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Kakariki, Care, Breeding, Ecology, and Conservation :: View topic - Feather Condition Pruning
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Feather Condition Pruning

 
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Steptoe
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PostPosted: Sat Dec 26, 2009 9:07 am    Post subject: Feather Condition Pruning

There is an older thread ..cant find where a member talks about aromatic herbs and puning...

Many of our kakariki where getting just a little scrapey being in the middle of breeding season, nesting boxes etc
My Wife put a large planter of basil and mint next to the wire....we where watching the birds reach thru and breaking off leaves..at 1st it appeared they where eating, but no...they are chewing up, holding the crushed leaf in their mouth and wiping down their feathers.
So we gave them quite a few leaves, and spriggs of rosemary.
After 2 days, the increased condition of feathers, colours can only be described as dramatic..even the hens siitting on eggs and with chicks

We have since tryed other aromatic herbs...eg pinapple sage and sage.
It seems any of these herbs that are high in oils and aromatic they use for pruning.
We do not or have had a mite issue, I believe from mist spraying flights and birds every 3 to 4 weeks with 50/50 soln water and vinigar, and the addition of a Apple cider vinigar to veggies every 3 to 4 days.
I do wonder if regular addition of aromativc herbs, in particular basil and mint, the oils would also be a prentitive and possible cure for mites???

One thing is for sure, a regular supply of these makes a huge difference to the plumage with in a couple days...maybe a note for those who show their birds????

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Peter
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PostPosted: Sat Dec 26, 2009 10:53 pm    Post subject:

Hello Steps
I believe you are referring to this thread http://www.kakariki.net/ftopict-1485-anting.html

The most important part of aromatic plants are the essential oils. Essential oils are very volatile and are present in varying degrees in almost every plant. The aromatic plants contain the highest levels. There is also a difference in composition and this varies between plant species and the place where it's being harvested. Essential oils have varying antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic and other properties.
Interestingly Manuka and Kanuka contain high levels of these oils.
Also the the thin outer layer of citrus fruits contain high levels of essentials(limonene).
Other known oils are Garlic oil, Capsaicin(capsicum), Linalool(lavender),Carvacrol(oregano), Thymol(thyme), Eucalyptol(eucalyptus).....
There are many reports to find on the net but mainly they are from holistic sites. To avoid these it is recommended to search with http://scholar.google.com/

I'm not sure if essential oils do something with the colour of the feathers. I wonder if it isn't the chlorophyl of the leaves.
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Steptoe
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PostPosted: Sun Dec 27, 2009 6:59 am    Post subject:

Quote:
I'm not sure if essential oils do something with the colour of the feathers.


Over only a couple days and to have the condition change so fast, It cant be the oils actually changing the colour, but more making the feathers more shiney, bring out the 'wet' look (not water wet) and floesence.

The kakariki are far more noticable in chewing and mix in from their oil glands....the kings , crimsons, burkes, turqs do so a liitle, but rather cheew and eat.
We have a couple males that chew it up then actually pack it in under their feathers around the oil glands...

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Peterlimburg
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PostPosted: Sun Dec 27, 2009 10:25 am    Post subject:

You can give them also parsley, the same behaviour.
At first chewing and then putting it in the feathers.
We call it anting, some bird go sitting in a nest from ants and let them sprying with formic acid. So the parasites in the feathers go dead or leaving the bird. Looks much like an innate behavior.

:fun: Maybe a good idea to work out, the opposite of chemical poison.

My wife wants for a long time a herb garden Whistle Whistle Laughing
And I planting this year very hot chilipeppers in the garden for the kaka's, they love it.

Think There must be a reason for this innate behavior. Think

Are there more (wild) plants in NZ with a lot of aromathic essential oils ??

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Steptoe
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PostPosted: Sun Dec 27, 2009 1:00 pm    Post subject:

Quote:
You can give them also parsley, the same behaviour.

I dont think I have put pasley in my list of vegges
Yes several large spriggs are added....we have 2 patches, as one goes to seed the other is ready for using....and I add a lot of seed heads

Quote:
Are there more (wild) plants in NZ with a lot of aromathic essential oils ??


Run a google for NZ native plants aromatic
1st one that you most proberly find is NZ native pepper kawakawa
We have most of the best ones , scrubs and trees growing in the back yard
Puka, lacebark,rewarewa, manuka, kawaka, kawalawa, rata, ngaio, toro, kaikomako, miro, five finger, nikau, kowhai, puriri, karaka, flax, titoki, kahikatea, totara, pohutakawa, kohuhu, coprosma, corokia, hebes, fushias, cabbage trees
I think thats most...lots of otheres roses banksea etc to.

I remember so where reading a paper on kakariki feeding on the Gt Barreir island, and mentioned feeding on manuka...I dont think that is right....but rather using the leaves to prune with.

Over all Im sure our kakariki prefer mint.

Quote:
My wife wants for a long time a herb garden

How does "wants for long time" and "wife" get to be in the same sentance?

Herb gardens are messy ugly, and a pain in the butt...and usually way down the back yard and one can garantee it is dark when the wife wants a couple spriggs of something...
Plant the basics, basil, mint, parsely in pots and connect drippers onto the automativc watering sytem for the avairies
The rest plant in a line, down the closes side to the house, of the veggie garden ...and stuff like pinapple sage gets planted in the flower/scrub gardens

Fennel is good for the birds too.

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Peter
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PostPosted: Sun Dec 27, 2009 9:17 pm    Post subject:

Here is alist of aromatic plants and their corresponding essential oils.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_essential_oils
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mikefromholland
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PostPosted: Sun Dec 27, 2009 11:12 pm    Post subject:

hi ppl first of all merry christmas Laughing Laughing we have 2 kakarikis 1 is bright yellow with a red head and 1 green , now the yellow 1 is changing coulor ( she looks dirty))/ green duno is this normal she is 1 year old , we had them in the same cage but they kept fighting the yellow 1 bite the green 1 in her foot and it was bleeding so we got 2 cages now Think can some1 help me please ?? buy the way this is a realy cool site keep up the good work greetings from tilburg / holland
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pabloc
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 25, 2010 12:13 pm    Post subject:

Hello kaka-dicts!

today I experimented giving the birds a ripe lemon, just taken from the lemontree.
Surprisingly they used it as "shampoo", as aromatic herbs.

Parsley, oregano, mint, etc.. my kakariki go nuts for them. If I give them a couple of leaves they stop eating any other stuff and take care of the aromatic herbs first.

It must be an instinctive behavior!

Regards / Pablo

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Peter
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 25, 2010 12:55 pm    Post subject:

Pablo,
The peel of citrus fruit contains an essential oil called Limonene. When you pinch the thin outer layer, the essential oil releases and spreads that typical citrus odor.
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pabloc
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 25, 2010 1:11 pm    Post subject:

Quote:
an essential oil called Limonene

I knew about Limoncello... but not about limonele signlol

Actually they were also eating the pulp, but now that you say it I understand why they ate so avidly orange peel when I fed them.
When I saw them eating orange peel I didn't connect the dots, as it's only for the last 2-3 months that I have been paying attention to this preening behavior.

By the way, I have been observing cockatiels and so far I think they don't have this behavior.

Cheers / Pablo

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Steptoe
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 25, 2010 6:55 pm    Post subject:

The inner pith of some citus also contains and anti bactial and anti worming chemical.
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Moko
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 1:53 am    Post subject:

My birds LOVE rosemary- As a close second, thyme and pinapple sage. Hebe makes my male go nuts- a bit like a cat with catnip. They use all of these and more to preen with. :) Anybody else notice any silly behaviour after hebe is used?
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