C, D2, E, which are best added to drinking water. Fish oil contains vitamins A and D.

Vitamins should be used in a minimal amount (1 - 2 drops of an aqueous solution), since an overdose causes disease, most often fatty liver degeneration and poisoning. The principle “the more the better” is unacceptable for songbirds and ornamental birds. Usually, young and adult birds have a greater need for vitamins when feeding.

Certain requirements are also needed for tap water, which after neutralization contains a small amount of chlorine. Drinking such water for a long period is dangerous for the chicks. To remove chlorine, the water is allowed to settle for two days in an open container.

Among the products that neutralize and soften water, you can use Avizanol (manufactured by Derks). This drug contains calcium in an easily digestible form. Avisanol in drops also destroys pathogenic pathogens, prevents feather plucking in birds, and prevents skin irritation. It is enough to add a few drops of this drug to the drinking bowl.

There is a special anti-shedding drug, Mauser, which is added to water or food. It contains a set of microelements and multivitamins in an easily digestible form for active vaporization.

Metabolic disorders often occur when there is insufficient or excess supply of nutrients to the bird’s body. The need for nutrients in different species of birds varies significantly due to growth, environmental temperature, hormonal function. Certain species of birds under unfavorable feeding and housing conditions do not respond to their action, while in others this is manifested by persistent pathological changes. Pathoanatomical symptoms of malnutrition in some cases have characteristic pronounced syndromes (encephalomalacia, exudative diathesis, perosis, etc.), in others they may be unclearly expressed.

Incoming energy substances are necessary for the mechanical work of muscles, active transport of optimal intra- and extracellular concentrations of substances. All metabolic processes produce a certain amount of heat.

Many species of ornamental and songbirds are very active and therefore require high-energy substances. The amount of useful energy in different species of birds, depending on environmental conditions, ranges between 70 - 90%. The energy requirement of some birds is significantly higher than that of mammals. A bird with a body weight of 50 - 100 g eats food daily, constituting 5 - 10% of its weight.

The diet of birds should be varied and differ according to the seasons; special attention should be paid to feeding during the breeding period of raising young animals.

Growth indicators for budgerigars presented by G.I. Michaels (1971) show that initially body weight tends to constantly increase, and in adulthood it decreases slightly.

	Body weight (g)

Water and feed consumption depends on many external factors, such as the duration of light exposure, ambient air temperature, and season of the year. With high light exposure and low air temperature, feed intake increases.

Bird lovers often do not pay attention to this, but in such conditions the bird begins to molt. To regulate the light regime in the evening, it is necessary to cover the cage with cloth, reducing the length of daylight hours to 7 - 8 hours.

Most parrots have a strong beak, which is necessary not only for grinding grains and hard fruits, but also for processing nesting material. The upper part of the beak, unlike the beak design of most other bird species, is connected to the skull; the lower part of the beak moves only back and forth. The structure of the oral cavity in parrots is such that the grain does not fall out. In macaw parrots, the beak and lining of the oral cavity are very hard, so they can use their beak to destroy the wire of the cage and perches (Fig. 1).

Rice. 1. Various forms of beak in birds in normal and pathological conditions: A - granivores; B - insectivores; B - parrots; G - abnormal growth of the lower part of the beak; D - abnormal growth of the upper part of the beak

Parrots have 300 to 400 numerous taste glands in their beaks. The upper and lower parts of the beak have the function of touch. Feeding parrots is not difficult: they can eat large amounts of millet and other types of grains, which are sold in stores as a grain mixture. Parrots can remain healthy for a long time when fed grain alone.

The introduction of fruits and juice of oranges, apples, plums, pears, and grapes into the diet provides additional sources of nutrition for easily digestible carbohydrates, peptides, and vitamins. Loria parrots are best fed fruits, sugar, juices and nutritious baby formulas.

In summer, plant seeds also contain vitamins. In winter they use millet and oats. Not all parrots are vegetarians. Boiled eggs, mealworms, and meat serve as sources of protein. There are observations of parrots grinding bones and using them as food. However, excess animal protein is very harmful to parrots and can lead to a distortion of appetite.

The approximate daily diet of budgies includes at least two or three types of grain and a set of components that meet the need for vitamins, protein and amino acids. In quantitative terms, we can recommend the following composition (g): millet - 12, oats - 6, sunflower - 1, canary seed - 3, white bread - 5, dry millet - 1, boiled millet - 2, mealworms - 0.5 , boiled chicken egg - 0.5, ant eggs - 0.5, grated carrots - 2, boiled baker's yeast - 0.2. One adult parrot should consume 33.75 g of the listed feed ingredients per day.

The feeding technique is as follows: a grain mixture and a separate set of soft feeds are placed in a bowl. All minerals (shells, chalk, slaked lime, a small amount of table salt, sand) are poured into a separate bowl. With this feeding, there is no need to additionally introduce vitamins into the diet, since the need for them is completely covered by their content in this grain mixture. Sometimes only 2 - 3 drops of medical fish oil are added.

Natural sources of provitamin A are carotene, cryptoxanthin, and xanthophyll, which provide intense coloration to the beak, foot, and plumage. Especially a lot of these substances are found in carrots, spinach, dandelion, and herbal flour. The need for them increases significantly during the period of molting and egg formation. As a source of carotene, you can give the bird crushed yellow corn grain or egg yolk.

Some poultry farmers use regular ground red pepper when feeding canaries, but this is unjustified. Only pre-processed cayenne pepper is suitable for this purpose.

Canaries are fed abundantly and variedly and at the same time prevent obesity. The diet of this bird species includes oatmeal, hemp, crushed sunflower grains, flax seeds, rapeseed, weeds - dandelion, shepherd's purse; In winter, carrots, buds of cherry, birch, and linden branches are added. Spring colza is well eaten by canaries; it is advisable to pour boiling water over the seeds to remove the bitter taste. Seeds are fed at the stage of milky-wax ripeness, since in this case there is no risk of obesity. It is better to give ground grain to young canaries; it activates the digestive processes, is well absorbed and prevents beak formation anomalies.

The diet of canaries should include three or four types of food: grain, egg mixture, fruits, vegetables, herbs. Chicken egg shells and chalk are poured into a separate bowl.

Obesity in canaries often occurs when the ratio of feed components is not observed, for example, excess flaxseed. Canaries readily eat birch seeds (in the amount of 3 - 5 g daily), and ripe dandelion seeds, which have a brown inflorescence after cutting. Seeds can be stored for future use.

The egg mixture is prepared from a boiled egg without a shell, grated with the addition of crackers crushed into a fine powder. The mixture ratio is 1 egg and 1.5 tablespoons of cracker powder, then it is moistened with carrot juice and includes 18 - 20 drops of fortified fish oil.

In order to provide birds with minerals, shell rock and egg shells are added to the diet, which can be added to the sand or placed separately as a mineral supplement.

Potent vitamin premixes, microelements, feather meal, fish oil and some others should be given only after consulting a veterinarian.

The diet should contain several types of grains. In natural habitats, some species of granivores bring insects to their chicks in the first days of life.

Finches' favorite food is also grain; therefore, the upper part of the beak is designed in such a way that they are able to separate the husk and destroy the contents of the grain.

In addition, finches also happily eat herbaceous plants in the form of a food mixture. The short beak and its special structure give them the opportunity to exclusively feed on this type of food. Its strong beak even allows it to destroy cherry pits, so some species, in appropriate habitat conditions, feed on the seeds of fruit trees. Various species of finches eat large quantities of grains by choice.

The upper part of the bunting's beak has a special massive growth. The seeds (kernels) are pushed deep into the beak with the help of this growth and the shell is separated by it. Buntings can feed on the seeds of timothy and awnless brome.

Nightingales have a special beak structure that allows them to press grains with their tongue to the upper part of the beak and squeeze with one of its edges.

The food mixture for finches is made up of a large amount of millet, and care should be taken that along with small oat grains there are also coarse, unprocessed, husk-covered grains, which are necessary for the constant strengthening of the beak. You can buy ready-made food for granivores in pet stores. But along with dry grains, they should be given fruits and vegetables as a source of vitamins.

As a rule, many species of birds happily eat twigs of young fruit trees, especially cherry and pear trees. In winter, this food can completely replace the need for vitamin supplements. Granivores obtain plant protein by feeding cookies, as well as mealworms and fresh pupae from butterflies, which are pre-collected from May to August. Freshly boiled eggs and dairy products are a good protein food, but constant care must be taken to clean the granivore's beak, as this mixture can cause growths to form.

The source of food for insectivorous birds in nature is various live insects, but since it is not always possible to find such food when kept in captivity, healthy birds are given a substitute. A fresh and complete source of animal protein for this species is ant eggs, which are frozen (in this form they are stored for a long time). However, at present, taking into account environmental protection requirements, it is not allowed to disturb ant settlements. Insectivores can be fed mealworms, but at a certain stage of development when they are white in color. When feeding yellow or brown larvae in large quantities, there is a risk of disease. Earthworms are readily eaten by thrushes, starlings and other species of most insectivores. However, feeding untreated earthworms serves as a vector, and feeding earthworms found in soil treated with herbicides and insecticides can cause bird poisoning.

Myx should be used to feed insectivores; certain species of birds also readily eat daphnia. Live daphnia serve as good food for raising the offspring of small insectivorous birds. You can feed them to butterflies, beetles and other insects, both live and dried in the form of a mixture that is well preserved in the refrigerator.

Blackbirds are fed a coarse diet that includes dried ant pupae. Often chopped nuts and some types of berries are also added to it. This food can be prepared with carrot juice and water in the form of a slurry.

For birds that readily eat fruit, chopped apples can be added. In summer, in order to prevent diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, the quality of feed is constantly monitored. In the evening it is necessary to remove the remains, as the feed turns sour overnight.

For insectivorous birds, ground chafers are added in small doses. To prepare an egg sponge cake, take the boiled yolk of eggs, then grind it and dry it.

Insectivores develop a certain habit of eating one or another type of food. For example, a favorite treat for blackbirds is finely chopped (cooked or fresh) heart muscle from cattle.

Birds receive mineral nutrition from crushed egg shells. For those who feed on nectar, a substitute is prepared - 1 tablespoon each of honey, milk and baby formula and 6 - 7 tablespoons of water. All this is placed in a special tube through which the bird consumes food. In the afternoon, you can change the composition of the mixture: 1 ml of honey per 3 - 4 tablespoons of water. Meat extract, multivitamins and lime should also be added to this solution for 2-3 weeks.

When keeping wild birds in cages for a long time, it is necessary to regulate feeding, including live or killed birds, mice, and rats in their diet. The lack of such food can lead to diseases with metabolic disorders. You should also take care of bathtubs.

Owls, which can sit motionless for hours in the wild, are given regular feedings by the hour. Their diet is no different from other species of birds of prey. Crows happily eat fruits, such as cherries, plums, strawberries, grapes, apples, etc. However, in captivity they especially need mineral nutrition. Yeast, wheat husk or feather meal serve as its substitute. An adult bird loves a mixture of crushed oatmeal, rice, and potatoes. In spring and summer they are given earthworms and chafers, which can be replaced with mealworms. Add pieces of beef and hazelnut branches to the diet. They make up a certain mixture of bread, hard-boiled eggs and baby flour. They easily clean fresh cooked bones from meat residues and readily eat cartilage.

When kept free, crows swallow small pebbles the size of a small hazelnut. The reason for this phenomenon is little known, but pebbles (gastroliths) play an important role in the digestion process. It has been established that when kept in captivity, the absence of these components sometimes leads to the death of crows.

Food for swallows and swifts can include insects, as well as crushed cattle hearts and freshly boiled eggs. If swallows are forcibly given food, the upper part of the esophagus may become blocked, so it should be formed into balls and inserted through an open beak. Water the bird using a pipette.

The lapwing's food consists of crushed heart muscle from cattle, mealworms and earthworms, and a small amount of white bread soaked in milk.

It is more difficult to raise a young bird when the adult bird dies or leaves the nest. Chicks are very demanding of their living conditions, so humans can rarely replace their parents. Birds, depending on the breeding of their chicks, are divided into two groups: chicks and broods.

The chick group is the one in which naked, blind, helpless chicks are hatched; for a long time, adults feed them until they are fully plumed and usually do not leave them even after flight. Some species of insectivores, granivores and omnivores belong to the nestlings.

Brood birds, after hatching, have full plumage, can leave the nest in the first days and independently look for food and water. Representatives of this bird species are chickens and waterfowl.

A distinct difference between nestlings and broodbirds lies in the technique of obtaining food. Some representatives of insectivores collect a large number of insects and worms into their beaks and then fill their crops, and then feed their chicks with this mixture. Granivores can feed their chicks with special crop milk, which is secreted, for example, by pigeons, in the first days after the chicks hatch and serves as their exclusive food.

The technique of feeding chicks plays an important role when replacing parents. Sometimes they experience abnormal plumage development and a number of other disorders associated with improper feeding. The duration of feeding is of great importance. Certain species of chicks require frequent feeding and cannot withstand 30 minutes without food, after which they die. The urge to feed is manifested by anxiety and squeaking, to which the caregiver must respond. After receiving food, the chicks fall asleep. When artificially feeding chicks, care must be taken when opening the beak (due to its softness). For this purpose, you should use a smooth stick, which is placed in the corner of the beak, and food is inserted into the resulting gap. Drinking water is given through a pipette, dropped into the open beak. Falcons and owls in the wild can go without water for a long time, so the chicks of this species do not need to be watered. If mixed dry food is used, it is pre-soaked in water to prevent blockage of the esophagus. Very young chicks should receive food at least 6 times a day. In the future, they get used to consuming food themselves. Chicks of granivores and insectivores are given an egg, egg biscuit, chopped meat; granivores love strawberries, carrots, and apples. In this case, a drop of fish oil and a small amount of mineral supplements are added to the mixture. Mealworms are used for insects.

The main food for young granivores is crushed plant seeds. For this type of bird, we can recommend ready-made food for canaries, available in pet stores. Chicks of swallows and swifts are fed with ant pupae, flies, chopped meat, and freshly boiled eggs.

Young birds of prey chicks should be fed unsalted meat, free of fat, frogs, fish, and fresh insects.

Feeding brood chicks often does not present much difficulty. Already a few days after hatching, they easily accept food, which has its own characteristics for each species. This species of bird quickly develops a pecking reflex from an adult bird.

In chicken species, the pecking ability develops several hours after hatching. However, there have been cases where, when an adult bird dies, untrained chicks are disrupted in their food intake. Then they resort to force feeding.

When using a special entomological trap with a powerful light source, the catch in one night can sometimes amount to kilograms of insects. There are especially many of them on dark, warm nights and when there is a massive flight of insects, such as the gypsy moth. From the insects obtained in this way, I always chose lacewings (green insects from the order Reticuloptera) and released them: they are very useful as aphid destroyers.

Butterflies and other insects can be dried for future use. It is best to marinate them with heat. Caterpillars can be used as food for most birds. By manually collecting cutworm caterpillars from the garden of the nearest collective farm, all the birds in the enclosures of the Bolshevskaya biological station were provided with fresh and good food for a long time. In a gauze cage, caterpillars live a long time. You just need to occasionally toss them a fresh leaf of cabbage.

Insects on herbaceous plants can be mowed down for insectivorous birds. By sharp blows on the grass with a strong net placed on its side, insects are “mown down” into it. “Mowing” is especially productive in the second half of summer in dry meadows, where there are many fillies.

Insects are given to the birds alive directly in a net or shaken out onto the floor of the enclosure. Birds, accustomed to such feeding, immediately flock and eat this food in a few minutes.

Insect food can also be prepared for future use. To do this, they are marinated in a jar with a ground or rubber stopper and then dried in an oven. The insects are stored in a dry place and given to birds dry (tits) or scalded with boiling water. May beetle larvae are found in forest areas when plowing or digging ridges, but rarely in large quantities. Even great tits sometimes peck larvae. However, they are more willing to eat adult cockchafers. The latter are also loved by many other birds: grosbeak, nuthatch, starling, falcon.

Bronze beetle larvae are eaten by corvids, thrushes and starlings, both adults and chicks. Starlings especially love them. This food is very satisfying: the starling, remarkable for its gluttony, usually eats no more than two larvae in a row. Small birds should be given larvae by cutting them into pieces and first squeezing out the contents of their intestines. Bronze larvae live in large numbers around the anthills of red forest ants, as well as in old, burnt manure. In a narrow strip of half-rotten needles, between the soil and the residential part of the anthill, several hundred larvae can be obtained. The harvested larvae live in a jar with soil for weeks. No one seems to eat adult bronze beetles except the red falcon. Earthworms can be a good source of nutrition for corvids, starlings and most thrushes. They serve as almost the only natural food when raising thrush chicks, especially blackbirds and songbirds (this is often their main food in nature). Hoopoes eat worms especially well.

Worms crawl out of any feeder, so before giving them you have to cut them into pieces. Small red worms live in manure and emit a pungent odor. Adult birds do not eat them. The chicks fed with these worms begin to shake their heads, burp them with a large amount of foam and die approximately an hour after feeding.

Feed replacements

In addition to natural feeds, similar to those that birds consume in the wild, substitute feeds can be successfully used. Boiled and finely chopped meat is a good food for starlings, tits and corvids. It is given to most insectivorous birds as an additive to the feed mixture. Raw meat is the main food of birds of prey. Shrikes, starlings, and corvids (except jackdaws) readily eat it.

Any meat is given to birds: beef, horse, lamb, cat, fox, etc. It should not be salty or too fatty. Birds of prey and owls need to be given whole animals, such as mice, rats, sparrows, at least occasionally. Growing chicks especially need this food. It can be partially replaced by pieces of meat rolled in bone meal and feathers.

Small rodents are caught with ordinary mouse traps in houses (house mice) or in the field, in the forest, near humens, haystacks (field and forest mice, voles). Fish is the main food for chicks of gulls and terns (especially large species), herons and other fish-eating birds. Corvid chicks (worse than others are jackdaws) and even starlings get used to feeding on it.

White bread, dry, soaked in water or, better yet, in fresh milk, is eaten by almost all birds. It can be the main food for corvids, starlings and some other birds. White bread in milk can be given for several days in a row as the main food not only to granivorous birds, but even to the most fastidious insectivorous birds (warblers, bluethroats, robins).

Boiled eggs in small quantities can be added to the feed of all birds. Eggs, especially the yolk, act as a fixing agent. Various porridges (millet is better than others) can serve as the main food for starlings and corvids. Blackbirds, great tits, and little by little almost all granivorous and even insectivorous birds eat the thick porridge.

Fish oil is added in very small quantities to the feed of insectivorous birds, if it is uniform. For carnivores fed only with meat, fish oil is required once a week.

Leftovers from the table (cheese crusts, bread crumbs, carrots and potatoes from soup, pieces of the second) can be given to starlings and corvids. Great tits love to “gnaw” bones boiled in soup.

Blue-headed Pionus, or Brazilian black-eared parrot (Pionus menstruus)

Green feed

Birds that do not receive berries and fruits need abundant green food.

Birds love two herbs very much: wood lice ( Stellaria media) - garden and field weed growing in damp places, and knotweed (bird knotweed, bird buckwheat, goose grass ( Polygonum aviculare), growing in dry places - on paths, roads, even between pavement stones in cities. It is convenient to store woodlice in a plate of water, pressing the grass with a pebble. So it doesn't fade for weeks.

In urban conditions, salad is good. By spring, you can plant oats in boxes and feed them when they reach 5-10 cm in height. The most convenient for indoor birds is Tradescantia, a plant with creeping stems. It is planted in small flower pots. When the shoots of Tradescantia reach several tens of centimeters, the plant is hung next to the cage so that 1-2 leaves penetrate into it. The bird pecks at the leaves, and new ones develop in their place. Whole shoots can also be placed in an indoor enclosure, which are also replaced as their leaves are eaten.

Some birds willingly eat the winter buds of trees, such as linden trees (bullfinch, grosbeak, sparrows), or pine needles; they ate better than pine trees (crossbills, siskin). Take advantage of every visit to the forest to bring your birds some fresh branches. If the latter are kept in the cold, they do not dry for a long time.

In the spring, the earthen floor of the aviary is sown with oats, bird buckwheat, quinoa and other plants, dug up, again densely sown and leveled with a rake. Once dropped at different depths, the seeds do not germinate simultaneously, and therefore birds eat the seedlings for quite a long time. It is not possible to preserve the grass until autumn: it is destroyed by the inhabitants of the enclosure or it dies from an excess of their droppings.

Mineral feed

Finely ground eggshells (once or twice a month) are mixed into the feed. If birds breed in captivity, the females' need for it is very great and it must be given daily during the laying period. Birds greedily peck even clean shells at this time.

When raising the chicks, I gave them egg shells every day, rolling pieces of food in the powder. In nature, birds bring eggshells, mollusk shells or pieces of lime to their chicks, starting from the second day of their life (tree sparrow).

Pebbles are necessary for grinding food in the bird's stomach. If the bottom of the cage is lined with paper, then sand (coarse if possible) should be given at least once a week. The bird immediately begins to select round-shaped pebbles from it, the hardest ones being quartz. Their size in small birds is 1-2 mm. Therefore, sifting sand through a fine sieve, as is sometimes done, is completely unacceptable. Even on the floor of an outdoor enclosure you need to occasionally add sand, since the birds quickly select from it all the suitable pebbles, which soon wear out in their stomachs. Granivorous birds especially need pebbles, and primarily those swallowing seeds in a shell: quails, larks.

Preparation of feed mixtures

The grain mixture is prepared according to the tastes of different types. The main rule that must be followed in relation to grain mixtures is the greatest variety. You need to give less cannabis.

A properly formulated mixture should be eaten by birds without any residue. We give examples of mixtures for some birds.

For oatmeal
Millet - 50%
Oats - 20%
Canary seed or lettuce seeds - 20%
Weed seeds - 5%
White bread - 5%

Of course, very approximate ratios between feeds are given, but the general nature of each mixture is still clearly visible: some contain only oily seeds (for crossbills), others only mealy ones (for buntings), and still others - both.

Grain mixtures have various additives: white bread (for the bullfinch), berries (for the crossbill), etc. When preparing mixtures, you must also take into account the individual characteristics of the birds. In our practice, there were cases when one siskin preferred hemp to any kind of food, while another could not live without mealworms. Or, for example, out of two greenfinches, only one ate, and very willingly, burdock seed.

Taritsa - a mixture of millet, crushed wheat, barley, vetch is recommended for pigeons, larks, and buntings.

Nightingale mixture is the basis of nutrition for insectivorous birds in captivity. Boiled, cooled and slightly squeezed ant eggs (40%) are mixed with grated carrots (30%) and crushed white breadcrumbs (30%). You can add a little raw minced meat (the mixture spoils quickly) or finely chopped boiled meat. For the most unpretentious birds (robins, thrushes, starlings), the number of ant eggs can be reduced or even eliminated altogether. Nightingale mixture is also well eaten by granivorous birds, to which it is given as an additive to grain feed. In winter, the mixture is stored throughout the day. It is usually not used in summer. At this time, fresh ant eggs are given.

Literature: K.N. Blagoslonov. Birds in captivity. Moscow, 1960

There are many of them - siskins, goldfinches, buntings, bullfinches, finches, larks, tits, nightingales, flycatchers, starlings, thrushes and others.

Songbirds have been kept at home for a long time and give people great pleasure with their singing, mobility, cheerfulness and beautiful plumage. But keeping them at home is not so easy. This bird needs good conditions.

Songbird cage at home.

So, for example, for tits, goldfinches, siskins, finches, warblers, warblers, a cage with a bottom area of ​​40 by 30 centimeters at a height of 30 centimeters is required, and for bullfinches, crossbills, waxwings, nuthatches, a little more - 50 by 40 centimeters at a height of 40 centimeters .

Clean river sand is poured into the bottom of the cage. They arrange perches and twigs for sitting in it, put in a drinking bowl and a feeder, and make the bottom retractable for easy cleaning.

What to feed songbirds at home.

The birds are fed in the morning and evening, and the water should be constantly and clean. Proper feeding will ensure longevity, vigor of the bird and cheerful singing. Feed is selected as close to natural as possible. You can’t overfeed or underfeed. Birds such as the siskin, goldfinch, chaffinch, and bunting eat 12-15 grams of grain feed per day, while the titmouse needs grain, ant eggs, mealworms and pieces of meat. Thrush and starling - white bread, berries, fruits. Mineral feeding is also required - crushed eggshells and pieces of brick, chalk, clay.

Do not feed birds sausage, sweets, or cheese.

Birds are afraid of drafts, tobacco smoke, fumes and dampness.

Place the cages in a bright and warm place in the room.

Not all birds get along with each other. For example, a great tit will easily kill a goldfinch or siskin.

Protect birds from cats and dogs, they are very afraid of them and can break in the cage, trying to escape from it at the sight of your “murki” and “jacks”.

Cleanliness is the key to health for birds too. The cage is removed after a day or two, and once every two weeks it is scalded with boiling water or washed with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Birds are transferred to spare cages during harvesting. It is best to catch them in the dark, by touch, noticing in advance in the light where the bird is hiding.

Parrots have long been a common bird for home keeping. However, we should not forget that there are a huge number of bird species that delight with their bright appearance and melodious songs. Few people notice that our “native” representatives of the avian fauna can become wonderful feathered pets. And if a real Belarusian exotic has settled in your house, then, first of all, this is an indicator that the person caring for him is an extraordinary and responsible person.

Which songbird should you choose?

What birds do you think can be seen or heard outside your window every day? Most often these are passerine birds. Let's look at several representatives of this order, unpretentious and suitable for keeping at home. Most often, siskins, bullfinches, redpolls, finches, buntings, goldfinches and greenfinches are kept in cages. These are not all types of birds that can be tamed.

Before getting such a pet, you should study a lot of literature and understand that these birds require special attention. You can’t just catch a bird from the wild and put it in a cage. Most likely, she will simply die. You need to act wisely and patiently. It is rare to find wild songbirds on sale from private birdwatchers, but if you are lucky, you should pay attention to granivorous birds, since insectivorous birds are quite difficult to keep precisely because of their diet.

The first bird that can be recommended for keeping to a novice zoo lover is siskin. Once you meet him, you will forever remain attached to this wonderful little birdie. Despite its modest appearance, the siskin at the first meeting captivates with its grace and liveliness. And with a longer acquaintance, the siskin amazes with its gullibility and agreeableness. In a matter of days he stops being shy of people, gets used to flying out of the cage and comes back.

Chizh

Of all the household, he usually singles out the one who looks after him. And it is to this person that he will make all “requests” for a treat or a bath, raising the feathers on his head, jumping on the perch as close to his person as possible. And having settled into the house, siskins have no desire for freedom at all and can live up to 10 - 12 years.

Taming the siskin lies through the love of delicacies. Some prefer sunflower seeds, others hemp, others pine nuts. The song of the siskin is a quiet, melodic chirping, which distinguishes it favorably, for example, from parrots with their sharp and loud voice. Surrounded by other singers, the siskin enriches its song with borrowed knees. A captured male siskin begins to sing in the cage during the first or second week and sings diligently all year, excluding periods of molting. Female siskins usually do not sing, but some do sing.

Goldfinch

In addition to siskins, the black-headed one is quite easy to keep goldfinch with its bright, truly dandy coloring, the red-breasted bullfinch with its melodic whistle and creaking, elegant finch, which is not inferior in color to parrots.

How to keep songbirds at home?

Songbirds can be kept in cages, cages and aviaries, it all depends on the number of pets. They need to be placed at a distance of 40 - 50 cm from the floor and above.

When changing food and water daily, do not make sudden movements. You need to approach cages and enclosures carefully, talking to the birds in a low voice. Only with such treatment do they quickly get used to the person.

It is also necessary to avoid drafts and sudden changes in temperature. A sharp noise, the unexpected appearance of a stranger near the cage, a sudden switching on or off of the light greatly frightens the birds and can cause their death.

It is not recommended to populate cages and aviaries with a large number of birds, as this leads to rapid contamination, which can lead to an outbreak of diseases. New birds should be introduced into the premises in the morning, so that during the day they become familiar with the conditions of detention and can easily spend the night. Otherwise, without having time to adapt, they will behave restlessly, hit the bars, and may get injured. It is necessary to select birds for joint keeping taking into account their size and behavioral characteristics.

The diet of granivorous birds usually consists of a mixture of seeds of various plants. However, you cannot limit yourself to grain only; the feed must contain various types of millet, canary seed, oatmeal, oats, rapeseed, rapeseed, flaxseed, lettuce seeds, seeds of coniferous trees, hemp, sunflower, chumise, burdock, quinoa, meadow herbs, as well as cultivated cereals - wheat and rye, corn. In addition to the listed components, the diet must contain green food, berries, vegetables and fruits, buds of various trees and shrubs. Sometimes the diet should include food of animal origin - ant pupae, boiled eggs, mealworms, dry gammarus. The composition of feed mixtures is determined by the species and individual characteristics of the birds, and the ratio of components should be changed taking into account palatability.

Unfortunately, there is practically no food for wild birds in pet stores; then you can take food for finches and canaries as a basis, and prepare the remaining components yourself. The diet must include a mineral mixture, chalk and sepia. As you can see, feeding indoor birds is an everyday and far from simple task.

The only disadvantage of keeping songbirds is their rather liquid droppings; this should be taken into account when cleaning and choosing bedding for the bottom of the cage.

With proper care, your feathered pet will delight you with its singing, mobility and longevity.

Wanting to buy a poultry, many find themselves faced with a difficult choice. After all, you want your pet to please you with its activity and without causing difficulties when caring for it. For these reasons, attention is paid to unpretentious chicks, which are “simpler” than representatives of exotic species.

One of these birds is the siskin, popular in our area, to which this review is dedicated.

general characteristics

This songbird can be called a relative of the canary. They are a little similar to sparrows, only siskins are larger and brighter. The body length rarely exceeds 11–12 cm, and the weight is almost unnoticeable - only 13–15 g.

The standard color is greenish-olive or greenish-yellow interspersed with blurry dark spots. The so-called tail and flight feathers are yellow in color. You can distinguish a male by the black feathers on his head (a kind of “cap”).

In nature, they are found wherever there are forests. They live on the tops of trees. It is quite difficult to see a siskin’s nest - the “dwellings” made of grass, twigs and moss are usually located at high altitudes (over 10 m). Clutches of 5–6 eggs are hatched there in April (less often at the end of June).

Important! In hot summers, cover the cage slightly or move it- prolonged exposure to sunlight is undesirable for forest birds.

In the warm season, siskins live in pairs, and in the fall they gather in flocks, although not all individuals fly south for the winter.
A distinctive feature of these birds is that they are relatively easy to handle, and because of their gullibility, they fall into various traps. Living in captivity is not a disaster for a siskin; within a day after “moving into” the cage he will no longer be afraid of his owners, and after a week he will be its full owner.

Everyone has heard about how wonderfully the siskin sings. In this matter, he never gets tired - a healthy individual can breed his roulades for 9–10 months a year.

Did you know? In St. Petersburg, on one of the bridges near the Fontanka, a monument to the folklore Chizhik-Pyzhik was erected. The monument matches the bird- only 11 cm in height.

If you listen to these “chants”, it turns out that their motive is very simple, but it is more than compensated for by the bird’s enthusiasm and emotionality. The “chant” begins with a characteristic “tulle-tulle”, followed by a transition to the main program - a long and loud chirping.
Often attentive siskins copy sounds heard from other birds or animals. Hoarse sounds like “chrrrr” mean one thing: the performance is over for the day.

It has been noted that males living alone sing less willingly than birds living in pairs. Indeed, they are more interested in communicating with their “wives” and “colleagues” than in attracting a person’s attention with trills.

Selection and arrangement of the cage

Having found out what kind of bird this siskin is and looking at the photo and description, many will immediately want to take such a handsome bird home.

But the first thing you have to do is prepare the cage. In most cases, these are ordinary structures made of rods, the “foundation” of which is a solid plastic pallet.
Siskins do not need a huge aviary - an “apartment” measuring 40x25 cm and 30 cm high is enough for one chick. For a couple, you will have to take a larger cage (about 40x40), but of the same height. If the task is to breed chicks, then you need a cage with dimensions of 70x50 cm and a height of at least 0.5 m.

Important! The optimal time to move in is considered to be the beginning of spring- the pet quickly comes to tone and gets used to the place.

There is one more nuance regarding the size: the distance between the rods should be such that other pets (especially cats) cannot reach the bird with their paw.

In terms of materials, everything is simple: a traditional metal cage is combined with a plastic base. The main thing is that the bottom is made in one piece, without cracks or irregularities (they can cause injury).

For the “settings” you will need:

1. Feeder. A small-diameter “round piece” purchased at a pet store will do.
2. Drinking bowl. The most practical nipple systems are small in volume (30–50 ml).
3. Bath. You can’t do without this open container - the bird is very clean. You will have to put up with the slight “swamp” that occurs when swimming.
4. House. This could be a canary nest or a hut made from twigs.
5. "Attractions" in the form of perches. They are placed with a small gap so that the siskin jumps from one to another (and does not fly over). Small branches will do for this. The only thing is that their surface should not be smooth. Small bumps will keep your legs toned.

Just before moving in, the back and one of the side walls are covered with cardboard, making them blank. The top is also covered, but halfway. The house or nest itself is placed in the most secluded corner - siskins love comfort, which reminds them of overgrown treetops. Therefore, you can add a decorative element by scattering a few pine branches.

They don’t forget about “building materials” - birds love to tinker with wool, moss, small feathers and dry grass.

Did you know? The familiar species has an American “relative”, which surprises with its bright yellow color contrasting with black feathers. You can buy such beauties, but the price scares off many.

Home care

Siskins compare favorably with “exotics” in their unpretentiousness. Caring for them involves simple manipulations:

• regular replacement of water with fresh water (both in the main “cup” and in the bath);
• washing all containers in the cage;
• periodic (once every month) general cleaning, during which the tray is washed, dirty cardboards are changed and the rods are wiped.

Some owners add a little purified river sand to the feeders, which their pets use to clean their beaks before eating.

An active siskin must be released from the cage, keeping it open. Unlike the same parrots, these birds return “to base” without any problems.

Such flights are quite short, so there are no difficulties.

Before releasing the bird, close the windows. If these are her first walks in a new place for her, it is better to cover them with curtains to avoid injury - when she sees a window, the siskin may fly into the glass at full speed. During this time, it is better to isolate pets and remove sharp objects or at least cover them (curiosity can sometimes lead to trouble).
You should not let your active pet into the kitchen, where he could get hurt. And you will have to close the doors carefully - the chick can sit under them or right on them, so watch carefully.

Siskins are quite thermophilic, and when kept in cold areas with long winters, they may need additional lighting in the form of a regular 75 W lamp, which is turned on for several hours. At the same time, you should not place the cage near batteries or heaters that are working at full speed. The best location would be a window sill.

What to feed

This is the most common question among novice poultry farmers. And it wouldn’t hurt for more experienced owners to remember exactly what to feed a siskin kept at home.
The easiest way is to buy a ready-made grain mixture at a pet store. It includes:

• small oat flakes;
• light millet;
• flax seeds;
• rapeseed;
• rape.

The daily norm of grain feed is from 1.5 to 2 tablespoons without a “slide”.

Did you know? The familiar song about the siskin is immortalized in the movies. In the legendary “Ivan Vasilyevich Changes His Profession,” it was precisely this motive that the unlucky Bunsha “ringed” when he became entangled in the bell cords.

The diet should be balanced, and dandelion, plantain or quinoa seeds should be added to the mixture. Seeds collected from young spruce and pine cones are considered a special delicacy, although not everyone can prepare them in the required quantities.
They can be replaced with pre-crushed sunflower seeds in small doses - oily ones cause obesity.

A mandatory “dish” will be greens - leaves of cabbage, lettuce or tradescantia. In winter, grated carrots are also added mixed with breadcrumbs. Small apple slices are also good sources of vitamins.