Superb Parrot - Nswfmpa.org

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Animal Care Studies - Western Sydney Institute of TAFE, Richmond4.8 Nestboxes and/or Bedding MaterialRefer section 10.10 Nesting, Hollow or Other Requirements.4.9 Enclosure FurnishingsPerchesNatural branches, of various shapes and sizes, are preferable as they provide exercise forthe bird’s feet. Using branches for perching is more aesthetically pleasing and give aneasy-to-grip surface. Fresh cut branches also provide an added activity for chewing andstripping the bark. Branches used for perches should be obtained from a reliablerenewable source of Australian native trees and shrubs or from alternative non-nativetrees and shrubs that are not poisonous/toxic too bird’s. Perches should not be allowed tobecome soiled and therefore need to be replaced on a regular basis to maintain thecleanliness of an enclosure. An indicator for replacement could be once all the bark asbeen removed from a branch but earlier removal may be preferable.Perches are generally placed at the extremities of an enclosure to enable the maximumexercise to be obtained by the birds, but should also be positioned to avoid the fouling ofwalls/partitions and containers for food and water. One set of perches should always beplaced under the sheltered section of an enclosure. All perches need to be securelyfastened to the walls or wire flight sections of an enclosure. This can be achieved byeither using screws and washers fixed into the ends of perches, especially for wiredsections, or having permanently fixed perch holder brackets (refer Figure 22), which areparticularly useful for enclosure walls and partitions. If perches are not securely fastenedand stable, copulation may not take place and birds may become wary of using insecureperches.Figure 22. Perch holding bracket that can easily be made in various sizes from galvanisedaluminium sheeting.There tends to be a high use of stable perches which allows birds to walk rather than fly,so to encourage flying and balancing it is better to have a variety of ropes and flexiblebranches. Larger display enclosures (aviaries) could have vines and small trees to provideKeith Naylor 28/3/2005 Version 3 36
Animal Care Studies - Western Sydney Institute of TAFE, Richmondincreased perching variety and activity. Extra ropes securely hanging from the roof of anenclosure can give birds a swinging perch. Knots in the ropes would provide extraperching challenges.LandscapingLandscaping with items that would give a naturalistic setting and resemble the wildhabitat of P. swainsonii can enhance the display/exhibit value of an enclosure. Such itemswould not only assist with the reduction of any possible stereotypic behaviour, andbehavioural enrichment and physical well-being of the birds but also provide a moreinteresting educational exhibit. Landscaping items should not be sourced from areas thatwould be to the detriment of the natural habitat of wildlife. (refer Figure 16)Wild populations of P. swainsonii have been observed spending 55% of their timeforaging on the ground. To encourage foraging on the ground there can be a variation inan enclosures floor levels by creating mounds or using old fallen branches. A woodlandfloor effect could also be created with plantings of Australian native grasses and using alayer of bark and leaves. Further foraging opportunities can be created by regularlyplacing freshly cut leafy branches of Eucalyptus, or other known Australian native foodplants, in suitably sized PVC tubing secured in the floor or to the framework of anenclosure.In large enclosures the flight pattern of P. swainsonii may need to broken up to slowdown flight speed to reduce possible self inflicted injuries. This is particularly importantwhere breeding occurs and young P. swainsonii first emerge from nesting facilities.Strategically placed upright branches or plants in pots would assist with this matter.Permanent plantings of Australian native shrubs could be used to improve the landscapeof an enclosure but P. swainsonii may chew these plants. An alternative would be to havea succession of potted plants that could be regularly changed if they become too chewedup. The chewed plants may be placed in a nursery area to be rejuvenated.A permanent water feature that may resemble a stream, possibly with rocks, would alsoadd to the naturalistic setting. This would reflect the close association that P. swainsoniihas in its wild habitat with river systems. (Garnett and Crowley 2000) (NSW Government1993) (Sindel and Gill 2003) (Shephard 1989) (Willemsen and Hawkins 2003)5 General Husbandry5.1 Hygiene and CleaningEnclosures must be cleaned out everyday. Faeces, seed husks, stale food items and otherdebris should be removed daily. Floors need to be swept, raked or hosed clean daily. Thetype of floor cleaning method will be dependent on the type of floor. For exampleconcrete floors with a light sand covering would need to be swept and a fresh layer of drysand spread out, whereas earth or sand floors would require raking clean. The majority ofKeith Naylor 28/3/2005 Version 3 37
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