Birds with special feeding requirements,
ie, food that could freeze, should always be housed in aviaries with access to indoor quarters, with flaps or doors that permit the birds to be shut inside at night. Lories and other species which feed mainly on nectar would have to be fed at least four times daily if the food was outside and the nectar froze. This would be impossible for people working long hours. Protecting the food from mice is of the utmost importance, especially in a colony aviary where it is difficult to control the amount of food eaten by individual birds or pairs.
Hours of daylight and food intake Electric lighting is as useful as heating in many cases. It enables birds to feed for lengthened periods, thus better
maintaining their body temperature. Food is converted to energy, that is, heat. A small species, such as a parrotlet or lovebird, makes the most efficient use of its food at about 80°F (27°C). The lower the temperature drops, the greater the intake of food needs to be. I am not suggesting that indoor quarters are heated to this degree -- about 54°F (about 12° C) is adequate for most species. However, I am suggesting that the quantity of food might need to be slightly increased. A dimmer switch is recommended in all
birdrooms, so that birds are not suddenly plunged into darkness. The lights should be dimmed at approximately the same time each night as birds have an acute sense of time and establishing a routine is good for them.
UV light and Vitamin D Vitamin D deficiencies are common in captive birds kept with insufficient dietary vitamin D. UV light assists in
Protecting the food from mice is of the utmost importance, especially in a colony aviary where it is difficult
to control the amount of food eaten by individual birds or pairs.
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