Post by zooyouthben on Mar 10, 2008 22:09:09 GMT 10
Many people are intrigued by softbills and they are great birds to work with. But heres a few things everyone needs to know before jumping into them.
Heres a few pointers about about softbills other than seed eating finches (but some to cross over)
Loveley to look at, nice to hold, but if you humanise me too much consider me GONE! - All Softbills prefer the company of their own kind and do not make good rainraised pets. some can be handled but they will never sit on your shoulder for hours (let alone minutes), unsocialised softbills can develop mental disorders (i.e. Beak Smashing in Kookaburras)
Softbills require specialised diets - Softbills will not just eat seed, some may eat it in small portion though, they require daily feedings of Live Food, Fruit, Whole Frozen Food and a myriad f softbill formulas, some of these can raise the cost of keeping the bird quite high so bear this in mind. - Tawny Frogmouths eat roughly 2 mice a day, these can cost you up to $2.50 ea! tahts $5 a day, close to $2000 a year. and thats just for one. Live food can be purchased, Mealworms are quite easy to culture as are crickets, but again if thezse arent breeding you will need to purchase them , a pair of wrens eats say 30 mealworms a day in the breeding season thats around 115grams so thats $1.80 (ish) a day, Many softbills will accept artificial mixtures, these include Minced meat and hard boiled eggs mixed with Insectivore Mix and Hard Boled eggs, again costs only get higher.
Softbills need large aviaries - Softbills are generally flighty and require a large aviary with plenty of Natural (or articifial) cover. Some species can do well in small aviaries (if unflighted) but all birds enjoy space.
That nice little Superb Blue Wren is a killer! - Many people (with permits to keep them) will purchase Wrens, namely the Superb Blue Wren, Males will kill each other and will kill and finches with a bit of blue on them, for little birds i reckon they would survive with a Blue Winged Kookaburra! lol
Heres a common Question
No, canaries are predominantly sed eaters and are so are not softbills. A working definition of softbills is those birds for whom seed is a minor part of their diet, and who could probably survive quite happily if they never saw seed. It is not a scientific definition and can be a bit grey around the edges, but it works for aviculturists.
cheers,
Mike
I will continue to add to this as i get time.
Heres a few pointers about about softbills other than seed eating finches (but some to cross over)
Loveley to look at, nice to hold, but if you humanise me too much consider me GONE! - All Softbills prefer the company of their own kind and do not make good rainraised pets. some can be handled but they will never sit on your shoulder for hours (let alone minutes), unsocialised softbills can develop mental disorders (i.e. Beak Smashing in Kookaburras)
Softbills require specialised diets - Softbills will not just eat seed, some may eat it in small portion though, they require daily feedings of Live Food, Fruit, Whole Frozen Food and a myriad f softbill formulas, some of these can raise the cost of keeping the bird quite high so bear this in mind. - Tawny Frogmouths eat roughly 2 mice a day, these can cost you up to $2.50 ea! tahts $5 a day, close to $2000 a year. and thats just for one. Live food can be purchased, Mealworms are quite easy to culture as are crickets, but again if thezse arent breeding you will need to purchase them , a pair of wrens eats say 30 mealworms a day in the breeding season thats around 115grams so thats $1.80 (ish) a day, Many softbills will accept artificial mixtures, these include Minced meat and hard boiled eggs mixed with Insectivore Mix and Hard Boled eggs, again costs only get higher.
Softbills need large aviaries - Softbills are generally flighty and require a large aviary with plenty of Natural (or articifial) cover. Some species can do well in small aviaries (if unflighted) but all birds enjoy space.
That nice little Superb Blue Wren is a killer! - Many people (with permits to keep them) will purchase Wrens, namely the Superb Blue Wren, Males will kill each other and will kill and finches with a bit of blue on them, for little birds i reckon they would survive with a Blue Winged Kookaburra! lol
Heres a common Question
avinet said:
vankarhi said:
Hey are canaries considered a "soft bill"No, canaries are predominantly sed eaters and are so are not softbills. A working definition of softbills is those birds for whom seed is a minor part of their diet, and who could probably survive quite happily if they never saw seed. It is not a scientific definition and can be a bit grey around the edges, but it works for aviculturists.
cheers,
Mike
I will continue to add to this as i get time.
