Most people seem shocked when someone suggests their birds could have mites. The truth is that lots of birds have mites or lice. If yours are in an outdoor aviary, or were before you got them, it is possible that they have some due to exposure to outdoor birds. If they came from a pet store, it…
I answer this question at least once a week, so I thought I would post a little information. My answer is mainly for finches, specifically the Lady Gouldian finch, as I don’t have (many) bigger birds. There are several components to baldness, and they aren’t all readily apparent. So we have to do a bit…
Feather and quill mites Feather mites take up residence in the feathers and remain there, living between the feather barbs and eating the skin dander, fungal spores, and feather bits. Usually, a certain mite will tend to choose a certain feather, e.g. primaries or tailfeathers. Thus it is easy for one bird to carry several species…
I just typed this out for the billionth time on a forum, so I thought I’d post it here. The bird in question was a canary, but egg bound canaries and finches can be treated exactly the same way. Here you go. You’ve just found an egg bound hen. In other words, you found her…
This list is meant to be suggestions. It is not comprehensive. Feeding finches (or any pet bird) is something that needs a little thought and a little preparation. These fruits and vegetables can be chopped small or left in larger chunks. This list is as useful for any size of bird, except those with specific…
Most people in the U.S. are keeping finches, canaries, and parrots in their home, so when they discover the birds are covered in mites they’re pretty upset majorly freaked out. They call on the phone, screaming. When you first find mites, isolate the bird from its flock and visit an avian veterinarian immediately. He/she can take skin…
From Part 1: When keeping animals, it’s always a question whether we’re going to follow the “in the wild” habitat as closely as possible, or are we going to do our own thing. After all, they are already being held in an artificial environment – so why not change it up to suit ourselves. Let’s…
…and whether we’re going to follow them When keeping animals, it’s always a question whether we’re going to follow the “in the wild” habitat as closely as possible, or are we going to do our own thing. After all, they are already being held in an artificial environment – so why not change it up…
In Part 1 we discussed the what and why of the Gouldian finch Austerity diet. Now let’s take a look at how to use the Austerity diet. Mimicking Nature In the wild, Gouldian finches experience a dry period when the grasses and therefore grass seeds become less plentiful. This is called the austerity period of their yearly…
The austerity diet refers to the austerity period, a seasonal climate in the Gouldian finch’s native region of Australia. Their natural habitat only has two climates, one is wet and one is dry. Near the end of the dry season, it’s not surprising that seed has become scarce, plus what little seed can be found…