Sizes of single cages for songbirds. Goldfinches at home. Russian cage with tambour for larks

Keeping songbirds in a cage develops observation and knowledge of bird habits.
Cells. For small birds (bullfinch, siskin, goldfinch, etc.), cage sizes can be as follows: length 40 - 50 cm, width 35 - 45 cm, height 30 - 40 cm. Knowing a little carpentry, it is not difficult to make a cage of any size according to the existing sample. The cage must necessarily have 2 bottoms: one is fixed, the second is retractable, in the form of a box with low walls, this makes it easier to maintain cleanliness in the cage. On the side, in a retractable bottom, a narrow wooden box is made - a feeder. For water, a porcelain or glass drinking bowl is placed (you can use a salt shaker). At the bottom of the cage, a thick layer of clean river sand should be poured, which absorbs dirt, in addition, the grains of sand swallowed by the bird are necessary for it to improve digestion. All birds, except for larks and quails, are placed in cages with 2 smoothly planed perches with a diameter of about 8 - 12 mm. The cage contains one bird; for larger numbers cages or aviaries are needed. The cells are hung in a bright place, but not in a draft. For quail, lark, nightingale and some warblers, the wire top of the cage is replaced with a soft cloth, since when frightened, these birds fly vertically upwards and can break their heads against the bars. Cages with all sorts of decorations should be avoided, as these decorations serve as a refuge for parasites.
Feeding and care. Songbirds are divided into granivorous and insectivorous. Granivorous birds feed on grass seeds, millet, canary seed, turnip seeds, linseed, burdock seeds, poppy seeds, oats and oatmeal, spruce and pine seeds. Sunflower and hemp seeds are the favorite food of many birds, but if they are consumed excessively, the birds go blind and die. Therefore, their number in the diet should be limited, and hemp should be given only scalded with boiling water, which destroys the poisonous substance - cannabin. Feed should be diversified, taking into account the individual "tastes" of birds. So, for a siskin, sunflower seeds must be crushed; ant cocoons ("eggs") and carrots should be added to repolov's feed; give the carduelis more burdock seeds; do not give the chaffinch sunflower and hemp at all (it quickly goes blind); bullfinch add berries of mountain ash and viburnum; give crossbills pine and spruce seeds; oatmeal should be given more millet.
The main food of insectivorous birds kept in captivity is dry ant "eggs" scalded with boiling water or boiling milk. Ant eggs can be prepared in the summer, and then dried well in a non-hot oven for storage. As a treat, flour worms can be given. A good food is a mixture of grated carrots with crushed white breadcrumbs (you need to mix until the mixture stops sticking to your fingers). Birds eat well steeped cereals, minced meat (boiled and raw), rowan and elderberry berries. Both granivorous and insectivorous birds should be given fresh greens: lettuce, cabbage, birch leaves, grain sprouted in the room (oats, wheat).
Food for granivorous birds is given daily, and for insectivorous birds (whose food quickly deteriorates in summer) - 2 times a day so that a small amount of food remains until the next feeding; don't leave the bird hungry. Water is changed daily. The cage of granivorous birds is cleaned at least once a week, and insectivorous birds - at least 2 times a week.
With careful care, the birds sing well and live in a cage for many years, getting used to the owner.
Among granivorous birds, siskin, goldfinch, chaffinch, repolov, crossbill sing well. Bullfinch and greenfinch are kept for the sake of beautiful plumage. Siskins, bullfinches, crossbills get used to a person the fastest. Repolov, chaffinch, oatmeal are difficult to tame.
Excellent singers among insectivorous food are thrush, nightingale, bluethroat, starling, warblers (Chernogolovka and garden), redstart, robin, field and forest larks, titmouse. Robin, starling and tit easily get used to a person, the rest - with difficulty (they should be hung in a room above human height). The first time after the capture they should be given flour worms (10 - 20 pieces per day); larks should also be given small grain feed, and tits should be given a small amount of crushed sunflower seeds and scalded hemp.
Those who release birds into the wild with the onset of spring should remember that a bird in captivity loses some of its natural skills and must again adapt to life in nature. A bird released near human habitation often dies. Therefore, birds should be released away from settlements, in those places where birds of the same species live, and not earlier than after the snow has completely melted (otherwise they will die from lack of food). It is impossible to release badly flying birds or birds that have sat in a cage for several years. In general, birds that are supposed to be released in the spring should be kept in winter in large cages, cages or aviaries, where they do not damage the wings. See insert.

First of all, you need to choose a place for a cage or aviary. It must meet the following requirements. One of the main ones is a sufficient amount of sunlight and the absence of drafts.

Do not install the cage on the windowsill to avoid overheating and colds of the bird. It is better to place it at the side or opposite wall of the room, so that the sun's rays illuminate it for 2 to 3 hours a day. Tobacco smoke and carbon monoxide should not penetrate the room, you should be careful with the use of various aerosols to kill household insects and other volatile substances with a pungent odor.

The shape of the cages and their sizes depend on what kind of bird they are intended for and for what purpose you are going to keep it. To hear the song of a bird in its full sound, male songbirds are kept separately in small cells. So, a canary, a goldfinch or other small-sized singer can be kept in a cage 50 cm long, 35 cm high and 30 cm wide. The same cage can also be used to breed smaller birds, such as Japanese or zebra finches.

Everyone knows that the larger the bird, the larger the cage it needs. If you have a bird the size of a starling, then the length of the cage should be at least 70 cm, height 60, and width - 40 cm. But the cage for a large parrot, such as a Jaco or Amazon, will be even larger - length and height - 80 cm , width - 55 cm. The most practical are rectangular cells without domes, devoid of any architectural excesses. They can be installed one above the other, like a column, thereby saving space in the apartment. The architectural excesses of the cage not only make it difficult to clean it, but also encourage the reproduction of blood-sucking arthropods, which you will learn about in the chapter on bird diseases and their treatment.

Larger cages are used for group keeping of small birds - they are called cages. The optimal cage size is 80 x 35 x 50 cm. They are good for keeping young birds that need a lot of movement to strengthen their muscles. Small songbirds and small parrots can also be bred in cages by placing them in pairs.

Some lovers, if the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe living space allows, build enclosures for their pets. Their sizes can be different. They have enclosures in a room, on a balcony, in a loggia or garden. Aviary keeping of birds is common in young naturalists and zoos. Enclosures can be decorated to look like a corner of the forest, give them the appearance of shrubs or the edge of a swamp with reeds and hummocks. The outer enclosure must be sheltered from drafts and rain, for which the back wall, two side walls and most of the roof are made solid - from boards, plywood or plastic. The rest of the aviary is covered with a galvanized or stainless mesh with a mesh of 1.5-2 cm for large and 1 cm for small birds. With the correct selection of birds and the loose population of the enclosure, many species in it more often start breeding than in cages.

Some birds, especially large parrots, experience stress during transplantation. At the same time, they temporarily refuse food, being frightened even by familiar people, to whom they willingly went into the hands the day before. In areas with severe winters, a situation arises twice a year in which it becomes necessary to transfer birds from warm rooms to outdoor aviaries and vice versa. The birds in question, having not had time to properly get used to the new premises, do not start breeding or begin to lay eggs only on the eve of the next relocation. Successful breeding of such birds is possible if they are provided with permanent premises, excluding any capture. Good for such purposes are outdoor enclosures with an adjacent insulated house, into which birds, if desired, can move on their own. Nesting places are installed inside the house: booths, hollows, boxes, etc. The temperature in the house is maintained by an electric heater, water or other type of heating. To avoid temperature stress, it should not be high. If birds are allowed winter walks, then the optimum indoor temperature is + 5 ° C. Pheasants, pigeons, owls and many passerines can also be kept in such adjacent enclosures. The ease of movement of birds from winter to summer and back allows birds to receive additional doses of ultraviolet rays in early spring and late autumn, and for the southern regions of the country in winter. This type of keeping has proven itself well in various zoos, thanks to which many bird species that are “strict” in this sense began to breed here.

For the manufacture of bird cages, various materials are used: wood, plastic, metal, organic and silicate glass. The twigs of the cage are made of stainless or galvanized wire or bamboo, but not copper, since copper oxides can lead to bird poisoning. For the maintenance of birds that split the wooden parts of the cages with their powerful beaks - parrots and crossbills, it is better to use all-metal cages.

Many experienced poultry farmers recommend keeping birds in box-type cages, often referred to as "German". In such cages, only one side is covered with a net or twigs, and the rest are solid. They are made of plexiglass or opaque materials. Box cages stacked one on top of the other can make up a bird cabinet. The cabinet can also consist of one-piece parts, representing a one-piece structure. A well-made bird cabinet can be a decoration for any apartment. Box cages and cabinets are convenient for breeding birds, and shy pets feel calmer in them, get used to new living conditions faster. Lovers of singing breeds of canaries use such cages when teaching young singers, shading their open part with curtains for a while.

Soft top cages are used for larks, quails and some insectivorous birds.

These shy birds can fly vertically upwards - the so-called "candle" and at the same time get hurt or break on the upper bars of the cage. Instead of a traditional lattice, amateurs use stretched dense matter or foam rubber.

The appearance and health of birds depend on the correct equipment of the premises. A necessary accessory for cages and cages is a retractable bottom, or tray. River sand pre-calcined on fire or in the oven is poured on it. The pallet is best made from galvanized iron: it is more hygienic and more durable than made from plywood.

Perches or perches should be placed so that the bird does not touch the wall of the cage with its tail and has the opportunity to fly from one to another. Perches can be set at different levels, but not one above the other, so that the birds do not stain each other's plumage with droppings. The number of perches depends on the size and purpose of the cage or cage. For ground birds - larks, quails, waders, perches are not needed. You can replace them with hemp or tussock, and the cage should have a large floor area. but be low.

Perches are made from soft tree species - linden, alder, hazel or bird cherry. This manages to avoid namin - callused growths on the legs. It is not recommended to make perches from white locust, which can cause dermatitis in birds. Perch diameters may vary. It is better if perches of two diameters are located in one cage. An indispensable condition is that the bird does not completely cover them with its fingers, so it gets less tired. For self-grinding of claws, it is recommended to cut off the lower part of the perch and make it flat (parallel to the floor). Skinny claws rest against it and their excessive growth stops.

Equally important is the arrangement and location of the doors, which can be of different types - opening to the side, down or up. But perhaps the most reliable are self-falling cages moving along rails or twigs. They rise up with the movement of the hand, but as soon as the hand leaves the doorway, the door itself goes down. This type of constipation is the best way to prevent unwanted flying out of the cage. And the most cunning pets, who successfully open any locks, are usually powerless here. In any cage there should be two, and preferably three doors. This facilitates cleaning, makes it possible to use hanging bathing suits, and for some birds, also movable houses and cages, which are hung from the side door for the breeding season. This applies to wax-billed weavers, mountain finches, parrots, tits, nuthatches, other hollow-nesting birds, as well as canaries with their nesting cells.

For feeding the birds, special feeders are used, where the food is less susceptible to contamination and scattering. Each cage should have at least three feeders: for grain, soft and mineral feed. Feeders can be made of hard wood (beech, oak), plastic, ceramic or glass. The sides of the feeders should protect the feed from scattering. Some birds, such as widows, constantly climb into the food with their paws, deliberately scattering it around the cage, while chickens use both paws and beak for this purpose. For such pets, you can install automatic feeders with a narrow "nose". At the same time, grain feed is not only saved, but also remains clean. For insectivorous birds, instead of grain, they put a feeder for live food - flour worms, bloodworms, various insects and their larvae. Such feeders are usually made of plexiglass and have high sides. You can also use small glass jars.

Many birds love to swim, so they need to be given this opportunity. Bathing not only cleans the plumage, but also helps to moisturize it, which reduces the intensity of shedding.

In enclosures and large cages, you can put a shallow bath of water. But at home, in order to avoid splashes flying in all directions from a bathing bird, hanging bathing suits closed on three sides should be used. Their sizes depend on the size of the birds, and the water level for the smallest ones should not exceed 2 cm. In deep bathing places, small birds can drown, which we have repeatedly observed in zebra finches. It is recommended to remove bathing suits in the first days after the chicks leave the nest.

Over long distances, birds are transported in transport cells. They are made in the form of a blind box with one lattice wall, which also serves as a door. You can buy them at the pet store or make your own. Prerequisites for transporting birds are sufficient air, darkness, warmth in winter, and limited space. The latter is necessary for greater safety of transported birds.

Due to the fact that the metabolism in the body of birds is very fast, the duration of transportation without food and water in the daytime should not exceed 2-3 hours (the smaller the bird, the shorter the period). In the case of long-term transportation, a large transport cage is used, where you can install a feeder and a drinker. But for short distances, birds can also be carried in linen bags. In them, flight and tail feathers are less damaged than in cells.

A few words about catching birds from cages and aviaries. Birds must be handled carefully to avoid injury. In a small cage or cage, this is done by hand, in an aviary - with a net. The bag of the net is made of light material, its length should be approximately twice the diameter of the ring. The bottom of the bag is made rounded, but not at an acute angle.

After catching a bird, the net must be rotated 180 ’and your pet will be in the closed space of the net. In this form, it is transferred to the right place. In the hand, the bird must be held, fixing the neck between the index and middle fingers, the abdomen up. So it is more convenient to examine the claws on the paws, evaluate fat reserves, the course of plumage molting. When molting, stumps or brushes of feathers that have not yet opened are clearly visible. In addition, there are almost no streaks of subcutaneous fat on the abdomen. At other times of the year, fat may cover the abdominal alveolar* halfway or completely.

* Apteria - an area of ​​​​skin that is not covered with feathers.
In case of excessive obesity of your pet, you need to reduce the amount of fatty seeds, high-calorie and soft foods in his diet, but increase the amount of greens. You can let the bird fly around the apartment. As a result, flight muscles develop well, the bird becomes more cheerful and active. However, in this case, you need to be careful. You can not drive a bird out of the cage, and then chase it around the apartment, trying to catch it. She must go out and go into her room of her own free will.

There were cases when parrots gnawed through an electric wire and died, killed by electric current. In addition, medium and large parrots can damage furniture, valuable books, and cause other harm with their beak. Sometimes birds accidentally flew out of an open window or door and disappeared without a trace. And sometimes they were found frozen in the snow, if this happened in winter. It happened that small birds fell into a narrow gap behind a wardrobe or other furniture and died there, not found in time by the owner. Therefore, when the bird is released from the cage, the presence of a person in the room is necessary.

Sometimes tame birds, especially parrots, are kept on a chain, which is attached at one end to a special ring on the parrot's leg, and at the other end to a large metal ring or branch. At the same time, parrots even manage to fly by pulling the chain to failure. Such content can only be recommended for tame birds, it provides simple communication.

It should be noted that any breeding of your pets is impossible without nests, that is, the foundations for nests. Their nature and structure depend on the characteristics of the nesting biology of birds. These can be open cups-baskets for canaries and other finches, thrushes, doves and a number of forest birds; houses, or hollows, which are readily used by parrots, weavers, tits and other closed-nesting birds. It can even be a pile of hay in the corner of an enclosure for nesting larks or buntings, a hut or booth for a partridge or pheasant, etc., etc.

23.03.2012 About bird cages and their equipment

1

A worthy alternative in terms of numbers to lovers of cats and dogs in home conditions are lovers of songbirds. And, it's not just about. There are other birds whose trills can simply bewitch. For example, goldfinches. And, exactly about the peculiarities of keeping goldfinches at home, about the appearance of these birds, about their diet and how to ensure that your goldfinch does not fall silent- our publication will tell you about all this ...

Description of the carduelis

Birds called the goldfinch are usually attributed to the family of finches, the size of the body of the goldfinch is less than the size of the sparrow, and the body length is from head to tip of the tail - 12 centimeters. An adult bird weighs only 20 grams. Adult goldfinches are brightly colored, but the top of the head, wing area and tail remain black, which gives them a truly dapper appearance. And, here is the area of ​​​​the forehead, cheeks, belly of the uppertail - snow-white. In the beak area you can see a wide red ring, and on the wings there are transverse bright yellow stripes. Wherein,

young representatives of the species do not have a red ring, but they have small longitudinal mottles in the back and chest.

It is not so easy to distinguish a female from a male carduelis by color alone - these birds look equally elegant, however, the female still has a duller plumage, and she is smaller than the male.

How goldfinches sing

We have already mentioned that goldfinches are songbirds, and this is true. Their repertoire can consist of more than 20 melodies, and the sounds they make during their singing can be both pleasant and melodic, as well as harsh and rough. Only canaries can compete with goldfinches in their singing abilities. By the way, like them, goldfinches fall silent during the time and do not sing. In addition, it has been noticed that females sing more beautifully than males, so if you want to have a singing goldfinch in your home, it is better to have a female.

Goldfinches in Nature

In Nature, goldfinches are sedentary birds, but in the north of their habitat they can roam over fairly long distances. Also, they can fly in small flocks or groups between breeding periods in order to search for food. So, do not be surprised that you can meet flocks of goldfinches in the forest, in the field, in the country or even in the city park.

These birds build nests in groves, in light forest belts and gardens, as well as in sparse plantings. They can also be found in floodplain forests and copses, especially where there are thick weeds.

In Nature, the diet of carduelis is vegetable, therefore, birds prefer to stay closer to those areas that are rich in herbage, but even weeds can become food for them if there are no seeds of shrubs, grasses and trees. However, despite the fact that adult birds feed on plants and seeds, they include insects in the diet of feeding chicks.

If you look on a global scale, and evaluate the benefits and harms of these birds, then goldfinches are not only beautiful songbirds, but also useful birds that can destroy a large number of harmful insects. Add to this their ability to sing loudly almost all year round, attractive eye-catching outfit, friendly character - and you will understand that these birds can be kept in captivity without any problems.

Is it worth it to start a carduelis at home

Benefits of keeping goldfinches at home

If you are just considering the possibility of getting a carduelis in the house, or you have already got this bird, but belatedly decided to get acquainted with what your life together will be, we hasten to please you - there are enough advantages of keeping these birds so that you do not doubt the correctness of your decision. Firstly, it is a beautiful external dandy species of birds, beautiful singing almost throughout the year. Secondly, these are very smart and friendly birds, which are easy and quick to educate and train and turn into public favorites. Thirdly, if you decide to cross a male goldfinch with a canary, then the resulting hybrid chicks will not only look beautiful, but simply sing divinely, and if you decide to start selling such hybrids seriously, you can make good money on it.

Disadvantages of keeping goldfinches at home

If you didn’t buy a goldfinch in a pet store, but caught it in the wild, or you were sold a wild goldfinch, you are forced to disappoint, wild birds remain wild, and rarely delight owners with ringing singing. Also, if you plan to breed goldfinches or keep several individuals, you will have to take care of different cages for them, since the male and female in the same cage do not get along well, and may stop singing due to their domestic troubles.

Features of keeping goldfinches at home

Where is the best place to keep goldfinches

As we wrote above, it is better to keep goldfinches in a cage or in an aviary one by one. These birds quickly adapt to new conditions, the main thing is that you take care of their comfort. So, the cage must be at least 50 centimeters in length, and it must have at least 2 levels. Be sure to place perches and swings inside the cage. It is better to install the cage itself in a place where there is a lot of light, but there is no direct sunlight or drafts. The distance between the bars in the cage should be no more than 1.5 centimeters so that the goldfinch cannot escape or injure himself during it.

Cleaning the cage should be done daily, changing the water for bathing and drinking, and once a week you can arrange a general cleaning using bird-safe products for cleaning perches, feeders and pans. After you process all the corners and surfaces of the cage, it should be rinsed under running water, allowed to dry and ventilated after that for several more hours.

By the way, while cleaning the cage, you can let the goldfinch fly around the room - it will even be useful for him to stretch his wings a little. Just make sure that the doors and windows in the room are closed, and there are no pets in the room for which the goldfinch can become their dinner.

What to feed goldfinches

At home, birds should be fed with a grain mixture, which includes burdock, oatmeal, colza, millet, spruce seeds, canary seed, pine, dandelion, hemp, plantain and sunflower - all mixed in equal amounts. Goldfinches and ant pupae will be useful, as well as flour worms - they can be given as animal food, daily in the season, 3-5 pieces. That's just, regarding flour worms, I would like to note that not all carduelis love them, therefore, you will have to focus on the individual gastronomic preferences of your feathered one. As the practice of the owners of these songbirds shows, they do not refuse various cereals and wet mash, which can be intended for birds that eat insects. They should be given at least 2 times a week, and during the period of molting and breeding, replace one of the feedings with them.

As for the number of feedings per day and portion sizes, goldfinches should be fed at least 2 times a day and not in large portions.

You can also treat the bird to the following delicacy - boil the carrots and rub it on a grater, add some crackers and finely chopped hard-boiled eggs to it. Such a mixture will not only be nutritious and tasty, but also beneficial for your goldfinch.

Goldfinch Health

If you notice that the goldfinch is sitting in the corner of the cage, fluffed up, refusing food and water, its feathers fall out, discharge flows from its beak and eyes, the iris of the eye itself has become dull, there are disturbances in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract - the bird should be shown to the veterinarian - he able to diagnose and prescribe treatment. We would not recommend you to self-medicate a bird, trying to guess at random what it could get sick with.

It is noteworthy that in addition to their "bird" diseases, goldfinches can also get sick with ailments that pose a real threat to human health and life. They can infect the owner with ornithosis, tuberculosis, salmonellosis and other dangerous diseases, therefore, it is always worth remembering personal safety and hygiene when caring for and communicating with a bird.

But, there are other cases when goldfinches can suffer from human diseases. For example, gout - its symptoms are manifested in a violation of metabolic processes, an excess of urea and salt in the tissues and in the blood. And, although there are enough reasons for the development of gout in goldfinches, but most often it is a lack of vitamin A, an improper diet, intoxication of the body, poor-quality food, or drug poisoning.

At the initial stage, the disease proceeds practically without symptoms, in goldfinches there is only a strong thirst, and a sharp change in mood. Then, the owners notice the appearance of white streaked nodules in the area of ​​the joints and tendons of the bird, while the joints look swollen. The disease proceeds rapidly, and if qualified veterinary care is not provided to the goldfinch during the first days, it may die. The main cure for gout in the case of these birds is a strict diet that excludes protein products of animal origin from their diet, but cornmeal, berries and greens, on the contrary, will be useful, as they help to reduce the body's production of uric acid. In order to strengthen the bird's immunity, you can also start giving it vitamin complexes, but they should be prescribed by a veterinarian. Regarding the giving of drugs, they are appropriate in advanced cases, when time is lost, but they do not guarantee a 100% recovery result.

As for the prevention of various diseases in goldfinches, this is compliance with the rules and recommendations regarding the care and maintenance of birds in captivity, as well as cleanliness and hygiene in the cage and the right diet, which contains all the vitamins necessary for birds ...

If you decide to keep the birds “at home” in cages, then you must always remember that you are taking the bird to your place for its entire “bird life”.

Our custom of releasing birds "into the wild in the spring" is wild and harmful, and its preservation, in our country, is completely unacceptable.

A bird that has lived in a cage for more than a month gets used to people and stops being shy of them, it “unlearns” how to find food, getting it always ready in a cage, the bird loses the ability to “be always on the alert” - the only ability that allows it, a completely defenseless creature, surrounded a range of enemies, save your life. Birds released from cages are 100% victims of predators, fall under the feet of horses and passers-by, under the wheels of cars, or, finally, simply die of starvation.

The custom of releasing birds "to the wild" in the spring is cruel. Early spring (and "annunciation" - the beginning of spring) is one of the most difficult periods of the year in the life of birds.
“It is especially bad for wintering birds released from their cages in the spring. In summer or spring, when there are no rowan berries or ash seeds, when horse sorrel not only has no seeds, but barely forms ovaries, when nettle seeds have crumbled, bullfinches are released, accustomed in winter to feed on exactly the listed feeds ... "(V. G. Dormidontov "Birds in captivity").

So, if you take a bird for life to your house, then this life should be furnished to it as best as possible. The first condition for the normal existence of a bird is its corresponding room - a cage.

cage cages aviaries

The widely held belief among the general public that birds need "large" cages, in which our captives will supposedly feel especially good and get used to the loss of freedom more easily, is profoundly erroneous. This opinion of "compassionate" people has no reasonable grounds. It is based on the lack of experience in keeping birds and contradicts this experience. Bird lovers and connoisseurs of their keeping in captivity say something completely different, confirming their opinion with quite logical reasoning and experience. Naturalist, A.G. The company says about the size of bird cages as follows: “In cages, as a rule, birds are kept alone, or at most in pairs, a male with a female. This achieves a more in-depth, compared with a cage and an aviary, acquaintance with the bird ”(let’s add to this from ourselves: placing birds in cages, as more portable premises, does not clutter up the rooms and, of course, is accessible to everyone, which cannot be said about cages and aviaries) . “In no case should birds be kept in cages that are too spacious for them, for example, a goldfinch in a starling cage. In such a cage, the bird feels uncomfortable, sings little, runs wild for a long time, and reduces the size of its dwelling itself, keeping only in a small part of it (usually only at the top).

It is necessary to establish, as a rule, that the bird is deprived of the opportunity to flutter aimlessly around the cage, because this makes it even more shy, complicating its adaptation to room conditions. It would not even be an exaggeration to say that the majority of insectivorous birds die early in captivity precisely because of incorrectly selected cages.

Of course, one should not go to the other extreme - to place birds in cages that are too small for them. When the cage is insufficient in size, the birds either sit motionless on the perch all the time and, as a result, grow fat and quickly die from general obesity, or, trying to jump around the cage, upholster and break their feathers on their tail and wings, making this very unattractive in appearance.

The shape of the cell, as well as its size, is far from indifferent. Passion for all sorts of frilly "beautiful" cages "with porches", "windows", sloping or rounded roofs (borrowed mainly from German birders).

The shape of the cage should be rectangular, without any protrusions, with a flat top. Any cage should have a retractable bottom, metal is better. The bars of the cage are preferably made of wire, preferably not copper, the oxide of which is poisonous. Wire rods are hygienic and allow more light into the cage than wooden ones. (However, for some especially shy birds, which, when frightened, tend to quickly rush up and onto the side walls of the cages, wooden rods are more suitable, which are less damaging to birds. Species of birds for which wooden rods are preferred are indicated in the table by A. G. Krmpaniets.)

Sizes of songbird cages of different types

All-metal cages are also very good, but they are much more difficult to manufacture than wooden cages, and their cost is much higher. The most common cages with a wooden frame and metal rods.
The color and color of the cell is also not indifferent. The most hygienic should be recognized as either unpainted cages, the skeleton of which is made of smoothly planed planks that are easy to clean, or cages painted with enamel or, worse, oil paint.

It is by no means recommended to paint the cages in bright colors - in brightly colored cages the birds are hard to see and the plumage of most of our birds loses its beauty. The best color for coloring cells should be recognized as various shades of brown - under the natural color of planed boards of various tree species.

The perches must be placed, observing two rules: firstly, so that the distance between them allows the birds to easily jump from one to the other, barely flapping their wings, and, secondly, so that the birds, while on the perch, do not pollute food and water with their excrement. Periodically, you should remove the perches from the cages and scrape off the dirt adhering to them with a knife.

At the bottom of the cells it is necessary to pour coarse river sand, washed from dust and debris. Sand is necessary for digestion, since the grains of sand swallowed by birds play the role of millstones in their stomachs for grinding food that they swallow whole, without preliminary, mechanical processing of it in the oral cavity (which animals do).

It is better to hang feeders and drinkers to the walls of the cage, and not to put them on the bottom, since in this case they are less polluted by birds.

Each bird lover should have, in addition to the usual cages described by us, also 1-2 special cages, where it is necessary to place newly caught birds for several days, immediately after being caught. These cages are called “kuteikas” by our birders and are made a little differently than ordinary cages. The dimensions of the kuteika should be approximately the same as those recommended by us for the birds of the respective species. Kuteyki should consist of a rectangular wooden frame, but their walls are not made of rods, but are tightened with some kind of matter - coarse calico, canvas, linen. On one of the upper corners of the kuteika, a small “peephole” is made, covered with a wire mesh, through which you can observe the birds in the kuteika without disturbing or frightening them. The peephole should be closed with a curtain of the same material as the walls and lid of the kuteika. Inside, the kuteika has all the same parts as a regular cage (perches, feeders, drinkers, etc.).

In order to complete our description of cells, one more point must be made. The top of the cages, which contain larks, quails, nightingales, sometimes blackbirds, should not be made of wire rods, but tightened with a dense cloth or, better, should be made of a flat cotton pad nailed to the vertical side posts of the cage. This device is quite necessary for keeping these species of birds, since when frightened, they rapidly fly up and break their heads on wire rods.

For the transportation of caught birds by rail or other means of communication, special "transport" or "road" cages are used, which are made in the form of deaf, low boxes. The walls of these boxes must be made of thin, smoothly planed boards or plywood sheets. One wall of the box is made of wire rods, with a distance of 1 cm between them, that is, it looks like a side wall of an ordinary cage. This wire wall of the road cage must be closed by a rising and falling plank lid, which is best fixed in wooden grooves. On the sides of the road cage adjacent to the wall with bars and as close as possible to it, a feeder and a drinking cup are fixedly fixed, which, in order to avoid overturning during inevitable shaking, is inserted into a wire ring embedded in the wall. The door of the transport cage is certainly made in the wall opposite the wire one. When opening the door, it is necessary to first lift the board that closes the wire side of the cage, since otherwise the birds in the dark, rushing to the light that penetrated through the open door, can easily fly out of the cage.

The length and width of transport cages should correspond to the number of birds being transported, but their height should be no more than 20-25 cm and the perches in it should all be located on the same level so that the birds, always striving to occupy the top places, do not push and do not dirty one another. When transporting, it is not recommended to place more than 12-15 birds in one cage. Therefore, as is clear from the description of the transport cage, birds must be transported in the dark, since in light cages they frantically beat against the walls and top of the cage, often breaking to death. Birds on the road should be fed and watered 3-4 times a day, each time raising the plank above the wire wall for 5-10 minutes, and then, after this time, lowering it again.

It should be noted, however, that long-term transport has a very detrimental effect on the health, condition and appearance of birds. And if there is a need to transport birds over distances exceeding 2-3 days of a railway crossing, then in this case it is advisable to transport birds by aircraft.

All types of cages that we talked about must have doors. The doors of the cages should be arranged in such a way that, putting your hand into the cage, you can get any corner of the cage. The doors should be of such a size that an adult's hand can freely pass through them and it is easy to put feeders, drinkers and baths in the cage.

The doors of the cages are made in two ways: either they are movably fixed on one of the bars of the cage, or they are made to rise upwards, reinforced with special wire rings that freely move along the bars of the door opening. Doors on the outside should have hooks or latches that allow them to close tightly.

The side walls, limiting the bottom of all cages from the sides, must be made at least 10 cm in order to prevent birds from scattering sand and husks from food around the room in which the cage is located, and to avoid excessive litter in it.

Sadki. Cages are large cages used mainly for breeding canaries and budgerigars, as well as for keeping several birds of the same or different species together.
Actually, there is no exact distinction between the concepts of "cage" and "cage". Any large cage can be called a cage, and every small cage is a large cage. What we said at the beginning of the description of the structure of cells applies in full measure to cages.

The maintenance of birds in cages corresponding to the size of bird species is preferable than in cages. Birds placed in cages several at a time run wild much more than in cages, are much more difficult to tame, usually fight and quarrel with each other and, which is very unpleasant, dirty each other badly. Therefore cages can only be recommended for breeding canaries (or budgerigars).
In the construction of cages, the same principles are used as in the construction of cages, and everything said about cages applies to cages. We will talk about the adaptation of cages for breeding canaries and parrots in the chapter on these birds.

Aviaries. Aviaries are large, high and spacious rooms that look like huge cages and allow birds to fly freely in them.
There are no negative qualities of cages when building an aviary. The enclosures are arranged in such a size that the birds in them do not interfere with each other. A wide variety of birds are usually kept in aviaries, which makes it possible to observe the relationship of birds of different species with each other. When settling in an aviary, one must adhere to two rules: do not create crowding of the bird population in them, since in this case the whole point of arranging the aviaries disappears; do not place birds in aviaries,

in a natural setting attacking and offending others, such as shrikes of all kinds, great tits (the latter with a reservation), hawfinches and blackbirds. (In general, the first time after settling in the enclosure, it is necessary to observe all the birds placed in it; if any of the birds has a quarrelsome and quarrelsome disposition, expressed in fights with others, in chasing them, in the constant "subscription" of feeders, these birds must be removed from the enclosure immediately.)

Birds in enclosures can be grouped according to a variety of criteria: according to the nature of their diet, according to the biocenoses in which they live in nature (birds of the forest, meadows, swamps, etc.), according to systematic features, etc.
Keeping birds in enclosures, where it is sometimes possible to create a semblance of an ecological environment that surrounds a bird in nature, is extremely interesting. Since this is the only way to make almost all of our birds breed in the conditions of keeping them “at our house” (it must be borne in mind, however, that if you strive to breed birds in an aviary, then there should not be, firstly, a large the number of pairs, and secondly, there should not be several pairs of the same bird species, which in nature have protected or nesting areas, for example, finches).

When you start a bird in an aviary, you need to keep it in a cage for some time, and not immediately after catching it, place it there. Newly caught birds, frightened, hit the net of the aviary with a swing and can hurt themselves to death. (In this regard, I had a sad experience with finches, bullfinches and buntings. Several of these birds, immediately released into the aviary, crashed to death.) If so, they may die of starvation).

After these preliminary remarks, I turn to the description of the structure of the aviary of two types - indoor and open-air aviaries.

Indoor aviary . When arranging enclosures in a room, they usually separate the brightest part of the room with a window for it. The window is closed with a frame with a mesh stretched over it, otherwise the birds can hurt themselves, hitting the transparent glass. With such an arrangement, two walls are enough for her, since her other two walls will be the walls of the room. The walls can be made up to the height of the ceiling or slightly below it, in the second case, the aviary needs its own roof.

The walls of the enclosures are made of wooden frames corresponding to the size of the enclosures. A wire, best non-oxidizing, galvanized mesh with cells in a diameter of not more than 1.5 cm is pulled onto these walls. If there is a roof in the aviary, it is also made of a wooden frame with the same mesh stretched over it. In one of the walls of the enclosures, a door is made of such a height and width that an adult can freely pass through it into the enclosures. In the aviary, it is better to make a special floor, and not use the floor of the room for it. In the latter case, rats and mice can especially easily enter the enclosure from the underground. (Again, I will refer to my sad experience - a rat climbed into my aviary, the floor of which was the (oak parquet) floor of the room, and killed more than 20 budgerigars in one night.)
If there is a special floor in the aviary, it is always easy to notice the attempts of rodents to gnaw through it, and in order to avoid this, it is possible to upholster the corners and sides of the floor of the aviary with thin tin. We must always remember that the worst enemies of birds "in our house" are rats and mice!

The side walls of the aviary below from the floor must be taken up with boards to a height of approximately 25-35 cm. This protects the room from litter, and also allows you not to disturb the birds running across the floor of the aviary.
The internal "inventory" of the enclosures can be very different. Of course, first of all, it is necessary to place feeders, drinkers and baths for bathing birds in it. If there is a window in the aviary, drinkers and feeders are best placed on the windowsill, where they will be less polluted by birds. In the absence of a window sill, a sloping canopy is nailed over the drinkers and feeders, protecting them from contamination from above.

Tree stumps, cut down small spruces, branches of various trees, etc. are usually placed in the aviary. It is advisable to place one, two, three horizontal perches of the usual diameter in the uppermost part of the aviary, since it is “more comfortable” and more comfortable for birds to sleep on horizontal perches, than on the branches of trees extending at different angles. Fresh flowers and shrubs can be placed in tubs and jars in the aviary, but this should not be particularly recommended, because birds pollute them very much and the “look” of such plants lasts for several days.

If live plants are taken out of the enclosure for washing, then this process is very disturbing and frightens the birds. On the walls of the enclosures hang nest boxes, titmouses, nesting boxes. In a large indoor aviary that I had, I kept together a wide variety of birds, observing the above-mentioned rules when placing them there. Most of the birds, probably due to the overcrowding of the population in the aviary, did not breed with me, but budgerigars and panthers repeatedly built nests and laid eggs.

Outdoor enclosures. If possible, an open-air enclosure is highly desirable and expedient.
The advantages of these aviaries will be: constantly clean and fresh air for birds, the ability to make a large aviary, the ease of creating a “natural” environment in it. All this will allow, firstly, to conduct systematic observations of birds

in conditions close to nature, and secondly, in open cages?.! in the air, large enough in size, with the created “ecological” (close to the natural habitat of birds) environment, birds especially easily start building nests and laying eggs, hatching and feeding chicks.

It should also be noted that in an open-air aviary almost all of our, usually migratory, birds can be kept without bringing them into the rooms, all year round. This is a good illustration of the position that birds make their flights not because of cold and bad weather, but mainly because of the lack and difficulty of obtaining food in winter and because of the short daylight hours, during which they do not have time to get enough for a day.

It is also necessary to recognize the positive quality of keeping birds in the open air by the fact that in these enclosures birds with red plumage - crossbills, lentils, schura (partly bullfinches) - after molting almost do not change color, while when kept in rooms their plumage after molting becomes orange, yellow or dirty yellow. When placing and selecting birds for these aviaries, you must adhere to the same rules that have already been indicated for indoor aviaries.

An open-air enclosure should be quadrangular in shape, high enough and wide. (Everything that has been said about "artificial" and "beautiful" cages fully applies to aviaries. It must be remembered that birds are decoration, not bird rooms.)

The door in the aviary should not open directly to the outside, but a small vestibule is arranged in front of it, preventing the birds from flying out through the aviary door when a person enters it. It is desirable to have the aviary with a facade to the southeast and east, and the side facing north (or in the direction of constantly blowing winds) must be taken from bottom to top with boards to avoid “drafts” and slanting rain. Part of the roof of the aviary is also covered with some kind of waterproof material used to cover the roof (tiles, tar paper, iron, etc.). This allows the birds to avoid rain and snow. The wooden parts of the enclosure should be of the hardest rock possible, and the corner posts driven into the ground should either be smeared with creosote or fired. The walls of the enclosures are made of wire mesh. The use of a mesh made of non-oxidizing (stainless) wire is mandatory; outside and inside the wooden parts of the enclosures are painted with oil paint.

The inventory of open-air enclosures in the open air is approximately the same as in the room, but, of course, it is much easier here to plant "live" plants in the enclosure - shrubs, small trees, etc. When planting plants, you can not plant them too close to each other, so how the creation of a "thicket" will make it difficult to clean the aviary, and will also interfere with birdwatching.

It is especially good when choosing a place for building an aviary to allocate an area for it on which trees and shrubs already grow, since in this case you will have a full guarantee of keeping the plants in the aviary in a “live” form.
Any kind of sowing and transplanting of plants should be done in early spring, before the buds open, and preferably before the birds settle in the enclosures. The part of the enclosure where feeders and drinkers will be placed or hung should be left without plants and sprinkled with clean sand. The dimensions of these outdoor enclosures are desirable as large as possible.

Here, in essence, all the necessary instructions about the premises in which we can keep songbirds "in our house."

Without observing the rules for arranging cages, aviary and bird cages, it is impossible to start, since birds planted in rooms that do not comply with them will certainly die.

The conditions of detention are one of the key factors that affect the singing of canaries. If the cage is uncomfortable for the birds or is in the wrong place, the feathered wards will not soon please you with their trills. Therefore, it is important to foresee all the nuances in advance. What to look for when choosing a bird abode, how to build it yourself, what materials to give preference to, where to place it - we will talk about all this later in the article.

Despite the diminutiveness, their home should be spacious. Therefore, the first thing we will decide on the size. They depend on the purpose of the cell.

Did you know? In pre-revolutionary Russia, the singing of canars was considered the best means of protection from evil spirits and evil spirits. A cage with birds was a mandatory attribute in every home, just like icons.

Canary breeders conditionally divide the bird's dwelling into cages and aviaries. The first group includes all small structures that are intended for single keeping of birds. They are allowed no more than 4 residents.

And the second group is represented by overall structures tightened with a metal mesh, intended for breeding indoor birds. In them, the conditions of detention are as close as possible to natural, which contributes to the excellent health of the wards.

In addition, there are cages that are used for nesting pairs. They are quite spacious, and on the side walls there are special devices for fixing the nests.

Some songbird breeders use migratory cages, which are used to keep small groups, mostly young birds. Since in such premises the length is always 4-5 times greater than the width, they are used for increased movement of "residents".

The transport cage is very small. It is not intended for the permanent keeping of birds and is used only when it is necessary to transport them.

Did you know? Canaries are highly revered by miners. And the point here is not at all in the lyrical mood of these hard workers. It's just that birds are very sensitive to clean air. Often they were taken into the face as an indicator. When ore gas appeared, which had no characteristic smell, the kenars fell silent and fell off the perches. A similar reaction in birds is observed for carbon monoxide..

In apartment conditions, experienced canary breeders advise single adults and young juniors to be kept in small cages.

The optimal length should be within 40-45 centimeters, and the width and height should be about 25-30 centimeters. If your plans include breeding birds, then you will need a large structure with the appropriate dimensions of 70 x 25 x 30 (L, W, H) cm.

As experience shows, a lone canary feels discomfort when his abode is smaller than 32 x 16 x 24. And for a couple, the ratio of length, width and height is considered to be the minimum: 50 x 25 x 30. In this case, age and gender characteristics should be taken into account feathered.

For example, females in the non-breeding period prefer a spacious cage up to 1 meter long. The same preferences and in young pets.

Video: how to care for canaries at home

Cell types

Today the market offers the widest range of various structures for keeping birds in captivity. But many lovers of harmonious trills, not guided by the requirements of feathered pets, choose a home for them, based on aesthetic considerations.

Thus, spherical, curved, pyramidal or cubic cages that are completely unacceptable for birds appear in the house. In conditions where there are no corners, the canary feels constant danger, because of which it gets stressed. Let's take a closer look at what types of cells are and what you can buy and what you can't.

Important! Under favorable conditions, a domestic canary can live up to 15 years, daily delighting the owners with beautiful singing..

The generally accepted guarantee of the impartiality of judges at bird singing competitions is the anonymity of birds. Based on this, the standard of the competitive cage for auditions was approved. The unification affected not only the size and shape of structures, but even their material, color and internal fullness.
The standard of competitive cages provides for strict adherence to length - 22 cm, width - 15 cm and height - 20 cm.

All of them must be made of wood and stainless wire with a diameter of one and a half centimeters. At the same time, it is important that the distance between the twigs corresponds to 15 cm. Natural wood is not painted, but only covered with a colorless varnish.

Inside the structure there should be only 1 perch, as well as an internal floor feeder and a standard external drinker made of white plastic. Doors to the room are located exclusively on the front side.

Did you know? Outstanding personalities were often heard singing canaries. Among them are famous cultural figures such as Glinka, Bunin, Turgenev, Chaliapin.

If there are the smallest deviations from the unified form on the cage or any inscriptions, stickers, drawings, protrusions that distinguish the participant from others, the organizers of the competition will not allow your bird to audition.

Ornithologists have noticed that enslaved kenars in irregularly shaped cages often get sick.

This is due to the psycho-emotional mood of the bird and its behavior.

For example, in round structures, birds often lift their heads and twist them in search of a threatening object, constantly jump, falling from the perch.
Over time, these habits develop into nervousness. It will not go away even if you change the environment and change the shape of the cage.

It is easy to understand that the ward is uncomfortable by his behavior. When he hides in a corner, stops singing and shows anxiety, you did something wrong.

Experts strongly recommend that you familiarize yourself with the preferences of your singing pets in advance and, when choosing a cage, focus solely on the convenience of its tenant.
Here is a list of forms to avoid when keeping birds of any kind.:

• spherical;
• pyramidal;
• cubic;
• cylindrical (especially when it comes to a short or long structure, the diameter of which is less than 2 meters);
• strongly curved.

Important! Never buy cages for kenars with many decorations, turrets, additional nooks and balconies. All these elements only complicate the life of the ward, prevent him from flying at full wingspan, confuse the bird, and also prevent you from cleaning the room.

The best option for keeping feathered households is the rectangular shape of their home. There they will feel safe and calm. For comfort, canaries do not need architectural excesses and spherical domes at all.

At the same time, do not think that by choosing the first rectangular cage that comes across, you will solve the issue with the comfort of your pet. Internal details, material and many other nuances are important, which you will learn about later.

Cell material

Modern manufacturers for the manufacture of bird cages use wood, plastic and metal. All these materials, according to experts, are quite suitable for the life of birds in captivity. However, each of them is characterized by a certain set of positive and negative qualities.

Fully wooden structures are beneficial, as:

Important! Female canaries easily get along in one cage, which cannot be said about males. Therefore, several kenars cannot be settled together.

Such combinations are preferred by professional canary breeders. Products are a wooden bottom and metal gratings. Most often, the rods are made of steel, duralumin or aluminum.

Among the advantages of such cells, we note:

• ease of cleaning;
• price availability.

The disadvantages are considered to be such indicators:

• low wear resistance of the bottom (dampness, loss of color and aesthetics);
• problematic wood disinfection;
• toxicity of some alloys (we are talking about copper and galvanized grating).

The best option for wood-metal structures for canaries is stainless steel with a chrome or nickel finish.

The tandem of plastic and metal is most often chosen by beginners. And it is right.

The advantages of such a cell are:

• ease of care, including cleaning, washing, disinfection;
• practicality;
• high wear resistance.

Among the minuses, experienced canary breeders call:

• poor sound insulation;
• too large price segment (you can find both cheap and very expensive products).

Important! It is impossible to use paints with white lead, alkyd varnishes and "nitro" for painting bird housing. These substances are very toxic to birds. You only need to paint the cage on the outside.

from the vine

Wicker products, according to ornithologists, are not entirely suitable for keeping birds.

Some craftsmen, in order to save money, make vintage designs from newsprint. Such weaving is unacceptable for canaries. First, the cylindrical or spherical shape of the product. Secondly, printing inks are very harmful even to humans.

If you love and know how to craft, then why not make a home for a singing pet yourself? Moreover, this task is within the power of even a schoolboy.

To get started we need:

• 2 wooden slats 6 cm high;
• 1 wooden lath 5 cm high;
• 1 wooden lath 6 cm high;
• 8 thin wooden slats;
• 6 thin wooden slats;
• 2 thin wooden slats 10 cm long;
• steel wire;
• self-tapping screws;
• screwdriver;
• drill;
• plywood sheet;
• saw or jigsaw;
• plane;
• cardboard;
• sandpaper;
• pencil and tape measure for marking;
• pliers;
• door hook.

Important! In the room where canaries live, there should be no sharp parts, as well as loops and hooks. They can injure the pet while moving..

When all these items appear in your arsenal, you can get down to business. Here is a step by step guide on how to do it correctly:

1. First, using a jigsaw, make wooden blanks from prepared beams. You need 2 parts 20 cm long and 2 40 cm long.
2. Then, using a screwdriver and self-tapping screws, connect a rectangular frame from them. This is the basis of our design.
3. Now, with a jigsaw, cut out the corresponding figure from plywood with sides of 40 and 20 centimeters.
4. Attach the plywood rectangle to the frame you made. This must be done in such a way that between a wooden bar, the height of which is 5 cm, there is a gap of 1 centimeter. We will insert a cardboard pallet there.
5. Next, we move on to the frame of the structure. It is made of 3 frames, which are connected using a screwdriver and self-tapping screws (you need to use thin slats for each frame, 2 20 cm long and 2 40 cm long). Do not forget to pre-sand all blanks with sandpaper.
6. When the frame is ready, mark all the frames with a pencil where you plan to make holes for the wire. Please note that the distance between them should not exceed 1.5 cm and be less than 1 cm. Otherwise, the kenars will not be able to jump and flutter.
7. According to your markup, drill through holes within the framework (their diameter should correspond to the size of the wire - 2.5 mm). And in the main frame, which will serve as the bottom of the cage, make blind holes.
8. Count the entire hole and cut the same number of pieces of wire. All of them must clearly correspond to a length of 27 cm.
9. Assemble your design by pushing the wire through the holes. As a result, you should get a rectangle with a height of 25 cm.
10. Don't forget the doors. For them, a small gap 10 cm long is enough. This part of the cage must be made separately from 10 cm thin rails and similar pieces of wire. Proceed in the same way as when assembling the cage. Only holes need to be made not through, with the exception of the last 2 bottom and top. They will serve as awnings for the door. Finally, attach a hook to the door. Ready. Now you can proceed to the interior arrangement.

Video: how to make a cage for birds (canaries) with your own hands

Important! It is unacceptable that there are many perches, toys, feeders and drinkers inside the cage. In excess, all these elements only clog the space, preventing the tenant from flying. Stiffness of movements is bad for the health of canaries. In addition, they can swallow small toy parts..

When buying a bird cage, you need to take into account all the important details that affect the comfort and health of the bird. The main rule that you should be guided by during the choice is that in the first place is not the beauty and brightness of the design, but the comfort of its inhabitant.
To facilitate the purchase process, please consider the following rules:

1. Avoid irregularly shaped cells. Preference should be given only to rectangular products.
2. Immediately reject structures with copper, lead and galvanized parts - for canaries this is a slow-acting poison.
3. Do not buy bamboo structures.
4. Check the strength of your favorite product. It is worthy of your attention and money, if all the details are perfectly smooth in it, there are no sharp corners and easily collapsing elements, and the door closes well.
5. You should not even consider the bird's dwelling, where it is difficult to catch the tenant and clean up after him.

Did you know? The Spaniards were the first to discover canaries. But having learned more about the features of these birds, they strictly forbade their export from the country. Only males could be sold, and trading in females was punishable by death..

In order for the purchase to be correct, it is important to know what ideal canary cage should be. Let's take a closer look at all its components.

It should definitely move out. This will make it easier to clean the bird house without interfering inside. Feel free to check if the pallet is reliable, if it moves well, how tightly it fits to the walls. It is desirable that this part of the room be made of a well-washable synthetic material.

doors

Experts advise choosing variations where there are at least 2 doors. The first is needed for falling asleep food, and the second - for a bath or an external nest. It is important that one entrance is located on the side wall, and the other - on the front.

Roofs

Many mistakenly believe that this detail does not matter to the bird, and they begin to look for all sorts of architectural excesses. And experts say that the most calm and comfortable bird is in the rectangle.

Therefore, other types of roofs are automatically excluded. In addition, such a figure is distinguished by its practicality. On top of it, you can put an indoor flower or another cage.

Did you know? There were times in Russia when beautifully singing canaries were valued more than cavalry horses..

There can be 2 perches in the bird abode. Their excess prevents the feathered from moving, and the lack limits its activity. Canaries flutter a lot and jump from one stick to another. If there are too many of them, the lower layers will remain inactive, since the bird never sits on perches contaminated with droppings.

In plastic and metal constructions, these parts are plastic. According to experts, this is a bad option. But you should not despair, because they can always be replaced with wooden rods.

It is important that the perches are placed in such a way that the bird does not touch them with its tail and wings during flights, and also that it does not pollute water and food with droppings.

If we are talking about nesting cages where young offspring are expected, it makes sense to install an additional perch. It is better that 2 of them are at the top and 1 at the bottom. When the chicks grow up, the third perch is removed.
Perches should vary in width. This will protect the paws of your singing ward from inflammation that occurs as a result of rubbing the same areas on the legs. It is better to install branches of deciduous trees covered with bark.

Did you know? To appease the hearing of the Tsar of the Russian Empire Nicholas II, his subjects from all over the world brought kenars to St. Petersburg palaces.

Clay and glass products are ideal. They are practical, easy to clean, disinfectable and non-toxic.

In diameter, such a device should be 10 cm, its height is 5 cm. Suitable dishes can be found in every kitchen. The main thing is that it be heavy and not turn over at every touch to the sides.
There should be 3 feeders in the cage: the first is for protein and wet food, the second is for grains, and the third is for sand. They are placed in different corners of the house.

Tall and automatic feeders are unacceptable. They have too narrow openings. Clogged with husks, they will block the bird's access to food.

drinker

Stop at porcelain, faience or glass products. It is desirable that they be external. After all, the water will need to be changed frequently, and this process should not cause discomfort to residents. You can give preference to automatic drinkers, from which the kenars can drink directly from the perch.

It is advisable to choose an object with a rough bottom on which the bird will not slip. Warm water is poured into the bathing suit (27 degrees Celsius).

In summer, there is a daily need for such procedures, and in winter, a font for wards can be arranged 2 times a week.

Toys

Many canary breeders consider this to be overkill. Birds of this kind do not pay attention to such accessories at all.

For an experiment in a spacious flight cage, you can install a swing. Junior chicks may be interested in her.

Video: what you need to care for a canary

Did you know? At the end of the 19th century, the annual turnover of the canary trade in Germany was about 750,000 German marks. At the same time, the average price per bird fluctuated between 15 and 20 marks. A real vociferous singer could be bought for 100-150 marks.

General cleaning in the bird house should be carried out 2 times a week. For this period, residents are temporarily relocated to another structure, placing its entrance to the open door of the cage.

Care includes not only cleaning the pallet, but also disinfecting all internal inventory and equipment. Therefore, feel free to remove the feeders, drinkers, perches. For the purpose of disinfection, these items must first be thoroughly washed in hot water, and then scalded with boiling water.

Disinfected items are subject to repeated washing and scalding. Only then can they be wiped dry and installed in their original place.

Important! Experienced canary breeders advise as a disinfectant to pour a layer of dry flowers of medicinal chamomile under the pallet.

The bottom of the room must be covered with sifted dry river sand. You can add crushed eggshells to it.

Often wooden structures darken. If you do not want to part with a light shade of natural material, then polish the coating with oily varnish in advance.

Experts consider nitrocellulose to be the safest.

This nuance greatly affects the health, psycho-emotional mood and singing of your ward. In most cases, the question of setting up a cage is limited to a well-lit window sill. But ornithologists categorically advise against doing this.

Firstly, the ban is associated with a sharp temperature drop from cold window glass and a warm room, which often causes various diseases in a feathered bird.

Secondly, window cracks form drafts. Third, the poor visibility of the home singer's coloration.
According to experts, the ideal place for a canary cage is:

• light wall opposite the window;
• a place away from noisy objects, including TV and tape recorder;
• at the level of human eyes or slightly higher;
• where there are no constant movements of the household;
• not in direct sunlight;
• not in a draft;
• in a residential area where the air temperature is within 16 - 22 degrees Celsius.

It is important to choose a permanent place for the bird house. It cannot be moved indefinitely, since each such attempt ends in stress for the feathered one. In a closed room, it can and should be let out for a walk. Initially, it lasts about 10 minutes, and then - within an hour.

If you take these recommendations into account when choosing or building a homemade canary cage, then your bird will delight you with its amazing trills for more than 10 years.