Recently someone approached me with the question, “What is a Bird Breeder?”Responding to a question of this sort, entails some profound thoughts to answer adequately, fully and correctly, which I am sure I will be unable to accomplish totally. Avian breeders can and quite often consists of individuals or families with only one or two … Read more
The ad in the newspaper said “Double Yellow Naped Amazon for sale”. I scour the bird classifieds on a daily basis (a sure sign of a serious addiction…), and this one piqued my interest. I have long been fascinated by the talking green parrots, and was particularly captivated by the Double Yellow Heads and the … Read more
1.If a deal seems too good to be true, it generally is. Shop around. Ask someone else. 2. Ask the exhibitors (breeders) questions BEFORE BUYING….. a) Did you raise the bird? There are differences b) Do you own the parents? c) Is it closed banded with a traceable band? d) Was it incubator hatched? e) … Read more
Being able to do your own cultures and or gram stains can be essential tools to help you determine if and what problems might be brewing in your aviary. This is especially important in the avian nursery. A sick baby needs help immediately, and being able to quickly and inexpensively do cultures for the major … Read more
Jazz has just returned from six weeks on the road. Along with his people and pet Samoyed, Jazz toured the coast of California, parts of Nevada, five National Parks in Utah, and central Colorado in an RV. Already a veteran auto-rider, he had no problems adjusting to life on the road. Of course, we took … Read more
It is quite common to walk into a pet store and see many smaller bird cages made from plastic or thin metal. Such cages are quite inexpensive and give a potential new bird owner the idea that purchasing a cage is not a major investment. That may be true for smaller birds. But such cages … Read more
A frequent concern heard from bird owners is the inability to get birds interested in eating vegetables. Because vegetables contain vitamins and nutrients considered essential to a bird’s health, refusal to eat such foods can be very frustrating for bird owners. I had never had to deal with such a situation until this last spring, … Read more
Paramyxoviruses are enveloped RNA viruses that hemoglutinate red blood cells. Nine serotypes (PMV-1 – PMV-2) exist based upon the species or type of birds from which the virus was isolated and the location of isolation. PMV-1, 2, 3 and 5 can cause illness in psittacines. Numerous strains of PMV-1 exist, some of which are very … Read more
1. Sources of virus. Exotic Newcastle disease virus (NDV) can infect a wide variety of bird species. Parrots and other psittacine birds are especially dangerous because they can carry exotic Newcastle disease virus and show no signs of disease. Most infected chickens and turkeys will die from this disease but can also spread the virus. NDV … Read more
One of the most disheartening things a bird owner can experience is having a bird who plucks his feathers or mutilates himself. The first step is to see a veterinarian to determine if the cause is medical. Having ruled this out, the cause is then most likely behavioral. It may be lonliness, boredom, or lack … Read more