Birds in the house: what future owners of feathered pets need to know

Colorful decorative birds delight the eye and improve the mood with their singing. Goldfinches, canaries, siskins, falcons, and blackbirds are kept in the apartments. Birds do not require special conditions of maintenance and nutrition. Cockatoos, Grays or owls are another matter. They attract with their appearance, but require a responsible approach and a lot of attention from the owners. We will tell you about common types of birds that are suitable for keeping at home.

Keeping at home and breeding

Bird lovers often prefer these small colored birds. But if you decide to keep an oriole at home, then you need to familiarize yourself with a number of rules and restrictions.

Under no circumstances should you catch this bird and put it in a cage. Orioles are very freedom-loving birds. In captivity they will live no more than 3-5 days. It's another matter if you tame a small chick. But you should know that an oriole will never sing in a cage. If this freedom-loving bird resigns itself to captivity, then you still will not be able to hear its flute voice.

Orioles are cautious and timid. They prefer to please people away from them. Orioles are not domestic birds. Unfortunately, you won't be able to please the oriole. She prefers to eat found animals rather than purchased food. Due to eating disorders, many of these birds do not survive. This once again confirms that the oriole is destined for freedom. The human hand will only harm her.

From this it turns out that breeding an oriole at home is a very difficult task, sometimes impossible. Even the most avid bird lovers will have an oriole that will live no more than 3 years without offspring.

If you decide to get an oriole, then be sure to buy a large cage - the oriole loves to fight from corner to corner. Its feathers are soft, and if the cage is small, there is a risk that the bird will injure its feathers.

The oriole feels much better in its natural environment. The oriole is a monogamous bird - it chooses a mate for life. During the year, the female nurses 3-4 chicks. The incubation period for eggs lasts about 15 days. Basically, the female incubates; the male can only replace her for a few hours. The parents feed the little birds, first with bugs and then with berries. In general, orioles feed their chicks about 210 times a day - 10-15 times per hour. At the age of 15-17 days, the little oriole can already fly.

Which is better - a parrot or a songbird?

All the parrots mentioned in the article are quite simple to keep and very interesting to communicate with. They are fun to watch; experienced bird breeders will confirm that each parrot is a unique and vibrant personality. If you are looking for a great ornamental bird companion, then parrots may be a good option.

But parrots require a lot of human attention, and if you spend most of your time outside the house, then perhaps a parrot is not the best option, they become unhappy when their owners deprive them of attention. In this case, it is better to look towards songbirds, many of which do not need human interaction.

Which songbird should you choose?

What birds do you think can be seen or heard outside your window every day? Most often these are passerine birds. Let's look at several representatives of this order, unpretentious and suitable for keeping at home. Most often, siskins, bullfinches, redpolls, finches, buntings, goldfinches and greenfinches are kept in cages. These are not all types of birds that can be tamed.

Before getting such a pet, you should study a lot of literature and understand that these birds require special attention. You can’t just catch a bird from the wild and put it in a cage. Most likely, she will simply die. You need to act wisely and patiently

It is rare to find wild songbirds on sale from private birdwatchers, but if you are lucky, you should pay attention to granivorous birds, since insectivorous birds are quite difficult to keep precisely because of their diet.

The first bird that can be recommended for a novice zookeeper is the siskin.

. Once you meet him, you will forever remain attached to this wonderful little birdie. Despite its modest appearance, the siskin at the first meeting captivates with its grace and liveliness. And with a longer acquaintance, the siskin amazes with its gullibility and agreeableness. In a matter of days he stops being shy of people, gets used to flying out of the cage and comes back.

Siskin
Of all the household, he usually singles out the one who looks after him. And it is to this person that he will make all “requests” for a treat or a bath, raising the feathers on his head, jumping on the perch as close to his person as possible. And having settled into the house, siskins have no desire for freedom at all and can live up to 10 - 12 years.

Taming the siskin lies through the love of delicacies. Some prefer sunflower seeds, others hemp, others pine nuts. The song of the siskin is a quiet, melodic chirping, which distinguishes it favorably, for example, from parrots with their sharp and loud voice. Surrounded by other singers, the siskin enriches its song with borrowed knees. A captured male siskin begins to sing in the cage during the first or second week and sings diligently all year, excluding periods of molting. Female siskins usually do not sing, but some do sing.

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When the question arises of what kind of parrot to keep at home, first of all, we think of budgies. And for good reason. This small, sociable, undemanding and quite “talkative” bird is truly ideal for most families.

And such qualities of the wavy dog ​​as easy tameability, the desire to make contact with people, the ability to quickly memorize sounds and words, compactness and a relatively small amount of garbage allow you to safely trust its contents to a child.

Additional advantages of budgerigars are their life expectancy - 10-15 (sometimes up to 25) years and a small beak (even if you come across a fairly aggressive pet, it will not cause bodily harm). In addition, this is the most common type of parrot, so there will be no problems with purchasing food, a cage and accessories for it, as well as treating the bird if necessary.

At the same time, many believe that the best parrot for home is an unusual one. Moreover, today in pet stores or from breeders you can buy quite exotic species of parrots, no worse than wavy parrots adapted for home keeping. Let's look at some of them.

Jaco (gray parrot)

Jaco is willful, slowly gets used to new conditions of detention and food, completely reads the psychological state of a person, and the main trait of his owner should be unshakable self-confidence. Only in this case will the pet fulfill your requirements. This is quite a big parrot. Its length can reach 35 cm (including tail), so the cage must be spacious. In addition, you will have to provide a perch for the bird right near the ceiling (in nature, these birds settle on the tallest trees). Grays live 60-98 years.

Jaco expresses his desire to occupy a dominant position in the family with a set of rather unpleasant and loud sounds, which in the first stages of the “educational process” causes a lot of trouble for the owner. However, the time and nerves spent are more than compensated for. A tamed bird is capable of reproducing several hundred words, repeating the melodies of songs and the voices of all family members. In addition, having made friends with the owner, the parrot will be faithful to him for the rest of his life.

Buying a gray coat will not be a problem. Its average cost is 20,000 – 60,000 rubles.

Karela (Nymph)

A very friendly bird, approximately twice the size of a budgerigar. They come in grey, white and light lemon colours. Present in almost every pet store (price 2-4.5 thousand rubles), they are unpretentious in food and very well tamed. With regular training, they begin to speak quickly, remember a fairly large number of words and simple sentences. Dissatisfaction is expressed by hissing and screaming. If you are purchasing a parrot for a child, it is better to take the bird very small, since this way it will quickly get used to the owner and will be better amenable to training.

Amazon

If you are thinking about what kind of parrot to get at home, and dream of purchasing a large bird inexpensively, Amazon is your option. The parrot costs about 10,000 rubles, speaks wonderfully, can be trained quickly, has a friendly character and is easy to care for. The only “disadvantage” of the bird is excessive talkativeness. A tame pet will chat inappropriately and inappropriately, regardless of the number of strangers present in the house.

Lovebirds

These restless birds are popular among breeders because of their beauty and cheerful disposition, but it is difficult to call them the best parrots for the home. The fact is that lovebirds are quite poorly trained (only if you take a very young chick), practically do not speak (up to 10 words) and have a fairly large and strong beak, which in the case of a wild bird can cause serious injuries. In addition, parrots express their displeasure very loudly and unpleasantly to the human ear. All of the above makes lovebirds not the best choice for families with children.

If you need a bird for beauty, lovebirds are one of the best options. Bright, constantly busy with something and entertainingly jumping around their cage, these birds will perfectly complement any interior. Moreover, they do not need special care, and their size does not exceed 17 cm. You can purchase a pair or one pet. True, in the second case you need to take a young individual, since the untamed bird will be bored alone. One lovebird costs 3-5 thousand rubles and lives for about 10 years.

Cockatoo

The largest parrot available for keeping at home. Its length is 30-70 cm, life expectancy is 60-80 years, cost is 50-75 thousand rubles. For this money you will get an affectionate, loving, sociable and very inquisitive pet, who, among other things, has excellent conversational skills and remarkable intelligence. According to the owners, this is the best parrot for a child over 6 years old, since the bird can be taught to play with a ball, fetch objects and perform various tricks. The cockatoo has only 2 drawbacks: there are no constipations, knots or other obstacles for its mind and beak, so the owner has to be vigilant. In addition, the pet expresses its desire to communicate, as well as its demand for affection, with a “heart-rending” cry, which can be very inopportune, especially in the morning.

Canary

The first place is firmly held by canaries - singing birds, which began to be imported from the Canary Islands and Tenerife back in the 15th century. Initially, they were only green, but as a result of selection, yellow and orange appeared.

Canaries are valued for their excellent singing, but those who want to keep them should take into account: the voice of these birds is quite loud, and they can sometimes sing for days on end (only the males).

Domestic canary species can sing throughout the year, but they still have their own singing season. It begins, as a rule, at the end of November, by the beginning of winter the birds' voice gains strength, and they usually demonstrate their best singing from February and throughout the spring. By summer, canaries take a well-deserved vacation and give their vocal cords a chance to rest. Experts attribute this to the fact that during this period the birds are molting, and all the forces of their body are aimed at shedding the old plumage and replacing it with a new one - there is no time for songs.

Buying chicks

In order to have meat all year round, young animals are purchased in small quantities every 2–3 months. Broilers will need a large space, and the construction of capital buildings requires certain capital investments, which only large poultry farms can do. Therefore, it is worth buying them in small quantities.

To obtain eggs for the purpose of their further sale, laying hens of egg-bearing breeds are selected. Oman Brown and Hisex Brown breeds are considered one of the most productive.

Where to buy chicks

Poultry is purchased at poultry hatcheries, poultry farms or pet stores . It can also be done at the market. But in this case, no one guarantees their state of health, as well as their future productivity.

It is better to buy young animals at the age of one to three months. Of course, these can also be day-old chicks, but then you will have to tinker with them longer. True, now that you can buy ready-made balanced feed, there is almost no waste of chickens.

You can determine the sex of a chicken using the folk method shown in the image: on the right is a cockerel, on the left is a hen.

In order to completely minimize costs, you can buy an incubator for a certain number of eggs and get young animals of exactly the breed you want.

Only birds of the same age should be in the room. If there are different age groups in the chicken coop, then conflict may arise between them. There is always a hierarchy in a flock of birds.

How to choose a quality chick

To complete a herd, birds are selected for certain characteristics.

1. Healthy day-old chicks are active and respond quickly to feed. The abdomen is soft, there are no traces of blood at the junction with the umbilical cord.
2. The fluff is even. And the wings are pressed tightly to the body.
3. Broilers may have a slightly enlarged belly. Loose fluff.

There is a simple way to check whether day-old chicks are healthy or sick. Place them in a cardboard box and knock on it. Healthy ones will immediately rush to the source of the sound. If you need to select more laying hens for the flock than cockerels, then you should spread the wings of the chicken. Cockerels will have feathers of the same size, but hens will have different feathers. But this method is suitable, of course, if the bird has feathers.

In day-old young animals, the sex can be determined only by examining the cloaca and identifying the genital tubercle.

Chizhik

In pre-revolutionary Russia, a cage with a siskin was a common attribute of a high school student’s room, a craftsman’s workshop, and a roadside tavern. And now the siskin is perhaps the first bird that can be recommended for keeping to a novice zoo lover. Despite its modest appearance, the siskin captivates at the first meeting with its grace and liveliness. In a matter of days he stops being shy of people, gets used to flying out of the cage and comes back. Of all the household, he usually singles out the one who looks after him. And it is to this person that he will make all “requests” for a treat or a bath, raising the feathers on his head, jumping on a perch and greeting his person with a perky song. Its singing includes many different trills, which may resemble the sounds of other birds, in particular tits. The siskin can sing up to 10 months a year.

Guinea fowl

Originally from Africa; wild specimens were also widely used. Guinea fowl (Numida mekagris) belongs to the order Chickens and has recently become the object of farm and industrial breeding due to the high taste of the meat. Domesticated in Europe in the 15th century. There are several varieties that differ in plumage color (gray, white, lilac, ocher and even blue).

Goldfinch

The goldfinch's repertoire can consist of more than 20 variants of melodies, and the sounds it makes while singing can be either pleasant and melodic or harsh and rude. Goldfinches can only compete with canaries in their singing abilities. By the way, like them, goldfinches become silent during molting and do not sing. However, if only males sing in canaries, then in goldfinches both males and females sing, and females sometimes do it more skillfully.

If you did not purchase a goldfinch at a pet store, but caught it in the wild or sold it to you wild, you will be disappointed: wild birds remain wild, and rarely delight their owners with their singing.

Feedback from poultry owners

Owners of birds living at home note the following features of such a neighborhood:

• it is better to choose parrots or nightingales, canaries for home ownership - they are better adapted to life in captivity;
• It’s better to avoid predatory crows, magpies, and owls;
• caring for goldfinches and starlings is not difficult;
• Bullfinches are a very beautiful bird, but it is better to watch them from an apartment window.

The best birds for home are those that can get along with humans, do not require special food and do not have the desire to fly a lot.

Finch

The chaffinch's singing is melodic, beautiful and cheerful - it is often confused with the song of the nightingale. A typical chaffinch song is a rolling trill ending with a “stroke” - a specific loud short sound. The finch tolerates captivity quite well, but never becomes such a tame bird as the siskin. In finches, only males sing. It is quite easy to distinguish a male from a female: males have a reddish breast, and their head and neck are decorated with bluish plumage in the warm season; females have a discreet brownish-green color.

Breeding poultry for sale - business plan

This business has some features:

1. Poultry farming is classified as agriculture, so there are tax benefits.
2. It is necessary to comply with SanPin standards;
3. They are often registered as individual entrepreneurs to simplify tax accounting.

You can sell products in different ways:

1. Via the Internet by organizing your website.
2. By renting a retail outlet at the market.
3. By concluding direct supply contracts with cafes and restaurants.

When breeding, two systems for their maintenance are used:

• walking;
• intense.

When kept free-range, eggs obtained from breeding producers (chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys) are mainly used for incubation. Intensive husbandry is aimed at producing meat and edible eggs. Free-range poultry tastes better. There is less chance of finding E. coli in it.

Construction of premises for commercial breeding

Counting on long-term work with birds, it is necessary to erect capital buildings. The most durable ones are made of brick, but they are cold. In hot climates, clay and adobe are used for construction. Cinder concrete walls retain heat well.

In the middle zone, preference is given to wooden buildings, or frame houses are built, filling the voids with sawdust, peat, and mineral wool. You can cover the walls with a cheap slab. In winter, such a room will be dry and warm, and in summer it will be cool.

The basic requirements for the poultry house are that it must be dry, draft-free and well ventilated.

To build a roof, you can use any suitable material - roofing felt, roofing felt, slate, straw.

In severe frosts, the room temperature should not fall below -3°C. Drafts and dampness are unacceptable.

To prevent mice and rats from entering the premises, floors must be durable and at a height of at least 25 cm above the ground. The floor is covered with peat, sawdust or straw.

Release holes are made on the south side 5 cm above the litter level; their dimensions depend on the type of bird:

• for chicken – 30x30 cm.

To preserve heat, the manhole is equipped with an external vestibule.

It is very important to arrange proper lighting. For 1 sq. m of floor should be at least 0.1 square meters. m of windows. Electric lighting is allowed, but it should not be too bright.

Lamps should be placed at a height of at least 170 cm.

Perches are made from smooth bars:

• for chickens - 40x40 mm at a height of 70 cm from the floor.

The manhole and perches are located on opposite sides of the house. Nests for laying hens are made of plywood or chipboard. They are located in the side of the room away from light. The birds will be calmer there. It is advisable to provide access to the nests from the outside to make it easier to remove the eggs.

Socket sizes:

• for chickens – 40x40x40 cm.

To take disinfecting ash baths, use a box measuring 120x70x20 cm. It is filled with ash mixed with dry clay or sand. For walking, cages made of wooden slats are used. The grated bottom allows droppings to fall down, making bird care easier. Along with free-range keeping, an intensive cellular breeding method is practiced. Birds are kept in cages constantly, and this allows them to quickly gain weight.

Chicken farm

When keeping cells in cells, they can be arranged in tiers. An example of intensive chicken farming:

1. Farm measuring 42x20 m.
2. The cells are arranged in rows along the building, 3 rows in total.
3. The width of the row is 1 m, the height of the tier is 60 cm, the length of the “cage” is 120 cm.
4. Only 3 tiers.
5. Each “cage” contains 10 laying hens.
6. The distance between passes is 150 cm.

In winter, it is necessary to place a stove in the poultry house so that the chickens can lay eggs.

Housing for turkeys

In the southern regions, turkeys can be raised without a poultry house. In areas with a cool climate, to maintain them you need to build a warm, dry room that meets the following requirements:

1. The hole for releasing turkeys is 50x50 cm.
2. Perch block – 70x70 mm.
3. The perch is located at a height of 1 meter.
4. The size of the nest is 60x60x70 cm.

Turkey nests can be arranged in 2 tiers. In January, daylight hours should be artificially increased to 16 hours to encourage birds to lay eggs. They will lay eggs in February - March. A turkey can tolerate a short-term drop in temperature to -20 °C, but it is advisable that the indoor temperature in winter is maintained at a level of -2 °C to 5 °C. During the nesting period, the temperature should not be lower than 12°C. Turkeys should not be kept with other birds due to their uncooperative nature.

Buildings for ducks and geese

A poultry house for geese and ducks is equipped according to the same rules as for other birds, but taking into account their sizes:

1. Release holes – 40x40 cm.
2. The dimensions of the nests for ducks are 40x40x40 cm.
3. The dimensions of the nests for geese are 60x60x70 cm.

It is necessary to fence off a place for water procedures in the nearest body of water. In winter, these birds may also express a desire to take a walk in the fresh air. The walking area must be regularly cleared of snow.

Purchase of chicks

It is better to purchase chicks from a poultry farm. In this case, you will be sure that you bought healthy chicks of the exact breed that you want to breed on your farm.

Which breeds to choose

Breed a breed that has proven itself in your region. Below are lists of breeds of different species.

Chickens:

• Loman-brown;
• Russian white;
• Hisex;
• High line;
• Kuchinskaya;
• Isa Brown.

Turkeys:

• Big 6;
• Bronze broad-breasted;
• North Caucasian bronze;
• White broad-chested;
• Cross Big 6.

Ducks:

• Beijing;
• Agidel;
• Indoutka (musk);
• Mulard (hybrid, does not reproduce).

Geese:

• Gray Kholmogory;
• Romensky;
• Shadrinsky;
• Toulouse;
• Landskie;
• Guinea fowl:
• Zagorskaya white-breasted;
• Siberian white.

Pheasants:

• Diamond;
• Silver;
• Gold;
• Steppe hunter.

Quail:

• Pharaoh;
• Manchurian;
• Japanese.

Where to buy and at what age

If you have your own industrial incubator, chicks can be raised in it. But it is easier to buy young birds at large industrial plants. The age of the birds should not exceed 15 weeks, the difference in the age of individuals placed in one cage is no more than a week.

Care and feeding - what food to give

A few rules to follow:

1. The diet includes grains, calcium (chalk or shell rock), grass (in summer), straw (in winter). You can add root vegetables, use industrial feed and vitamins.
2. Sick birds must be isolated.
3. The room must be dry and ventilated at least 3 times a day.
4. Feed strictly according to schedule.
5. Change the lighting throughout the day, periodically turning on the red light. This calms the birds.
6. Waterfowl need daily water procedures.

Slaughter, egg collection, sales

To produce mass slaughter, you need to acquire a special unit. Laying hens are checked for eggs several times a day. Carcasses are packaged in special containers, eggs are placed in special containers. Having your own corporate logo on the packaging will have a positive impact on product sales.

Profitability

This business is profitable and pays off quickly. When drawing up a business plan, it is necessary to take into account the costs of purchasing birds and feed. Transportation and energy costs will also be added. You may have to hire workers and pay them wages.

Selling eggs can bring in up to 300 thousand rubles a year in net profit. Selling meat is even more profitable.

Compliance with the rules of poultry farming and the presence of reliable partners for the sale of products guarantee the success of your business.

Amadina

The zebra finch is one of the most popular ornamental birds today. It is often also presented as a songbird, but finches have a rather specific voice, and not everyone will like their song: finches make sounds that resemble buzzing, grumbling, whistling, chirping, and sometimes hissing. Moreover, they sing especially loudly and actively early in the morning. However, thanks to their variegated coloring, finches look very impressive and exotic; they are quite active and funny. Despite their apparent friendliness, finches do not accept human hands; they prefer to live side by side with their own kind - a large company or a couple. Therefore, finches are perfect for constantly busy and working people as a pet.

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Pros and cons of buying a parrot

If you plan to purchase a pet for a child, then the advantages and disadvantages of choosing a parrot are evaluated.

The advantages include:

• if you watch the active games of a bird, your mood will rise;
• provides the opportunity to communicate with an intelligent interlocutor;
• children are happy to repeat words while teaching their pet;
• It is impossible to get bored alone at home, as the birds communicate, play and do other fun things with all family members.

Some parrots are so empathetic that they notice the bad mood of their little owner, so they try to cheer him up with games.

The disadvantages of having a parrot include the fact that the bird needs to be given a lot of attention, so if the child gets tired of it, the parents will have to take on this responsibility. This pet is not suitable for people who spend a lot of time outside the home. We have to deal with cleaning, feeding and changing water every day. Early in the morning, the bird often wakes up households by screaming, running around and other loud sounds. Sometimes parrots completely damage paintings, shoes, clothes and interior items.

Wild birds that are acceptable to keep at home

Birds raised in captivity are well adapted to living conditions inside a house or apartment. But there are also those that can be taken home from natural conditions without much harm to them. You can keep the birds listed below at home.

Finches

This is a small bird with red-gray feathers. Their beautiful appearance makes finches an attractive songbird to keep at home. Of course, they have good voice abilities. A male finch can produce up to ten different melodies and trills.

Keeping them at home is not difficult: finches feed on all kinds of small seeds, including flaxseed, parts of plants, and small bugs.

Siskins

These cute birds, despite their small stature, have good intelligence, which can be compared, for example, with the Amazon. The siskin knows its habitat - the cage where its food and toilet are located, and practically does not violate the boundaries set by humans: it does not need to be caught throughout the apartment, it returns to its home itself and does not leave marks on the floor or furniture. In addition, this feathered friend is an excellent singer and delights its owners with cheerful trills if it is in good health and mood.

To ensure a comfortable living, the siskin needs a reservoir of water where it can clean its feathers and bathe. You can also add a little sand to his feeder: it helps the bird grind hard seed particles in the esophagus.

Goldfinches

Dapperly colored, these birds have the ability to produce up to twenty different variants of trills, and the females sing more beautifully than the males.

In nature, they feed on seeds, midges, and plant foods. You can feed domestic goldfinches the same way, after consulting with a specialist.

Starling

Typically, starlings make their nests in birdhouses specially built by people, and are famous as the most active insect killers.

But in captivity, these songbirds are able to live with no less success. They get used to people and love communication. You can even use a tamed starling for household purposes - to kill insects indoors. These birds are also able to imitate human speech, learning a few words.

Lark

The well-known morning singer does not take root very well in captivity. He is shy and does not adapt well to people. However, with sufficient freedom (a large enclosure), the lark can be adapted to life indoors. These birds imitate the voices of other birds well, and their songs consist of them and their own trills.

Bullfinch

These brightly colored representatives of birds do not have a particularly sonorous voice; their singing sounds like a squeak. Nevertheless, hobbyists keep bullfinches at home - mostly for aesthetic reasons. After all, their bright red breasts are pleasing to the eye and lift your spirits.

Since the bullfinch is a winter inhabitant of the middle zone, it is unpretentious in food. It readily feeds on sunflower, apple, and flower seeds. It tames quite quickly.

Nightingale

Perhaps the most beloved songbirds of people can also be domesticated. The coloring of these birds is dim, their size is small, but their singing is very beautiful and varied.

Nightingales are kept in spacious cages and fed a mixture of seeds and dried fruits.

Oatmeal

The yellow sparrow-sized bird likes to live in a spacious cage, otherwise it will not sing. From time to time you should take it out into the air and expose it to the sun. If this is not done, the bunting's plumage becomes dull and pale. The bottom of the cage should be covered with river sand for better adaptation.

Parrots

Budgerigar

This species is the most popular for breeding in apartments. Budgerigars are unpretentious and inexpensive. They are distinguished by their bright colors. They have green, yellow, bluish feathers.

The birds are friendly towards people and become attached to their owner. They often get two budgies at once so that they don’t get bored alone. But in this case, the pets will concentrate on each other and will pay less attention to the owner.

Birds do not require special housing conditions. The main thing is a clean cage in a lighted place and a bowl with a grain mixture from a pet store.

Budgerigars

Jaco

The large gray parrot Jaco reaches 35 cm in length, and its wingspan is 65 cm. Think carefully before buying this bird. The average life expectancy of Jaco is 40 years. But he needs serious care and a lot of attention from his owner.

The bird is placed in a spacious enclosure with crossbars, mirrors and toys. Gray is an active bird. Therefore, he only comes into his home to spend the night. The rest of the time he likes to spend in the room and fly from corner to corner.

Jacos need constant communication with their owners. Otherwise, they will become depressed and start to get sick. If you constantly talk to the bird, it will easily remember new words and begin to copy the speech of family members.

Jaco is given two bowls in his cage at once. One with chopped fruits and vegetables, the other with a grain mixture and nuts.

Jaco

Cockatoo

Exotic lovers can have a cockatoo at home. But such a bird requires great responsibility and a serious approach. Life expectancy depends on the type of bird. On average - 50 years. But in good conditions, black cockatoos can live up to 90 years.

Cockatoos are very loud and noisy birds. They can chat non-stop all day and bother others with constant noise.

They need to be raised and trained from childhood, otherwise with age you will end up with an uncontrollable bird. An angry bird can severely injure its owners with its beak and claws.

Cockatoos are fed grain mixtures, nuts, vegetables and herbs. It will not be superfluous to add vitamins and mineral supplements to your food.

Cockatoo

Lovebirds

Birds with bright feathers adapt well to captivity and chirp to each other all day long. Lovebirds are kept together in the same cage. Therefore, the home should be spacious with long perches and mirrors.

Contrary to popular belief, birds do not die when separated. You can add a new partner to them.

Lovebirds are fed grain from pet stores, greens and vegetables. A separate drinker and feeder are installed for each bird.

Masked lovebird

Description

The size is slightly larger than an ordinary starling: length 24-25 cm, wingspan about 45 cm, weight 50-90 g. The body is somewhat elongated. There is well-defined sexual dimorphism in color: males and females are noticeably different from each other. The male's plumage is golden yellow with black wings and a black tail. Small yellow spots are visible along the edge of the tail, as well as on the wings. From the beak to the eye there is a black stripe called the “frenulum” - depending on the subspecies, it may or may not extend behind the eyes (see picture). The female has a greenish-yellow upperparts and whitish underparts with dark longitudinal streaks. The wings are greenish-gray. The beak of both sexes is brown or reddish-brown, quite long and strong. The iris is red. Young birds are more similar to the female, but are distinguished by duller, motley and darker plumage below. A very mobile bird, quickly and silently jumps from branch to branch in the dense foliage of trees. The flight is fast and undulating, like that of woodpeckers or blackbirds. The average flight speed is 40-47 km/h, although males in pursuit of each other can reach 70 km/h. Rarely flies out into the open, although males sometimes pose sitting on a branch during the mating season.

Song and cries of an oriole, Novgorod region

Vocalization includes several different variations. Sometimes it emits a sharp and completely unmusical cry, reminiscent of the meowing of a frightened cat. From afar you can hear the low melodic whistle of a bird, reminiscent of the sounds of a flute and consisting of 3-4 syllables: “fiu-liu-li.” From a distance, it is almost impossible to make out another typical oriole call: a series of abrupt, creaking “gigigigigi” sounds, like those of falcons.

Parrot

The first place is occupied by the most common pets - parrots. Their diversity is great in color, intellectual abilities, size and tameness. However, these tropical birds cannot tolerate drafts, low temperatures, or loneliness.

The most popular among parrots are:

• Budgerigars are friendly, curious, trainable birds. They are unpretentious in care, the basis of nutrition is grain mixtures and affordable fruits and vegetables. They become attached to their owner and love communication and games. The compact size of the wavy allows its cage to be placed even in a small room.

• Corella is the “golden mean” among the representatives of the family. It is characterized by increased activity, therefore it requires a more careful selection of the cage and its location in the apartment. Cockatiels are very sociable, remember a lot of words, imitate sounds, and learn easy tricks. The basis of nutrition is grain mixtures and various additives (fruits, vegetables, herbs).

• Lovebirds are the most romantic of parrots. Caring couples sweetly look after each other, are very sociable and active. Small body sizes require a large cage equipped with toys and perches. They are unpretentious in food.

• The cockatoo is a long-liver among parrots; with proper care, it will become a member of the family for 50 years or more. The bird's intelligence is high, as is its need for communication. Onomatopoeia, memorization and speech recognition come easily to him. However, this can be a significant disadvantage. Without proper upbringing, the cockatoo will become a tyrant at home. With its large and hard beak, it will damage furniture, things, and interior items. Outbursts of aggression, excessive irritability, loud screams and conversations of the bird are possible. The large size of the cockatoo requires a spacious enclosure and frequent walks around the apartment.

• Jaco is a nondescript looking but very smart parrot. They perfectly imitate human speech, repeat words and understand them. They require constant attention and communication, otherwise they begin to get bored and sad. They learn various tricks easily and with pleasure. It is important to properly raise a Gray from childhood in order to establish rules for living together. A Gray's cage needs a large one, with many crossbars, toys, and mirrors.

• The macaw is the brightest and largest among the parrots. Therefore, for normal maintenance he needs a full-fledged enclosure. A parrot's strong beak is both its tool and a problem for its owner. Birds can damage furniture and various objects. The bars in the cage must be steel and the frame must be strong, otherwise the macaw will quickly find weak points in it. He is very attached to his owner and can become stressed in his absence.

However, parrots are not the only domestic birds, although they occupy their rightful first place in the rating.

Finch

Answering the question of how to choose a songbird to keep at home, we can safely recommend the finch.

This bird has a reddish breast with a gray tint (the female has a brownish one) and grayish feathers on the head and neck. Wings with black and white splashes.

The singing of a finch (and, like the canary, only males sing) is a long and melodious trill with a peculiar rolling “stroke” at the end. Moreover, there may be ten or so individual special trills in the repertoire of this little singer. In terms of virtuosity, the chaffinch's singing is compared to a nightingale. It is known that in Europe, lovers and keepers of finches even organize competitions and tournaments, presenting their favorites. The winners receive quite large rewards.

The finch, like all granivorous small birds, in captivity can be fed with canary mixture, which is sold in pet stores. Sometimes crushed boiled eggs and dried white bread are added to it, as well as caterpillars and worms.

Budgerigars

Budgerigars are the most popular variety of parrots among pets. They are indeed very friendly and affectionate pet birds if cared for properly. Budgerigars are small in size and very cute to look at. Plus, they can even be taught to perform a few tricks.

The undeniable advantage of budgies is also that they can learn to speak relatively easily. This makes them incredible pets that are not only adorable, but entertaining as well.

Most often, budgies have a bright green or yellow plumage, but there are also some blue or white-blue individuals. Any color is characterized by a pattern of dark stripes on the wings and neck.

The cage with these birds is placed in a lighted place where there are no drafts. The usual mixture for budgies from a pet store is perfect as food. The cage must be equipped with special perches and devices for games. You can keep either one parrot or a pair of different sexes.

Budgie. © Prozeny

Benefits and Features

Keeping songbirds at home has many benefits:

• there is no need to walk them; if you need to leave, the pet can be left at home for 3-5 days with a sufficient supply of food and water;
• most birds do not have an unpleasant odor;
• life expectancy is relatively long if they are provided with normal living conditions.

Unfortunately, there are also contraindications to keeping pet birds in cages. Their feathers can cause allergies; in addition, they are a constant source of dust and debris in the room. And of course, if you want to have a singing individual, you need to be prepared for the fact that the house will not be quiet.

What birds can you choose as pets? There are many options from which you can choose a handsome singer who will suit all parameters.

Domesticated

This is the name given to animals and birds that were once wild, but over time people learned to keep and breed them at home - for example, chickens. But now we will talk specifically about singing birds.

Canaries

As a result of domestication, modern canaries are larger than they once were in the wild. Their originally bright yellow plumage now ranges from white to bright red.

The male canary - the kenar - sings better than the female, so it is better to have him as a singing pet. The singing of these birds copies the trills of other birds, and of a wide variety.

It is recommended to place a tank of water in the cage or enclosure for bathing.

Finches

Cheerful small birds with a wide, brightly colored beak. Their plumage varies greatly depending on the species (and there are about forty of them).

Finches feed not only on grain, but also on cottage cheese, chicken eggs and bread. The main thing is not to give them aromatic herbs, they are poisonous to such birds.