Bird Archives - Sanders Fodder - Farm, Garden, Horse & Pet Supplies

Dogs:

Plenty of cool drinking water
Try to place the drinking water in a shady place to avoid it heating during the day
Sometimes an ice bottle/block in the water will help keep it cool during the day
Inside dogs will find the best spot in the house – usually near the air-con duct
Outside dogs may need a hose-down occasionally or access to a water bath or trough
Aim to take them walking early morning or evening after the sun has gone down and the road/pavement surface is no longer hot.

Horses:

Try to provide access to trees or a shelter shed during the hot part of the day
Ensure plenty of drinking water is available, a larger volume will not heat up significantly during a hot day. Placement in the shade is desirable.
Aim to ride/exercise your horse early morning or during the evening
If you plan to ride during warm conditions, pre-cool before riding: cover the saddle area with a plastic sheet to keep it dry, sponge or hose your horse, then saddle him up and as the horse exercises the evaporation of water in the coat will keep him cool for 10-15mins.
Upon finishing exercise, allow your horse to walk for 3-5 minutes to trigger sweat loss, dismount, unsaddle and either wash with cool water and a sponge or lightly hose his body and legs. Use a scraper on his topline, neck, sides and underbelly to remove the ‘warm’ water allowing any water in the coat to evaporate more efficiently. If he is hot and panting, take him for a short walk and then sponge or hose again, repeat the process until he is comfortable.
During a ride on a hot afternoon, you can carry a saturated sponge in a plastic bag attached to your saddle. If you decide to stop for a rest, you can sponge his neck, topline, flanks and underbelly. If continuing to ride within a few minutes, scraping will not be necessary as the water will evaporate with airflow as you ride. Otherwise just scrape the excess water off with your hands.
Make sure your horse has access to a salt block which will encourage water intake. If your horse is working regularly in hot weather, consider using an electrolyte supplement.

Rabbits, Guinea Pigs, Birds, Chooks:

Provide plenty of cool water
Use a frozen bottle of water for rabbits and guinea pigs to lie against
Cages placed in a shady location are desirable or use a shade cloth or rigid shade placed over the cage.
A garden mister attachment on a garden dripper line can be used to provide a cooling spray for chickens and birds. Consider using a timer tap so it operates for a specified time.
A garden sprinkler run in a chicken coop will provide a patch of damp dirt for them to scratch about in afterwards.
Cages can be hung with a wet hessian bag or towel which acts with evaporation as the air passes through to make the environment in the cage cooler.
Salt licks which encourage water intake are available for rabbits and guinea pigs.

Sprouted seeds are an extremely valuable and nutritious addition to a bird’s diet. Most birds find it very palatable and the nutrients are more readily digested than dry seed. Sprouted seeds also contain larger quantities of carbohydrates and protein, but also have less fat than found in dried seeds. This makes it especially important for breeding season and when chicks have hatched, young fledglings or breeding birds that have more demanding nutritional requirements. However, all birds at any time of the year will benefit from spouted seeds a couple of times a week.

Sprouted seeds are not only for all Parrots, but are also suitable for Finches, Canaries, and even large birds like Chickens, Ducks, Guineafowl and many more. The quantity is based on how many birds you have and how large they are. For the smaller flight birds, a small container or pot with a thick layer of seed is a good amount, because when the seeds sprout, it will look like a thick grass that the birds can dig in. For the larger birds a trough or a larger pot will do, with a thick layer of seed to make a grass like thickness. Chickens will dig the seeds out, so a good idea so a good option to ruining the lawn!

Seeds should take at least a week to germinate, so we aim to have a few in different stages of the growth cycle. You’ll find the sprouted seeds trolly at the front of our store.

Seeds that a suitable are:

French White Millet
Millet Seed
Linseed
Safflower
Grey Stripe Sunflower
Wheat
Oats
Barley

Difference between water sprouting and soil:
Birds could contract a fungus infection or a respiratory illness from seeds that are sprouted in water. The reason being, that when you sprout seeds in water, the seed needs cleaning every few hours so that the seed does not get any slimy textures and mould growing. This is one way respiratory infections in birds occur because they eat a seed that has mould on it and breathe in the mould, that equals a very sick bird, and we all know with birds, they show signs when it’s too late! Water sprouting is a risky procedure.

Sprouting in soil means less chance of the seed becoming mouldy. The soil promotes germination by holding warmth and water. Once the seed has sprouted, it will last like another plant, where-as water sprouted seeds quickly lose their freshness.

Tag: Bird

Tips for Keeping Your Animals Cool

Benefits of Sprouted Seeds

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