Mary Allen
The holiday season is here. But who looks at the birds? Ways bird keepers and breeders can organize the holiday season.
Holidays are not for everyone. There are people who hardly ever travel because they prefer to take care of their birds at home. But some want both: keep birds and go on vacation from time to time. Not always easy, but doable.
Anyone who has the idea of getting birds should already be thinking about the holidays. Those who choose parakeets, parrots, wild pigeons, or finches can travel more easily than someone who keeps soft eaters such as bulbuls, starlings, sunbirds, or fruit doves. Parakeets, parrots, and finches, which include canaries, naturally eat a large proportion of seeds and grains.
Many species of finches and parakeets in Australia are prepared for dry periods. They then feed on seeds. Providing dry grains and seeds is less time-consuming than giving soft food, fruit, and insects every day. If you don’t travel during the breeding season, a holiday replacement can simply feed parrots, parakeets, and finches a grain mix and give them a little fruit every other day. This simulates the dry season in nature because even then not everything is always available in abundance. The birds are well looked after for two weeks. Soft eaters, on the other hand, must be looked after at least twice a day during the warm season, as the feed spoils quickly.
If you only keep two birds in an indoor aviary and bring them to someone during the holidays, you should not put them together from a large indoor aviary into a smaller cage. It is better to house them individually and with visual contact. The proximity can lead to one bird dominating and chasing the other, even if both otherwise live together peacefully in the large indoor aviary. Public aviaries also take holiday birds and usually even have their own cage facilities. Anyone who spends holidays in Switzerland and only has a few birds, such as two trusting parrots, can also take them with them in smaller cages.
Label Everything
It’s easier if you keep your birds in a small animal facility. Most of the time, a colleague is happy to take care of them. There are also keepers, friends, or other appropriate people who will look after birds at the owner’s home when they are away.
It’s always better to make notes and checklists. If you are busy with your birds every day, you no longer notice a lot of what you do naturally. That is why it is important to introduce holiday replacements. This should have several opportunities to assist with feeding. If someone takes care of the birds who do not keep any themselves, everything must be clearly communicated and noted. One cannot expect that someone who is not otherwise involved in bird care already knows what to do. The lining must be clearly visible and sufficiently available. If you have aviaries with birds that need different seeds, mark the food supplies with colors or numbers and stick the notes on the aviaries. It is better to give too much food than too little during the holidays. Cups and measurements are important.
Of course, the aviaries and cages are completely cleaned shortly before the holidays. Anyone who controls the light via a central timer must inform the holiday agency and label the corresponding switch with “do not touch”. In addition, the instructions for operating the timer should be visible. It can happen that the power goes out. The contact details must be noted, also an address of a friendly bird breeder who can help in an emergency.
After the happy return from the holidays, the usual, rich, and dosed feeding can be resumed. In addition, all aviaries should be thoroughly cleaned. It is better not to travel for more than two weeks. If you have a suitable holiday replacement and have prepared everything seriously, you can leave with confidence.