World Wide Whiskers

Archive for the ‘Birds’ Category

Nutritional imbalances

These dysfunctions are more important and dangerous large birds. We found malnutrition and vitamin deficiencies in obese parrots.

For example, the hipoavitaminosis A produces respiratory problems, poor quality and color of plumage, slender, hyperkeratosis on the feet and beak. The cause is a poor diet with excess sunflower seeds and prevention is simple: add supplements to water and managing the bird food containing each vitamin. Read the rest of this entry »

Respiratory problems

We can find from simple colds (caused by leaving the cage between drafts or wet animal) to bronchitis or pneumonia.

- Diphtheria usually causes diarrhea so severe as a picture of respiratory distress

- Asthma is relatively common in birds, although the causes are not easy to determine. It can be caused by allergies, but also by some mites attack the respiratory system and even fungi from spoiled food.

- Psittacosis causes fever, irregular breathing, catarrhal signs with runny nose and conjunctivitis. If there develops into advanced stages neurological symptoms, paralysis and death. Many animals can be carriers without showing signs of disease. Read the rest of this entry »

It can be considered exotic birds to Estrilda family, which generally contains more than 130 species of small birds. They have brightly colored plumage, with strong, short beak and body lean and strong. These animals are happy, living freely in flocks numerous and boisterous. They adapt well to life with the man, are resistant, easy to feed and reproduce in captivity.

These species are typical and easy to find in the aviaries, Java sparrow, tail of vinegar, cappuccinos, orange face, blue grenadine, pico de coral, diamonds …

Feeding

Granivores, should have plenty of millet, canary seed, white millet and vegetables (chicory and chickweed are their favorites). Read the rest of this entry »

It’s really easy to carry out at home. You will need a breeding cage where parents place adult, healthy and strong. The breeding season runs from January to July. It usually begins by placing male and female in the same cage for breeding, but in separate compartments.

We should begin to administer a vitamin E, which is a stimulant of sexual cycle. A few days later, leaving only a grid of separation so that they can be seen, touched with the food bill and passed each other, as well as goat hair which build their nests on the basis of esparto.

After a few days in this situation the grid is removed and the encounter. Read the rest of this entry »

Feeding

Specific commercial preparations contain a mixture of canary seeds small with birdseed as a basic ingredient. It is highly recommended to add to this a number of other food products such as bars of different flavors, pasta or egg biscuit breeding millet, hemp as well as some homemade food: bread or rusk integral, cookie, apple, pear, peach, chicory, spinach, etc.. A calcium block or cuttlefish bone mineral supplement to provide the optimum development and peak bone. Sometimes as in the move or after any state of weakness, it must add to your diet a multivitamin (drops water soluble, for example).

The chicks are fed at first breeding cake or pasta, apples and lettuce, all regurgitated by their parents. Read the rest of this entry »

The canary is a small granivorous bird belonging to the class of the Passeriformes, originally from the Canary Islands, Madeira and Azores (Serinus canaria) that has been raised and distributed widely throughout the world.

A bird is very small and convenient to take home. Resistant to cold winter temperatures if they are accustomed gradually, many live more than 15 years on a balcony, yes, provided it is a bit sheltered. The canary is sociable, not aggressive, not usually itch or even if we catch in hand and if they do not do much harm. Read the rest of this entry »

Many times a bird is a stable partner, spirited, who never leaves our side. The bird that lives in a house becomes a constant companion that requires very little in return. The more or less close relationship will be achieved depending on the type of animal and our efforts. For example, elderly people, birds often become the ideal pet as they do not require much work and constantly accompany their many hours of solitude.

There are also many young people who receive the gift of a parakeet, a small parrot or a pair of exotic birds, and spend hours with your pet entertained killed trying to learn to speak or to breed in captivity. Read the rest of this entry »

In the U.S. the main reason for the disease in birds is malnutrition.
It is important to know that feeding a parrot, because that can influence a lot on their longevity and health.

Canary seed, sesame, sunflower, millet or oats provide vitamins and nutrients such as vitamin B, proteins and unsaturated fatty acids among other benefits. But most animals need a balanced diet, so the seeds can only be part of their diet by 10% because they have no other components needed for a parrot as calcium or amino acids. Read the rest of this entry »

Pet canaries are small and fragile, even if they seem safe in their cages, the reality is that they are vulnerable to various diseases and ailments, some of them, transmissible from bird to human and can kill your pet:

Coccidosis: coccidosis symptoms in animals are loose stools, sometimes with blood, reduction of weight and appetite and excessive salivation Once the peak produces symptoms presented the bird can die within four days if not carried urgently to the vet, if we have more canaries we take them away from sick animals since the disease is contagious between canaries and transmitted when the bird drink water or eat food contaminated by the saliva of another canary coccidosis suffering. To avoid this we must clean daily feeders, drinkers and the rest of the cage. Read the rest of this entry »

A time to pay attention to your bird is molting. This is a process in which the plumage is changed to a newer one. This process will be hard for our birds, so we must supplement their diet with more fat, protein, vitamins, calcium and carbohydrates.

Being pets, the dates for the move are not determined in the calendar as being in environments with controlled conditions, not dependent on the weather.

To help your pet on the move, one trick is to spray with water twice a week to the animal, as moisture encourages more easily get rid of dead feathers and accelerate this process.

Care of the peaks and nails, it is best that they daily exercise they perform. If, however, you notice that your bird’s nails are too long, cut with care to prevent the animal from snagging and injury.

In the case of the peaks, when a bird does not need to wear, this will increase in size and may even create problems for food. To avoid this, you will need to place cuttlefish bones or mineral blocks in the place where the animal is normal.

Another essential element for most of the birds are the racks. This is because they are devices that allow birds to exercise their legs.

It is advisable to put in the cage sizes and thicknesses of hangers for our pet is not accustomed to a set amount of grip. If not possible, we must choose a thickness of not too thin because otherwise, the legs will overlap and the animal will not perform strongly enough to exercise.

We must consider the placement of all these elements in the animal’s cage, as they should not impede or hinder their flight. Avoid them just above the drinking and feeding to prevent the deposition falling on them. If we have several birds, avoid putting them on top of each other to not disturb the other animals.