Bird Care & Blog

Pain-Free Euthanasia For Your Small Bird

2012-04-17T00:28:09Z

At some point you may be confronted with the possibility of having to euthanize your loved bird. When life is noticeably uncomfortable for a bird, the right thing to do is to help them pass as easy as possible.

Just recently I had to do this to two of my birds that were sickly & elderly, with no hope of recovery. It was hard because these two had been with me for a long time, but I knew it was the right thing to do.

A bird friend of mine recommended the following. Using this process, the birds just fall asleep without pain.

You will need the following:

Plastic container with a lid, big enough for the bird but not extra room.
Straw or tube- I use an ink pen casing.
Tape
Helium balloon

First, poke a few holes in the bottom of the plastic container. This allows the helium gas to slowly push out the oxygen.

Second, prepare a hole for the straw to fit in the top lid. Fit the straw in the hole and tape it to create a seal.

Third, when ready place the bird in the container with the lid on.

Fourth, untie the balloon, keep it pinched, at the same time fit it on the tube. Release the gas slowly into the container. Your bird should fall asleep quickly. Just in case there isn't enough helium in one balloon have another one ready to go also. A 2nd person can be ready with the back up balloon.

I hold my finger on the top of the straw several minutes after the birds show no movement, to be sure they have passed.

This particular container can hold 2 birds at once.

Note - The holes in the bottom allow the air to be pushed out when the gas is released. The helium gas does not burn the birds lungs or cause pain. I have only tried this on small birds (canaries).

Attracting Birds to Your Backyard - Tips for Attracting Birds to Your Backyard

2011-10-12T11:56:44Z

Having birds visiting your backyard can be a wonderful thing, just like making party decorations from scratch. Imagine being able to watch singing cheerful birds from your own living room couch. However, you need to have the right setting in order for birds to visit and stay. This means you need to set up your home so that it is attractive to birds by investing in a few essential items and keeping your yard bird friendly.

Watching birds in your area from the comfort of your own home is a rewarding experience. Planting native trees and shrubs can make it even more attractive to birds. Try to model your garden and backyard on the natural forests and wildness areas which can give you a better chance of attracting bird to your backyard. However, you don't want to let the area grow too natural and overgrown which can make it harder for birds to navigate through and can also attract other unwanted critters such as snakes. ...

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The Inspiration of Birds Songs

2011-10-05T22:29:15Z

The vocal ability of birds has inspired poets and musicians, from Chaucer to Wordsworth, from Handel to Respighi. Birdsong can be a natural phenomenon of intense beauty. But our enjoyment is incidental to the main purpose, which is one bird communicating with others. Birds became the world's master musicians in order to convey to potential mates, rivals and predators all the important things they have to say, from "Clear off!" to "Come on!" And their songs have been shaped by their environment, just as the rap musician of New York delivers a different "tune" to the yodeller in the Swiss mountains. The musical detail would have impressed

Purchasing from bird marts

2011-04-27T03:28:23Z

It's a lot of fun to attend a local bird mart/show and possibly pick up a new pet there. Although you can find some really good buys there, you must be cautious as to what you are buying. Some breeders actually will sell you a sick or unhealthy bird. More on that later. There are also breeders at shows that buy canaries in bulk from Florida, or other states, and sell them to unsuspecting customers as their own private stock. If they didnt raise the birds themselves then they have no idea of the health history on the bird. Many of the bulk purchased birds are under a great deal of stress from being in overcrowded cages, being flown in in a crate on an airplane, and having been raised in sub-standard conditions. This is much like a puppy farm.

Air Sac Mites & treatment

2011-02-01T20:09:04Z

Air sac mites can make your bird very ill. Read this brief information about symptoms & remedy:

How do I know if my bird has the air sac mite?
Signs include: Heavy breathing; open-mouth breathing; stain on feathers around nostrils; coughing (clicking sounds); sneezing and the birds stop singing.

How long does it take my bird to get better after I apply SCATT?
The lightly to moderately effected birds show dramatic improvement in 24-48 hours. Severely infected birds can take weeks to bounce back. Treating with antibiotic for secondary infections on the lesions in the air sacs and lungs is important if they are severely infected. Amtyl is a good choice.

Should I disinfect my cage after applying SCATT?
The airsac mite is very persistent. On the second day of treatment with SCATT, the nests, cage and aviary must be cleaned and disinfected with, a pyrethrum-based product. Pyrethrum, an extract of the chrysanthemum flower is safe for use on birds and in their environment. These are great products, Avian Insect Liquidator, Control & Pestex. This treatment must be repeated each week for three weeks to break the life cycle (21 days) of the airsac mite.

Is SCATT safe to use before my birds start breeding?
You can treat your adult birds before you set them up for the breeding season if you have the mite.You don’t want to pass the mite onto the babies. One treatment should be all you need.

Just a funny to share with everyone! :>

2011-01-27T18:35:41Z

Breeding Season Prep

2010-12-06T01:21:27Z

Breeding time for your birds may be starting or not, depending on your particular birds. Many of mine are already starting nests and I have fertile eggs already. Some birds may not show signs of being ready until next month. Don't pair your birds unless the signs are there- either of the pair dancing about with a feather (or any type of nesting material it finds) in its mouth, lots of singing from the male AND the female showing interest in his advances. Do NOT put a female in with a male if she is not ready. He can actually kill her if he is too agressive. Also, before pairing be sure to clip the birds toenails (not too short), give S76 or other mite treatment as a preventative, and also I give a round of a product called Ronivet. It cleans out the system of any parasites or illness before breeding. I also begin giving supplements to encourage breeding, liquid calcium, vitamins, breeding season seed, and millet. If you are planning to breed your birds hopefully you read my earlier post about length of daylight for your birds. As our days are shorter this time of year, the birds light hours are also shorter. Lengthing their day by adding about 15 minutes per week to their lights until you reach 13 to 14 hours will bring them into breeding season. This is somewhat like forcing flower bulbs to bloom by putting them in the freezer to simulate winter, then planting them soon after to get them to bloom early. The longer day for the bird signals them that they have more daylight to feed their young, as this is important so the babies don't go hungry over a long night time.

Don't add the extra light too fast. A little at a time is best.

Pretty soon eggs will appear, so be ready to prepare your parent birds with egg food, fresh greens, fruit bits, etc so they can offer lots of healthy food for the chicks. Fresh water everyday! :)

Got mites?

2010-11-15T16:10:36Z

Several of you have contacted me about mites and asked about treatment. I have had great results using SCATT & S76. I use it in January as a preventive for the upcoming breeding season, and if mites are a problem into the year I treat with S76. For feather mites you can add S76 to even the bath water for your birds! They love to bathe and adding treatment to the water helps them to wash away those pesky mites.

Be sure to read the label to get the proper amount for what you need. Scatt is applied to the birds thigh, 1 drop, if your bird has air sac mites or scaley mite.

Go to this page for product. I do not carry product just yet, but this site has what you need. http://www.ladygouldianfinch.com/features_scatt-s76.mgi

End of molt! :>

2010-11-15T16:05:36Z

Your birds molt should be coming to a close! No more snow flake feathers floating about! If you have males and females they may be flirting already, but it's too soon to put them together for breeding. The days are too short to begin nesting, and most of the females are not going to be ready. After molting they still need time to rebuild from the previous breeding season and gain strength for the new season. Your male canary should really start to sing again now that molt is over.

Some new additions to the Coop!

2010-09-27T16:06:42Z

I've just added a beautiful pair of blue northern dutch frill canaries! If you have never seen this type of canary you should Google it and see what they are all about. With a bit of luck and patience, I hope to have some of these birds available for sale next year. I understand that Frills are not so easy to breed, unless you specialize in that type. Wish me luck! I also added another frosted red factor male for breeding next year, and some cute zebra finches. I love to hear zebra finches sing! They have so much personality.

The Coop is growing! :>