Feather cyst / feather lump !

Feather Lumps in Pet Birds
by R C McDonald
www.robirda.com

 

A feather lump - sometimes called a 'feather cyst' - on a bird is the equivalent of an ingrown hair on a human. Feather lumps are relatively much larger in size, of course, since feathers are larger than hairs, and our birds are so tiny in comparison to us.
To date, there has been very little scientific research on the cause of feather lumps. Studies to conclusively prove one cause or another have not been done in numbers great enough to produce proper statistical evidence and until they are, widely varying opinions, many contradictory, help only to confuse the newcomer.
Some theories insist that an improper (or incomplete) diet is the biggest source of this problem, while other theories state emphatically that the tendency a bird shows to develop feather lumps is genetically inherited.
Over the years my experience has indicated to me that while there may be a genetically inherited tendency towards developing feather lumps, the overall diet of the bird in question does seem to be connected to the results seen.
I myself have owned birds which in other hands, annually developed feather lumps during their moult. But while these birds were under my care, I had no such problem with them.
In particular, a diet including larger amounts of incomplete proteins and rich foods seems to cause feather lumps to happen a little more easily in birds susceptible to them. I should mention here that tradition recommends that birds who develop lumps should not used for breeding, as sooner or later their offspring will usually show the same tendency to develop these lumps.
The fact is, though, that this problem tends to show up much more frequently in inbred or line bred show stock, rather than just indiscriminately. This in turn has caused a great many people to believe that this problem arises from breeding for softer, broader feathers.
Such feathers will help to give a bird that 'chubby' look that is considered so desirable in Glosters, Norwhich, and Borders, which are the breeds most often seen with feather lumps. Yet the breed with the softest, broadest feathers of all - the Mosaic, or Dimorphic Canary - is rarely seen with feather lumps. They do occur in this breed, but far less frequently than would be expected if soft feathering alone was the cause of the development of feather lumps.
Feather lumps can be quite painful for the bird, depending on their placement. If they are situated where they can cause pressure on a nerve or an internal organ, they can cause long-term damage, and occasionally can even kill a bird!
Feather structure is high in silicon, and growing in feathers properly demands a diet with 17 - 20% or so complete proteins while a bird is moulting. There's several different methods used to achieve this in a bird's diet, with varying results.
My best success has been achieved from mix-and-matching vegetable proteins to comprise complete proteins when eaten together. Almost all vegetable proteins are incomplete in and of themselves, but can be combined with complementary veggie proteins to make a complete protein in combination. (Corn and beans is a classic example.)
Quite a lot of research went into designing my homemade nestling food and soak seed mix, so as to allow the ingredients to work together to digest as a complete protein. It's always worked well for me!
Many people prefer to use animal proteins, which are more often complete in and of themselves, and that's why so many bird food recipes are high in egg. But when working with animal proteins, you need to be wary of the high fatty content that is also often present.
The nice thing about animal proteins is that they are already complete. One school of thought theorizes that animal proteins are harder to digest, though, and that combined veggie proteins are more effective, as well as being healthier because of the lower fat content.
As far as developing or not developing feather lumps goes, the kind and quantity of greens fed also seems to be a factor, although there is very little truly conclusive evidence for this; but it has been my observation that people who feed more of the 'softer' greens (romaine or leaf lettuces, celery leaves, etc...) don't seem to get the good feather results that always seems to accompany the abundant use of kale, collards, savoy cabbages, gai lan, and other such cabbage-family plants.
Perhaps this is because these plants have thicker cell walls, and are higher in silicon? I don't know for sure - but I do know my experience has been that it does seem to make a big difference. I once had several birds who had several lumps each given to me for free - I took them because the previous owner was going to 'throw them out the window'... (yeesh!!)
After 6 months or so with me, they looked like different birds. Their feathers were smooth and, shiny, and every bird was completely lump-free! I never saw another lump on any one of them, and some lived with me for several years.
European breeders, who have the advantage of statistical numbers, suggest that the following amino acids especially, contribute to a successful, lump-free moult; methionine, lysine, threonine, and tryptophan. (These are all seperate elements of a complete protein, found in varying amounts in varying foods)
They also suggest that lecithin (an unsaturated fatty acid) also aids in allowing feather growth to occur smoothly. Adequate B vitamins, mineral content (especially zinc), Folic acid and Biotin have also been cited as essential elements required for a trouble-free moult. Methionine and Lysine especially are thought to be particularly important at preventing the occurrence of feather lumps.
In conclusion, it must be noted that there is much yet to be learned about the cause and prevention of the phenomenon of feather lumps in our birds - but in the meantime, this information has proven to be very useful to a large number of bird owners. It is my hope that these thoughts will prove as useful to you as they have to myself and so many other bird owners, with the wish that none of us may ever again see a feather lump in our birds!

by R C McDonald
 www.robirda.com

Source : www.petcaretips.net
 

The "bible"of all fanciers,Linda Hogan's "The Complete Canary Handbook: A Collection of Canary Tales"

An excellent book for all the canary breeders not only for the begginers.You can find a lot of infos for nutrition, breeding , diseases, all the standards of the canaries ,etc. Strongly recommend this great book!!!

Linda Hogan achieved master breeder exhibitor status in color-bred canaries and German Rollers.She became a judge and hold judging credentials from the Central States Roller Canary, National Colorbred, Stafford Canary, North American Border and Old Varieties Canary Associations.She has judged shows all over the US including Puerto Rico and Canada. Her book "The Complete Canary Handbook, Canary Tales" is in its 14th edition and sells worldwide. In a typical year, she breeds around 150 canaries. Her current aviary includes German Rollers, Borders, Staffords, and Colorbreds.
You can find and order this book easily ,with a simple search 

Complete Canary Care , a great article by Anthony Olszewski

The goal of every canary breeder is to improve his stock. Unfortunately, so much time and energy is invested in simply keeping the birds alive that improvement is impossible. Miserable breeding results, too often accepted as the norm, also stop the fancier from upgrading his birds.
Numbers are important in aviculture. The frequently recommended small but high quality stud is impractical. Even the long established breeder produces only a small percentage of top quality birds. Thus to get a quantity of high quality young, it is necessary to breed a much greater number of mediocre birds. Darwin, in his monumental work, noted that evolution proceeds most rapidly in large populations. Also the small stud quickly becomes too highly inbred, forcing the fancier to constantly seek outcrosses or to suffer a decline in vigor.
In this article I will give the method by which I maintain and breed my birds. Though mainly intended for the canary fancier, these rules may easily be modified to include all seed eating birds. Aviculture requires a great deal of time and effort and a little information which is absolutely necessary. This information I can provide but each fancier must provide his own labor.
Nutrition is the most important aspect of aviculture. Every canary must be provided with a fortified blend of canary seed, rape seed, golden German millet, oat groats, thistle, steel cut oats, flax, sesame, and hemp. This mix may be more costly than the usual “black and white,” but, in the long run, pays dividends. Birds fed a vitamin, mineral, and protein enriched blend produce more fertile eggs, better feed the chicks, are less likely to pluck the feathers of the young, and are more resistant to disease. The extra young produced more than pay back the few cents a day it costs to feed a top quality mix.
The seed mixes of all birds can be vitamin fortified through wheat germ oil and cod liver oil. A complete diet including a wide variety of fresh foods also is very important. Aviculturists need to take vitamins seriously. Vitamins are essential for the metabolic functions of all living things. When seed is not vitamin fortified birds are not able to reap the full benefit from the nutrition present in the feed. Vitamin enriched feed is a must for optimum growth, maintenance, reproduction, and health.
Some counter that vitamin enriched seed is not “natural.” The natural diet of seed eating birds is very rarely dry seed. For the better part of the year, all seed eating birds consume the milky seed directly from the plant. This seed is at its nutritional best. The vitamin content of even the best processed seed is nether consistent or adequate enough to assure optimal nutrition. Natural factors, such as drought, insects, excessive moisture, disease, and molds, make the vitamin levels of seed uncertain. Man made variables, the storage, transportation, and processing of feed, conspire to rob the seed of the vitamins needed by birds. Research has proven that the vitamin supplementation of seed is a must to achieve peak production
Pelleted feeds, seemingly an answer, fall short of the mark. Pellets have a place as supplements and in commercial production. If by a “complete diet,” the manufacturers mean that birds are able to survive and raise young on their products, then they are correct. If by complete is meant being able to rear vigorous show winners, without the addition of vitamins, fruits, vegetables, or eggs to the ration, then pellets fail miserably. No one knows all the elements that are required in any cage bird diet. Only the cockatiel has been the subject of recent university research. Human diet, intensively studied for millennia, is constantly being revised and updated. Canaries fed on pellets alone, particularly red factors, show rough plumage. The droppings of canaries on pellets are often loose.
The seed should be given to the birds in a deep dish. Fountain style feeders encourage the birds to pick out their favorite seeds. This is wasteful and leads to an unbalanced diet. The mix should only be changed when all the seed is consumed. The hulls should be blown off the top daily.
The birds should also get a small amount of fruits, vegetables, and greens. I use apples, oranges, bananas, green peppers, canned corn, fresh corn on the cob, cooked broccoli, raw spinach, raw dandelions, raw collard greens, raw Swiss chard, pears, peaches, strawberries, and cherries. The various berries are very good, especially for red factor birds, but these fruits are very expensive. Iceberg lettuce is useless and should not be fed.
Ideally, all produce should be home grown. Organically grown fruits and vegetables are free of dangerous pesticides, Any insects add an extra touch of protein; the birds relish them. Rinse store bought fruits and vegetables in an effort, albeit most often in vain, to remove all chemicals.
Soaked seeds are an absolute necessity for the feeding hen and for the newly weaned young. They are a treat for all birds. Cracked corn, wheat, buckwheat, and safflower, normally too large and hard, are made acceptable to canaries by soaking. Soaking breaks down complex carbohydrates rendering the seed more palatable and more highly digestible. This is done by taking a special soak seed mix and adding two parts, or more, of water and refrigerating. Soak for at least twenty-four hours. Rinse well and strain before feeding.

Dry mung beans on the left, soaking shown center, and sprouts ready to be fed on the right Sprouts are not the same thing as soaked seed. Not all seeds can be sprouted. Most bird seeds are treated with preservatives and vitamins and will not germinate. Seeds for sprouting should be kept separate for various species of plants have different germinating times and requirements. In addition to the regular bird seeds, many seeds for sprouting are available in health food stores. My favorite is the Chinese mung bean which is very easy to sprout and possesses a high degree of palatability for the birds. I have also used soy beans for sprouting. My birds do not like alfalfa sprouts.
Sprouting seed is the simplest way to provide your birds with fresh greens. For a few birds only a quarter cup of seeds should be sprouted at a time. Seeds increase in volume tremendously when sprouted. Place the seeds in a clean glass jar. Fill with tap water and let stand at room temperature for twenty-four hours. Rinse and drain completely. Repeat the rinsing and draining completely daily until the seed has sprouted. If a foul odor or mold develops, discard. Preparations are available to prevent spoilage. Rinsing and draining well is very important. Any surplus sprouts may be refrigerated up to a week.
A proper nestling food is very important. The best bet for the beginner is to purchase a good quality dry nestling food with which many local fanciers are experiencing good results. I have found it economically unfeasible, as well as time consuming to mix my own. A treat dish of dry nestling food should be before the birds at all times. This serves as a treat and protein supplement out of the breeding season. In this way the birds are also trained to eat the nestling mix. Whenever given a new food, birds will ignore it for a few days. If you wait until the nestlings hatch before giving the rearing food, the babies will starve by the time the parents sample it. When the birds have young, give them as much dry nestling food as they want.
Nestling food can also be mixed with egg. To four cups of dry nestling food, add one pound grated carrots, and one dozen grated hard boiled eggs. Chop the eggs in a food processor shells and all. This is for about fifty feeding hens. Boil the eggs for twelve to fourteen minutes to ensure that no fowl diseases are transmitted to the canaries.
This mixture is given in an amount that the birds will eat in one hour. All birds get one treat cup per day of this egg mix. The supply for birds with feeding young is constantly renewed during the day. The nestling food with egg spoils very rapidly, particularly during the Summer. It would be best to prepare the egg mix fresh every day. If this is not possible, refrigerate the excess immediately.
It has been stated that birds will die from overeating soft foods. This is nonsense. That birds will be killed by fresh, nutritious foods is the height of absurdity. It is true that birds will die from eating rotten nestling food. Just like tropical fish, birds die not from overeating but from overfeeding.
Grit and cuttlebone are before the birds at all times.
I must emphasize that there is not one diet for the adult bird, one for the nesting hen, one for the young bird, and yet another for the molting bird. Each and every bird must get a balanced diet each and every day of the year. It is foolish to think that birds may be bred on a diet of seed and water. Try living on bread and water yourself! It is ridiculous to keep a bird on a plain seed and water diet for nine months and then to “gear up” for the breeding season. This misplaced economy is responsible for the majority of breeding failures:hens not coming into breeding condition, eggbound hens, dead in the shell young, and non-feeding hens. The percentage of protein in the diet willincrease during molting and nesting, but the list of items in the diet should not vary.
I do not feed any milk to my birds but do add small amounts of yogurt to the nesting egg food. Bread soaked in milk is a very primitive nesting food. I question that birds can completely digest milk.
The original staple of the captive canary was freshly gathered milky seeds and seed heads. Plaintain, Chickweed, Shepherd’s Purse, Anne’s Lace, Charlock, Smartweed, Dandelion, and Thistle have all been recommended as canary foods. The old time poverty stricken British miner or farmer, our ancestors in the Fancy, maintained their beloved pets in perfect health solely on such a diet. Only by gathering these foods were they able to afford to feed the birds.
Today we are not allowed such a luxury. Plants in both rural and urban areas are fouled by engine exhausts, factory fumes and by the spraying of pesticides and herbicides. Feeding roadside plants can cause lead poisoning. The only safe way to feed milky seeds is to grow them yourself. I raise the small sunflower seed for this purpose. This plant can be found growing wild. Seeds may be collected and cultivated in an area that is known to be safe. This food is very rich and should only be offered in small quantities. This will help to bring about a most beautiful feather sheen.
A practical way to house canaries is the commercially available wire cages with metal trays. The seed and water dishes should fit into the cage-front. This sort of cage is easily serviced without bothering the birds. There should be a provision for two dividers, one solid and one of screen. Since it is all metal, this cage is easily sterilized.


I have found flight cages to be unnecessary. Supposedly birds in a flight a healthier for they are thought to get more exercise. This is not the case. In the flights birds tend to sit in one spot all day. It is difficult for them to move about, for each tends to maintain a territory. In a cage they will keep active jumping from perch to perch all day long. Canaries do best in a cage around 24 inches in length by 10 inches square, one bird to the cage, except during the breeding season.
Young birds and hens may be put into a flight. Cocks over a year old should not. They may attack and kill each other. The hens and young may also be harassed and mutilated. In any event, flights must be constantly inspected for birds failing or going light. Large populations bring unbearable pecking order pressures on individual birds. These low men on the totem pole will rapidly fail. Placed in individual cages they will often recover. Despite all precautions, occasional unexplained mortality will occur in any flight.

Water bottles are great for canaries, finches, parakeets and many other types of birds. Birds can contaminate open fountain drinkers or water dishes. With the fountains, if the birds place nesting material or a feather in the drinker, all the water can wick out. Gravity water bottles (as used for mice) are much, much better. Ones designed for birds, with a ball bearing end, are available. Edstrom automatic drinkers are even better yet. With either system, canaries and finches require something of a training period. The birds given the new dispensers and the usual waterers are at first left off for an hour or so, with the time increased each day. Once the birds are observed using the new system, dishes or fountains are no longer provided. In a flight, generally one bird gets the idea quickly and the others follow the leader. Water bottles or fountains, at the very least, need to be rinsed out every day. An improvement is to have a duplicate washed set of waterers that can be refilled for use each day. As the Edstrom system connects to the plumbing, no maintenance, changing or cleaning is required.

Every breeding season attaching the nest liner to the nest is a disagreeable chore. Sewing is very troublesome. I have used  glue. That works, but it is difficult to change the pad-the whole nest has to be soaked to remove the old glue. A local breeder has come up with a better idea. A small hole is drilled in the bottom of the canary nest. A hole is cut in the bottom of the felt nest liner. The nest pad is then attached to the nest with a brass fastener, the kind with the two “legs” that are used to hold papers together. This way the pads can be efficiently and quickly changed.


The bird room itself should be a peaceful and relatively dry environment. Optimally, it should be located above ground and away from flashing lights and noises at night. Unfortunately, most of us are forced to locate our aviaries within earshot of screaming babies and rock music. That the birds survive and reproduce under these conditions is a miracle! It is certainly not to be recommended.
The temperature of the bird room should regularly be between sixty and sixty-five degrees. This should be raised, gradually, to seventy-two degrees during the breeding season. Canaries will live and breed under colder conditions, but this is minimum survival, not the best conditions that we should strive to provide.
For artificial light in the bird room, full-spectrum fluorescent bulbs are most commonly used. LED illumination are a more modern option. The fixtures are to be controlled by an automatic timer a regularly set for eight hours of light per day. This will be slowly increased, for the breeding season, to seventeen hours of light for each twenty-four hour period. The birds will start to show a desire to breed from about fourteen hours of light for each day, but at this point are not really ready to breed. If the cocks and hens are united too soon, the entire first round of eggs may be infertile. The pairs should be set up at sixteen hours of light. The slight wait is required to insure fertility. Seventeen hours of light gives the hen that much extra time to feed the young. Birds must have proper rest. Turning the lights on and off can be a death sentence.
It is usually recommended to increase the light only a few minutes each day. With the mechanical timers this is not possible in practice, since these devices are accurate only to the half hour. The old-fashioned timers must be periodically checked, set, reset, and lubricated. Eventually they wear out. New computerized, remote-control timers are available. These space age instruments are accurate to the minute and can independently control many fixtures. They can also dim incandescent bulbs. This allows dusk and dawn schemes to be implemented.
Sanitation can not be overlooked. The paper in the trays must be changed at least once a week. More often is better yet. All water and soft food dishes must be washed out every day and frequently sterilized. A dish washing machine is best. The floor of the bird room is to be kept swept and mopped clean.
Hand in hand with sanitation goes disease prevention and control. I write prevention and control because treatment is only to be done under a veterinarian’s supervision. All sick birds are to be isolated and professional assistance sought. The shotgun approach of antibiotics, sulfa drugs, vitamins, and god only knows what else has killed as many birds as germs.
All new stock must be quarantined. The cage and fixtures of a sick bird have to be well scrubbed and disinfected. All wooden items, like perches must be discarded.
Mites, feather lice, and flies may be controlled by spraying a .05% solution of pyrethrum. This may be dispensed by means of a hand held mister. This pesticide concentration can be sprayed as a mist directly on the birds and cages from a distance of eighteen inches. A stronger mixture, .1% may be used on the floors and walls of the room, but not on the birds. Ivermectin, through a veterinarian, is used to cure mites and lice.
The aviculturist should endeavor to make the birds’ quarters mosquito free. These pests are at the very least a source of irritation. These insect bites are unsightly and perhaps permanently mutilating. Mosquitoes are a very serious source of infection. Through them our birds may be infected with Pox, Newcastle, or Ornithosis.
By following this outline anyone can experience success. It is now up to the fancier to implement the rules.


source :  http://www.petcraft.com

CANARY BREEDING FOR BEGINNERS! by Anthony Olszewski

STARTING A CANARY FAMILY
Canaries are not social by nature. Outside of the breeding season, canaries should always be kept apart. Male canaries fight with each other, sometimes with fatal results. He might also kill the female, if she is not ready to breed. Several canaries may be kept, in separate cages, in the same room. This sort of arrangement will encourage the males to sing, but is not necessary for the bird’s health or well being.
When not breeding, it is not always easy to tell the male canary from the female. Only the male sings and only the female will build a nest. During the Summer and early Fall, it takes a well informed canary fancier to detect the gender of a bird hatched that year. When shopping for a hen, go to a store that will guarantee the bird – allow a replacement if the wrong gender is supplied.
Canary hens are generally in good supply from mid-summer until early autumn. With nesting finished for the year, fanciers sell off their excess birds. They are not easy to obtain at other times of the year. Plan to purchase the female at the earliest opportunity. This will give the bird a chance to adjust to her new home. Very rarely are productive hens sold during the breeding season. Female canaries that are put up for sale then are most often either past their prime or are poor mothers.
The canary breeding season is controlled by the number of daylight hours that the birds experience. Throughout most of the United States, if the birds’ cages are kept covered from dusk to dawn, your canaries will most likely wish to breed sometime around Valentine’s Day. The hen will let you know her intentions by furiously shredding any available paper, feathers, or plant material. She should now be provided with a plastic or wire canary nest that is available from your local pet shop. Be sure to ask for the special nest liners, in case your hen does not weave a proper nest. The liner may be sewn into the nest or glued. Check to see that the glue is completely dry before putting the nest in with the bird. Do not try to use a wicker finch nest. Your canary will probably ignore the finch nest. If, in desperation, she does use the basket sort of nest, you will be unable to inspect the eggs or babies. A plastic or metal nest can be cleaned and sterilized, wicker can not.
A regular canary breeding cage comes equipped with two dividers:one solid, one wire. Keep both in place, until you see the hen canary start to build her nest. Then, remove the solid partition, but leave the wire one in place. Now wait until you see the birds kissing through the bars. At this point they should be united. Remove the wire partition. Watch for any lover’s quarrels. Don’t let any wife beating take place! If this happens, immediately separate the birds. Remember, it most often only will get worse.
If your birds are in pet style cages, just keep the cages alongside each other. The rest is the same as above.
The hen lays up to eight small blue eggs. Five is the average number. She will very often not sit on them until the last one is produced. Two or three days after she starts to sit, the eggs may be carefully removed and held up to a light. You will make out the outline of the embryo and the network of veins nourishing it. If you can see right through every egg, put them back in the nest and wait five days before checking them again with the light. If the eggs are still clear, showing no sign of an embryo, discard them. This gives the birds a chance to go to nest for a second try. Wash your hands before handling the eggs, for germs, oils, and chemicals on your hands can pass through the egg shell. This might kill the developing chick.
Canary eggs hatch in 14 days. This is counted from the day that the hen starts to sit on the eggs, not from the day that the egg was laid. The canary chick hatches without any assistance from you or the parents. The little chick enters the world blind and naked, adorned by only a few wisps of down. The parents provide all care for the young.
Canaries that are starting a family must have perfect diets. They need a vitamin enriched seed in front of them at all times. Every day, every bird should get a small dish of nestling food. This provides extra protein. Also, on a daily basis, the birds must get a small piece of fruit or vegetable, any healthy item you eat yourself. In addition they need grit and cuttlebone as sources of calcium for the eggs. Many good vitamin preparations are sold to completely ensure a balanced diet. Pellet and other processed feed preparations have been formulated as complete diets. These may also be used, but I do suggest to also provide small amounts of fruits and vegetables, just to be on the safe side.
If nutrition is adequate, the hen most often lays the eggs with no problems. Sometimes, particularly if not supplied with all the vitamins and minerals that they require, the hen will have trouble laying an egg. If the hen seems unable to move, quickly consult your avian veterinarian Without immediate help, the hen will die.
When the eggs hatch, place an unlimited supply of dry nestling food in the cage. The young require large amounts of this to fuel their rapid growth. You may also mix grated egg and carrot with the nestling food. This mix must be changed every two hours, for it rapidly spoils. If you are using pellets, no supplements are required, but will be enjoyed by your pets..
When you are certain that the young are eating on their own, give them a separate cage. Watch the young birds very carefully the first day away from ma and pa. Some babies might be eating but still require food from the parents.
After the young have been removed, the original pair will frequently go to nest again. Two nests are safe. Three are possible. After the third set of young, remove the nest. Now, put the birds in different cages. For the regular canary breeding cage, the dividers should be put back in. After breeding is finished expect your birds to begin to molt. Continue with the high protein food, so that they may regrow beautiful new feathers. Allow the birds to rest until next spring’s breeding season.

Source:  http://www.petcraft.com

Προετοιμασια για την αναπαραγωγικη περιοδο (αρθρο του Joel Geldof)

Η αναπαραγωγικη περιοδος των καναρινιων τυπου πρεπει να προετοιμασθει καταλληλα διοτι αν δεν δωσουμε μεγαλη προσοχη στην προετοιμασια, οι πιθανοτητες τα πραγματα να πανε ασχημα αυξανονται. Ας υποθεσουμε πως η αναπαραγωγικη περιοδος ξεκινα την 1η Μαρτιου. Η προετοιμασια τοτε, πρεπει να ξεκινησει περιπου την εποχη των Χριστουγεννων,επειδη παιρνει περιπου 10 εβδομαδες για να ολοκληρωθει.
Τα σημεια που χρειαζονται την περισσοτερη προσοχη αυτη την περιοδο του χρονου ειναι τα εξης
   1.   Η στεγαση των πουλιων
   2.   Οι γεννητορες
   3.   Το φως
   4.   Η θερμοκρασια
   5.   Η διατροφη.

Ας τα δουμε αναλυτικα....
Η ΣΤΕΓΑΣΗ ΤΩΝ ΠΟΥΛΙΩΝ
Τα θηλυκα πρεπει να μπουν σε μικρες ομαδες των 6 με 10 πουλιων και να τους δοθει αρκετος χωρος - μπορουν να μπουν σε μικρες κλουβες πτησης. Δωστε  στις θηλυκες αρκετο χωρο και να τις παρακολουθειται σε καθημερινη βαση. Τα αρσενικα πρεπει να μπουν στα κλουβια αναπαραγωγης ενα-ενα. Αυτη την περιοδο τα κλουβια αναπαραγωγης πρεπει να καθαριστουν και αν ειναι δυνατον να ραντιστουν με ενα προιον κατα της ψειρας.


ΟΙ ΓΕΝΝΗΤΟΡΕΣ
Θα ηταν καλο αυτη την εποχη να κανετε μια επισκεψη σε καποιο ειδικευμενο κτηνιατρο διοτι ακομα υπαρχει χρονος να γιατρευετι οτιδηποτε προκυψει απο τις εξετασεις που θα γινουν. Τα νυχια πρεπει να κοπουν και τα πουπουλα να να κουρευτουν για να δημιουργηθουν προβληματα στην γονιμοποιηση των αυγων. Βεβαια το κουρεμα ειναι κατι που μπορει να γινει και ενα μηνα πριν την αρχη της αναπαραγωγης. Πρεπει να προσφερεται στα πουλια μπανιο μια φορα την εβδομαδα.



ΤΟ ΦΩΣ
Απο τις πιο σημαντικες παραμετρους της προετοιμασιας!!! Ακριβως πριν την αρχη της προετοιμασιας ελαττωνουμε τη διαρκεια της μερας για περιπου 2 βδομαδες,αν ειναι δυνατον στις 8-9 ωρες. Μετα απο αυτο ξεκιναμε να δημιουργουμε μια "τεχνητη ανοιξη" με ενα πιο επιταχυμενο τροπο απο την φυσικη αλλαγη. Αρχιζοντας σταδιακα μεχρι να φτασουμε στις 14 ωρες στις 20 Φεβρουαριου. Τοσο θα μεινουν τα φωτα μεχρι το τελος της αναπαρωγικης σαιζον. Επειτα ξαναμειωνουμε τη διαρκεια. Πρεπει να ειστε σιγουροι πως το φως σε ολο το χωρο ειναι το ιδιο και αν υπαρχουν διαφορες τουλαχιστον φροντιστε τα αρσενικα να ειναι στις περιοχες με το περισσοτερο φως.


Η ΘΕΡΜΟΚΡΑΣΙΑ
Κατα την γνωμη μου, η θερμοκρασια ειναι λιγοτερο σημαντικος παραγοντας απο το φως. Παντα κοιταω να μην πεσει κατω απο τους 6 με 8 βαθμους Κελσιου. Εγω ομως εχω Borders & Yorkshires, αν καποιος εχει σγουρα πρεπει να κοιταει να εχει πιο ψηλες θερμοκρασιες απο τις δικες μου κατωτερες. Βεβαια οταν ξεκινησει η αναπαραγωγη, η θερμοκρασια δεν πρεπει να πεφετι κατω απο τους 15 βαθμους ωστε να μην υπαρχουν προβληματα.


Η ΔΙΑΤΡΟΦΗ
Μαζι με το φως, η διατροφη ειναι απο τους σημαντικοτερους παραγοντες.
Μειγμα σπορων
Επειδη τα αρσενικα και τα θηλυκα ειναι σε ξεχωριστα κλουβια μπορουμε να προσαρμοσουμε το μειγμα ξεχωριστα για το καθενα. Προσωπικα επιλεγω ενα μειγμα με περιπου 70-75% κεχρι αλλα στην προετοιμασια προσθετω νιζερ για τις θηλυκες και βρωμη για τους αρσενικους. Οι θηλυκες ετσι μπορει να παρουν λιγο παχος, το οποιο ομως ειναι μια "αποθηκη ενεργειας" που σιγουρα θα χρειαστουν ενω τα αρσενικα με τη βρωμη ερχονται και προετοιμαζονται καλυτερα για την αναπαραγωγη.
Αυγοτροφη
Αυτη την περιοδο η συχνοτητα που ταιζουμε αυγοτροφη αυξανεται. Στα τελη Δεκεμβριου ξεκιναμε να δινουμε καθε 5 μερες και σταδιακα αυξανουμε στις 3-4 φορες την εβδομαδα μεχρι τα τελη Φεβρουαριου. Μαζι με την αυγοτροφη μπορουν να δινονται και φυτρωμενοι σποροι
Βιταμινες
Κατα την προετοιμασια μπορει να χρησιμοποιηθει βιταμινη Ε για την γονιμοτητα των γεννητορων. Καλη επιτυχια σε ολους.


Ευχαριστω τον Αντωνη Μιχαλουδη για την  ευγενικη παραχωρηση του αρθρου.

Αλεξανδρινός Παπαγάλος (Psittacula eypatria)

Ο Αλεξανδρινός παπαγάλος ανήκει στην οικογένεια των parakeet, λέξη που σημαίνει μακριά ουρά. Είναι από τα μεγαλύτερα σε μέγεθος πουλιά της οικογένειας, που περιλαμβάνει αρκετά γνωστά μας είδη όπως τα παπαγαλάκια Budgie, την ροζέλα eastern, τον indian ringneck,τον Monk ή Quaker Parakeet αλλά και τα λιγότερα γνωστά regent, plum headed και derbyan.

Γνωρίστε τον Αλεξανδρινό παπαγάλο

O Αλεξανδρινός παπαγάλος συναντάται στην Κεϋλάνη, στο Ανατολικό Αφγανιστάν, Δυτικό Πακιστάν και μεταξύ Ινδίας και Ινδοκίνας. Ζούνε σε χαμηλό υψόμετρο σε μέρη όπως δάση, ζούγκλα αλλά και σε παραθαλάσσιες περιοχές.

Ο Αλεξανδρινός παπαγάλος ανήκει στο γένος Psittacula, που είναι γνωστό σαν Ringneck parakeets. Το γένος αυτό έχει σαν κύριο χαρακτηριστικό ένα χρωματιστό κολάρο γύρω από τον λαιμό στα αρσενικά πουλιά ή μια λωρίδα στην περιοχή του πηγουνιού. Ο Αλεξανδρινός παπαγάλος έχει μεγάλο κεφάλι, γεμάτο σώμα και μακριά ουρά. Το αρσενικό έχει γενικότερα πράσινο φτέρωμα ενώ στα μάγουλα έχει χρώμα σε τόνους γκρίζο-μπλε και κόκκινες κηλίδες στα φτερά πτήσης. Έχει μια ελαφριά μαύρη γραμμή από το ράμφος προς τα μάτια, μια μαύρη λωρίδα στο χαμηλότερο μέρος του μάγουλου και ένα φαρδύ ροζέ κολάρο. Το ράμφος του είναι βαθύ κόκκινο . Τα θηλυκά είναι ελαφρύτερα από τα αρσενικά και δεν έχουν το ροζέ κολάρο ή τις μαύρες λωρίδες κάτω από τα μάγουλα.

Μέγεθος του Αλεξανδρινού παπαγάλου

Ο Αλεξανδρινός παπαγάλος μπορεί να μεγαλώσει μέχρι τα 58 εκατοστά.

Προσδόκιμο ζωής

Ο μέσος όρος ηλικίας του μπορεί να φτάσει αυτό το είδος είναι τα 40 χρόνια.

Τι τρώει ο Αλεξανδρινός παπαγάλος

Ο Αλεξανδρινός παπαγάλος τρώει ποικιλία από σπόρους, φρούτα, λαχανικά αλλά και πέλετς εμπορίου. Ιδιαίτερη προτίμηση δείχνουν σε αμύγδαλα και καρύδια. Φυσικά μπορούν να ακολουθήσουν και την ανθρώπινη διατροφή όπως μαγειρεμένο κοτόπουλο, ρύζι και όσπρια με την προϋπόθεση όμως αυτές οι τροφές να μην μένουν παραπάνω από 4 ώρες στο κλουβί γιατί αλλοιώνονται. Τροφές όπως αβοκάντο, σοκολάτα κτλ που είναι επικίνδυνες για τους παπαγάλους πρέπει να αποφεύγονται. Φρέσκο νερό και φαγητό πρέπει να παρέχονται καθημερινά.

Διαμονή των Αλεξανδρινών παπαγάλων

Αυτό το μεγάλο σε μέγεθος είδος παπαγάλου χρειάζεται και αναλόγως μεγάλο κλουβί, τα παιχνίδια και οι πατήθρες του οποίου θα πρέπει να καθαρίζονται σε εβδομαδιαία βάση. Επειδή αυτά τα πουλιά λατρεύουν το πέταγμα θα πρέπει να μένουν εκτός κλουβιού για δυο ώρες τουλάχιστον για να ικανοποιήσουν αυτή την ανάγκη τους.

Κοινωνική συμπεριφορά

Στην φύση οι Αλεξανδρινοί παπαγάλοι ζούνε σε μικρά σμήνη κατά την διάρκεια της μέρας και ξεκουράζονται σε πολύ μεγαλύτερα σμήνη κατά την διάρκεια της νύχτας. Είναι πολύ ενεργητικά πουλιά. Εκτός από το να πετάνε που είναι πολύ σημαντικό για όλα τα Parakeets, αρέσκονται και να μασάνε. Πρέπει να τους παρέχονται αρκετά ξύλα για μάσημα, πολλά παιχνίδια και πατήθρες.

Σε αντίθεση με την πλειοψηφία των Parakeets, ο Αλεξανδρινός παπαγάλος δεν μένει με το ταίρι του για όλη την υπόλοιπη ζωή του. Το κάθε ζευγάρι χρειάζεται δυο φωλιές και μόλις επιλεγεί ηκατάλληλη φωλιά, η θηλυκή γεννάει 2-4 αυγά. Και οι δυο γονείς κλωσάνε τα αυγά. Τα νεαρά αρσενικά αποκτούν το τελικό τους φτέρωμα στην ηλικία των 2 ετών.

Προβλήματα συμπεριφοράς

Τα προβλήματα συμπεριφοράς των παπαγάλων συνήθως πηγάζουν από την έλλειψη εμπιστοσύνης, την μοναξιά και την ρουτίνα στη ζωή του πουλιού. Αυτό έχει σαν αποτέλεσμα συμπεριφορές όπως μάδημα φτερών, δαγκώματα και δυνατές κραυγές.

Διαθεσιμότητα

Τα πουλιά αυτά αναπαράγονται επιτυχώς σε αιχμαλωσία αν και δεν είναι πολύ συνηθισμένα στα ελληνικά πέτσοπ.

Πηγή http://animal-world.com   photo: http://alexhaven.doodlekit.com/

The line breeding,an excellent article!

PERFECTING TRUE LINES

BRIAN KEENAN explains the logic of line breeding, including how to single out desirable characteristics using line and in-breeding genetics, with the aim of producing true-breeding birds. Most serious canary fanciers accept that the quickest way to establish a winning stud, which can in turn produce high quality young, is by line breeding. The question is: how to go about it.
If you take the example of a new fancier entering the hobby, most established breeders recommend starting with two pairs of birds. Ideally these have all been obtained from the same breeder, and so are already related, at least distantly. When line breeding, the important thing is to remove any foreign genes, so that more predictable results are obtained, and you can realistically work at improving your stock during each progressive breeding season.

Figure 1

shows how our initial pairings would work.

Second Year pairing options.

Year 2 provides several opportunities. Assuming that a reasonable number of compatible young birds have been produced, it is possible to pair in several different ways. Pair 1 parents can be paired to their sons and daughters, similarly with pair 2. This is a much closer form of line breeding known as in-breeding. It is used to determine which parents are dominant over the strain.
The results are shown below:


The above mating, assuming the original cock is true breeding, will produce birds which resemble their father, modified slightly because of the original mother birds influence on the pairing. If the results are markedly different, then the cock is not true breeding, and can be discarded from the breeding program.
You do have a second option of pairing brothers and sisters together, but this would not add to the genetic influence of any birds produced, as they would retain 50% of the original parental gene pool. It would however, produce birds of similar worth to their immediate parents, as far as the stud line is concerned. Fanciers talk of 'locking-in' or 'fixing' points within a stud, generally referring to in-breeding. Remember that you are not only fixing strong points, but also weak points at the same time, so be very careful how you use any resulting young, if you proceed along that particular route. In-breeding is extremely useful when you need to prove the dominance of a particular bird, or if you need to re-create a specific bird, for example if the original bird is getting beyond breeding age, but still has a powerful influence on your stud.
A third option available to you in your second year, is to cross mate the young from your original pair 1 to either the original pair 2 parents, or into the young produced from pair 2. This is why it is best to obtain all your birds from one initial source, as you are now extending the gene pool from which you are working. This is in fact an outcross, but introduced in a controlled manner.
The reason you may wish to pair this way is to introduce some desired point that is apparent throughout your second line, to strengthen your first line. Pairing a son from line 1 to a daughter from line 2, perhaps to introduce say better legs into line 1, would retain 25% of the original cock and 25% of the original hen blood, modified by the parental stock in line 2. Ideally, this second line contains similar good points to those possessed by your line 1 birds, and in addition, carries the added feature you are looking for.
It is pointless using birds which do not match the strengths of your existing line, as a mixed bag of young are certain to be produced, and you want to enhance the line the following season, rather than hasten it's decline.
From this cross, it is important to remember that you are looking for only one specific young bird - one that is compatible with your first line, but excels in the added feature you wish to adopt. If your in-breeding matings (see Fig 2 above) have proven that the original cock bird is dominant, then you are looking for a compatible hen, or vice-versa, and all other birds produced should be discarded.
It is worth pointing out here that experience fanciers tend to pair cock birds to two or more hens in the first year. This enables them through experience, to assess the quality of young produced in comparison with their father, and determine without the need for in-bred test matings, whether to continue to develop their stud around the cock bird, or not. As well as in-breeding in year 2, they are also able to pair half brothers and half sisters, and develop their line much more quickly, as a result.

Year 3 pairings.

The third year in the development of a line allows you to reproduce, almost as near as genetically possible, the original parental birds, modified slightly, by minimising the effects of other birds.
By pairing the original cock bird into one of his Year 2 daughters who herself carries 75% of his blood, the result is a nest of birds which carry 87.5% of the original fathers bloodline. They have been enhanced slightly, or there is little point in following this route, by the original mothers influence, but they have been produced to retain and maximise the cock birds characteristics. If he was an exceptional showbird - then everything being equal, so should they be - and you will have arrived!

Remember that you can line breed and in-breed for any desirable point or characteristic, whether that is length, shoulder, head qualities, feeding, fertility, vitality, or any other point you require. Unlike genetic engineers, canary breeders are unable to single out individual genes, but they can produce true breeding birds, if proceeding down the line breeding route.
One final point about line breeding. By choosing your original stock wisely, you minimise the need to obtain additional birds in any great numbers, assuming you achieve average success in the breeding room. Even if that is the case, the developing fancier is wise to go back to his original source regularly, for a single bird each year, which itself has been bred from the same source line of birds. It will fit your line, and will contain the points you are currently developing, therefore acting as a controlled outcross, and adding to the line you are developing, rather than taking anything away. After all, if you went to a successful breeder, he will have retained his better birds for his own use, so by revisiting him, you are playing to the studs strengths, which will immediately benefit your own birds.
The alternative, is to pair breed on face value only, having obtained birds from different sources, which are not related in any way.
These birds will produce haphazard results at best, and introduce many undesirable features, which you will have no chance of controlling, and which will continue to be unpredictable, year after year. Line breeding offers a progressive route forward, which most serious fanciers practice to the best of their abilities, as they go about producing and enhancing their studs.
Ask any top champion you choose - the answer is likely to be the same - they line breed to help ensure their continued success.


Source :  http://www.yccuk.com/