my neighbor has 15 hen chickens that i take care of on a regular basis, they recently started layind a few eggs, but they are laying them on the ground in their chicken coop and not in the boxes that were made for them to lay, is their anything that we can do to coax the chickens to lay in their boxes?
Answers:
oh for petes sake.. First of all you have to make sure your egg boxes are cozy. Are they big enough? Are they well ventalated? Is there straw in the boxes? If this is their first year you can train them by taking one egg to each nest and leaving it there. (mark it with a crayon so you dont pick up the bad egg on accident) Once they realize the egss are always in the box and start to lay in the box you can take the bad eggs out and dispose of them. You could also move the boxes to where they are now laying and gradually move the boxes to where you want them.
no but i want one
Chickens have their own agenda and they will do what they want to do, which is probably not what you want them to do.
They like to sit in straw sometimes, you might try that. But sometimes they like to sit in a hole they scratch into the dirt. There is no figuring a chicken.
I have 2 as pets. When mine are going to lay an egg, they like to sit head first into a corner. So if you have any corners, they seem to like that.
make it eat dirt
Believe it or not, they make glass eggs so you can put one per nest to encourage the hens to lay in them. If you can't find the heavy glass ones, go to a ceramic shop and get a ceramic one.
Do be sure there is plenty of hay or straw in the nests.
Good luck with your chickens
The one answerer was correct you have to make the nest boxes cozy. Line with straw, leaves or sawdust. If they are laying eggs on the ground pick them up and put them in the box. Once the chickens start laying in the boxes you need to collect them every day or two to keep them laying. Otherwise they will go broody and just sit on the eggs. You can also use golf balls as substitute eggs to coax the hens.
No chickens are lazy creatures and if they don't want to hop up in the box they won't ours(33) often lay on the floor under the nest box under the roost and under the feeder at times.
Yes, there is a very easy way. Get some fake chicken eggs, wooden, plastic, or glass. Plastic easter eggs will also work, or rocks that are shaped like eggs (You can also use real eggs for a few days, as long as you mark them so you dont eat them and dont let them rot in the nest). Put the eggs in the nest to lure the chickens in. Once one chicken starts laying in the nest boxes, they will all follow her example.
Well, what you can try is to put some golf balls in the boxes. That way they might think that those are eggs and might figure out that's where they're supposed to lay. But if they decide that they don't want to, there is no way to change a hen's mind!
Best of luck to you!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Any vet doctor How do i get rid of pesticides on a bird? Ring Necked Parakeet?
Answers:
Pesticides kill birds through the air they breath and through the skin and when on vegetables or fruits we fed them.
If someone put pesticides on a bird that would be animal abuse!
Call an Avianvet or any vet ASAP and save this poor living creature.
first off why would your bird have pesticides on it? you need to immediately bath the bird before it begins preening itself and dies from the pesticides. dry it off as best you can keep it in a very warm draft free place to dry its feathers
Any tips to keep pigeons off my balcony. One of them laid 2 eggs and took off. WHY?
Answers:
the way i see it,
u just got free breakfast
they sell a plastic owl,,you can put it on your balcony, hmm I don't know what to do about the eggs
get a cat. or a sling shot. As for the pigeon, it's sphinctor is broken.
The owl thing would work... but the sling shot would be more entertaining. Maybe a water gun? Maybe make yourself a pigeon shocker like the bug zappers?. Hmmm.. wonders if the eggs will taste like chicken's eggs?.
It was probably egg bound and just happened to push the two out while it was there on your balcony. Lucky you, LOL!
Unless it made a nest there where the eggs are, i don't see the pigeon coming back.
Good Luck!
Any tips on keep a Rainbow Lorikeet ?
I plan on buying a Rainbow Lorikeet, and trust me ive done my share of reading, now i need some help from people who acually own the animal. Are there any tips that you cant read about keeping a lorikeet, such as certain cage sizes or what to feed them, plz write as much information as you can give me. Thanks a lot.
Answers:
Well there's way too much information to fit on here, but I'll give you some of the basics and things that usually you don't find in books. The bigger the cage, the better. Also, Lorikeets have liquid feces so they are MESSY. A clear plastic back on the cage will help protect your walls from the poop. Also, do NOT get sucked into the new fad diets! They are now saying that certain pellets and food mixes are safe for Lories and that is NOT TRUE. It ruins their liver and digestive system and causes them to die early. You MUST feed them a homemade diet for them to stay healthy. I use the following recipe:
1 can frozen 100% fruit juice cocktail
1 banana
1 apple
2 cups 100% fruit juice (I change the flavors all the time for a variety in the diet)
2 tablespoons "lorikeet food mix" from the pet store (for extra vitamins)
1 large carrot
1 other fruit/veggie that I change around (mango and papaya are favorites) for variety
I then put this mix in the blender until it is completely smooth and then put it in small baggies to freeze. The mix lasts a couple weeks and I just take out one bag the night before so it can thaw out. This way I only have to "cook" every few weeks and the bird stays very healthy.
You also have to feed them fruits and veggies whole because they like to chew on them.
If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact me. Good luck with your new bird!
Answers:
Well there's way too much information to fit on here, but I'll give you some of the basics and things that usually you don't find in books. The bigger the cage, the better. Also, Lorikeets have liquid feces so they are MESSY. A clear plastic back on the cage will help protect your walls from the poop. Also, do NOT get sucked into the new fad diets! They are now saying that certain pellets and food mixes are safe for Lories and that is NOT TRUE. It ruins their liver and digestive system and causes them to die early. You MUST feed them a homemade diet for them to stay healthy. I use the following recipe:
1 can frozen 100% fruit juice cocktail
1 banana
1 apple
2 cups 100% fruit juice (I change the flavors all the time for a variety in the diet)
2 tablespoons "lorikeet food mix" from the pet store (for extra vitamins)
1 large carrot
1 other fruit/veggie that I change around (mango and papaya are favorites) for variety
I then put this mix in the blender until it is completely smooth and then put it in small baggies to freeze. The mix lasts a couple weeks and I just take out one bag the night before so it can thaw out. This way I only have to "cook" every few weeks and the bird stays very healthy.
You also have to feed them fruits and veggies whole because they like to chew on them.
If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact me. Good luck with your new bird!
Any tips for teaching my parrot to talk?
Answers:
Hi there. Repetition is fine with word associations. For example, "Wanna snack" and rewarding with a treat will teach the bird to say that when he does want a snack. Studies show that they don't merely mimic us.Some parrot species are better talkers than others. Acting animated and silly really can peak a parrot's interest. Boring repetition is not as effective. They respond well to singing also. Say the phrase or word slowly at different times. Have a great day and make it fun.
Say what you want him to learn over and over and over some more. My brother made a tape that said "Hello" for the whole tape over and over again. It worked!
repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, u get me?
choose a very simple word. like 'boat'. keep repeating the word slowly and clearly.
Speak to him whenever you enter the room, talk to him as if to a child about anything that comes to mind to build your bond so he will want to talk to you. My male budgee says "c'mere chicken" because that's what I said to him every time he flew by me during his out of cage time, plus he whistles "yellow rose of Texas" and cliks the William Tell Overture among other vocalizations.
Lots of time and patience.
As long as it is a fairly young bird it should learn to talk fairly easily. But you will need to spend ate least 1-2 hours with it each day talking to it in calm and soothing tones.
Repeat the word or phrase that you want it to learn many times. And be prepared to give treats and lots of praise when it does say the word or phrase.
Good luck!!
Choose a word or a phrase and stay with that ONE thing until he has learned to say it clearly. ONLY then, move on to a new one. It's not at all difficult.
i heard that if u talk to it in the morning before u uncover it and repeat the samething over and over again for about a half hour then uncover it and it will learn faster and make sure it has no mirrors in its cage
Teach it to him in context, because it will help him remember. For instance, every time you give him a treat, say "thankyou". The bird will learn to associate "thankyou" with getting a treat and will learn much faster.
What my rainbow lorikeet learned really easily was a kiss noise: "mwa mwa mwa", as in when you smack your lips together. I just did it every day, and it's a really easy noise to mimick.
What kind of parrot is he? This makes a difference as to how quickly he'll pick words up %26 how much you can teach him.
Make your words sound really exciting when you're teaching him. They pick up exciting words %26 take no interest in words that are said in a dull way.
Don't over do it with repitition, they can get bored with that as well. When you see your parrot start to look distracted or bored with the game, stop for several hours.
Any tips about how to take care of a wild baby bird?
Well some guy brought a wild baby bird in to the vet clinic I work at yesterday. We've been giving it powdered kitten food mixed with water and it seems to be doing ok with that. We're trying to get it to a rehabilitation center soon. It has feathers and seems to be doing fine. The vet clinic normally never works with birds so we don't know much about what to do. Are there any tips on how to take care of it until we get it some place better? I brought it home tonight, we always keep it in a box with a towel. Is that ok? It's a baby blue jay if that helps.
Answers:
No offense, but this is why I always tell people with an injured or orphaned wild animal NOT to take it to a vet. Vets are for pets. I can not believe that your veterinary practice would even take an animal that it is not experienced and qualified to care for.
Please get this bird to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator as quickly as possible. If you have not already located one, try here: http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/contact.
These people have the specialized training to care for wild animals. They also have the state and federal licenses required by law to have possession of a native migratory bird...which you and your clinic obviously do not have.
Until you get it to a licensed rehabber, do NOT place it in a box with a cloth towel. The bird can catch its nails in the towel. Use paper towel. Make sure that the bird can not get out of the box, but leave lots of airholes for it to breathe. Keep all pets, children and excitable adults away from it. Please remember that this is a wild animal, not someone's pet bird. Have as little contact with it as possible, outside of feeding it.
Do NOT give it water with a dropper - birds, especially babies, can aspirate and die.
If it already has its feathers, it is probably a fledgling and the person who brought it in to your clinic should have left it right where they found it. Baby birds fledge (leave the nest) before they can fly. They need time to hop around on the ground and climb low branches and exercise their wings until they have strengthened them enough for flight. The parent birds continue to feed and care for the fledglings until they are self-sufficient. If you know exactly where the bird was found, you should place it in a low bush near that area, so the parents can find it and care for it.
In the interim, try placing some seed in the box for it...if it is a fledgling, it may already be pecking at food on its own. If not, the moistened dog/cat food is okay for an emergency, but not for any length of time. It needs to get to someone who is qualified and licensed to care for it.
Edit - My point is, it was the wrong thing to do - taking a bird your clinic had no clue how to care for. It was irresponsible to take it if you could not get it to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator immediately.
You say that the vet knows about fledglings...then why didn't the vet educate the person who brought the bird in? You (someone/anyone in the clinic) should have instructed that person to place the bird back near where it was found, so the parents could have found it. You should also have informed that person that it is illegal for him to have the bird, and that your clinic was also not licensed to care for wild animals. Then you could have given him the list of local wildlife rehabilitators.
Instead, your clinic took a bird it is not qualified or licensed to have, and gave the message that it is perfectly okay to "rescue" wild birds that have no need of rescue. I wonder how many more fledglings this guy will "rescue" and bring to you now.
You can take dry cat food (the cheaper corn based stuff) and soak it until it's crumbly (Meow Mix is a good one, the one I've used alot). Using suchers (SP?) you can feed them. Eye droppers for water. Towel is good and if the clinic gets cold at night a heat lamp. Don't feed the food if it's more than 2 days old. Keep it in the fridge once it's soaked.
I'd suggest that you call a wildlife center ASAP and ask them what to do, even if you can't take the bird to them soon, they should at least have some suggestions on what to do. It's probably best to call who ever you're going to take the bird to (if you know yet) and ask them if there's anything specific they want you to do with the bird.
You can feed the wild baby bird-
canned kitten food,ground mealworms, crickets %26 Pedialyte.
Keep him warm and protected.
You are doing real good.
Answers:
No offense, but this is why I always tell people with an injured or orphaned wild animal NOT to take it to a vet. Vets are for pets. I can not believe that your veterinary practice would even take an animal that it is not experienced and qualified to care for.
Please get this bird to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator as quickly as possible. If you have not already located one, try here: http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/contact.
These people have the specialized training to care for wild animals. They also have the state and federal licenses required by law to have possession of a native migratory bird...which you and your clinic obviously do not have.
Until you get it to a licensed rehabber, do NOT place it in a box with a cloth towel. The bird can catch its nails in the towel. Use paper towel. Make sure that the bird can not get out of the box, but leave lots of airholes for it to breathe. Keep all pets, children and excitable adults away from it. Please remember that this is a wild animal, not someone's pet bird. Have as little contact with it as possible, outside of feeding it.
Do NOT give it water with a dropper - birds, especially babies, can aspirate and die.
If it already has its feathers, it is probably a fledgling and the person who brought it in to your clinic should have left it right where they found it. Baby birds fledge (leave the nest) before they can fly. They need time to hop around on the ground and climb low branches and exercise their wings until they have strengthened them enough for flight. The parent birds continue to feed and care for the fledglings until they are self-sufficient. If you know exactly where the bird was found, you should place it in a low bush near that area, so the parents can find it and care for it.
In the interim, try placing some seed in the box for it...if it is a fledgling, it may already be pecking at food on its own. If not, the moistened dog/cat food is okay for an emergency, but not for any length of time. It needs to get to someone who is qualified and licensed to care for it.
Edit - My point is, it was the wrong thing to do - taking a bird your clinic had no clue how to care for. It was irresponsible to take it if you could not get it to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator immediately.
You say that the vet knows about fledglings...then why didn't the vet educate the person who brought the bird in? You (someone/anyone in the clinic) should have instructed that person to place the bird back near where it was found, so the parents could have found it. You should also have informed that person that it is illegal for him to have the bird, and that your clinic was also not licensed to care for wild animals. Then you could have given him the list of local wildlife rehabilitators.
Instead, your clinic took a bird it is not qualified or licensed to have, and gave the message that it is perfectly okay to "rescue" wild birds that have no need of rescue. I wonder how many more fledglings this guy will "rescue" and bring to you now.
You can take dry cat food (the cheaper corn based stuff) and soak it until it's crumbly (Meow Mix is a good one, the one I've used alot). Using suchers (SP?) you can feed them. Eye droppers for water. Towel is good and if the clinic gets cold at night a heat lamp. Don't feed the food if it's more than 2 days old. Keep it in the fridge once it's soaked.
I'd suggest that you call a wildlife center ASAP and ask them what to do, even if you can't take the bird to them soon, they should at least have some suggestions on what to do. It's probably best to call who ever you're going to take the bird to (if you know yet) and ask them if there's anything specific they want you to do with the bird.
You can feed the wild baby bird-
canned kitten food,ground mealworms, crickets %26 Pedialyte.
Keep him warm and protected.
You are doing real good.
Any one know of tiny bird with beautiful song and unusual next.?
For those of you answering my question about the tiny bird with the most beautiful song, the answer is somewhere in the birds nest. This is a large solid 8 inch length football shaped nest. It has an approx. 1and1/2 inch circular opening as it's entrance to the nest. The tiny bird has been built in one of my hanging geraniums on my patio fence.
Answers:
it sounds as tho you may have a house wren. they are tiny and have a pretty song and build close to peoples house. i had one build a nest in my basement once when i left the door open.
Answers:
it sounds as tho you may have a house wren. they are tiny and have a pretty song and build close to peoples house. i had one build a nest in my basement once when i left the door open.
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