Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 7:44 am Post subject: Compost
In the backyard I have a compost bin. All organic material such as leaves, branches, grass, weeds, aviary waste and vegetable kitchen stuff are recycled in there. After a year it is broken down to a granular mass, something like forestfloor.
Compost contains many minerals such as Phosphor, Potassium, Magnesium and spore elements.
Since Kakariki spent much time digging in the forestfloor, I was wondering how my birds would respond to compost. I added one spade of compost into the aviary. I was surprised to see that instead of digging they also eat it.
One shovel compost
After about 40 Kakariki and a few hours later, this is what is left over
We have been composting or decades...
But these days with the children left home , and most of the what little kitvhen peeling etc going to the birds..
And over the last 5 yrs the shrubbs are now trees with secondary growth under neath, the leaves triming get let there as a natural forrect mulch.
And lawns get mown once a week, and never with a catcher..(promotes worms and puts back into the soil
We dont have enough to compost.
The only caution with compost is know what has gone in...dont use commercial compost.
The part of the compost that hasnt fully broken down,,,
When leaves are black/stillsmall sticks and well on the way..we dry out and mix in with lathe wood shavings as nesting material..
Compost and NZ soils tends to be acidic.
The feather plucking thread...
http://www.kakariki.net/ftopic-1422-days0-orderasc-0.html
Maybe this has an influence on feather plucking of chicks? _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
Well, that thread was the start of this idea. I'm looking forward to see if this brings some changes to the feather plucking habit. I have a good feeling about this.
So do I....
Everything is basically the same between us and those who have plucking ....
As soon as I read your post....us using forrest multch/compost in nesting boxes....and the way your birds disposed of that shovel full...
I have 3 or 4 double hand fulls in a nesting box of mulch
By the time the chicks are getting feathers there is not much multch left
And by the time the chicks are getting their green feathers all the little sticks have gone.
I nevr thought about it beyond..
"well thats what hollow trees have inside in the bush"
"maybe replicating helps them feel at home"
"maybe the mulch mixed with droppings acts as a sort of incubator from heat of compositing"
And We have a friend who not only breeds kakariki but galahs, rossella, african greys, crimsons, western rossella, kings few others for decades
He uses mulch and collects the chewings from old logs he supllies to the larger chewing parrots as nesting material....and he has never had plucking.
His reasoning is... also natural AND helps to stop the big parrots from destorying their nesting boxes as fast. _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
well sound a good idea def going to try it !my compost bin is full and ready as i could never use it as te dog rolls init after i spread it :-& great stuff going to try it today!!
Peter, are you sure you didn't forget to fill up the seed bowls? LOL!
Thanks for sharing this bit of info. It's really interesting to know about that.
Keith... what do you mean exactly regarding the parts of the compost you use as nest floor?
I'm not very good at gardening so... could you please explain a little bit more about the process of getting compost? Peter, could you please take some detailed pics of your compost, if you don't mind?
By the way, speaking about minerals... maybe some of you use it already, but I know of some breeders that put carbon blocks/chunks inside the flights. Do you know what's the use of it?
Thanks a lot!
Regards / Pablo _________________ AD ASTRA PER ASPERA
In a petshop I've found something similar especially for parrots. It was a mix of peat and clay. According to the text on the packing it should benefit the digestion and provide some minerals.
Pablo, Carbon has the ability to adsorb toxines. I've heard that there is also evidence that it also adsorbs some vitamins. Thats why I don't use it.
Keith... what do you mean exactly regarding the parts of the compost you use as nest floor?
Quote:
I have 3 or 4 double hand fulls in a nesting box of mulch
Mulch is the semi composted and composted debris from the forest floor
For those not in NZ...New Zealand only has 1 semi deciduous native tree, all the rest are evergreen...I dont know if this makes a difference, but evergreen drop leaves all year round, so there is a constant top layer o fresh dead leaves then just under that semi composted then further down a black compsit like Peter shows. We use a mix of the 2 lower layers.
Carbon/charcoal ...Im undesided on that...thu about once a yr I throw a part burnt log in the flights.
Clay..yes there are several species of Sth American parrots that do feed on certain clay banks...I have tryed a couple clumps of river clay many yrs ago(exposed after a big storm)...the kakariki did nibble at it but I think it was more out of curiousty than neccessity.
Processed carbon, clays, food, fruit...I just dont trust..as with most processed foods, the label says iy has this and that...But the processing, cooking etc generally breaks these down into forms that are usless..
Technically and legally and for marketting purposes the companies can get away with it.....but the real value is worthless....even in human processed foods. _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
Peter and Keith, thanks for your explanations. I think I'll add "compost bin" on the to do list for the future.
Keith... a burnt log may be something similar in composition to carbon, isn't it? As far as I know vegetal natural carbon is made somwhat burning it underground very slowly. Am I right?
Regards / Pablo _________________ AD ASTRA PER ASPERA
On a Belgian Canary website I've found information about commercial avian compost. That compost is offered as 'Piggy compost'. Initially it was fed to pigs in pig breeding. Hence the naming.
The consumption of it decreases the use of medicins dramatically. It should be verry effective against E-colli diarrhea and works preventive against anaemia.
Here is a list what it does for birds.
- The lower degree of acid (ph=3-4) is good for the intestinal flora
- The high amount of Carbon has a purifying effect (have to change my mind about the Carbon)
- Promotes the digestion
- A well balanced suplement based on natural material
- Contains the following minerals: Kalium, Calcium,zink Magnesium ,Phosfor,Copper,Iron,Molybdeem
- Contributes the black pigments (Melanin)
- Prevents diarrhea
The difference with the garden compost is that minerals and amonia acids were added. Onions seems to be rich in Amonia acids.
Interesting article about Geophagy in parrots. I don't know whether we have to view this separate from this topic or not. The thing is that compost contains huge amounts of carbon which has a neutralizing effect on poison.
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