Beak and psychological health

Is your finch sick or not well? Find out why.
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TailFeathers

Hello,

I read that birds used to have high energy spent in the wild flying about and foraging for food and that caged birds suffer from bouts of depression since their foods are high energy and they aren't spending their time searching for it.
I therefore, devised a plan to make them spend energy and search for food.

One thing I do is remove seed dispensers and cups from cages for periods of time. The other thing I do is give them free flight around the house and place tiny bits of seed here and there so they have to use their natural abilities to smell, see and hear for food.

This pecking of the ground gives better beak health as I don't have to clip their beaks any longer, nor do I have to grime their nails.

I hope this helps.
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Niki_K
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Joined: 23 Oct 2011, 12:18
Location: Melbourne, VIC

Other methods I use to ensure birds must use the majority of aviary space is to keep their water container on the floor, their food dishes on a ledge about 1m from the ground, and a bathing bowl attached to the wire about 1.5m from the ground. I also scatter greens on the floor of the aviary, and give them millet sprays every 1-2 weeks (in different places each time), and spread nesting material throughout the aviary. I try to replace their branches every 3-4 months (birds in breeding cages get new branches every month). All of this helps keep them occupied.
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finchbreeder
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Location: Midwest of West. Aust. Coast
Location: Midwest of West.Aust.Coast

I also put the greens arround the avairy, branches of trees, floor, food dish. Varying the locations. And change the branches I use for perches and locations of same regularly, better for cleanliness as well.
LML
LML
TailFeathers

Niki_K wrote:Other methods I use to ensure birds must use the majority of aviary space is to keep their water container on the floor, their food dishes on a ledge about 1m from the ground, and a bathing bowl attached to the wire about 1.5m from the ground. I also scatter greens on the floor of the aviary, and give them millet sprays every 1-2 weeks (in different places each time), and spread nesting material throughout the aviary. I try to replace their branches every 3-4 months (birds in breeding cages get new branches every month). All of this helps keep them occupied.
Nice I like that.

I'm also worried about them losing their mapping skills so I let them fly up to a wooden dowel I walk them around the entire up (2 story home) and then fling them off the dowel so they are forced to fly around and then get back to me in another location.

I know that birds can sense water, so I'm trying to think of a way to pour water for them thru a portable fountain and have the, fly to it. Once they drink from it I'll move its location.

The last thing I'm going to do is work on canary communication, by placing known birds apart from each other so they can call to each other, or release one bird have that one bird find a food source and release the rest and see if they inform each other about locations for food sources.
TailFeathers

finchbreeder wrote:I also put the greens arround the avairy, branches of trees, floor, food dish. Varying the locations. And change the branches I use for perches and locations of same regularly, better for cleanliness as well.
LML
Did anyone ever try using compatible species in their aviaries ? I think I was attempting to allude to that under my permaculture post but forgot to mention it there. I know Geoff law uses companion planting and animal husbandry in his plans.

I'm trying to think of ways where insects could be a part of the mix, but they're difficult to control as they can crawl almost anywhere and breed like crazy.
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