The tribe of finches - small bright decorative birds - is diverse and easy to care for.

Japanese birds are the easiest to keep at home. Their coloring is not too bright, but the song is pleasant and quiet. This species of finches does not fuss or litter, so cleaning their cages is a mere formality.
- Zebra finches are the most popular among this species of birds. They breed well in captivity, are brightly colored and often start their cheerful song. They are more mobile than Japanese finches, so there will be more garbage from them.
- Gould's finches are shy and bright birds. They are very delicate and sing quietly, with tints.
- Rice finches are large, unpretentious birds. Their song is very unique and similar to electronic music.

To maintain finches in good mood You need to keep at least a couple of birds in a cage. Alone, only rice finches feel the best.

Popular songbirds - canaries

For many years now, the most common domestic birds have been. These feathered pets are prized for being adorable and easy to care for. When buying a canary, keep in mind that only males sing.

The appearance is sunny - they are painted mainly in bright yellow tones. Kenars very easily get used to their owner and do not require a large enclosure. The cage of these birds can be cleaned every 2-3 days, but the water for drinking and bathing needs to be changed every day.

Friendly feathered pets - parrots

For a sociable person, there is no better pet than a parrot. These birds communicate well with people and quickly get used to new surroundings. Parrots respond to their name and, if treated well, can learn several funny tricks.

Before choosing one as a pet, keep in mind that this bird is quite noisy and loud. Parrots love to be involved in people's lives and are very curious. Often, if there are no other pets in the house, these birds are allowed to walk around the apartment.

If you get a couple of parrots, they will not bother you much, because one bird suffers alone.

Decorative chickens

Among decorative poultry you can increasingly find chicken! Of course, this bird is not an ordinary one. Small specially raised chickens are more reminiscent of pigeons and are distinguished by their remarkable intelligence.

Decorative chickens love to walk outside and sit on your hands. The only drawback of such pets, like all birds, is the inability to accustom them to one place. Unfortunately, chickens recover wherever they go.

Even ancient people domesticated wild birds and began breeding them in order to obtain food in the form of eggs and meat, as well as feathers and down, which were used in everyday life. Today's birds are different from those bred by our ancestors. As a result of selection work, the most suitable breeds for breeding were developed. In this article we will tell you which birds are more profitable to breed at home, because now anyone who has the desire and a small suburban area can breed birds.

First on our list are ducks. It is no coincidence that they were among the first to be domesticated by our ancestors. This is because these birds are famous for their unpretentiousness and quickly gain weight. The latter circumstance is especially important, because the ultimate goal of duck breeding is to obtain meat that has an amazing taste and high nutritional value due to its fat content and fibrous content.

Duck eggs are usually not consumed as readily as chicken eggs, because they have a specific taste. However, they can be used to prepare sauces and other dishes. Feathers and down are suitable for stuffing pillows and blankets, so they are also valuable.

Those who not only maintain a poultry house, but also tend a vegetable garden, will be able to use duck droppings as fertilizer.

Choosing a breed

Before you start breeding ducks on your own, you should pay attention to the characteristics of the most popular and suitable varieties of birds, and choose the ones that are suitable for yourself. We present a selection of the most profitable breeds for breeding.

You don’t have to be a gourmet to not try a baked bird of this breed in a restaurant at least once in your life. The body weight of an adult female is 3 kilograms, and the drake weighs a kilogram more. The fibrous, fatty meat is highly nutritious and literally melts in your mouth, with approximately 70% of the duck being edible.

Pekin ducks lay about 140-150 eggs per year, from which about 100 ducklings grow.

Muscovy duck

Also known as Indian duck. This breed can significantly surpass the previous one in size: the weight of the drake reaches 6 kg. The resulting meat is soft and lean. The character of these birds is always calm, which is also a plus. They don't fight in enclosures and don't make noise. Disease resistance is another undeniable advantage of the Muscovy duck.

Duck Mulard

This breed is a hybrid of the two varieties listed above. Chicks obtained by crossing Pekin and Muscovy ducks are characterized by a rapid growth rate and heavy weight adult. Hybrids do not produce offspring, but this can hardly be called a minus, because the option of keeping them remains very productive due to the large yield of meat.

Video - Breeding Muscovy ducks at home

What should a room for ducks look like?

Any structure that has been carefully equipped will become a duck house. First of all, you should take care of insulating the room, since egg production and weight gain of birds directly depend on the comfort of the temperature.

Thus, an extension made of logs must be caulked and plastered from the inside; a plank house can be upholstered with plywood, covered with plaster, plastered with clay, and so on. In hot weather, the inside of the house should be cool to give the ducks the opportunity to rest, and in frosty weather they should be warm and calm inside.

When arranging a house for ducks, pay special attention to the floor. It should be about 25cm above the ground to prevent rats from getting inside. Peat, sawdust or straw mixed with grass should be placed on top of the floor. Dry everything thoroughly and remove impurities. For one individual you need to prepare approximately 12 kg.

The laying of eggs in ducks directly depends on sufficient light and warmth. Make sure that they are always warm and dry inside their house, otherwise you risk being left without an increase in livestock. Be sure to consider ventilation inside the house.

Reduced daylight hours in winter can be a serious problem for ducks. Increase daylight hours with artificial lighting in the mornings and evenings.

Setting up a duck house

First of all, decide in which part of the house the duck hole will be made. A good option will place it in the south or southeast. The size of the hole is 40 cm wide and 30-40 cm high. It would be a good idea to build a small vestibule to protect the hole from wind and drafts.

In summer, it is worth fencing off the bird walking area so that they do not wander around the area and spoil the garden plantings. You can make such an enclosure not only on land, but also on water. The following materials can be used for fencing:

• fishing net;
• shingles;
• chain link;
• metal mesh;
• slats.

For land plot a meter-long fence will be enough, but in water the fence should go 70 cm below and 50 cm above the surface, since ducks can dive and accidentally swim out of the fence. If you do not have a small private pond, this may lead to a decrease in the number of fish.

To protect birds from the heat, canopies are attached to the fences in the summer. It would be a great idea to immediately set up enclosures under spreading trees, in the shade of which the birds can cool off.

Birds will want to walk not only in summer, but also winter period. To do this, it is necessary to constantly keep the enclosure clear of snow and cover its floor with a thick layer of dry straw. When the air temperature is acceptable and there is no wind, ducks can walk from morning to evening, however, in cold weather you should never force them out for a walk, as this will lead to hypothermia. The poultry house needs to be cleaned every day, ventilating it carefully so as not to blow out the feathered residents.

Interior design

Bird feeders are installed on a wide board, at least 2 cm thick. It is necessary to attach a bar on top of it, which will prevent ducks from trampling down the food. In addition to its basic diet, the duck must receive mineral supplements, which it ingests with mud in its natural environment:

• small shells;
• limestone;
• gravel, etc.

Because ducks need a large number of drinking about 600 ml daily, you should immediately arrange a large and comfortable drinking bowl. It can be made of metal or wood. Its height should be the height of the duck to keep the water clean (about 20 cm).

Duck nests are located in darkened compartments of the duck house to make it easier for ducks to lay eggs. However, do not crowd, leave room for people to move freely, because you will have to regularly collect eggs and clean nests. Each side of the nest should be from 40 to 50 cm, and the height should be 50 cm. To prevent the nesting litter from falling out of the perch, arrange a small threshold at the exit.

Count how many laying ducks there are among your wards and organize nests, one for every three birds. The eggs are collected in the morning.

Be careful while cleaning, because ducks are very shy. Severe stress can cause them to stop laying eggs completely.

Creation and maintenance of a tribe

The main condition for creating a duck tribe is uniformity. It should consist of birds of the same age and weight. There are about eight females per drake. When selecting ducklings for your stock, do not take hybrid chicks, because they cannot leave offspring.

The most important indicator The appearance of the birds is used for selection. The constitution of the bird must be strong, it itself must constantly move and radiate energy. The number and health of the future offspring depends on how healthy the parent tribe is.

For high egg production of females, it is necessary to create comfortable living conditions for the ducks, not to frighten them by breaking into the chicken coop, and not to allow other domestic animals to offend the bird. Once you start raising little ducklings into a parent flock, increase the length of daylight hours by half an hour every week until it reaches 16 hours. Leave minimal light in the house at night to avoid injury. Monitor the cleanliness of the floor and nesting litter.

The appearance of chicks

Incubation is carried out only from those ducks that are completely healthy. To do this, select eggs that are no older than a week. They are examined and weighed. The weight should be 70-90 grams for light breeds of birds and up to 100 grams for heavy breeds. Infected or spoiled eggs must be disposed of quickly.

Proponents of natural incubation of eggs need to remember that not all varieties of ducks have a developed instinct for raising offspring. For example, the Peking duck spends almost no time laying eggs. Below we provide a table with which you can determine whether a duck will hatch offspring.

Ducks preparing to hatch can be given previously collected eggs. It is important to take into account the size of each hen so that she completely covers the clutch with her body.

Breeding chicks artificially is based on an uninterrupted supply of oxygen and constant ventilation. At the very beginning, the temperature in which the eggs lie should be about 38 o C. By day 20, it is lowered to 30. The eggs are examined and checked to see if the embryo is developing on the 8th, 21st and 25th days.

How healthy hatched ducklings are is determined by these features:

• by evenness of pigmentation;
• feather fluffiness;
• wings pressed to the body;
• soft belly;
• dry navel;
• weighing 50 g.

The period for breeding this bird for meat is approximately 60 days, since after this the birds begin to lose weight.

Let's sum it up

From all of the above, it is clear that keeping and raising ducks is not so easy, however, it is quite acceptable. This activity does not require specialized education and specific knowledge and brings truly great benefits.

Geese breeding

Geese, being close relatives of ducks, are also unpretentious in keeping. Juicy goose meat has long been an integral element of Russian cuisine, decorating festive tables. Goose down is used to stuff bedding and winter clothing.

Goose meat is a frequent guest on the holiday table.

Breed selection

Today, a large number of different breeds of this bird are offered for purchase. Almost all of them are resistant to any climatic conditions of the area where they live. However, taking into account the characteristics of each variety, it is better to choose the ideal one for breeding in your region, since the regularity and completeness of obtaining offspring depends on this.

We present to you a list of the most profitable breeds for breeding.

Gray Kholmogorovsky geese

Perfect for beginning poultry keepers. This ancient breed is considered large and meat-producing. Adults have strong bones and resistance to disease. They were bred specifically to be kept in pasture conditions. The ability to acclimatize to any weather is their undoubted advantage. Raising the Kholmogorov breed for meat is very profitable: an adult drake reaches a weight of 12 kg, and a female - 8 kg. Egg production is about 30 eggs per year, which is a high figure.

Romny geese

Graceful southern birds. Perfect for natural brooding. Adults reach a weight of 5.5 kg for females and 6 kg for males. Despite the small final weight, the popularity of their breeding does not decrease due to the special delicate taste of their meat and a large amount of fluff and feathers. Egg production is 20 eggs per year.

Shadrinsky geese

In other words, Ural. True extreme sports enthusiasts are capable of living in the harsh winter conditions of Siberia. The body weight of adult individuals corresponds to the Romny geese, but egg production is 25-30 eggs per year. They quickly gain weight and are suitable for feeding in pasture conditions.

Another heavyweight on our list. They have a formidable appearance, but a calm character. The weight of an adult goose reaches 11 kg, a goose weighs approximately 8 kg. This variety is bred specifically to produce fatty liver, which weighs all of 500 g, but its nutritious fatty meat is also popular among food lovers. This bird denies natural incubation, but lays eggs consistently - up to 30 eggs per year.

The French by nationality are also suppliers of the liver delicacy. The liver of a fattened drake reaches a weight of as much as 700 g, while its body weight is 8 kg. Egg production remains at 25-30 eggs per year. Excellent for crossing and breeding hybrid breeds that will be even heavier than their parents.

Arrangement of the territory and poultry house

First of all, it is necessary to tidy up the land for cultivation. The site on which the poultry house will be located must be located outside the city. Supporters of free grazing of geese should have an area based on the number of livestock: an average of 10 meters per goose.

For a comfortable life for the bird, organize a poultry house. This must be a permanent structure, the area is also calculated according to the number of birds: 1 m2 for 4 birds. Since the air temperature in winter should not fall below 10 o C, take care to connect the heating system to the gooseneck. It can be represented by a self-built brick stove, a diesel stove, batteries or any other device.

The floor of the room should be made of wood or any other strong and high-quality material, since geese spend the night right on the floor. It is lined with a deep layer of peat, shavings or straw. This is necessary to protect the delicate paws from getting cold. The house should always be kept clean, so prevent rotting and severe contamination of the litter by cleaning the inside more often. A large volume of water evaporates from the feather surface of geese; for 10 birds it is approximately 2 liters. Constantly ventilate the bird house, otherwise its inhabitants will start to catch a cold.

Dryness and long daylight hours inside the goose coop are the key to productive egg production of geese.

In the summer, geese spend the entire daylight hours on the pasture, and are driven into the house to spend the night. Birds eat up to 2 kg of green grass per day, so the quality of this natural food on the pasture must be high. Bad grass from dry or swampy fields, as well as tall grass, are not suitable for birds to eat. Here is a list of herbs that geese prefer:

• bindweed;
• sorrel;
• dandelion;
• yarrow;
• nettle;
• sow thistle, etc.

To allow birds to hide from the midday heat, a canopy should be provided.

If there is absolutely no way to dig a pond on your property, use a trick and buy a spacious children's pool with low sides for the geese.

Feeding

Geese lay eggs for a short period of time. To get the most out of it, provide the geese with complete rest and intensive nutrition.

The winter diet per head is 150 g of grain and flour feed, 100 g of legumes, 400-500 g of root crops. To the list add chopped dry and steamed hay and mineral supplements: chalk, gravel, etc. You can feed the bird puree made from carrots, potatoes and hay. In the evening, feed the geese grain without any admixture of other foods.

During the period of laying eggs, the daily food intake of geese increases by 100 g of grain flour feed and 30 g of animal feed - milk and cottage cheese. If laying hens cannot cope with the increased food allowance, reduce it by cutting back on root crops.

A month before the start of the breeding season, males need to start feeding. Sprouted oats are perfect, in the proportion + 100 g per bird.

It is necessary to provide clean water both in summer and winter, despite the fact that in cold weather the geese will eat snow.

Getting offspring

The egg-laying season for geese begins at the end of February. The process begins with 1-2 eggs, the next month, with proper feeding and comfort of the bird, up to 10 eggs are laid, up to 9 eggs in April and 5 in May.

Preparations for the season begin in early February. Nests are installed on the floor, one for two females. A standard perch should be 50 cm wide and 75 cm long. The front part should not exceed 50 cm, the back part should not exceed 75 cm. It is best to fence off the nests from each other so that the birds do not fight among themselves and damage the eggs.

The litter usually occurs in the morning. After the hens go for a walk, it is necessary to remove the eggs from the roosts and store them at a temperature of 12 o C.

Let's sum it up

It is not for nothing that the goose is a universally recognized favorite of poultry farmers. Resistant to any climate, unpretentious in food and care, it gives back much more than what was invested in it. It doesn’t matter whether it is for sale or for food, raising geese is very profitable.

Chicken breeding

The chicken has long been the heroine of almost all Russian fairy tales. This is because even in the conditions of previous years, keeping chickens was simple and very profitable. It is chicken meat that is consumed in our country every day and on holidays. It is prepared by hospitable housewives, losing weight models, and athletes. And fried eggs made from two eggs have long become a traditional breakfast all over the world.

Choosing a breed

Let's move on to listing the most popular chicken breeds. They are distinguished primarily by egg production.

Loman-brown

Chickens with brown plumage, the egg-laying period of which lasts as much as 80 weeks. They produce more than 300 eggs per year.

Russian white

As the name suggests, these chickens have elegant white plumage. The egg production of a laying hen of this variety is about 200 eggs per year. The chickens themselves grow dense, with tender meat. Suitable for both mass and private breeding.

Hisex

High line

They produce approximately 350 eggs per year, which is an amazing result. They acclimatize well and adapt to any living conditions.

Kuchinskaya

A meat breed, chickens can weigh up to 3 kg. Egg production is approximately 220 eggs per year.

Isa Brown

The weight of one egg produced by a chicken of this species can exceed 63 g. The productivity is 320 eggs per year.

Conditions of detention

Building and equipping a chicken coop will not require large financial investments. You can build a bird house with your own hands, using boards, beams, cinder blocks, etc. Don't forget to insulate it before the winter season and install a stove inside so that the chickens continue to lay eggs in the winter.

The height of the room in which the birds will live should not exceed two meters. It is imperative to have ventilation and a source of natural light, as well as lamps for artificial lighting to compensate the chickens for daylight hours in winter conditions. It must be cool inside in summer and warm in winter, otherwise the birds may get sick.

It is necessary to regularly clean the premises and replace bedding on the floor and in perches. You can cover the floor with peat moss, shavings or sawdust from coniferous trees, as well as straw.

The entrance to the chicken coop should be located on the east or southeast side. Inside, the structure should be equipped with nests and common perches, as well as feeders and drinkers. There is one place for every four hens to lay eggs.

Feeding chickens

The easiest way to save yourself the hassle of organizing poultry feeding is to buy ready-made feed. However, it costs money and this can be a deterrent for new bird keepers. In this case, the optimal diet for one bird will consist of corn, carrots, potatoes, millet, bone meal, ordinary grass and mineral supplements such as shells, sand and gravel. A laying hen eats only 120 g of feed per day. If you personally take on the task of preparing the leafy and herbal portions of the diet, and also purchase grain products at wholesale prices, then it will cost only 35-40 rubles per month for one chicken.

Raising and diet of offspring

Chickens are the few poultry that have strong parental instincts and are therefore ideal for natural brooding. Chicks can also be raised in an incubator and, after hatching, transferred to a homemade aviary - a large, solid box illuminated by a heat lamp.

The menu for children should consist of fortified foods. In the morning you should give the whites of boiled eggs, crushed shells, shredded green onions and wheat, mixing it all together.

In the evening, mix cottage cheese with kefir and place it in feeders along with river sand, which acts as a mineral additive.

Shells - mineral supplement for chickens

Let's sum it up

Raising chickens requires the least material costs throughout the entire process and pays off with a large number of eggs and healthy chicken meat. Beginners should give their preference to these birds.

Turkey breeding

Turkey meat is becoming increasingly popular in the health food market. Breeding this type of bird today is considered very profitable.

Choosing a breed

Typically, the choice of breed is made after all the characteristics of the location of the future turkey poultry farm are known, such as the climatic features of the region. However, there is a list of turkey varieties that are most profitable to breed.

Big 6

Highly productive meat breed, gains weight much faster than other varieties. The weight of an adult male is approximately 19 kg, and that of a female is 11 kg.

Bronze broad-breasted

Very suitable for breeding for meat, the weight of turkeys reaches 15 kg, turkeys - 9 kg. The disadvantage of this breed is its complete unsuitability for a pasture diet, since it was bred to be kept inside a poultry house. It is characterized by high fertility - up to 120 eggs per year.

North Caucasian bronze

Suitable for pasture feeding. The weight of males is 14 kg, females are about 10 kg. Egg production is reduced - up to 80 eggs.

White broad-breasted

Quickly acclimatizes to any conditions, egg production is maintained at a level of 120 eggs per year. One of the most profitable breeds, as turkeys reach up to 25 kg. live weight, females remain at 10 kg.

Cross Big 6

Heavy, meat breed, characterized by instant growth. It is bred and purchased to produce tasty and nutritious dietary meat. A negative feature is the need for artificial insemination of birds to breed this variety.

Breeding chicks

The turkey house should be spacious, equipped with straw nests, the width and length of which are 40 cm. There are about 15 eggs per female, so there should be enough space.

Hatched chicks must be immediately given boiled water with the addition of green tea and sugar to boost their immunity. This solution replaces water for the first four days of life, then it is introduced into the diet.

Young turkey poults should always have the light on, which should be gradually reduced by 30 minutes so that by the 20th day of life, 15 days of light is enough for them. The temperature should not be high, but also too low, since chicks are highly susceptible to colds.

Since turkeys are characterized by rapid weight gain, it is better to spend money and buy feed for their food, which already includes vitamins, amino acids and minerals. However, to save money, you can feed the bird a mixture of corn, barley and bran, as well as cottage cheese, carrots and even fish giblets. To saturate food with vitamin A, you can add dry yeast. It is necessary to have mineral additives, which can be ordinary chalk.

Conditions of detention

Turkeys are headstrong birds, so even at a young age they should not be kept with chickens, geese or ducks. In the southern regions, turkeys can be raised without a special room, since they are very resistant to weather changes, but in the northern regions, an insulated building is required.

Pens for walking turkeys are fenced with metal mesh or any other material. Feeders and drinkers are installed inside the turkey poultry, preferably vacuum ones. The temperature regime of 27 degrees is provided either naturally or with the help of special heaters.

Drinkers should be rinsed several times a day, avoiding heating the water, which should remain cool and clean. You also need to constantly keep the poultry house clean, otherwise the development of infections cannot be avoided.

An important point is to adhere to the feeding regime for turkeys and turkeys. Food is provided 4-7 times a day at the same time. This schedule significantly affects egg production and body weight gain.

Let's sum it up

Turkeys are reared specifically for the purpose of obtaining and selling meat, but eggs and chicks can also be sold. Caring for this bird is not as easy as others, so experienced poultry farmers should choose it.

Video - How to breed and keep turkeys

Now that you have learned about the features of breeding the most popular bird species, you can get to work fully armed and achieve real success.

It so happened that I cannot keep either cats or dogs at home, because I am allergic to them. I love animals and since childhood I dreamed of having at least some animals at home. There were cats and dogs, but they all had to be given away, because my allergy only progressed. So, 3 years ago the decision was made to take home a canary. And... we were not mistaken with our choice.

We took a young yellow canary from a regular pet store and named him Krosha. We affectionately call him Kronya. Krosha, by nature, was quite cautious and took a long time to get used to his new home. He rushed from one wall of the cage to another, chirped and was very worried.

They bought him a fairly spacious cage, about 45 cm long and 35 cm wide. They put it in the kitchen. By the way, it is better to place the cage with the bird in a room where there are no drafts. We ventilate the kitchen by opening the window only in the warm season. The bird likes it when the water is turned on or when some noise appears in the form of music, Krosha immediately begins to sing.

After a couple of days, Kronya got used to it. Having read that birds need to be given free rein, we began to slowly release him. Kronya resisted and reluctantly left his cage. Next to her there was a flower in a large pot and at first we let Krosha run around to “graze”

The bird was greatly disturbed by the ring with which he was ringed, so we removed it. Krosha quickly learned to fly around the apartment. His favorite place was the closet in the hallway, where he still flies off to take a nap. Krosha loved running on the stove (of course, when it was cold) and exploring the kitchen. He loves to be carried on your arm and given a “tour”, carried from room to room. Kronya himself finds his way to the cage from any room in the apartment.

It so happened that six months after acquiring Kronya, he lost his beautiful song, because he experienced a serious molt and was unable to restore his melody after it. We took the bird as a simple pet and therefore it did not bother us much. Krosha's favorite toy is a mirror, apparently he sees his girlfriend in it. Sometimes I even tried to perform my “manly duties” with a mirror.

Loves to play with the shadow when he sits on the cabinet in the hallway.

In the warm season, they took it with them to the dacha.

Krone liked to sit in flower pots. And you can chew grass and try geranium

Many funny things happened to the bird, we are amazed how he got out of them.

For example, one day he fell behind a closet in the hallway. The closet is huge and heavy, they waited until dad arrived to move it... and they were afraid to move it.... Kronya with ragged wings, a frightened look and a heart-rending squeak ran to the cage from the corridor to the kitchen, I caught him near the cage and put him in it. The bird was sick for a couple of weeks, but nothing was wrong, it got better. We didn't even go to the vet.

One day we decided to buy him a nest, just for fun. The “paternal instinct” woke up in Kron and he turned into a mother hen. I collected feathers, protected the nest... I almost laid eggs there. The nest was attached with threads to the perch and the walls of the cage (we were inexperienced). As a result, when I came home to study, I found a bird hanging on one leg on an unraveled thread, the thread passed under the wings and over the head, the leg was pinched, terribly red and swollen... It took about 15 minutes to free the poor fellow from the thread, poor Kronya could not sit at first and just lying at the bottom of the cage. After a few minutes, he began to recover a little. Homeopathic ointment Traumeel was applied to the paw and after 2 weeks everything went away.

I won’t describe how many times he crashed into glass and mirrors. Once you release the bird, be prepared for the fact that it will hurt your head sometimes

A few more photos of our poor guy:

Three years later we decided to get our pet a girlfriend. At that time, we didn’t have any special knowledge in choosing a girlfriend to match the color of the canary, so we purchased a simple brown female.

Krosha, who lived alone for 3 years, shied away from his girlfriend for the first few days. She, being young and active, chased him around the cage and did not allow him to sit quietly or eat. Krona even lost weight from such stress. And he stopped singing. But after a couple of weeks everything started to improve....So, more specific information on keeping and caring for a canary:

1) The canary is a friend who is difficult to tame, but possible.

2) Minimum care, clean once a day (or even once every few days the tray in the cage and that’s it. With a cat or a dog there is much more hassle.

3) The food is inexpensive. A pack of food in the middle price category costs 200 rubles, which lasts for several months. Feeding as calcium, as well as soft food (eggs), sprouted seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds... all this is pennies.

4) The bird sings beautifully. Well, if you want a bird not for singing, but for beauty, then take a beautiful decorative color (there are so many colors now!). There are even canaries with crests

5) Canaries litter. A large amount of debris from grain, feathers, etc. can accumulate around the cage during the day. But, excuse me, who doesn’t litter? Cleaning around the cage once a day/two days is not that difficult.

6) When you go on vacation, you definitely need to give the bird a home to someone, or find someone who will visit your pet every 2 days (and if possible, more often).

7) For people who are allergic to cats/dogs but want to get an animal, a canary is the best option

In the article I will consider the conditions for keeping and breeding ornamental birds. These are various songbirds and parrots with bright plumage. I will list the features of the species. I will consider whether they are compatible with other birds or require separate keeping. I'll tell you what to feed and how to properly breed in an apartment.

The best types of ornamental birds for home keeping

Parrots

Macaw

The price of parrots is 100,000 - 250,000 rubles per individual.

Among all the exotic ornamental birds, this is the brightest. In the colors of the plumage of this largest parrot you can see all the colors of the rainbow - from red to blue. Such a handsome man is literally mesmerizing, and you can admire him endlessly.

Parrots are granivorous birds. Seeds and nuts should make up no more than one quarter of the diet. One large individual receives 50-55 g of food per day, which can be purchased at a pet store.

The macaw's beak is incredibly strong. For this reason, it is not recommended to keep the macaw without a cage. Otherwise, it will damage furniture and other furnishings.

The price of the bird is 60,000 - 725,000 rubles.

Impressive size tropical bird, possessing an extraordinary appearance and originality in behavior. As for appearance, its most attractive detail is its lush crest, which can be raised and lowered at will.

The parrot's powerful beak allows it not only to crack hard nuts, but also to gnaw through metal wire. For this reason, cockatoos are kept in cages with very thick metal bars.

The basis of nutrition is a grain mixture of different varieties of millet, buckwheat, canary seed, a small amount of nuts, seeds and hemp. Fruits and berries are added to the main diet, the remains of which should be removed from the cage every day.

The cockatoo has a long life expectancy. Under favorable circumstances, he can live eighty years.

Price 25,000 – 100,000 rubles per individual.

This parrot is an exception from a number of exotic representatives of tropical fauna with bright plumage.

This rather large African parrot, 30-35 cm in size, has a modest gray outfit, but very large vocal capabilities. He can learn to repeat up to one and a half thousand words throughout his life, the duration of which can reach 50 years.

In their homeland they eat mainly fruits and nuts. At home, they feed on grain mixtures with an additive from seeds; they supplement the diet with fruits and vegetables. To compensate for the lack of calcium, the bird is fed eggshells, which are crushed and mixed with soft food.

The price of arating is 5,000 – 58,000 rubles.

Parrots of this genus have a great ability to imitate. They imitate various human sounds and speech. Those raised in captivity become attached to the owner and are easy to train.

However, aratingas have an unpleasant feature - they scream loudly and harshly. This causes discomfort in a person. Therefore, they cannot be fully called good pets.

In addition, they will require a lot of space to maintain them. These birds must fly. They always need fresh branches because they always have something to chew on. In the wild, they eat plant food. In captivity, their diet consists of seeds, fruits, and vegetables. You can use ready-made granulated feed.

The price for budgies is 500 – 2,000 rubles.

Popular among lovers of ornamental birds, they come from Australia. There they live in large communities, gathering in numerous flocks.

In captivity they are usually kept in pairs. But if you hope to teach your parrot to talk, then he needs to be kept separately. The parrot chooses a partner immediately and for life.

In their homeland they have enough. The basis is the seeds of herbaceous plants and grains different cultures. At home, the main food is also grain. This is a special ready-made mixture that can be purchased in the store.

Only grain food can be left in the parrot's feeder all day.

Songbirds

The price is 2,000 – 8,500 rubles.

One of the most musical ornamental birds. At the same time, she is very unpretentious in keeping at home. The first canaries appeared in European homes in the 14th century. Over the past centuries, they have won many fans.

Easily reproduce in captivity. IN good conditions Their life expectancy is 15-18 years.

The price for a finch is 400 rubles.

Finches are not often kept in cages. They do not make tame birds. Keeping in captivity often affects the desire of finches to please themselves and those around them with their wonderful song, somewhat similar to the trills of a nightingale.

When caring for finches special attention requires a diet that should not be rich in fatty seeds, such as sunflower, hemp and the like. If this is not monitored, the finches become fat, go blind and die. Therefore, it is advisable to keep them in spacious enclosures. If this is not possible, then it is better to abandon such an idea.

The price for blackbirds is 2,000 – 5,000 rubles.

At home, they keep some species of thrushes that sing well and loudly. These are songbirds, blackbirds, and missel thrush. Each bird is unique and inimitable in its own way. Blackbirds are mostly omnivorous, so keeping them in captivity is quite simple.

Especially beautiful song at the song thrush. When kept at home, he begins to sing early, on the eve of the New Year.

Sings in the evenings, even after sunset under artificial light. There is only one drawback to this - what sounds great at a distance can simply deafen the listener up close. All types of blackbirds get along well in an aviary with other birds; they are friendly and easily get used to captivity.

The price for siskins is 200 – 400 rubles.

A friendly small bird. In nature, it lives in the zone of coniferous and mixed forests. In good conditions, with proper care, they live up to 10 years. With their bright colors and pleasant chirping, siskins all year round delight their owners.

The song of a siskin often contains trills of other birds, especially tits. Siskin is not picky about living conditions. At home, it readily eats all kinds of seeds - rapeseed, poppy seeds, flax seeds, millet. You can add some ant larvae to the food.

You should definitely add greens to your siskin’s diet. Lettuce, chickweed, tradescantia, and other plants are suitable. In captivity, it becomes attached to its owners, can calmly fly around the room, then it is easy to catch it and put it in a cage.

In nature, siskins make their nests very secretly, skillfully hiding them among spruce paws. Therefore, when breeding in captivity, they also require conditions for arranging a hidden nesting site.

The price for goldfinches is 200 – 900 rubles.

IN last years the goldfinch is regaining its former popularity as a poultry. Breeders and hobbyists value goldfinches for their brightly colored feathers and the pleasant sound of their melodic song.

In captivity, the birds feel good, which is confirmed by singing almost all year round, excluding only the molting period. The melodies produced by the goldfinch are varied. It can play up to two dozen different trills.

The goldfinch quickly gets used to its owner, can take food from his hand, and learn simple tricks, for example, returning to its cage on command. You need to keep it in a spacious cage, preferably an enclosure with two rows of perches.

The goldfinch's home should be located in a well-lit place, but not in a draft or in direct sunlight.

To feed goldfinches, grain mixtures are used, as for siskins and canaries. Animal food is also important for goldfinches - mealworms and ant pupae are suitable. At the same time, you need to monitor whether the goldfinch likes this addition to the menu; not every bird likes it.

Whatever bird you plan to keep at home, it is important to first study its needs, compare them with your capabilities, and only then make an informed decision.

Birds are the most beautiful creatures in the world! Their appearance is full of bliss, and their movements are full of grace. It is impossible to imagine our world without birds. There are currently about 9,000 species of birds on Earth - a huge variety of colors and sounds! All birds are unique in their own way.
For a long time, people have been interested in birds - after all, they can fly! And man has always dreamed of flight, of open spaces and new horizons.

Ornamental birds have been kept in people's homes since ancient times. In ancient times, they were decorations of palaces, castles and houses of noble people. They delighted with their bright plumage, or their beautiful voice, or both. The fashion for decorative birds is still alive today. Today, everyone can enjoy communicating with feathered beauties. The main thing is to choose the right pet so that its temperament and maintenance characteristics do not become a problem for the owner.
Keeping ornamental birds is a fascinating activity. You can watch them for hours, listening to the trills of representatives of singing species. Such a hobby helps to get closer to nature and has a beneficial effect on a person’s psychological state and the moral climate of the family.

We present to your attention the most popular types of ornamental birds:

Finches native to tropical regions of the Earth. Their brightly colored plumage attracts many bird lovers. Thanks to him, finches look very impressive and exotic. In addition, they are funny and active. These birds easily get used to people and, if treated well, begin to trust them. But the finches sing, to put it mildly, not very well. The sounds they make resemble whistling, buzzing, chirping, grumbling and even hissing. However, this disadvantage is more than compensated for by the exterior and friendliness of the birds, as well as their unpretentiousness in maintenance.
– Japanese finches are the easiest birds to keep at home. Their coloring is not too bright, but the song is pleasant and quiet. This type of finches does not fuss or litter, so cleaning their cages is a mere formality.
– Zebra finches are the most popular among this species of birds. They breed well in captivity, are brightly colored and often start their cheerful song. They are more mobile than Japanese finches, so there will be more garbage from them.
– Gould’s finches are shy and bright birds. They are very delicate and sing quietly, with tints.
– Rice finches are large, unpretentious birds. Their song is very unique and similar to electronic music.
To keep finches in a good mood, you need to keep at least a couple of birds in a cage. Alone, only rice finches feel the best.

Blackbirds They are famous for their unique melodic singing, but they are not easy to maintain. Blackbirds are shy birds. They are distrustful of people and do not give in to their hands. Birds take a long time to adapt to the conditions of captivity, but blackbirds, accustomed to a cage, sing regularly. Blackbirds need a lot of space, so they are kept in large cages or enclosures. They also require sunlight and regular bathing, for which a bath is built in the cage. Despite the difficulties in keeping, blackbirds are popular ornamental birds.

Finches small interesting birds, quite often kept at home.
They have developed sexual dimorphism, so it is very easy to distinguish between males and females. Males have bluish plumage on the head and neck (only in the warm season) and a bright reddish chest. Females are discreetly colored. The main color of their plumage is brownish-greenish. Finches become tame quite easily. They are also easy to maintain. It is worth noting that only males sing among finches.

Goldfinches attract lovers of domestic ornamental birds with their bright elegant plumage and in a melodic, non-irritating voice. Goldfinches are energetic and active birds. They quickly become tame. They are also smart and willful. Some individuals can be pugnacious, but most birds are still friendly towards other birds. Despite this, goldfinches should not be kept in the same cage with other bird species. Female goldfinches have less singing ability compared to males. Males have a sonorous and beautiful song. Sometimes there are individuals with a developed multi-generational song.

Siskins peace-loving birds. They combine aesthetic appearance and melodic singing,
due to which they are popular, but mainly in their habitat areas. Siskins can be kept in the same enclosure with other finches, but they also do well alone. Caring for these birds is easy. They are also not picky about food. Siskins have a pleasant timbre and a beautiful song consisting of several knees; they can also imitate the songs of other bird species.

jays beautiful, bright and very interesting birds. In addition to their attractive appearance, birds
They are distinguished by their ability to imitate almost all sounds that they hear. Jays are able to copy various noises, sounds, human voices, songs of other birds, melodies, even words. The contents of these amazing birds quite unpretentious. They can eat any food. If the bird comes into the house as a chick, then it becomes completely tame, and if it is already an adult bird, then the jay will need quite a lot of time to get used to people and begin to trust them.

Pigeons very popular and ancient birds all over the world. Today they are kept mainly for
aesthetic pleasure, that is, like decorative birds. More than eight hundred breeds of pigeons are known. Each breed has not only its own unique appearance, but also a number of behavioral and other characteristics. Unlike many other decorative birds, pigeons are not distinguished by their beautiful singing, as they only coo. Basically, the popularity of pigeons is due to their appearance and beautiful, mesmerizing flock flight. Birds are kept mainly in groups in special dovecotes or in spacious home cages (1-2 individuals). Pigeons are not picky about food and do not require complex care.

Canaries some of the oldest birds kept in captivity. These small birds They are distinguished and valued for their bright attractive color, low maintenance requirements and melodic multi-step singing. The singing of birds obtained as a result of selection has a greater depth of phrases, but fewer elements than the songs of wild canaries. When buying a canary, keep in mind that only males sing. Wild canaries have approximately 400 song elements in their arsenal, which makes them more diverse. Canaries are birds that are easily tamed, trust people, live long enough (7-12 years) and reproduce successfully in captivity.
The appearance of canaries is sunny - they are painted mainly in bright yellow tones. Kenars very easily get used to their owner and do not require a large enclosure. The cage of these birds can be cleaned every 2-3 days, but the water for drinking and bathing needs to be changed every day.

Parrots

These are the most popular ornamental birds. This is caused by the variety and brightness of color, rapid adaptation to new conditions of detention (many species become tame) and, most importantly, the ability to imitate a person’s voice - to “communicate”. For a sociable person, there is no better pet than a parrot.
They have been kept at home for a long time and successfully. They adapt well to captivity conditions, quickly begin to trust people, and are unpretentious in food and maintenance. Parrots come in different sizes (from 10 to 98 cm), and almost all of them have bright plumage, which attracts many bird breeders. Parrots are funny, cheerful and smart birds. The most popular types of parrots to keep at home are budgerigars, cockatoos (many members of the family), and macaws.

Another popular decorative birds of the parrot family are gray parrots or gray. These rather large birds have earned popularity due to their amazing ability to reproduce voices and melody. The fact is that these charming creatures in nature communicate by imitating a whistle and, living side by side with a person, they try to contact him in this way. It is generally believed that red-tailed grays are more talented than brown-tailed grays, but this is not so. If the latter are given due attention, they will delight their owners with amazingly accurate reproduction of sounds.

In captivity, these parrots can live up to 60 years with proper care and veterinary care. Before getting a Gray Gray, you should think about whether you are planning to move within a few years. Of course, it is impossible to plan for the next half century, but the acquisition of such a feathered friend must be taken responsibly. Grays can also breed in captivity, and the owners, who have provided all the living conditions for the couple, will have a unique opportunity to watch the family troubles of their feathered friends.

The demand for medium and large parrots is constantly growing not only in Russia. Reproduction in special nurseries is clearly not enough, and therefore the capture of parrots in the wild continues, which leads to a reduction in the number or complete disappearance of the subspecies.

The most popular types of ornamental birds was last modified: August 19th, 2014 by allpets1