BIRD ISSUE TWENTY FIVE: SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015
SCENE
THE MAGAZINE FOR HOBBYIST BREEDERS AND CONSERVATIONISTS
MY LIFE WITH BIRDS
NON-STICK WARNING!
A NEW APPROACH TO DISEASE CONTROL IN BUDGIES
BY ALAN K JONES
BY DON BURKE
2N ISS D UE N 2 20 OVE 6 O 15 M UT BE R
FR EE
BY DAVID ALLEN
NEW FROM
PRIORS PETS.CO.UK
MAIL ORDER SPECIALIST TEL 01223 892500 PREMIUM PARROT MIXTURES / NATURAL BALANCE MIXTURES / FRUIT & NUT MIXTURES FRUIT & VEG MIXTURES / DELICATESSE MIXTURES / BERRY MIXTURES / PUMPKIN MIXTUES / FRUIT & NUTS ALL PRICES BELOW INCLUDE DELIVERY. SPECIAL OFFERS AT SHOWS PLEASE PRE ORDER.
AFRICIAN GREY MIXTURE 10kg £37.00
AMAZON MIXTURE 10kg £37.00
ELECTUS MIXTURE 10kg £37.00
MACAW MIXTURE 10kg £50.00
SMALLER AMOUNT AVAILABLE ON ALL SEEDS AND SEED MIXTURES WE ALSO SELL SEED AND EGGFOOD FOR ALL BIRDS FROM SLAATS, WITTE MOLEN, BEYERS & COUNTRYWIDE WE SELL TOP INSECT PRODUCTS, LIVEFOOD, UNIVERAL FOOD, PLASTICS RINGS & BREEDING CAGES SPECIAL OFFERS AT SHOWS INCLUDING FINICTO+ ARDAP & SMITE PRODUCTS.
PRIORS PETS, COTTAGE NURSERY, HOWARDS LANE, CARDINALS GREEN, CB21 4QX
CONTENTS
BIRD SCENE: SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015
CONTENTS 34
DONATE TO OUR CONSERVATION FUND… CLICK THE LINK BELOW: www.theparrotsocietyuk.org/donations.php
06 42
06 16
16 26
MY LIFE WITH BIRDS David Allen
A NEW APPROACH TO DISEASE CONTROL IN BUDGIES By Don Burke THE NATIONAL EXHIBITION 11TH OCTOBER 2015 Les Rance
ON THE COVER
BIRD ISSUE TWENTY FOUR: SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015
SCENE
THE MAGAZINE FOR HOBBYIST BREEDERS AND CONSERVATIONISTS
06 42
NON-STICK WARNING!
A NEW APPROACH TO DISEASE CONTROL IN BUDGIES
BY ALAN K JONES
BY DON BURKE
EE
42
NON-STICK WARNING! Alan K Jones
BY DAVID ALLEN
FR
26
MY LIFE WITH BIRDS
2N ISSU D E N 26 20 OVEM O U 15 BERT
34
PARROTS IN MAJORCA REVISITED Emma Freeman
BIRD SCENE: Issue Twenty Five: September / October 2015 BIRD SCENE is run by The Parrot Society UK, 92A High Street, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, HP4 2BL, England. FOR SALES AND EDITORIAL ENQUIRES Telephone or Fax: 01442 872245 Website: www.theparrotsocietyuk.org E-Mail: les.rance@theparrotsocietyuk.org
BIRD SCENE 3
16
INTRODUCT
Les Rance, Editor, The Parrot Society UK | www.theparrotsocietyuk.org | les.rance@
T
his is now the twenty fifth edition of Bird Scene, so we are now well into the fourth year of the life of this on-line magazine, the first FREE on-line bird magazine produced in the UK. At 48 pages this is quite a big read! From a technical point publishing on the net allows us to use images that are too small to print in a paper magazine. For on-line publishing we can work at a picture resolution of 72 dots per inch (dpi) whereas if we want to reproduce an image in our monthly Parrot Society magazine we have to work at 300 dpi, over 4 times the resolution. Also the images do appear brighter as can be seen in issue 24 where the Birds of Paradise looked as they could leap out of the page! Every time we post the Parrot Society magazine I cringe at the cost and after the recent changes when postal costs increased further the distribution expenses have become very costly, I just do not know how smaller clubs with limited funds will be able to continue printing a member’s magazine, maybe E-magazines are the way to go? As a result of increases to the costs of both postage and printing I am really pleased 4
BIRD SCENE
that we decided to produce Bird Scene as a FREE e-magazine. We have learnt a great deal over the last four years about this way of communicating with bird enthusiasts and I am sure that this knowledge will become more and more valuable as we see further increases in costs associated to paper magazines. Not directly related to Bird Scene but a project that has been helped tremendously from what we have learned about on-line magazines is work I am undertaking to produce our Parrot Society magazine (which has been published for 49 years) in an on-line format for overseas readers this will be especially appealing for members in Ireland who have to pay high postage costs to receive the paper magazine.
TION
BY THE EDITOR
LES RANCE
@theparrotsocietyuk.org I hope that this version will be available for 2016, sounds a long way off but it is only 3 more editions! Regular readers will know that Bird Scene has been produced to publicise The National Exhibition held each year at our October Sale Day/Show and to promote our Conservation efforts for threatened parrots in the wild. Previous editions are still to be found in an archive at the foot of the Home Page of our website and if you would like to see earlier versions then do please visit the Bird scene archive at www.theparrotsocietyuk.org. In this edition we have an excellent article on ‘My Life with Birds’ by David Allen a leading enthusiast who keeps, breeds and
exhibits both Lizard and Fiorino Frill canaries but obviously ‘cut his teeth’
on racing pigeons I would like to thank David for his contribution to this publication, without the work that our contributors invest we would have little to publish. Unfortunately there seems to be a continuation of the spate of thefts, which has now been ongoing for over a year now from exhibitors keeping valuable show birds, please see the advice that John Hayward gave on this serious problem in the 18th issue of Bird Scene by going to the archive at the foot of our Home page website. In this issue there is also a second article for Budgerigar enthusiasts by Don Burke ‘A new approach to disease control in Budgies’ this is the first of a two part article. I have also included a very interesting article by Emma-Kate Freeman entitled Parrots in Majorca Revisited and a safety issue article by Alan K Jones ‘Non-stick Warning!’ I do hope you enjoy reading this edition as much as I have in selecting the items to appear.
THE N EXHIBATIONAL I PAGETION: 26 BIRD SCENE 5
MY LIFE WITH BIRDS BY DAVID ALLEN. LIZARD PANEL JUDGE AND BLUE LIZARD CANARY CLUB SECRETARY.
06
BIRD SCENE
FEATURE
M
y life with birds started when I was very young around 5 or 6 years old when my mum found me playing in my uncle’s pigeon loft. My uncle lived next door to my parents with my grandmother. As I grew older I spent more and more time with my uncle with his racing pigeons, sitting with him on a Saturday waiting for them to come home on race days. I had a pigeon which I said was mine and I named him “Tommy Trouble” why I can’t remember but he was a Red Grizzle cock. My dad brought me some canaries and built an indoor flight in the old coal shed with an outdoor flight attached. This kept my interest for a few years and we even went to the National Exhibition which in those days around the mid 70’s was held at Alexandra Palace in London. My dad couldn’t drive so we went by bus to London and on the underground to get to the show.
BIRD BIRD SCENE SCENE 07
I paid for my first pigeon clock out of my paper round money and also all my corn and entry to races were also paid with the money I got from my paper round. Local fanciers would take my two pigeons training when they took their own.
But when I was about 13 my uncle got married and moved away, he left me a few pigeons to look after!! I finally talked my Dad into building me my own loft and I became a pigeon fancier. My first birds were gifts from two fanciers one who lived locally who would become a life long friend Bernard Jordon the other was my Nan’s brother who also raced pigeons. 08
BIRD SCENE
I raced the pigeons in the local pigeon club, Kidlington Flying Club. I paid for my first pigeon clock out of my paper round money and also all my corn and entry to races were also paid with the money I got from my paper round. Local fanciers would take my two pigeons training when they took their own. I took up a great friendship with another pigeon fancier who live locally called Bernard Jordon, I used to visit him a couple of times a week. On a Friday after school I would cycle up to the paper shop where I was a paperboy and collect the racing pigeon paper and take it to Bernard. We would talk about pigeons for a while then would arrange for me to come up Saturday morning after my paper round and help him clean out his pigeons. I became known as his “loft manager” a role I held for nearly 30 years until he died in 2013. I never won a pigeon race but I had some great fun waiting and hoping they would come home. I can remember my first ever pigeon race I entered was from Salisbury it was a young bird race and I sent the two birds that were gifts, a Blue Bar and a Blue Bar Pied.
FEATURE
I sat for what seemed hours waiting for them but I can still remember the joy I had when I saw one of them drop from the sky, it was the Blue Pied I got her in and timed her in. I rushed up to the house to tell my mum and dad. You would have thought I had won the National!! The other bird came home a while later and I timed that in as well. I got to the club and I was a long way behind the winning bird but I was over the moon to have got them both home and timed them in. My first pigeon loft was a converted asbestos garage [yes we had never heard of the problem of asbestos in those days.] This didn’t last too long and my dad built me a wooden loft from fencing panels with a plastic roof and wooden floor that was raised off the ground. The nest boxes were made of old doors and I brought wooden nest box fronts for them. The loft was of an L shape, which was divided into three sections, the corner section was a stock loft for my stock birds, the other two, one for my racing birds with nest boxes and the final section for my young birds. The two sections for young birds and old birds had doors to let the birds out and get into the loft, it also had traps next to the door for the pigeons to get in. These were Bob wire traps that were made out of old wire coat hangers. These were bent into a U shape and stapled to wood and allowed the bird to get into the loft but not get out. These were covered by a board when not required, this board was hinged and dropped down to act as a landing board when the birds were out
and allowed them to get back in to the loft. I raced pigeons up until I got married and moved away from home to live in Brackley where I had a break from keeping birds for about 2 years. When we brought a house and moved to Oxford I began to feel I wanted a hobby to take my mind off work, and to relax when I came home. Pigeons were not really an option as they would take up too much time and my wife Tracy wasn’t keen on them anyway. My start back with canaries. So I saw an advert in a local paper for some canaries and breeding cages. I rung up and brought them, they were Border canaries and were housed in my small tool shed. Within a very short time I made plans to buy a new shed for a bird room. This was 2 8’x6’ sheds that were put together to make a 16 foot long bird room, more cages were brought and I also brought some Fife canaries which I liked more than the Borders I had originally brought.
Within a very short time I made plans to buy a new shed for a bird room. This was 2 8’x6’ sheds that were put together to make a 16 foot long bird room, more cages were brought and I also brought some Fife canaries which I liked more than the Borders I had originally brought.
BIRD SCENE 09 25
I started show my Fifes at local clubs and started to revisit the National Exhibition which by now was being held at the NEC in Birmingham. I entered a few Fifes as well and this is where I saw my first Lizard canaries. 08 10
BIRD SCENE
On my return home I asked if anyone locally had any and by chance a man was moving away to live near the coast and had some which I brought all he had, as well as some show cages. This was the start of my love of the Lizard.
FEATURE
Other birds I kept. I also kept some Cockatiel’s in two flights in my garden, at the time a new colour mutation had just been created the White-faced. I purchased a pair of them exchanging some of my Fifes for the pair. I bred a few young from this pair but eventually they all went. My meeting with a real Lizard canary man. After a year with the Lizards I saw that Mr Stan Insall was giving a talk at a local bird club not that far from my home so I went along to hear his talk and very good it was too. After the talk I introduced myself and within 2 weeks I was in his bird room looking at his Lizards. That same year I brought two pairs from Stan and my Fifes all but disappeared from my bird room apart from a few Whites and Blues. Little did I know at the time how useful these were to be! I started showing my Lizards at the National and joined the Lizard Canary Association and went to my first LCA AGM in 1990 which was always held on the Sunday at the National. My first Blue Lizard. In 1992 at the National in the AOV class [Any Other Variety canary] there were two exhibits that I was told were Blue Lizards, I had never seen anything like them before. I thought they were beautiful and really appealed to me. [I had a soft spot for white in any variety] But how do you get them? I asked around and made the decision to put a White Fife with one of my Silver Lizard cocks. Which is what I did
After a year with the Lizards I saw that Mr Stan Insall was giving a talk at a local bird club not that far from my home so I went along to hear his talk and very good it was too. After the talk I introduced myself and within 2 weeks I was in his bird room looking at his Lizards.
and within two years I had produced a Blue Lizard, which went on to win the best AOV canary at the National and this was repeated the following year. In that fist year it caused a lot of up roar and Roy Stringer wrote an article on it named “Blue Lizards not Everyone’s Cup of Tea” which generated a great deal of interest both in the UK and in Europe. At this point I could have never imagined what would become of the Blue Lizard. In 2011 the Blue Lizard Canary club was formed and that year it had its own classes at the Parrot Society show at Stafford which is now called the “National” and in 2014 20 years after I won Best AOV at the National with a Blue Lizard I won best Blue Lizard at the National.
That same year I brought two pairs from Stan and my Fifes all but disappeared from my bird room apart from a few Whites and Blues. Little did I know at the time how useful these were to be!
BIRD SCENE 11 09 25
A feat that I thought would never be possible, a dream came true. But there were many other people who made this become a dream one person more than most is the BLCC club’s president Kevin Skinner. The Lizard Canary Book. In 2003 I achieved my greatest achievement in the hobby when I compiled and wrote a book on Lizard canaries. This was done with the help of other Lizard breeders and exhibitors. All profits from the sale of this book were and still are donated to the LCA [Lizard Canary Association] this book was revised in 2013 and was printed buy a local printer, as pervious copies had been printed singularly from my computer, so this was a vast improvement in both quality and availability. Winning times. In 2008 I had a double good year, it was the year I won the Lizard premier show the LCA classic and also became
In 2008 I had a double good year, it was the year I won the Lizard premier show the LCA classic and also became a LCA panel judge. I was also runner-up to the great Stan Bolton at East Anglian LCA and 3rd best as well with the bird that later went on to win the classic. This has been my most successful year showing Lizards.
08 12
BIRD SCENE
In 2003 I achieved my greatest achievement in the hobby when I compiled and wrote a book on Lizard canaries. This was done with the help of other Lizard breeders and exhibitors. All profits from the sale of this book were and still are donated to the LCA [Lizard Canary Association] a LCA panel judge. I was also runnerup to the great Stan Bolton at East Anglian LCA and 3rd best as well with the bird that later went on to win the classic. This has been my most successful year showing Lizards. In 2010 I was also selected to judge the LCA classic in Nottingham with the Chairman John Martin a great honour. And a joy to judge the cream of the UK Lizards. Around the World with birds. In 2008 I was encouraged to show my Lizards at the World Show by my good friend Brian Hogg. The show in 2008 was in Hassellt in Belgium, I entered a few birds, four I think and went to the show with Brian and a few other bird friends. I was amazed at the amount of birds and the people I met who bred Lizards form other countries. But the best bit by far for me was the presentation evening or the Gala dinner. Each country goes up and they play the National anthem, I was overwhelmed I felt like Martin Johnson!! I have shown at every World show
FEATURE
BIRD SCENE 11 09 25
FEATURE
since and have visited many different countries and met so many friendly people who have the same love as me of the Lizards from other parts of the world. I have also shown at other shows such as the Golden Ring and the Festival of Colours bird shows which was where I won my first award in Europe with a Blue and a Gold Lizard. I was the first UK exhibitor to have won an award with a Blue Lizard. I have visited France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Holland and Belgium and have enjoyed everyone. I have not had any successes yet but it is not all about winning it is about being part of the world wide hobby. Other breeds. In recent years I have experimented with other breeds as well as my beloved Lizard. I had Lancashire’s for a few years but I found they need more room than I could or had to give them. So more recently I have taken up the Fiorino Frill, which I become to love. It has an appeal to me and I have done fairly well on the show bench. In 2013 I was at the World show in Italy and spent a great deal of time studying them. As this was the country of their creation and I knew the quality would be good. Roles with clubs. I have also held many different roles and duties in clubs, I was Chairman of my Local cage bird club for a number of years. I held the role of patronage secretary for the LCA for a number of
14
BIRD SCENE
years and was the publicity officer as well a role which I really enjoyed. Talks and promoting the Lizard canary was always enjoyable, talking about the birds I love. I produced display boards and leaflets for people to take away. My best memories are of Stafford Spring show where I would have a club stand for the LCA and talking and meeting Lizard breeders from all around the UK. The club stand was also a great place for members to take a break or leave the goodies while they continued to look around. I have considered leaving the hobby in recent years for a number of reasons but I don’t think I will ever not have Lizards. Anyway Tracy say’s I am miserable enough now without not having birds I would be twice as miserable. Maybe I will just keep them for myself to enjoy? Well this is my story of my life with birds.
DONATE TO OUR CONSERVATION FUND… CLICK THE LINK BELOW: http://www.theparrotsocietyuk.org/donations.php
C&A classified 01-11:C&A classified 03-03
12/1/11
15:24
Page 1
BRITISH MEALWORMS DIRECT FROM THE BREEDER • Mealworms • Black Crickets • Locusts COMPETITIVE PRICING 250g/9oz 500g/1lb 2oz 1Kg/2lb 3oz 2Kg/4lb 6oz
• Waxworms • Brown Crickets • Fruit Flies Regular Mini Mealworms Mealworms
£7.40 £9.70 £18.02 £30.59
£9.60 £15.06 £29.00 £52.13
WANTED ALL PARROTS Wanted All Hand Reared Parrots Wanted All Parent Reared Parrots Wanted All Breeding Pairs and Singles Good Price Paid For the Right Bird
Guaranteed live arrival
Smethwick Pet, Hill Street Smethwick, B66 2AS
Call: 01909 518888
Call mobile 07462 301701 Or call 0121 5651187
Houghton Road, North Anston Trading Estate, Sheffield, S25 4JJ, UK www.livefoodsdirect.co.uk
Animal Genetics Avian Biotech is a Sub Division of Animal Genetics Avian sex and disease testing from £14 per sample or less PLEASE NOTE OUR NEW ADDRESS For All Correspondence 1 Mount Charles Road, Mount Charles, St Austell, Cornwall, PL25 3LB
Tel: 01726 247788
Email: abi-uk@btconnect.com Website: www.animalgenetics.eu
BIRD SCENE 15
E N O T R PA SERIES IN A
A NEW APP TO DISEAS CONTROL I BUDGIES 06 16
BIRD SCENE
FEATURE
* Budgies are FRAGILE creatures that do not recover well from diseases. In captivity, simple diarrhoea often kills budgies. Their nomadic lifestyle in the wild is excellent for avoiding contact with these sorts of diseases. In captivity budgies are surrounded by many diseases and constantly encounter poo from other birds – thus they can hardly avoid contact with diseases any more. * Budgies are like American Passenger Pigeons – they breed in their millions in the wild, but they also can die in their millions when they encounter serious challenges of any sort. In extreme heat or during severe droughts, budgies die in their millions.
PROACH SE IN
BY DON BURKE
* In their natural environment, the individual budgie is expendable. The evolutionary strategy of this species is to simply breed in vast numbers when times are good and thus to be able to cope with bad times even if numbers are drastically reduced. * For this reason, they also have very short lives – perhaps as little as about 2-3 years average in the wild. Even in captivity, most exhibition budgies average only about 4 or 5 years. (The record for a pet budgie in a cage according to the Guinness Book of Records is 29 years – note that a pet cage is the PERFECT quarantine isolation unit with a perfect climate and excellent food supply) BIRD BIRD SCENE SCENE 07 17
* Human beings as well as many parrot species and cockatoos have a very different evolutionary strategy to the budgie. With humans, the individual DOES MATTER. It takes about 20 years to grow and educate a human, and we usually only have one baby at a time. Humans recover well quite from injuries and diseases and live for a long time. (Stone Age people averaged lifespans of about 30 years, but in biblical times some lived much longer, to around 60 years. Pharaoh Ramesses II lived to around 90!) So, what does all this mean? Well it may just mean that our approach to budgie disease control needs to be changed. For many reasons, you could argue that we have gone down the wrong path in trying to treat sick budgies. Maybe even our methods of disease prevention are 08 18
BIRD SCENE
wide of the mark. It is a simple fact that budgie disease prevention and control is based on human medicine. That is, there is a presumption that how we treat humans is appropriate for budgies: it is my view that this is sometimes dangerously wrong. So let’s look at some new science on everything from antibiotics to microbiomes. Budgies are FRAGILE creatures that do not recover well from diseases. Currently almost all exhibition budgie breeders use human antibiotics purchased from a vet for budgie disease control or prevention. Recent research on the gut microbiome in humans is showing that antibiotics do much harm as well as good. They basically upset the ecosystem inside the gut. In the guts of all animals, there is a gigantic and complex ecosystem thriving, involving billions
FEATURE
of organisms of hundreds of thousands of species and forms of species. Each of these gut species is likely to be exclusive to that particular individual animal species. So we humans have this vastly complex soup of special organisms inside us that co-evolved with humans and can only live inside us…. AND NOWHERE ELSE! There are 10 times as many cells in our gut as there are in the rest of our entire body. The human gut microbiome is by far our biggest organ. Inside the guts of all animals are hundreds of thousands of genes belonging to the gut bacteria and other organisms that affect the development and wellbeing of the host animal. This is true for humans and budgies alike. SO bung some antibiotics down your budgies’ throats and you may just do all sorts of damage that may indirectly over time lead to the illness or death of your birds. You might be unbalancing your budgies’ gut microbiomes (a microbiome is sort of like an internal ecosystem) such that all hell breaks loose. Yes, the antibiotic may well kill the one diagnosed disease but it will almost certainly kill all sorts of other good or useful organisms as well. New research clearly indicates that it is the BALANCE of species of organisms in animals’ guts that is essential for ongoing health. Even ‘bad’ organisms are essential (in small numbers) for good health. Antibiotics kill a wide number of organisms and thus destabilise your gut. Perhaps you could compare this to spraying another ecosystem, the
Serengeti National Park in Tanzania in Africa, with Roundup to control a pasture weed. Doing this would kill the native grasses as well which would starve the Wildebeest, Zebras etc to death; which would then cause the Lions, Hyenas, Leopards, Vultures and many other carnivores to starve…..and on it goes. We humans are equipped to cope with this sort of gut disruption fairly well see below – but it is my contention THAT BUDGIES AREN’T. This sort of disruption merely opens your poor budgies up to more and more other problems over time. It also seriously damages the budgies’ immune systems as well since the gut has a powerful effect on all animals’ immune systems. A well balanced gut ecosystem is essential for a healthy animal. A budgie’s own immune system is the key to better health, not antibiotics and similar medicines. It is the contention here that Budgerigar Health is best maintained with substances that promote balanced, natural gut functions. At this stage, these substances are almost
For many reasons, you could argue that we have gone down the wrong path in trying to treat sick budgies. Maybe even our methods of disease prevention are wide of the mark. It is a simple fact that budgie disease prevention and control is based on human medicine.
BIRD SCENE 19 09 25
exclusively natural substances such as foods and herbs. Budgies are FRAGILE creatures that do not recover well from diseases. The main contenders for use in developing a stronger immune system with budgies are: Vitamin D3 from exposing your budgies to natural sunlight, Manuka Honey, Apple Cider Vinegar, Garlic, a product called OregoStim (made from Greek Oregano oil) Australian native tree & shrub branches and Ginger roots like Turmeric. Many other foods like beetroot, amaranth, carrots, etc. probably help too. * Vitamin D3 is essential for a healthy immune system in budgies and Humans. Vitamin D3 acts as the hormone that drives the immune system. Budgies make their own Vitamin D3 from exposure to direct sunlight that has not passed through glass, Perspex, clear fibreglass, or any other clear material. Second best is the use of Sylvania Reptistar Fluorescent tube lighting – especially in bird rooms. As a possible backup, use a really good vitamin D3 supplement such as Soluvite D Breeder from Vetafarm. * Manuka Honey is a gentle product that you can add to the budgies’ water (½ teaspoon of manuka honey to 1 litre of water). It appears to nourish the gut lining etc. My budgies’ fertility has soared since I started using it. According to current research being done with wound healing in horses by Professor 08 20
BIRD SCENE
Manuka Honey is a gentle product that you can add to the budgies’ water (½ teaspoon of manuka honey to 1 litre of water). It appears to nourish the gut lining etc. My budgies’ fertility has soared since I started using it.
Andrew Dart from the University of Sydney, Manuka Honey is very good, but Scottish Heather Honey is even better. Recently Budgie breeder Mick Arnold sent me the following feedback on using Manuka Honey as I had recommended: “My first round with 10 breeding cabinets I hatched 47 chicks…..I can’t think of anything I have done different this year against previous years apart from the honey….. These are the best results I have had in over 20 years with budgies.” * Apple Cider Vinegar with added Garlic has a very strong effect on my budgies (I use Stockhealth Double Strength Apple Cider Vinegar with Garlic at a rate of 2 ml per litre of water. I get this product from Elenbee Bird Supplies). The following day after administering it, my birds are much noisier and more active. Apple Cider Vinegar has been shown to improve gut health. * A new product called Orego-Stim is an emulsified Oregano oil which is added to the drinking water. There is good scientific evidence that it also aids the gut health and produces
FEATURE
BIRD SCENE 11 09 25
healthier birds that resist diseases better. * I guess that many other herbs, shrubs and tree parts will be of considerable help for gut health. The ones that budgies use in the wild such as Eucalyptus buds & branches plus lemon scented teatree branches are likely to be very good too. I have had a number of senior budgie breeders look at my breeding birds too and they can bear witness to the huge numbers in each nest – over 700 babies from 52 breeding cages in the first 8 months of last year (2014). Budgies are FRAGILE creatures that do not recover well from diseases. Up until recently, I have not used any antibiotics or other veterinary medicines for over 3 years now and my birds have never been healthier. They have never had so many babies either. I have had many nests of over 8 babies and some with 11 successfully raised babies, which I have never even heard of before. I kept my antibiotics that I got from the vet, but I was determined
Up until recently, I have not used any antibiotics or other veterinary medicines for over 3 years now and my birds have never been healthier. They have never had so many babies either. I have had many nests of over 8 babies and some with 11 successfully raised babies, which I have never even heard of before
08 22
BIRD SCENE
FEATURE
BIRD SCENE 11 09 25
FEATURE
not to use them unless something goes terribly wrong. Well three weeks ago the first problem that my system didn’t prevent occurred. I got the beginning of a Canker (Trichomoniasis) outbreak. This is a very common problem with birds from chickens to parrots and finches. The cause is a tiny single-celled parasite called a protozoan. I lost 3 hens (canker mostly kills younger birds and hens in particular). The symptoms are green sticky droppings adhering around the vent, general listlessness, severe loss of weight and some birds dropping dead. I used Emtryl combined with OregoStim for 5 days, after which the birds were rambunctious and very noisy again. Emtryl is known to reduce fertility for 6 weeks or so, thus I will need to use Manuka honey and the other gut stimulators to rev them up for breeding. This gut disruption in humans is quite costly in terms of ongoing
24
BIRD SCENE
wellness, but humans will eventually cope with it. They won’t die from it because they are not as expendable and as fragile as budgies. Next Issue… The Rival System of Budgie Management.
DONATE TO OUR CONSERVATION FUND… CLICK THE LINK BELOW: http://www.theparrotsocietyuk.org/donations.php
Rosemead Aviaries www.rosemeadaviaries.co.uk
Rosemead Aviaries & Animal Housing Quality Aviary Panels 1”x 1” Aluminium Box Section
In filled with Quality European Wire Mesh – Aviaries made to measure Contact us with your requirements.
T: 02920 577145 | M: 07792 133615 | www.rosemeadaviaries.co.uk 54 Grand Avenue, Ely, Cardiff, CF5 4BL
DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR EVERY WEEK E
Subscribe and S3A1V% ! save 50p per issue*
* UK subscribers only
Ref: P101
CANARIES
How one female fancier raced to the top with her lizard canaries Page 18
OLD BIRD
THE BLITZ SPIRIT: Our columnist looks back at the fancy in 1940 Page 14 ONLY
£1.70
Pay just £1.18 per issue (normal price £1.70) for a year’s subscription (51 issues) of Cage and Aviary Birds and Peach-fa ced and
BUDGIES
Practical advice on maximising your stud’s productivity this season Page 16
Grey singers Top tips from leading Euro fanciers
March 16 2011
SAVE £26.20 PER YEAR!
CALL NOW ON 01959 541444 (Monday to Friday 8AM to 7PM and Saturday 9AM to midday)
ORDER ONLINE AT: www.cageandaviarybirds.co.uk/subscribe
Hundreds of bird for sale!s INSIDE >>
Page 12
Established 1902
perfect
Seven ways to keep your lovebirds healthy, happ y and fertile – Page 20 SAID
QUOTES & DONE FROM AND PICS A SPRIN SUPERB G DA STAFFO Y AT RD SE
E PAGE
6
Fabulous rare finches
A birdkeeper’s guide to keeping scarlet rosefinches – Page 13
Massive Allvariety BirdWoking Leis specialist Tr ure Centre, ade Sale Kingfield Ro ❖ HUGE BIRD ad, Surrey & BIRD PRODUCTS SALE AT GU22 9BA WOKING LEISURE ❖ IN CONJUNCTIO CENTRE, SURREY N WITH ANOTHER ❖
SUNDAY 8TH MAY 2011
❖ ❖ ❖
BUDGERIGAR PRIVATE SALES TABLES SOCIETY EVENT AT FOR BIRDS ONLY SAME VENUE RUN UNDER DEFRA ❖ INVITES TO GUIDELINES NATIONAL AND SPECIALIST SET UP SATURDAY CLUBS TO PROMOTE THEMSELVES AFTERNOON/EVENING OR EARLY SUNDAY ❖ NOT EXPENSIVE MORNING – WE WANT TO FILL THIS LARGE HALL DOORS OPEN 10AM ❖ COME TO SURREY SUNDAY MORNING - & TAKE PLENTY OF MONEY ❖ AT LAST, SOMETHING IN THE ❖ PLENTY OF FREE SOUTH – SO SUPPORT PARKING IT!
FURTHER DETAILS & BOOKINGS
fredwright@freeuk
.com
FRED WRIGHT, 31 REDFORD AVENUE, WALLINGTON, SURREY SM6 9DT TEL: 020 8401 6979
STANDARD UK RATES: per issue £1.70, 51 issues £86.70. Contact us for overseas rates.
BIRD SCENE 25
06 36
BIRD SCENE
FEATURE
THE NATIONAL EXHIBITION 11TH OCTOBER 2015
P
rogress with the background tasks associated with this year’s National is excellent and all the entry wrist bands, car parking passes and Officials badges have already been sent to the Show Secretary’s so that they can distribute them to exhibitors with their cage labels and lifting cards early in September. Our sponsors, Johnston and Jeff are again providing excellent rosettes that I am sure will be greatly appreciated by the winners as they are of very high quality, the best current year rosette is bright red and the specials are a vivid blue. If you are lucky enough to win both they will be a beautiful addition to your bird room. The Parrot Society can only thank the bird club officials that have all worked so hard to increase the number of exhibits year on year and made this exhibition the success it has become. We were pleased to announce that the London Fancy Canary Club, has joined our canary clubs and are exhibiting their member’s birds for the first time this
BIRD BIRDSCENE SCENE 07 27
08
BIRD SCENE
FEATURE
year. The Parrotlet Interest Group have also joined the ranks of exhibiting and their birds will be in The Parrot Society section where the show schedule has expanded to offer additional classes for these beautiful mini parrots. Nine years ago The Parrot Society started out on a venture of hopefully rebuilding “The National Exhibition” that had been run up until 2003 at the Birmingham NEC. The defining factor
was whether it was possible for all branches of our hobby to jointly pull together and ‘make it work’ after recording such a success in the first year the question was then whether the enthusiasm would be sustained. It has indeed worked each year since the first Show in 2007 the numbers of exhibits have increased and we are working hard to ensure that even more varieties of exhibition quality canaries BIRD SCENE
29
are on the show bench for this year’s event. By combining this exhibition with the already highly successful Parrot Society October Sale Day at the superbly equipped Staffordshire County Showground a large proportion of the exhibitors were familiar with both the location and the available facilities. UK bird exhibitors now view this event as the premier ‘all variety show’ on the UK calendar. We are delighted that the exhibition is obtaining increasing support from both continental judges and breeders who travel long distances to attend this event it is exciting to think that in a very short time this 08 30
BIRD SCENE
exhibition has been able to attract these dedicated fanciers from all over Europe. The continental influence is not only limited to the fanciers, there is an increasing demand from continental traders to attend this event, further increasing the range of products available to all our enthusiastic visitors. As it is located on the A518 only a few miles to the east of junction 14 of the M6 so vehicles can quickly arrive at the Showground. Arrangements are well in hand for this year’s Show on Sunday 11th October 2015. A meeting with
FEATURE
representatives of all the supporting clubs was held at The Quality Hotel Coventry on Sunday 26th April. Each time we organise this Show we aim to improve both the exhibitor experience and that of the viewing public and the points discussed at this meeting prove invaluable in ensuring improvements continue to achieve these goals. “The National Exhibition” has been kindly sponsored once again by Richard Johnston of Johnston and Jeff, who has supported us from the start. This year their generous sponsorship has also financed additional new judges stands to help with the requirements of our
new clubs. The added attraction of bird seed also kindly donated by Johnston and Jeff Ltd as prizes can only help increase the numbers benched. We are indebted to the management and editorial staff of Cage & Aviary Birds magazine for the production of a very well designed insert, with our contribution being the collation of the information from all the exhibiting clubs. The supplement will appear in their 2nd September 2015 edition and will as previously carry advertisements from all the exhibiting clubs and details as to who to approach to obtain the Show Schedule for your chosen BIRD SCENE 31 09 25
FEATURE
£
species. This supplement has now become a feature of “The National Exhibition”. Since the show took on the name “The National Exhibition” in 2010 the demand for trade space has significantly increased, with some new traders making their first appearance this year. So whatever your bird keeping requirements they will be on offer at Stafford on 11th October. The Sandylands Centre and half of the Argyle Centre will again be used to accommodate the exhibits with the ‘booking in’ and club stands filling the remainder of the Argyle Centre. This 08 32
BIRD SCENE
facilitates the management of the exhibition during the judging of the birds and allows both exhibitors and general visitor’s access to the exhibition at the earliest possible time on the day. The Parrot Society Council members hope that all the exhibitors and the officials of the specialist exhibiting clubs have a very enjoyable day. The Parrot Society would like to thank the clubs for all the kind words and support that you have given us. It will make this year’s “National Exhibition” a pleasure to be involved with.
£ WANTED FOR CASH £ £ £ £ £ £ ££ £ £ £ £ ££ £ £
£
£
£
£
ALL TYPES OF PARROTS, COCKATOOS, MACAWS AND PARAKEETS
£
£
£ £ £ £
£
£
£
££££ £ £££ £
ALSO BUDGIES, CANARIES, FINCHES, COCKATIELS LOVEBIRDS, SOFTBILLS, GMR’S, TOUCANS & MYNAH BIRDS ALSO ANY TYPES OF EXOTICS, MONKEYS ETC PLEASE CALL RON ON 0161 273 5447. IF EX DIRECTORY DIAL 1470 FIRST.
£ ££ £ £ £ £ £ £ £
££ £ £
WE ARE HERE
£
£ 44 :PARROT SOCIETY MAGAZINE
£
MANCHESTER PETS AND AQUATICS, 66 STOCKPORT ROAD, ARDWICK, MANCHESTER M12 6AL
£
£
£
£
£ £ £ £
£ ££ £
£
£
£
PARROT SOCIETY MAGAZINE: 45
ARTICLE BY:
EMMA FREEMAN
PARROTS IN MAJORCA REVISITED 06 34
BIRD SCENE
FEATURE
Being the parrot mad people we are, high on the entertainment agenda was a trip to the Tikki bar with the two Macaws that we had met on holiday two years previously. Yes they were still there and yes they were still attracting lots of attention.
T
he only bright light, shining like a beacon at the end of an endlessly long winter was the thought of the annual Freeman family holiday to the stunningly beautiful island of Majorca. The allure of sun filled days, crystal clear seas in sandy coves, whitewashed houses trailing exotic flowers and warm balmy nights was almost too much to bear when wrestling with a stubbornly inside out umbrella on yet another wet, windy morning in Wales. But endure we did and soon enough we were preparing for sunnier climes. Fellow Parrot Society members will know that it isn’t possible to drop everything and jet off at a minute’s notice on holiday when you own parrots. The days just before you leave when normal, unparroty people are packing their suitcases, we are jet washing cages, ordering vast quantities of parrot food (just in case our plane is stranded and we can’t get back),raiding the fruit and veg aisles for bargains in Tesco and writing instructions for our parrots’ care that would rival a university dissertation. BIRD BIRD SCENE SCENE 07 35
And of course we can’t leave without the usual pre holiday dramas, an argument with a bollard in a car park resulting in £500 worth of damage to our van (luckily himself was driving so I didn’t have to hear about it endlessly whilst on holiday), hours spent outside changing rooms shopping for a complete new summer wardrobe for two teenage daughters and a poorly Poodle, causing me to worry even more than usual about leaving him at home. All of these hurdles overcome I breathed a sigh of relief as we finally shut the front door and said goodbye to our feathery and furry friends, we desperately needed a break. Arriving in our resort wasn’t the usual tense, edge of your seat, is it okay or are we going to be staying in a high rise, Nelson Mandela house from ‘Only Fools and Horses’ type hotel? As
08 36
BIRD SCENE
we had stayed here before we knew what to expect and felt at home straight away. Being the parrot mad people we are, high on the entertainment agenda was a trip to the Tikki bar with the two Macaws that we had met on holiday two years previously. Yes they were still there and yes they were still attracting lots of attention. In the evenings they were put out on a large java tree in the centre of an outdoor bar, obviously they were both wing clipped but seemed happy enough, climbing around and playing with their toys. We noticed straight away that the Blue and Gold was feather plucking and not in as good feather as it had been two years ago, they also didn’t appear to be as friendly as they were on our previous visit when the Green wing had climbed onto our arms for a tickle.
FEATURE
The birds were subjected to constant attention from the many patrons of the bar but didn’t seem to be stressed by the attention, in most cases they ignored everyone and went about their own birdy business. Squabbling among themselves featured quite highly in their birdy business, whether it was the best branch, favourite toy or some banana one of the waiters brought out for them, there was nothing nasty in the squabbling though, they reminded me of an old married couple with both of them wanting the last say! During the day the Macaws were kept in a large Palace cage indoors and out of the high temperatures, a quick glance in their food pot revealed a very basic seed mix and no sign of anything vaguely nutritious but we did see the waiters giving them fruit in the evenings, so all was not lost. For the birds’ sake I would have liked to make
Wandering around the town in the evenings quickly revealed that there had been a parrot population explosion since our last visit.
some suggestions to the owner about their diet but my Spanish really wouldn’t have been good enough to do it tactfully and I don’t think it would have been welcomed. Wandering around the town in the evenings quickly revealed that there had been a parrot population explosion since our last visit. Depending on how you looked at it, either the owners of the bars had realised that the parrots drew in the customers or they had fallen in love with these beautiful exotic birds as we all have. A short walk from the Tikki bar and we found another bar with an African Grey, an Amazon and another Green wing BIRD SCENE 37 09 25
08 10
BIRD SCENE
FEATURE
Macaw. Around the corner, on the main square of the town, on a perch on the pavement was a beautiful hybrid Macaw, a Calico I think but I’m not the best with the names of the hybrid Macaws. He was a stunning looking bird, in excellent condition and loved all the attention he was receiving, the delighted holiday makers would stop and talk to him as he called out ‘ola!’ to anyone passing by. Sadly another Blue and Gold Macaw, a couple of streets down was not as happy, looking at his eyes and his body language, he seemed more stressed by the constant attention and on closer inspection we noticed he was wearing a leg chain. We were horrified by this, especially as the bird kept worrying at the chain and obviously found it uncomfortable. I had never seen a bird in a leg chain before and thought this was no longer in practice, unfortunately for this poor bird the owners deemed it necessary even though he was also severely wing clipped. I would have dearly loved to smuggle him into my suitcase and bring him home with us where he would be able to fly in our garden flight once his wing clip had grown out. He was the exception to the rule though, as the other parrots we saw appeared to be well looked after and were thriving on the attention. You might question the fact that the birds were kept up until the early hours every day, especially when you saw them fluffing up, grinding their beaks and settling down at about 10.30 each evening as the sun went down, only to be disturbed once again by another tourist taking their photograph. And
I must admit that these parrots were better suited to the stunning Mediterranean surroundings than to our garden flight at home in Wales. To see the Macaws sitting outside among the pine trees and bright exotic flowers on these warm summer evenings was truly magical. many of their waking hours were filled with nonstop attention but that was their routine and what they were obviously used to and they had devised ways to cope with the attention, either lapping it up as the Calico Macaw did or ignoring everybody as did the birds in the Tikki bar. I must admit that these parrots were better suited to the stunning Mediterranean surroundings than to our garden flight at home in Wales. To see the Macaws sitting outside among the pine trees and bright exotic flowers on these warm summer evenings was truly magical. Because of our climate many pet parrots spend much of the year indoors, deprived of natural sunlight, these birds were enjoying the Mediterranean sunshine and reaping the benefits. When visiting the resort two years previously we had enjoyed a parrot show in one of the hotel bars and were pleased to see that it was still being performed. We arrived early to get good seats at the front, a little too early really as we had to sit through
BIRD SCENE 39 09 25
the kids’ mini disco much to the mortification of our teenage daughters! However after tapping my feet to ‘I am a Music Man’ in German and trying to restrain myself from joining in the actions to the ‘Birdy song’ for which my daughters would never have forgiven me, thankfully the parrots arrived. The show was pretty much the same as it had been before, the birds were placed on T stands towards the back of the stage and then introduced one by one by the parrot handler as each performed their designated trick. First up was Miguel, a Blue and Gold Macaw who very confidently popped balls into a basketball hoop. Then we
FEATURE
Everyone appeared to enjoy the show and it was very clear that the birds were treated well and enjoyed performing. were introduced to Georges, a green wing Macaw who fancied himself a bit of a bell ringer. Fernando, the Military Macaw was next to show off his skills and rode backwards and forwards on a tiny parrot bike much to the delight of the audience. The grand finale was a very regal looking Blue front Amazon being pulled across the stage in a Roman style carriage, on reaching her destination she climbed into a little parrot bed and pulled the covers up, all tucked in and ready for sleep. Not that she could have slept amidst the rapturous applause, mainly from the strange English family sitting right at the front! Everyone appeared to enjoy the show and it was very clear that the birds were treated well and enjoyed performing. They were all in excellent condition and it was obvious that there was mutual respect between the trainer and the parrots. Those quick to criticise parrots used in these kind of shows might like to consider the time and attention involved in the training process, these birds lead a varied and stimulated lifestyle, which in my eyes is preferable to a life spent alone in a cage. My only misgiving would be that the people watching the shows might not realise the time and effort needed to train parrots to this level. If they were tempted to go home and buy a
parrot based on what they had seen, they might well be disappointed. Our only other encounter with parrots in Majorca this year was a pair of Cockatiels who were chirping and whistling away happily on a veranda in a privately owned home which we passed every day, they too were enjoying the beautiful Majorcan sunshine. Every year we look forward to our family holiday, a time to spend together and the opportunity to escape the daily routines of work, housework and the responsibilities of looking after a houseful of parrots and poodles. Strangely though I always miss the animals almost as soon as we leave, (the many sad eyes following our progress out the door really doesn’t help) but seeing all of these beautiful parrots in Majorca was like finding a little piece of home tucked away in paradise.
DONATE TO OUR CONSERVATION FUND… CLICK THE LINK BELOW: http://www.theparrotsocietyuk.org/donations.php
BIRD SCENE 41 09 25
ARTICLE BY: ALAN K JONES BVETMED MRCVS
NONSTICK WARNING!
06 42
BIRD SCENE
FEATURE
Carbon monoxide poisoning is another common cause of death in birds. This is by no means a new subject, but it is one that is worth resurrecting from time to time to remind people of the dangers.
W
e should all be aware by now of the health hazards to our pet birds of passive smoking, and articles on this subject have been published in this and other bird-related magazines. Carbon monoxide poisoning is another common cause of death in birds. This is by no means a new subject, but it is one that is worth resurrecting from time to time to remind people of the dangers. Sixty or seventy years ago almost every adult smoked cigarettes or pipes as a matter of course: it was accepted as the norm, and no health problems were imagined. However, long before that time, it was well recognised that birds were ultra-sensitive to the presence of noxious gases in the atmosphere. This fact was utilised in the employment of canaries down coalmines, as sentinels to detect methane and carbon monoxide. These gases are potentially poisonous to humans, but long before they built up in concentrations sufficient to damage miners, the canaries would breathe in small amounts and rapidly die. Thus the mine-workers would hopefully BIRD BIRD SCENE SCENE 07 43
08 10
BIRD SCENE
FEATURE
have sufficient time to get out before they too succumbed. This susceptibility to inhaled toxins is a consequence of the unique and efficient respiratory system of birds. Each breath of inhaled air is passed twice through the lungs, and the gaseous exchange mechanism in the blood vessels is ultra-effective, thus they are able to draw more oxygen out of the air (essential for their high metabolic rate) than can mammals. However, this efficiency is not confined to oxygen – any other material in the inspired air is equally effectively absorbed. Thus diverse materials such as scented candles or air-fresheners, paint fumes, decorating dust, feather dust, strong perfumes, and of course overheated Teflon fumes, will all adversely affect birds. The latter particularly will kill birds within minutes. I have on many occasions through my veterinary career received a panic telephone call from bird owners describing the sudden collapse, gasping breathing, and death of muchloved pets. The major culprit in such cases is non-stick cookware. New grill pans, used for the first time; selfcleaning ovens that burn off grease by reaching a high temperature; or Teflon®-coated pans that boil dry, will all give off gases that will make us cough and splutter, and our eyes run. However, these toxic fumes will kill a bird in minutes! Post-mortem examination of affected birds shows a
distinctive bright cherry-red colour of the lungs. Histological examination of this tissue will show rupture of lung parenchyma, and infiltration with red blood cells and tissue fluid.
Birds exposed to small amounts of such gases, or at a distance from the source, may survive with prompt action. Opening windows and doors to improve ventilation is paramount, and veterinary attention with oxygen therapy and steroids or antiinflammatory drugs is essential. However, most affected birds will be dead before such assistance can be obtained.
BIRD SCENE 45 09 25
FEATURE
This problem is no better illustrated than by a case I dealt with some years ago involving a collection of house pet birds. The open-plan kitchen/living area housed an African Grey and a Senegal, when a neglected non-stickcoated saucepan boiled dry on the hob and filled the area with acrid, smoky fumes. The owners smelled the smoke, and rushed into the room to find their beloved birds gasping and dying before their eyes. An adjacent room contained an indoor aviary with a number of cockatiels. The owners opened all doors and windows to clear the air, but within a few more minutes, these birds all started to gasp and cough, and all had died within the ensuing 24 hours. Upstairs, one of the family’s children had three budgerigars, and although the noxious smell was far less noticeable on this floor, these birds too developed difficulty in breathing and a dry cough. Fortunately, with good ventilation and anti-inflammatory treatment, these birds did recover, as their exposure to the toxin was less than the downstairs birds.
08 46
BIRD SCENE
Less severe effects may be found with the smoke from over-heated cooking oil. Outdoor hazards such as bonfire or barbecue smoke – particularly if plastic or rubber are burning – will harm aviary birds nearby, or indoor birds near open windows. Milder levels of respiratory distress may result from the use of ‘plug-in’ air fresheners, scented candles, or aerosol sprays such as hair lacquer or furniture polish, or paint fumes. In summary, birds have ultra-efficient respiratory systems, and are therefore extremely susceptible to damage from noxious contents in the air that they breathe. At the risk of repetitive information and recycling alreadypublished articles, everything possible should be done to publicise the dangers of all these fumes to our companion birds.
DONATE TO OUR CONSERVATION FUND… CLICK THE LINK BELOW: http://www.theparrotsocietyuk.org/donations.php
Great Western Exotic Vets Neil Forbes DipECZM(avian) FRCVS Qualified Specialist in Bird Medicine. Marie Kubiak, Elisabetta Mancinelli, Pru Harvey M’sRCVS A Specialist service to all bird keepers. Full diagnostic, treatment, hospital and surgical facilities for birds 24/7, including ultrasound, x-ray, endoscopy, fluorsocopy In house laboratory – results in 30 min. Routine consultations 7 days a week. Licensed for Bird exports. http://www.gwev.co.uk Tel 01793 603800 Email exotics@gwreferrals.co.uk 10 Berkshire House, County Park Estate, Shrivenham Rd, Swindon, SN1 2NR
C.J. HALL B. Vet Med. M.R.C.V.S. VETERINARY SURGEON Member of the A.A.V. and B.V.Z.S. 15 TEMPLESHEEN ROAD SHEEN, LONDON SW14 7PX TEL: 0208 876 9696, www.cjhall-vets.co.uk Email: cjhallveternary@tiscali.co.uk
DYERS METAL MESH www.dyersmetalmesh.co.uk
• Welded Mesh • Aviary Mesh • Perforated Sheets • Wire Netting • Site Fencing • Security Fencing • Insect Mesh
• • • • • • •
Steel Supplies Cutting Services Roofing Sheets Expanded Metal Woven Wire Reinforcing fabric Gabions
• • • • •
Metal Cladding Pipe Clamps Sheet Metal Wire Fabrication Structural Steelwork
7 Buckland Road, Pen Mill Trading Estate, Yeovil Somerest, BA21 5EA Tel 01935 479230, Fax: 01935 479240, Email: enquiries @dyersmetalmesh.co.uk
SOUTH BEECH VETERINARY SURGERY ALL ASPECTS OF CAGE AND AVIARY BIRD MEDICINE INCLUDING IN-HOUSE LABORATORY DIAGNOSIS
Tel: Wickford (01268) 560660
24 HOUR SERVICE AVAILABLE FOR EMERGENCIES
BIRD SCENE 47
LOW SUNFLOWER FOR LARGER PARROTS
A low fat high nutrition, low fat blend for all larger Parrot species including the large Macaws, Black Cockatoos and Moluccans - 26 ingredients, 57% fruit and nuts - 7 different fruits, 6 different nuts. Composition: medium striped and white sunflower, safflower, whole maize, oats, pumpkin seed, flaked peas, flaked maize, puffed maize, papaya, banana, currants, pineapple, apricot, coconut, dates, brazil nut kernels, walnut halves, peanuts, monkey nuts, pine nuts, soft shell almonds, chillies, rosehips, carrot. Items such as micronised peas and puffed wheat and maize give a sweeter taste and are easier to digest than the raw equivalent.
THE FINEST BIRD FOOD CONTACT: JOHNSTON & JEFF LTD., BALTIC BUILDINGS, GATEWAY BUSINESS PARK, GILBERDYKE,EAST RIDING OF YORKSHIRE HU15 2TD T: 01430 449444 www.johnstonandjeff.co.uk mail@johnstonandjeff.co.uk Johnston & Jeff foods are only sold through retailers. Please contact us if you need information on your nearest stockists, our mail order partners, and for information and feeding guides. We reserve the right to add to the composition of our blends if we find a better grade or wish to enhance the menu. Please check our web site for up-to-date details.