|
Part III: The
Rules
by Doug Bedwell
Whenever I encounter
something new with my birds, whether it is a problem, a question, or
something exciting and unexpected, I have two rules for myself that I
always strive to follow.
1. PAY ATTENTION.
2. TRUST YOUR OWN JUDGEMENT.
At first glance, these rules
seem simple and obvious, and yet, I am astonished at how often I catch
myself failing to follow them. Almost any time I have a serious problem
in my aviary, I can look back at what happened and see where I’ve
failed to follow one or both of these two cardinal rules.
Rule #1: Pay Attention.
As Yogi Berra once said: "you can observe a lot just by watching." Take
some time to actually watch your birds interact with each other.
I’m not talking about checking them out when you change their
food and water. Actually sit down from some inconspicuous vantage point
and watch your birds’ behavior. Given a little time, the birds
will eventually start to ignore you, and start interacting with each
other, and chances are that you’ll learn a lot about how birds
are doing, whether your pairs are getting along with each other, and
what sort of dynamic is running through your flock.
But even in your daily routine, you need to pay attention to details.
Is the seed cup on one cage always totally empty when you check it?
Chances are good that the hen is kicking out all the seeds to make a
little nesting spot for herself. I’ve not had many hens lay eggs
in seed cups, because the cup gets disturbed often enough that only a
really tenacious hen will feel comfortable laying eggs there, but It is
very possible for a hen to starve herself or her mate by throwing out
all the seed so there is never any to eat. Adding a second seed cup,
one too small for her to get into, can help prevent that sort of
tragedy.
This is just one example of the sort of thing that you can notice "just
by watching." I could list other examples, but it would be impossible
for me to list them all, and useless for me to try. The point is that
if you take the time to observe your own birds, you can learn much more
from them than you can from this website or any book about lovebirds.
Rule #2: Trust Your Own
Judgement.
This is a hard rule to follow, especially when you’re not
confident in your own knowledge or ability. Still, it is absolutely
crucial that you follow it. Remember that every lovebird is an
individual, and no one knows your birds better than you do. This
doesn’t mean you shouldn’t seek the advice of books,
veterinarians, or more experienced breeders, but it does mean that you
should carefully consider what advice seems right for you and your
birds, and what advice does not. It is a sad fact that there is almost
as much bad advice available as good. Just because a book or another
breeder has told you something, it doesn’t mean it is right for
your birds. If you find yourself questioning something someone has told
you, make the effort to find out more. If it still doesn’t seem
right to you, it probably isn’t right for your birds.
Read and learn from every
book you can, but always remember that what you learn from your
own birds is more important than what you learn from any other source.
TOPICS:
Do I Really
Want To Do This?
The Rules
Cages &
Cagewire
|
