ISSN 1492-8132
Issue 101, © 2004
No reprints without permission

The folks at Bird & Cage aim to provide birdkeepers with a great selection of good quality cages and birdcage accessories for great prices, and their new website shows it for all the world to see. You'll find some of the best cages around for great prices, when you visit BirdandCage.com

Do you know of a great bird site which deserves a review? Maybe you have a favourite tip or trick that you like to use, or know of a product that has made your bird's life better or easier to manage in some way? Why not share them with other Flock readers? Send your ideas here.

"Rather than use chlorine bleach, which can produce toxic gases, I disinfect my birds' cages and their feed and water dishes by spraying Hydrogen Peroxide. H2O2 is just water (H2O) with an extra molecule of oxygen. The extra oxygen breaks loose and disinfects the surface, going harmlessly into the air. I screw a spray top right onto the Hydrogen Peroxide bottle. The dark brown bottle keeps the unstable substance from prematurely breaking down before it's used.

"Another little trick for their treats: I bought some hair clips in the drugstore. They have a spring clasp and two combs about 1-1/2 inches long, which are perfect for clipping over bars from the outside and holding greens for the birds on the inside. They are colorful, too."

(Editor's Notes: 1) Hydrogen Peroxide is toxic if ingested, so be careful to see that it has some time to evaporate. 2) Bleach will not create those nasty fumes if you use it with cool water rather than hot)

Our special autographed edition of Robirda's book Brats in Feathers, Keeping Canaries has been getting a great response from readers. Here's just two of the comments we've received;

"I ordered 'Canary Tales' by Linda Hogan last year... Although I fully recommend buying her book, I find Robirda's book much more complete, easier to read with less difficulty finding information."

"You have a way of making things easy to understand, and I love the look and feel of your book - not to mention that it is so easy to find the information I am looking for. THANK YOU!!!"

Learn more here.

We rely on you to help keep this publication and its associated websites alive. If you find help you need in this ezine or on our websites, please consider joining our sponsors. For all those who continue to help out in so many ways, thank you for your warmth and caring.

Click here to read testimonials or for more details on sponsorships. If you're looking for something different, don't forget to check our home page for links to all our great products!

Our next issue is due Aug 15th. We hope you and your birds stay safe, well and happy in the meantime, and we look forward to seeing you all then! 

Robirda
Kelowna, BC
Aug 1, 2004

Welcome to Robirda's Companion Birds eZine

For breeder or pet bird owners who care.

Hello! Welcome to Flock Talk's 100th issue. Subscribe and unsubscribe information for the email version of this ezine is at the bottom of this webpage.

Table of Contents

Website News

We are pleased to announce our new Tug 'N Swing PlaySwing. A great favourite with the small birds we tested it on, this swing is made to keep the busiest beaks occupied for a LONG time. Take advantage of our special introductory offer, and save! See a picture and find more details at robirda.com/swing.html

This issue features the next winning story in our contest, a tale of lessons learned, that qualified for 4th place. We are very pleased to award the winning prize package to Karen Dean of Great Britain. Karen, please send us an email so we can arrange to send you your prizes, yes?

We are still looking for stories of living with and keeping birds, until Sept 15. We have packages ranging in value from $100.00 to $140.00 to give away, but we need your help to do it. The next three issues will each feature a winning story, and the author will be awarded a prize package, until all prizes have been won. Check them out, then send in your stories while there's still time!

Bird Site Review

This is a new site, but you can already find some of the more popular Vetafarm products, as well as offerings of small bird nesting supplies, tools, and equipment, along with one of the best seed-catching pet bird feeders you'll find anywhere.

This site relys on Javascript, so if your browser can't use it, or if you've followed Microsoft's recent instructions on changing your security settings to prevent explotation of IE's latest faults, you may see only a blank page. This is easily fixed; simply add the site to IE's list of 'trusted' sites

Feature Story

by Karen Dean
Bristol, UK
Copyright © 2004

Poor little Zebedee, sitting on the cold aviary floor, his head tucked under his wing, oblivious to everything. Sighing, I grabbed him. He opened his one good eye, reluctantly. When he saw it was only 'the hu-mum', he seemed to shrug.

"You can’t just sit there," I told him, "not a good place for a little bird."

I took him to a vet, who agreed he didn’t have long, but dispensed antibiotics and ointment for his sore eyes. We took him home, determined he’d end his days in warmth and comfort. Then he recovered! The surprised vet said he could be returned to the aviary.

We were relieved, as we were going on holiday. My parents had agreed to look after the aviary and other pets, but just before we left, Zebedee’s troubles returned. Didi, his mate, also had one eye shut. Both zebra finches looked miserable. Knowing how quickly small birds can deteriorate, I anxiously requested daily reports. These weren’t encouraging, so I asked my parents to bring the birds indoors.

When we returned, they were reassuringly better. Didi’s eye was fully open. Zebedee still wasn’t right, but every time he tried to tuck his head away, Didi would peck him determinedly. If he fell asleep, Didi flew, and knocked him off the perch, as if to say 'You are not gonna die on me!'.

"What’s wrong, little fella?" I asked him as he tried bravely to rally round. He cocked his little head at me. "Beep beep, beep!" he said, pretended to preen, then slipped his head back beneath his wing.

After about ten days indoors, both seemed fully recovered, so we put our chirpy, excitable little zebbies back into the aviary.

They immediately began prospecting for nest sites, and produced their first clutch in late September. We were so excited! Zebedee sang triumphantly of his fertility, and he and Didi worked hard feeding their babies, helped by the society finches. Then they had two more broods, the third hatching over Christmas. I was thrilled at Zebedee’s new lease of life.

We’d added a new shed shelter shortly after their first brood fledged. Zebedee was first to investigate, beating my canaries claws down. He pattered curiously through the pop-hole, and swivelled his head, taking it all in. A few days later he nudged a youngster through, then all the birds came to investigate the warm, cosy shed, using it for roosting (with dimmed lighting).

Several months later I went into the shed to clean out as usual - completely unprepared to find Zebedee standing on the ledge, his head tucked up. I was determined not to panic: he might just be catnapping, as they all did.

Then I found him in the same position atop the aviary heater. He hardly stirred as I worked around him. The unpalatable truth had to be faced; his illness was back.

I observed a bit longer, to be certain. He did socialize, especially when Didi was around, but when he thought himself unnoticed, he’d slip away to a quiet spot, and tuck up.

Finally I caught him, and he looked at me as if to say, "Here we go again." I brought Didi in to keep him company, hoping their bond would spur him to fight and conquer this thing.

We heated the room to 28 degrees C, but noticed Didi gaping uncomfortably, so I encouraged her to hop into a small cage which I took to the shed so she was near the other birds, leaving Zebedee to sleep in peace and quiet.

Their evening reunion was touching. They 'whimpered', in the sweet, stirring manner of all zebra finches, as they cosied up together in a corner, and she preened him. It brought a lump to my throat; I was desperately worried about him.

The next day I presented the cage for Didi but Zebedee jumped in first, explored it excitedly, then perched, waiting expectantly. I hesitated. Then Didi joined him, so I decided to take them both for a couple of hours with the other birds.

We were astonished at Zebedee’s renewed vitality. Both he and Didi leapt around on the perches, calling. My astounded husband said, "No way is that a sick bird!"

I let their youngsters through to visit, but not for long as I had to go out. Later, I returned and was shocked at Zebedee’s demeanour. He drooped dejectedly over his perch, whilst Didi still searched for an exit. She prodded him to join her, but you could see his heart was no longer in it.

Filled with foreboding, I carried the cage upstairs and he hopped back into the hospital cage with no protest. When he realised that Didi was not coming too, he had a renewed burst of energy and tried to get back into the other cage with her, calling desperately. He hung pathetically from the bars as I took Didi away, and she ran to the cage edge for a last glimpse before I closed the door.

His protests and her responses rang out along the landing. I felt badly for separating them, and almost faltered. But I felt Zebedee needed peace to recover, and a heated environment, which I didn’t feel was good for Didi. And since Didi wouldn’t let him rest, I thought separation would be the right thing.

I went back in to check on him, and found he’d settled into his favourite corner, making peeping noises. Soon he was asleep. I set up the heater and a nightlight, and tiptoed out. At bedtime, I crept in and turned his heater down.

At 8.30 am, after a sleepless night, I tiptoed in again. The room was cold, a mere 12 degrees C. I went to the cage, hoping to see Zebbie fully recovered and noisily springing about, as had happened before.

Instead, my little darling was lying on his side in his food dish, his beak covered in seed husks, his legs moving weakly. He made little peeping noises as I knelt and gently took him into my hand, stroking him, talking softly, and willing him to live. He continued peeping, as if to acknowledge my presence.

But his life was slowly ebbing away and, as I tried to comfort him, he gave a final gasp, and was gone.

My anguish intensified when I thought of Didi, whom I’d parted from him, knowing she would be waiting impatiently to be reunited with him. With a heavy heart, I took him to her and placed his little body on her cage floor. She hopped down to look, and I think she understood.

I took him away and, sobbing, arranged for an autopsy at the local avian vet’s. Zebedee had died from complications arising from megabacteria, a fungal infection that interferes with the bird’s digestion so that food passes, undigested, through the bird’s gut. In effect he’d starved to death, in the midst of plenty.

When the vet asked me previously if he had he lost any weight, I’d chuckled and said, "No, he looks obese, if anything!" But on Zebedee’s demise, I was appalled to feel his keelbone sharply protruding.

It took me ages to get over his loss. I blamed myself for taking him from a heated room into a shed where the temperature was significantly lower. It was worse to think I’d turned the heater down at bedtime, when he probably needed it the most. I was devastated to think that because of my inexperience with how to treat a bird with such a cruel disease, he died of starvation.

There were ructions in the aviary too. Didi was picking fights. Sometimes she’d grab a youngster by the wing, plucking feathers, ignoring its cries. She meant business. It was distressing to see her harassing the babies she and Zebedee had cared for so lovingly.

Finally, she paired up with her eldest chick. I understood from zebra finch experts that it was essential for her to re-establish her position in the aviary as alpha female, as an unpaired female is way down the social ladder.

Once she’d reasserted her position things calmed down, and she seems much happier. She sits on a nearby perch while I talk to her, and I fondly imagine we share a special bond.

As for my little soldier, Zebedee, well, he was a special, friendly, courageous bird, and he lives on in his youngsters, whom I’m unable to part with. In his final moments I promised him his story would be told; and, well - here it is, little fella. Rest in peace.

by Karen Dean
Bristol, UK
Copyright © 2004

Ask Robirda

This issue's question;.

"I'm being plagued with Flour Moths in Biblical proportions! I have always used those 'sticky' traps and kept things in hand. There's so moths many those traps aren't keeping up. Also, if I freeze my seed will that kill any eggs/grubs that might be there?"

Robirda's answer;

"Seed moths can be a major nuisance, but usually if you're careful not to leave much seed out, you can get them back under control; and yes, freezing the seed helps a LOT.

"As you've discovered, the pheromone-baited 'sticky' traps work well to control seed moths, but if you get an influx of too many moths, these traps just aren't enough.

"If you can, it's worth it to buy a freezer big enough to store all your seed in - it really is the best way to keep it. After all, what is dryer and cooler than a freezer? As long as you are careful to prevent condensation, and the seed is in a good heavy layered paper bag or alternatively, a fairly heavy plastic container, it will keep for years - at least two, and probably longer.

"As a bonus, you'll know the seed you're offering your bird will remain fresh. Seed doesn't really store very well at room temperature, especially during the warm months; think of bread that's sat on a shelf for a couple of weeks in a paper bag, and you will get an idea of the state of seed that has sat at room temperature for several weeks. Like the bread, it may look somewhat the same, but it tastes and feels very different.

"For getting rid of the moths themselves, try dusting lightly with pyrethrin; it is relatively harmless to the birds, and it is very damaging on bugs, I use it to control all sorts of wee beasties when necessary.

"A source for folks in the US is the Buhach company - they are listed in my links pages, starting at robirda.com/links.html. Good luck getting rid of those moths!"

Robirda's customers find her answers to be detailed and reliable, caring and supportive. Robirda can help you learn to understand your birds better! See robirda.com/ask.html.