Cost
Cutting For The BreederCost
Cutting For The Breederby D. Marlena
If you happen to have a little extra ground you are well on your way to saving many dollars in the breeding program. Most seed/feed that a bird eats may be grown on your acreage or plot.
For instance, most hookbills enjoy sunflower as a part of their staples. Now before we go any further with the sunflower feeding, I have to tell you that many in the field of aviaculture disapprove of the use of sunflower for a great variety of reasons and I have probably read about, studied, researched or listened to them all. In spite of the controversy I personally have found my birds have done exceptionally well both in growth, nutrition and breeding. In no way am I going to state that you should do so, rather I am stating that I have always fed my parrots, cockatiels, lovebirds, etc. sunflower and I am happy with the results.
If you should raise sunflower as well as all other seeds they must be kept dry and free of mold. Mold is a common cause of disease and death to many animals as well as birds.
Safflower, corn, millet and many other seeds are a nutritious and good source of feed. Macaws and amazons love peanuts and is in almost all premium brands of food. Peanuts as well as sunflower has a high fat content and is therefore subject to moderation and a smaller percent in the feed mixture.
Small softbills such as canaries and finch, as well as budgies, love birds, cockatiels and other hookbills, relish spray millet. You can see the dollars saved by your ability to supply fresh grain and seed from your land. Grow some nice green vegetables or do you have fresh fruit? Most birds love and need a modest amount in their diet. Too much fruit, greens or vegetables will give birds loose droppings so be prudent in distribution.
Maybe you can trade with another farmer/rancher various grains or products. Another good source for greens, veggies and fruit is your local grocer. Many stores will give you trimmings or vegetables and fruit that are getting ripe. DO NOT give over ripe or unwashed foods to your birds. Canaries and finch and some other birds like hard boiled eggs smashed and blended. Boil eggs until they are thoroughly cooked. No risk of salmonella please!
While we are discussing cutting costs, I would like to explain ways of utilizing an existing structure for housing. Generally I speak of newly formed caging or structures that have never housed other animals. It can be done with care.
If the structure is made of concrete where it can be adequately sterilized you're in good shape, but if it's wooden more careful steps must be taken. First some woods such as redwood and cedar are toxic and must not be used. Oak or other woods with mold or fungi must also be avoided.
If you are raising hookbills in floor to ceiling cages you should cover the walls with sheet metal or some other non chewable surface. Otherwise you can construct pens/cages that are suspended from the ceiling where the bird has no access to reaching the wood with his beak. Of course this is after you have completely sanitized the area.
There are many sterilizing products on the market as well as household items such as Clorox or Lysol. You must follow all directions carefully and not allow your birds access to wet areas.
Another danger often overlooked is wire used for cage building. Check with the manufacturer to be sure no lead was used as coating or solder processing as all hookbills are chewers and also hang on wire by their beaks. Lead is deadly to any animal or human.
The pet industry is a huge market and it can be very profitable if careful planning is undertaken. One often thinks it takes too much time and care. I have never known a farmer that doesn't spend more hours with his livestock/products in hard labor than a bird breeder. All pets are a good bet in this growing market and some are more profitable than others.
Retailing hand fed baby birds from your farm has great potential, so give it some thought. One ever depressing problem is with lazy, inhumane people who over breed, have horrible unsanitary conditions, so I hope no one who wants to run a puppy type mill will read these articles and decide to give it a try. It is the responsibility of any humane person to rid the industry of blatant cruelty.
Another cost saving factor is building your own nest boxes. If you have a teenager or older person who is retired and would enjoy working with the birds that can also be beneficial in utilizing your time. Should you become a large-scale breeder, you most certainly will need additional help.
Remember, anything worth having is worth working for! Getting rich is not the intention here, but rather showing you how to supplement your income in the beginning while gaining the experience to grow into a full-time operation that provides great opportunity in a vast market.
| BACK TO TOPICS |