Avian - Accomodation

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Types of Accomodation: Part 1

  • birds live in aviaries
    • need to think of material it is made from as psittacines can chew through wood
  • over the year it has come in all shapes and sizes
  • think about the species of bird you are keeping and their needs
  • cages
    • literally a cage, sizes can vary
  • flights
    • a form of cage
    • birds are free flying
    • sometimes mixed species
  • weathering yards
    • a perch in the yard for a bird to sit on
    • bird tethered to the perch so it cannot fly off
  • free loft mews
    • like traditional mews but birds are not tethered
    • birds can fly around
    • require more space as only one bird can be housed safely
    • more space to fly
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Types of Accomodation: Part 2

  • traditional mews
    • consists of partitioned spaces
    • designed to keep tethered birds separate
    • perches for each bird
    • only suitable for birds of prey
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Substrate

  • wood chippings
  • sand
  • sawdust
  • stones/gravel
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Height and Size

  • staff needs
  • animals natural habitat
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Indoor versus outdoor

  • birds require shelter, especially in cold weather
  • endotherms
  • specific species require special areas of shelter to breed
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Stocking Density

  • social vs. solitary
  • noise level
  • mixed species
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Enrichment

  • goals of enrichment
    • increase behavioural diversity
    • reduce the frequency of abnormal behaviours
    • increase the range or number of normal behaviour patterns
    • increase positive utilisation of the environment
  • aims of the keeper providing enrichment
    • to mentally stimulate the bird
    • to encourage natural behaviour
    • minimise or eradicate abnormal behaviour
    • encourage the bird to utilise the environment
    • ensure we meet minimum welfare requirements
  • what are the reasons to not provide enrichment
    • increase in cost of keeping animals in captivity
    • additional work for staff
    • more difficult to clean enclosures
    • creates a riskier environment
    • increases variability in experimental animals
    • is there scientific proof?
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Types of Enrichment

  • sensory
  • environmental
  • social
  • manipulative
  • feeding
  • training
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Why do birds fly?

  • food
  • migration
  • breeding
  • to escape predators
  • in captivity we remove these factors, what is the bird going to do?
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Evaluating an Aviary Part 1

What are we looking for when we are evaluating aviaries?

  • size
  • weight
  • location
  • substrate
  • indoor/outdoor

How do you know whether an aviary is good or not?

  • you don't straight away
  • you need to know what species is being housed and the purpose of the enclosure
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Evaluating an Aviary Part 2

Once you know the purpose and the species being housed, you can start to evaluate:

  • size
  • location
  • height
  • substrate
  • perching
  • furnishings
  • planting
  • location of water and food sources
  • weather and light exposure
  • the species being housed
  • number of animals
  • materials used in construction
  • aesthetics
  • access
  • ease of maintenance and cleaning
  • temperature
  • security
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Evaluating an Aviary: Size

  • is bigger always better?
    • depends on species and if they are breeding
      • breeding birds may want a smaller enclosure
    • larger space means more room for hiding and therefore harder to observe the bird
    • larger means more room to build up speed in flight
      • more likely to damage or kill itself
      • highly strung birds fly fast to escape threats
      • reducing the size of the enclosure can prevent speed build up
  • are species able to show natural behaviours?
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Evaluating an Aviary: Location

  • Can be affected by light levels, weather, temperature and noise
  •  An incorrect environment could disrupt circadian rhythms, breeding cycles and natural behaviours
  • The location and style of additional shelter can affect levels of exposure and breeding success
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Evaluating an Aviary: Perching

  • extremely important
  • damage to feet can lead to serious or life-threatening injuries
  • how feet are designed and work is paramount
  • must research natural lifecycle and size
    • small perches are not good for big birds
    • load bearing and movement of the perch are important for landing and take off
  • species such as raptors require perching that does not force the feet open and flat for long periods of time
  • incorrect perching can cause pads on the feet to wear, crack and develop sores
    • can lead to bumblefoot and septicaemia
  • rough, uneven bark, twisting and knobbly perches are all desirable
    • pads not always in contact with the perch which prevent wasting
    • in the wild perches are not all striaght and perfectly smooth
  • terrestrial birds feet are made for walking
    • capable of curling and gripping
    • smaller terrestrial birds prefer to roost high in the evening
    • toes tend to be more even allowing more even spread of weight
    • ratites have very large tough feet and do not curl the same way as other birds, makes it hard for them to perch comfortably 
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Evaluating an Aviary: Substrate

  • what is the best substrate
    • straw
    • gravel
    • concrete
    • wood shavings
    • earth/grass
    • bark chippings
    • astroturf
  • what makes it good
    • absorbency
    • ease of cleaning
    • durability
    • dust
    • foot health
    • price
    • availability 
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Evaluating an Aviary: Boundaries

  • do they provide a solid sight barrier
  • are they sound proof
  • is it secure from predators and pets
  • are the species likely to injure themselves if they fly into it
  • can the species break out
  • common boundaries include:
    • knitted wire/aviary mesh
    • chicken wire
    • weldmesh
    • vertical bars
    • solid 
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Evaluating an Aviary: Materials

  • wood
  • metal
  • concrete
  • brick
  • steel
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The Process of Design Part 1

  • the first things we need are the parameters that we are working with
  • core:
    • what species
    • what is their purpose in the establishment
    • what space is available
    • what budget are we working with
    • where are the water and electrical sources
    • what access is there to the area
    • what is in the surrounding area
  • additional
    • do you need to house additional species
    • is there a secondary purpose
    • how do you want the public to interact
    • what information can you give about the individuals
    • what is the natural flow of the movement in the area
    • is this a mian focus?
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The Process of Design Part 2

  • you will then need to research
    • what does the species do in the wild
    • how do they find food, feed and on what
    • when is the breeding season? how do they breed?
    • what is the rearing strategy of the species
    • what are the temperaments of the species
    • what habitats do they live in? where do they rest?
    • how do they fly? what kind of flight is it?
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Japanese Crane Enclosure Design

  • breeding
    • water
    • nesting area
    • lekking/courtship
    • socialisation
  • display
    • aesthetics
    • encourage natural behaviours
    • public immersion
    • allow for breeding
  • education
    • educational
    • clear message
    • easy to interpret
    • interesting
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Enclosures

  • the animal's enclosure is the single largest aspect of a captive animal's life
  • zoos and other animal establishments spend huge amounts of time creating enrichment
    • to encourage natural behaviours
    • prevent boredom and reduce stereotypical behaviours
  • why don't wild animals need enrichment?
  • by improving enclosures, we improve the lives of the animals in our care but also:
    • reduce negative behaviours
    • improve breeding success
    • make greater improvements to conservation efforts
    • improve public satisfaction, understanding and experience
  • a well-designed enclosure provides stimulus, and a hungry animal is an active and alert animal
    • if we take away the reasons for the bird to fly there is no reason for the bird to fly
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