Housing birds. Bird behaviour and enclosure. Learning topic: Provide advice on housing and shelter

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1 Learning topic: Provide advice on housing and shelter Housing birds Where a bird is housed depends on the reason for keeping it confined. Consider these examples: Birds with injuries or disease that are picked up out of the wild are better off in a small, quiet, dark, warm box where they will stress less than in an aviary surrounded by people and sounds they find scary. Scaring them could cause them to fly into the cage in their panic to get away. As they quieten down and start to respond to treatment, they can be moved to a quiet cage. An aviary is not recommended for a bird that has to be caught daily for treatment as the stress of catching can kill them. Tame, captive bred birds do better in an aviary than in a small indoor cage because they can still exercise and exhibit natural behaviours. However, some birds that have been hand raised that are used to being in very close proximity to their owners especially the larger psittacines can actually suffer separation anxiety when rehousing into an aviary is attempted. Zoo birds that are kept for public display have to be housed so that members of the public can view them but also so that the birds are not stressed by human proximity. Production birds which are kept to produce eggs, meat or leather, are required to produce a product as quickly and as cheaply as possible. Often the psychological welfare of the birds takes a backseat when profit margins are the number one priority. As a general rule, if a bird is to be kept in captivity, it is always better to keep it in an outside aviary than in a cage inside the house. Aviaries must comply with the health and building regulations of your local council and a suitable aviary should also do more than meet the bird's minimum requirements! Bird behaviour and enclosure The enclosure must take into account the natural behaviours of birds and allow them to be exhibited. For example, the most basic need of nearly all birds is to be able to stretch their wings and fly. Birds will stretch up on their perch and flap their wings vigorously several times a day, even if it means bashing their wings against the cage wire. 1

2 Chickens need to scratch the dirt to search for food, so keeping them on a concrete floor may make them easier to clean but can predispose them to foot injuries as they try to scratch. Migratory species of birds may batter themselves to death on the cage sides in their attempts to migrate. Intelligent and social birds may develop behaviour problems like selfmutilation if kept in isolation. There are many good books that can answer these and many more questions about the keeping of birds. Design features to think about When designing housing for birds, you should note these points: protection from weather, pests and predators position of the aviary aspect in relation to prevailing weather, shade and shelter construction materials of floor, walls, roof etc door for accessibility and prevention of escape walls for pest control, injury and disease prevention roof for shade, shelter and protection floor for ease of cleaning, parasite prevention, aesthetics, etc perches for size, effects on feet, provision of secure footing, stimulation of exercise food and water supply and delivery and ease of cleaning privacy for the birds nesting facilities and materials size for numbers and types of birds: is there plenty of room for the birds to fly? hygiene ease of cleaning internal fittings perches, food and water and nesting boxes boredom relievers to prevent abnormal behaviours escape prevention and security quarantine facilities environmental enrichment: are there things for the birds to do and see? 2

3 Learning topic: Provide advice on housing and shelter Aspect The aviary should be positioned to protect the birds from the prevailing weather wind, rain, drafts, damp, and temperature. For example, cages and aviaries in Australia should face north to north east to avoid the afternoon sun. To protect from cold and hot prevailing winds, provide a fully enclosed back section. This enclosed section provides protection and privacy and usually contains the nesting sites and dry food containers. If a bird has to be kept indoors, it is better off in an open, well ventilated area protected from the weather and direct afternoon sun and from any fumes. They should also be allowed to follow the natural day length and not be kept awake to all hours by bright lights and noisy television. Roof The roof has to provide protection and insulation and cover at least one third of the aviary. It can be a good idea to cover the rest of the open roof with a dark shade cloth, as this will help prevent wild birds from defecating into the cage and stops raptors from swooping the cage. A full roof can be used if the owner wishes to prevent bleaching of the feathers of exhibition birds. Rooves provide protection from sun and rain, which can reduce breeding performance or be fatal to nestlings. The enclosed section It is preferable to enclose one end of an aviary on three sides. You may also consider adding a door to the shelter section so birds can be shut in at night or if the weather is especially cold. It also provides the birds with a sense of security, privacy and protects them from the weather. 3

4 The enclosed section is a good site to contain nesting sites and dry food containers. Protection from pests and predators Pests and predators can cause significant loss of birds and reduce breeding performance. Here is a list of potential pests and predators and how to deal with them: birds of prey hawk, falcon noisy miners - cover roof with shade cloth, so raptors cannot see from above and will therefore not swoop the cage - double mesh on sides, to prevent birds getting in close to the birds in the aviary dogs - dog proof yard - tin sides to the aviary at least up to 0.5 metres high; this will also help prevent rats, mice and snakes - concrete floor to stop dogs tunnelling in rats and mice It is very difficult and expensive to make an aviary mouse proof. Hints to help reduce mice and rat numbers: narrow gauge weld mesh with concrete floor that has the bottom, top and sides sealed to make them mouse proof 0.5 m high tin sides will help prevent mice climbing up into the cages good hygiene and cleaning up food will help prevent mice having the feeding stations off the ground and with sides to stop food being scattered onto the floor will also help. cats Cats are major dangers to small caged birds in houses and aviaries - electric fences work well with a strand at the base and another on the edge of the roof to prevent cats climbing up and hanging over the side - double mesh sides will also prevent cats reaching through the mesh and hooking birds with their claws thieves - these are becoming more common because of the increasing monetary value of birds 4

5 Learning topic: Provide advice on housing and shelter - guard dogs possibly work better than padlocks as the mesh sides on aviaries are easy to cut through, even if the padlocks are not - burglar alarms these should not be too easily triggered because they will result in losses by upsetting breeding pairs snakes - use narrow gauge mesh and prevent mice as these are what snakes usually come after insect pests, eg cockroaches, lice, mites - use the appropriate insecticidal sprays twice yearly around edges and corners of aviary - insecticidal pest strips can be hung in wire containers in bird rooms or in the enclosed sections of aviaries, eg shelltox mini strips. Size of cages and aviaries Cages Most people are familiar with the size of cages in which domestic canaries and budgies are kept. Some are just large enough, if properly arranged inside, but many are cluttered with perches, swings and toys, which do not allow the bird to fly. These cages would be too small for an undomesticated canary or budgie, which have a much larger flight distance and would fly into the cage walls in their panic to escape. The cage should accommodate the distance a wild animal will allow a human to approach before moving away. Ideally, a birdcage should provide adequate flying space. If this is not possible then the minimum requirements are that it should be large enough to: allow the bird to beat its wings without damaging its flight feathers and have ample room to spare allow the bird to retreat to a safe distance from a disturbance in any direction without flying into the walls in panic allow enough exercise to prevent obesity The best cages are those that are long as birds need room to move from one perch to another horizontally rather than vertically. 5

6 A small birdcage Aviaries Below are some recommended minimum sizes for various types of birds commonly kept in Australia: Budgies: This is normally between m long and m wide an aviary 3.6 x 1.8 m is capable of housing up to 100 budgies comfortably, so long as it is arranged correctly inside. Canaries: For breeding success, they usually need to be in individual breeding rooms, rarely outside. These are enclosed buildings, usually with a glassed-in north wall with individual flights inside, most of which are fairly small. Exhibition birds are usually kept in cages against the back or side wall, with a removable partition so that the cage can become one long flight cage Neophemas (small parrots) and small lorikeets: A width of 1 m is adequate, but the height should be 2 m or more and at least the same length. Rosellas and larger parrots: A width of 1.5 m is desirable and length of at least 4 m. Cockatoos require a minimum width of 2 m and length 6 m or more. Additional height is important for black cockatoos and gang gang cockatoos, which are fairly arboreal in habit; but 2-3 m satisfactory for other species. 6

7 Learning topic: Provide advice on housing and shelter A bird aviary Building material The table below shows the building material used to make cages and aviaries. Cages Aviary These are usually metal, sprayed with non-toxic paint or covered with chrome preparation. Bamboo and wood, although pretty, are not recommended due to the following disadvantages: budgies chew their way out very easily they tend to be vertically constructed and therefore do not promote flying are very difficult to clean are usually constructed of so much wood that the bird is often obscured Usually, these are constructed of pipe or timber supports with mesh walls. Softwood is not recommended as parrots quickly demolish these with their strong beaks. Metal pipe is preferred for birds bigger than quarrion (cockatiel) size. Treated timber should be used with caution as birds can ingest the toxins if they chew the wood. The mesh has to help prevent access of pests and predators (25 mm will allow sparrows and rats in; greater than 10mm will allow mice in). The wire used should be proportional to size of bird: 7 mm hexagonal or square welded mesh for finches and canaries 12 mm for small parrots eg budgies 25 mm for large parrots and cockatoos. Galvanised wire mesh should be used to prevent rusting but it needs to either be weathered for 12 months or scrubbed with vinegar to remove loose galvanizing and oxide before use; otherwise, zinc poisoning may occur as most parrots will chew the blobs of zinc oxide off the mesh and swallow them. 7

8 Flooring The flooring for aviaries and cages are listed in the table below: Aviaries Wire floor and suspended cage Aviaries with wire floor (see picture below) have the lowest disease incidence as the birds have no access to the soil or their faeces, but are not as pleasing aesthetically. Birds in these cages only need worming every 12 months. Sloping concrete floor Expensive, but can be thoroughly cleaned once a week. Some people cover the concrete with a thin layer of sand. Do not use beach sand as this can cause salt intoxication if eaten. Worming must be done every six months. Earth floors These allow a higher incidence of disease as birds have access to the soil, which harbours worm eggs, bacteria and fungi. Earth floors (see picture below) should be thoroughly cleaned once a year by scraping off the top layer and replacing it with new soil. Every two weeks, the seed hulls and droppings should be scraped up and removed. Birds kept on dirt floors need worming every 3 months. Common in finch aviaries. Cages Most cages have removable plastic or metal trays for easy cleaning. The trays can be covered with sand, sawdust, oat or rice hulls, which provide a good dry base on which droppings are readily absorbed. Sandpaper should definitely NOT be used as it is very damaging to feet. It is commonly advocated as a means of keeping toenails short; refer to the section on perches for more information on this. Perches In purchased cages, the perches are usually dowelling or plastic but these have various disadvantages with the main one being that birds do not exercise their feet properly and tend to develop overlong toenails which then require clipping. Consider these points when looking for perches: 8

9 Learning topic: Provide advice on housing and shelter The best type of perches are natural branches, as not only do these have varying diameters to exercise feet and keep toenails trimmed, but they can have bark, twigs and leaves, which keep the birds occupied for hours pulling them to bits! Dowelling is easy to clean but natural branches are easy to collect and dispose of when dirty. The perch size should be proportional to the size of the bird. For smaller parrots, a minimum perch size of 1.6 centimetres diameter; for larger parrots a minimum of centimetres diameter should be used Sandpaper covered perches are very traumatic to feet and aggravate existing feet problems so should not be used. Flatter perches are better for canaries they should be oval or half round in shape with a flat top. Larger perches are better than smaller ones. Positioning of the perches In aviaries, perches they are best put at either end of the flight area to encourage flying and then additional roosting perches placed in the sheltered area. In cages, again try to position the perches to encourage exercise but also be careful not to put perches over water and food dishes. Bird on a perch Bumblefoot This is a common problem in captive waterbirds and raptors and is due to inappropriate and unhygienic flooring and perches. Waterbirds, especially seabirds that spend most of their time on the wing or water, do not have feet adapted to constant weight bearing. Consequently, in captivity where they 9

10 have to spend most of their time standing on the ground, they develop calluses that can become quite large. If raptors, which also spend most of their time soaring in the wild, are forced to stand for long periods on hard perches in a cage, they will develop similar calluses, which frequently become infected if the perch or floor is unhygienic. This can be a difficult problem to prevent and treat. Wrapping the perches in soft material and using smooth, rubber matting for the seabirds may help. Feed and water containers Some basic guidelines about feed and water containers: they should be non-porous and easy to clean with the larger parrots, they should be indestructible! do not place under perches or under mesh roof, to prevent birds defecating in them keep out of reach of vermin, by hanging from the roof or putting up on a stand automatic waterers are a good idea except you cannot monitor how much the birds are drinking and people tend not to check and clean them out as regularly. Some automatic water containers Plants: Trees, shrubs and grasses Plants are better in finch and pigeon aviaries as plants and parrots don't mix because parrots are very destructive. Avoid toxic plants, eg oleander, rattlepod, deadly nightshade, egg plant, cestrum, avocado and angels trumpet. Plants in pots are a good idea because they can be removed and changed when they get soiled with faeces. 10

11 Learning topic: Provide advice on housing and shelter Nesting sites All species of birds have different requirements for nesting sites. If you intend breeding in your aviary, you need to research the needs of the birds to provide the nesting sites and materials they require. In an aviary, the nesting sites are usually set up in the enclosed section as this gives the birds greater privacy. Many bird breeders will not allow strangers near their aviaries during breeding season in order to leave the birds undisturbed as much as possible. A hint about setting up the boxes is to keep them on the same level this prevents squabbling amongst the birds about which pair is to get the top box. Stocking rates Overcrowding, especially towards end of breeding season, will cause stress and lead to disease outbreaks. Some parrots, eg cockatoos, do better if kept as a single pair in an aviary, whereas finches do better in a colony, so you need to study the habits of the bird species you intend to keep. As a general rule, don't mix different species in an aviary; generally, only birds of same species and similar size should be housed together, but there are many cases where mixing can work eg budgies and quail. Quail are ground dwellers and the budgies tend to stay up on the perches. Preventing escape For aviaries, use the double doorway system where you enter through one doorway into an enclosed area and then shut the first door, before entering the actual aviary through a second door. Make sure all doors have secure latches/locks, especially when there are children around! Use double wire for rooves and walls. The best design of aviary allows cleaning, feeding and watering from outside so you rarely have to actually enter the aviary. 11

12 Boredom relievers Many of larger parrots become bored in captivity and may develop annoying syndromes, eg feather plucking or toe biting. Provide them with something to do, eg things to chew, such as branches and pine cones etc, or place the cage where there are things to watch. Or, better still, house the parrot in an aviary with other birds to interact with! Covering cages at night For birds kept indoors, this should be done so they are not kept up all night by bright lights. The cloth should be cotton or wool as these are more easily removed by the bird itself and rots in situ on bird s toes, after a short time. On the other hand, with nylon cloth, the bird picks off the material and may get fine threads caught around their toes which will cut off blood supply, resulting in dry gangrene and the loss of toes. Sunlight Birds need regular, but short exposures to sunlight. Do not hang birds in cages in direct sunlight for long periods, but short periods of exposure in open windows do provide birds with useable source of vitamin D, which is essential for bone calcification. Aviaries should be positioned to protect the birds from the afternoon sun. 12

13 Learning topic: Provide advice on housing and shelter Bathing It s important for canaries and finches to be able to bathe regularly. Place a flat dish in the cage, but remove it after the bath or they will drink the contaminated water. Parrots enjoy a spray once or twice a week in hot weather. Budgies don't like open baths as much but they will welcome a fine spray using a spray bottle once a week or they will use a wet inverted spinach/lettuce leaves. Freedom from cage This is a good form of exercise for indoor budgies and small parrots that are tame because they tend to become obese if left in a small cage, due to the inability to exercise. Before you let them out of the cage, check that they cannot be exposed to hot water, open flames, hot plates, ceiling fans, open windows, etc. With larger parrots, the use of a chain about the leg can cause fractures. Wing-clipping to prevent flying may predispose the parrots to develop feather picking. If you allow them free run of backyard, take care with poisonous plants, snail bait, recently sprayed areas, pet cat, etc. The birds are taught to fly from handler to handler and perform tasks for the audience. These large intelligent parrots excel in this sort of activity and really do seem to enjoy the attention and contact with humans. It certainly adds interest to their day! Maintenance of bird housing Maintenance consists of the following jobs: general handyman maintenance to fix plumbing, holes in the walls, roof etc, wear and tear, painting, etc picking up of litter and its disposal daily, weekly and monthly cleaning of food and water containers and the floors of the aviaries of waste food, faeces, feathers, cobwebs, dead leaves, etc cleaning out of nest boxes and replenishing nesting materials cleaning and disinfection of all utensils used in and around an aviary removal of worn out pot plants and replacing with new plants gardening around the aviaries most are in backyards surrounded by lawns and flowerbeds 13

14 insect pest control eg ants, cockroaches, flies etc. These all form part of the day-to-day 'housekeeping' routine around birds and are usually carried out by the owner of the birds. In a zoo or wildlife park, there may be a number of people from the handyman, gardener to the keepers themselves who will do all or some of these jobs: maintain hygiene to prevent disease maintain the facilities to prevent injury of workers as well as the birds and escape keep the area as aesthetically pleasing as possible, especially if open to the public. The cleaning routine This consists of a number of steps: 1 Before any disinfection can be done, the aviaries and surrounds need to be cleaned of all matter, eg dead leaves, faeces and moulted feathers should be swept up and placed in a waste bin or composted. 2 Litter should also be picked up and placed in appropriate waste containers, eg recycle bins for bottles and paper. 3 The paths around the aviaries and floors of aviaries need to be swept or raked (soil floors), and waste disposed of in a normal household waste bin or composted. 4 Feed and water containers need to be collected for cleaning and refilling. 5 Dirty surfaces perches, bench tops, seats, etc should be scrubbed using a detergent and rinsed thoroughly. 6 Only now can disinfection be carried out. To get the most effective performance out of a disinfectant they need to be applied to a surface that has been cleaned of all organic matter first. Once applied, leave the disinfectant in contact with the surface for ten minutes before being thoroughly rinsed off, to avoid causing skin irritation to the animals. Birds are sensitive to chemicals and fumes so care has to be taken in the selection of which ones to use and in the way in which they are used. About disinfectants Disinfectants are chemicals that kill or inactivate microbial organisms such as bacteria, viruses, protozoans and fungi. No disinfection program can replace proper aviary design; which includes quarantine facilities for new birds, prevention of cross- 14

15 Learning topic: Provide advice on housing and shelter contamination between cages, and wholesome food and water sources. Disinfectants are not intended to replace routine cleaning. Keeping the aviary cleaned up on a daily basis is far more effective in preventing infections. With indoor aviaries, we must also keep the air free of dust and fumes using exhaust fans and air filters. How often should we disinfect the aviary? In a private home that has a few birds in a relatively closed collection, it is not advised to use any disinfectant routinely because: exposure to low levels of bacteria and viruses is healthy for the proper functioning of the immune system disinfectants are detrimental to the environment they are toxic to animal and plant life and tend to produce microbes that become resistant to them. However, a proper disinfection regime should be routinely employed in aviary collections that have potential for pathogenic disease causing bacteria to be introduced. This would include people who work with lots of birds and when new birds are introduced. The best time to use a disinfectant is in cleaning fomites. A fomite is anything that can carry a microbe to a susceptible individual, eg hands, clothes, shoes, food and water bowls, food processing surfaces, feeding syringes etc. Before a disinfectant is used, washing with soap and water is required; you can expect to remove 95% of all microbes through adequate washing. Automatic dishwashers are extremely effective in cleaning cups. Again, regular cleaning is far better than just disinfecting alone without thorough cleaning prior to the disinfection. Personal hygiene Don t forget to wash your own hands, either. Numerous studies in hospitals have confirmed the fact that simply washing your hands frequently will be exceptionally effective in preventing infections. Disinfectants are only effective when used properly! 15

16 Correct dilutions and contact time Correctly dilute the stock solution and then leaving the disinfectant in contact with the surface to be disinfected for a period of time. This contact time varies with the disinfectant but is usually between five and ten minutes. Without adequate contact time, no disinfectant will work. 16