FEATURE
have a chill. They are also very good if a hen leaves her babies, it is surprising how quickly chilled young birds become active again when they receive additional heat, this then gives you the opportunity to locate another breeding hen to foster the young under or allows you to hand feed them. As they are normally built of white plastic they are easy to wipe clean and disinfect when they are not in use. The clear plastic front which slides up to act as a door allows you to view the condition of the bird without disturbing it further. Always place food and water on the floor of the hospital cage and when the bird starts to look better reduce the temperature by 2 degrees each day to slowly acclimatise the bird to a lower temperature. This is a typical Hospital cage, which for
the purposes of this article also doubled up as the photographic cage as I do not like pictures distorted by punch bars.
Always place food and water on the floor of the hospital cage and when the bird starts to look better reduce the temperature by 2 degrees each day …
One important area that beginners need to pay careful attention to is mice. These rodents are almost impossible to keep out of aviaries and bird rooms because when they are young they are small and can squeeze through the smallest of gaps either at ground level or in through the roof. Traps must be set and regularly checked also remember to renew the bait at least once a week. Do not use any cladding or have cavities in your construction because this is just where these little rodents love to set up home, behind boards that give them warmth and a feeling of great safety because they know you cannot see them! Mice have a distinct odour and their urine carries salmonella which they pass on to the seed you are feeding to your precious stock when they feed from the seed dishes. These are not nice rodents and need to be kept at very low levels both in your aviary and bird room. I am certain that many enthusiastic hobbyist bird keepers have been forced out of the hobby by a failure to confront these vermin at an early stage and then been completely overwhelmed when their numbers rocket to plague proportions, you have been warned!
BIRD SCENE 19
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