Hibiscus, also known as canary, canary, white jade, Bai Yan and jade bird, belongs to passerine, passerine and silk finch. Hibiscus birds are native to the Canary Islands, Matila Islands and Assyria Islands along the Atlantic coast. Because of the beautiful singing, it aroused the interest of hunters and captured and domesticated a lot. Modern cultured species are completely different from wild species. Hibiscus was introduced to China in the 1940s from 65438 to 2009, and was cultivated by local breeders in Shandong, Hebei and Jiangsu provinces, forming a unique strain. Now all countries in the world have breeding.
The original species of hibiscus bird 12- 14 cm long and thinner than sparrows. The body feathers are yellow-green, with dark longitudinal stripes. This song is short and simple. Hibiscus birds are excellent in singing, feather color and performance skills. The male bird's song is melodious and changeable, and it can imitate the songs of other birds. A good variety can call out the songs of other birds together, as much as 10 (learning a bird's song is also called a song).
After long-term artificial cultivation, many new varieties have appeared. Judging from the methods of variety classification, there are roughly the following:
1. Feather colors are yellow, white, green, cinnamon, silver gray, iron gray, cross-flower, orange, orange red, pepper red, bronze and miscellaneous flowers. There are more hibiscus birds, and the number of other colors is gradually increasing.
2. From the perspective of singing, there are:
Rhona breed cultivated by Germans, with slender body, many feathers, curly hair and chrysanthemum-shaped top. When the bell rings, it jingles and the song is sweet and moist. When singing, keeping silent is the top grade.
Shandong species, spindle-shaped, with white or yellowish feathers. Better physical fitness. When singing, the mouth is very open, and the voice is mainly excited by the throat. You can sing 8- 10 continuously.
Yangzhou species is slightly smaller than Shandong species, and its shape is streamlined. In addition to white and yellow, there are also the tops of chrysanthemums and the matching flowers of feather colors. Singing is not as loud as Shandong species, and a good variety can sing 9- 14 continuously. She is good at singing and dancing, and she has a quick mind. When singing, her wings are open and look like a butterfly.
3. Feather forms are divided into two types: flat hair and curly hair. Curly hair is divided into hard hair and soft hair, with long legs and fluffy curly hair as the top grade. The new variety has red curly hair, which is extremely rare and expensive.
4. Standing form: upright type: characterized by straight legs and tall figure, this species has just been successfully bred in recent years. Because of its special posture and small quantity, it is deeply favored by the majority of bird lovers.
Eagle: petite, characterized by a small head and a long neck. When standing, the head and neck are straight forward, which is very similar to the falcon, hence the name. The tail feather tilts forward and looks like a crescent moon in side view, so it is also called meniscus.
Ordinary type: smaller than the above two types, with flat hair as the main feather shape and standing like a sparrow.
From the color of eyes, there are two kinds: black eyes and red eyes. In recent years, the number of red-eye white curly hair cultivated is very small, which is regarded as a treasure.
fodder
I. Feed types
Hibiscus birds, like other animals, need to constantly ingest food, digest, decompose and absorb it for growth, development and reproduction throughout their lives. Through digestion and decomposition, food will eventually become protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals. All five nutrients are necessary for birds and are indispensable. Birds have a wide range of food choices in nature. In the case of artificial feeding, five kinds of feed with comprehensive nutrition must be provided, which is usually called complete feed. The effects of five nutrients on birds are not discussed here, but some commonly used feed types are introduced.
1. Seed feed
(1) Corn: also known as corn, Yushu rice and pearl rice. There are three varieties of yellow, white and red, and yellow corn contains more vitamin A.
(2) Millet: also known as millet, millet and millet. There are japonica rice and glutinous rice.
(3) barnyard grass: also known as barnyard grass, it is the seed of weeds in rice fields.
(4) Rape: There are many kinds, mainly Brassica napus and Brassica napus, with high fat content.
(5) Perilla: There are two kinds of perilla and perilla. Perilla is widely used and contains high fat.
(6) Peanut: also known as longevity fruit and Peanut. There are many varieties, using small peanuts with high fat content.
2. Powdered feed: corn flour is commonly used. Bean flour, rice flour, millet flour, bread crumbs, biscuit crumbs and cake crumbs are also acceptable. Animal powder includes fish powder, blood powder and silkworm pupa powder.
3. Animal feed: mainly eggs. There are two feeding methods: one is to cook the eggs and feed them. The second is to add raw egg yolk to other hard materials to make egg rice for feeding.
4. Green feed
(1). Green vegetables: including green vegetables, Chinese cabbage, cabbage and other vegetables. Choose fresh vegetable leaves, soak them in clear water, and pay special attention to the residual pesticides on the vegetable leaves, so the soaking time can be longer, and then disinfect them with 0. 1% potassium permanganate to kill parasite eggs attached to the vegetable leaves. Hibiscus birds need to feed a lot of green vegetables and replenish them after eating every day.
(2) Melons: Watermelon, cucumber, apple, pear and banana are commonly used.
5. Mineral feed: commonly used are shell powder, cuttlefish bone, eggshell, hydrated lime, gypsum, bone powder, calcium powder, sand and salt.
6. Vitamin feed: commonly used are malt, VAD pills, VE pills, V compound B tablets, VC tablets, and various trace elements, which can be ground into powder and added to feed. Generally, more than three kinds of food should be fed together, which will not cause vitamin deficiency.
7. Drinking water: To raise hibiscus birds, we should not only give enough daily rations, but also provide clean drinking water. Birds have high body temperature and lose a lot of water through evaporation during breathing. If there is not enough drinking water supply, they will often cause metabolic disorder and die of thirst. Drinking water must be changed every day, otherwise the food and feces brought in by the bird's beak will lead to deterioration of drinking water and gastrointestinal diseases.
Step 2 prepare materials
1. furong pill: millet 50%, rape 15%, barnyard grass 30%, perilla 5%. In winter and spring, perilla increased 10%, barnyard grass decreased 10%.
2. Hibiscus powder: 30 grams of corn flour and one cooked egg yolk, crushed and mixed evenly. You can also mix 40% of corn flour, 40% of fish meal and 20% of soybean flour with water to form a ball and rub it with your hands.
3. Poultry powder: 50% vegetable puree, 30% cooked egg yolk, 10% corn flour, 10% soybean flour. Adding water to make paste, and adding minerals and vitamins such as calcium. Fish meal, milk powder, etc. Can be added to chicks in different growth stages according to the needs of chicks' growth and development.
4. Egg millet: Egg millet is a common feed for hibiscus birds in the breeding period and molting period. There are three main production methods:
(1). Steamed egg rice: 500g of millet mixed with 3-4 raw egg yolks. Then steam it over high fire, take it out while it is hot and rub it in the shade.
(2) Scrambled eggs and rice: the dosage is the same as above. Stir-fry millet with slow fire until it is slightly yellow, and cease fire. When it is slightly warm, add the raw egg yolk, stir well while it is hot, and rub it dry in the shade.
(3) Cooking egg rice in microwave oven: the dosage is the same as above. Stir the egg yolk and millet evenly, put them in a container, heat them at high temperature for about 4 minutes, take them out and rub them dry in the shade.
The eggs and millet made by the first method are not stored for a long time, and should be used up within one week. The eggs and millet made by the other two methods can be stored for up to one month. Before laying eggs, 4-5 egg yolks can be added to the egg rice, and only 2-3 egg yolks can be added to the young birds. Calcium powder, eggshell powder, squid bone powder and trace elements can also be added when raw egg yolk is added. In addition: eggs and millet can be used as estrus feed.
goods
To raise and breed hibiscus birds, we must prepare suitable feeding equipment. Bird cages can be divided into ornamental cages, breeding cages, transport cages and bird cabinets according to different uses. Aviary can be used for large-scale farming, so we don't introduce aviary here.
1. birdcage
(1) Decorative cages: round, hexagonal and square. Most of them are made of bamboo, surrounded by bamboo filaments, spaced one centimeter apart, and filled with one or two perches; A can of food and a can of drink. The cage is about 33 cm high and 20 cm straight. The top is equipped with a hook, which can be made of copper and stainless steel. The bottom of the cage is closed and can be removed for cleaning. Usually only one male bird is kept.
(2) Breeding cage: rectangular. Made of bamboo. It is 36 cm long, 27 cm wide and 30 cm high. There are two or three doors. One end of the upper layer is provided with a nest frame, which can be used to place the nest for hibiscus birds to lay eggs, hatch and brood. Other facilities in the cage are the same as those in the ornamental cage. You can keep a pair of hibiscus birds.
(3) Bird cabinet: This is a special feeding device for farmers. The advantages are large feeding quantity, compact structure, small occupied space, no need to move, convenient feeding and cleaning, etc. Made of wood and plywood. The total height of the aviary is 180 cm, the leg height is 10 cm, the width is 96 cm and the thickness is 30 cm. The middle is vertically divided into the same two sides with wooden boards, and each side is horizontally divided into five layers with * * * ten squares. Cover the back. The front is empty. Each compartment contains a drawer with a height of five centimeters, and the width and depth of the drawer are the same as those in each compartment. The drawer is equipped with a baffle made of bamboo wires, which is flush with the front outer opening, with the bamboo wires separated by one centimeter, and a small door that can be opened and closed up and down is left on the baffle. There should be a gap between the baffle and the drawer to facilitate the drawer to be pulled out and cleaned. Each compartment is equipped with a nest frame and a bird's nest, two perches, a food jar and a water jar. For the sake of beauty, you can also paint white inside and varnish outside. At this time, a beautiful and practical birdhouse is ready. One aviary can keep ten pairs of hibiscus birds, make several aviaries and add dozens of pairs of breeders, and you can become a big breeder. A year's income is considerable.
(4) Cage transportation: also called cage leveling, grass leveling and beating. Used to transport hibiscus birds, made of bamboo. There is a difference in size. Small cage: there are squares and rectangles. Can only hold a few birds. Big cages: they are all rectangular and can hold dozens of birds. The transport cage is very short, about 8- 12 cm. Hibiscus birds can walk in it, but they can't fly. This can effectively prevent hibiscus birds from being frightened and colliding with cages during transportation, and reduce casualties.
Eat canned food
Food cans, also known as food cans and cups, are mostly round, but they vary in size and depth. A utensil for holding food. According to the texture, it can be divided into porcelain jar and plastic casting. Generally, refined porcelain pots are used for ornamental cages, and plastic pots are used for breeding cages. Large pots, plates, troughs and other large appliances for large birdcages or aviaries. From the perspective of roles, there are the following types:
(1) Granular trough: The notch and bottom are slightly smaller than the abdomen, and it is suitable for loading granular feed such as millet, millet, barnyard grass, rape and perilla.
(2) Egg rice jar: used to hold eggs and millet. Because of the good nutrition and high cost, in order to reduce the waste of concentrated feed, canned eggs and millet should be made into containers with small mouths and big bellies, so as to avoid hibiscus birds from pulling eggs and millet out of cans as much as possible. Commonly used canned foods are waist-drum-shaped and constricted.
(3) Powder tank: it is a trough for feeding dry powder feed. The pond wall is vertical and shallow, which is convenient for hibiscus birds to peck and clean.
(4) Wet feed irrigation: Wet feed refers to the feed made by mixing a variety of powdered feeds with water. Use and feed chicks, young birds or hibiscus birds in molting stage. Wet cans are similar to powder cans, but shallower.
(5) Vegetable pot: Vegetable pot is a tool for hibiscus birds to eat green vegetables. In order to prevent the vegetables from drying, the vegetable pot is filled with water. The mouth of the vegetable pot is as big as the bottom and much deeper than the powder pot. It is used to hold green vegetables. However, many breeders insert vegetables between cage wires or throw them directly into cages to let birds eat freely.
3. Water dispenser
The water dispenser is an indispensable drinking tool for hibiscus birds, which is used to hold drinking water. Some people like to use granular tanks as drinking water tools, but the disadvantage is that the mouth of granular tanks has a large amount of drinking water and is easily polluted by food or feces. The plastic drinking machine has a small mouth, which is made according to the principle of atmospheric pressure. Birds drink a little water from the mouth of the water dispenser. When the air pressure inside and outside the water dispenser changes, the water in the water dispenser will flow out a little, so that the water in the water dispenser is not easy to be polluted. At the same time, plastic drinking fountains are widely used because they are transparent and installed outside the cage, which is convenient for observing the water quantity and quality in the drinking fountains. There are many shapes and specifications.
Step 4 take a bath
A water bath pot is a tool placed in a cage for hibiscus birds to bathe freely. You can choose according to the situation, but no matter what shape and texture of the water bath pot you use, the amount of water should be at the end and bend of hibiscus bird's calf. Use warm water in winter.
5. Bird's Nest
Bird's nest is also called nest vegetables and bird's nest. Used for hibiscus birds to lay eggs, hatch and brood. Straw and old cloth can be twisted into long strips with a diameter of 1 cm, circled and connected with needle and thread to form a bowl with a diameter of 10 cm and a depth of 5 cm. Put some thin linen or cotton pads on the nest frame in the cage. (The nest frame can be made into a circle with a diameter of 7-8 cm by digging holes with wooden boards or thick lead wires and fixed above the cage).
6. Others
According to the different hobbies and habits of farmers, the materials and tools raised are also different, mainly including:
(1) Spoon: It is a tool for adding granular substances or powder into food cans. It can be made of iron sheet, copper sheet, aluminum sheet, stainless steel sheet, etc. The shape is trough-shaped, dustpan-shaped or conical.
(2) Shovel and brush: it is a tool for cleaning birdcages, bird kitchens, food cans and water tanks, and it should be compact and easy to use.
(3) dustpan: a small dustpan made of thin iron sheet or aluminum sheet, which is used for dust removal of granular materials. It's a pity to throw away the leftovers when changing food every day. Remove the skin and feces from the leftover food with a dustpan, and wash and dry it before reuse.
(4) Egg spoon: a small spoon with a long handle made of plastic, used for taking eggs. Eggs are easily crushed by hand, causing losses.
(5) Habitat fence: a thick fence for birds to inhabit. Can be made of bamboo, branches and roots. Ornamental birdcages are often made of many bent, old and vigorous roots and branches to increase the ornamental value of birdcages. Breeding cages can be made of bamboo into straight rods.
(6) Mortar: stone, wood, iron and copper. Used for grinding tablets, eggshells, cuttlefish bones, etc. Turn into powder.
(7) anklet: a small ring made of aluminum or plastic, which is sleeved on the bird's calf. Used to identify bloodline, age, gender, health status, etc.
(8) Thermohygrometer: used to control and master the humidity and temperature of the breeding environment of hibiscus birds.
environment
Hibiscus birds have high requirements on the environment. If they want to keep healthy and breed normally, they should meet some basic requirements.
1. Keep dry and ventilated. Because hibiscus birds produce feather crumbs during activities, bird cages should not be hung in the bedroom.
2. Do a good job in preventing cold and heatstroke. The optimum temperature for hibiscus birds is 20℃-24℃. Too high or too low temperature will bring adverse effects to hibiscus birds. In hot summer, we should prevent heatstroke and prevent heatstroke. Don't let the sun shine directly, and bask in it properly in other seasons. Pay attention to cold and warmth in winter, and avoid cold wind blowing directly, but don't put the birdcage above the heating or beside the coal stove.
3. Pay attention to exercise the courage of birds. Don't spoil the hibiscus bird, let it often come into contact with strangers and noise, otherwise once strangers or noise appear, it will cause the bird to be frightened. Breeding period will cause the phenomenon of abandoning nests, eggs and brooding.
4. Prevent mosquitoes and flies. Mosquitoes bite the bird's paw, causing inflammation and causing the bird's paw to fall off. Flies bite feed, causing feed corruption. The prevention method is: install screen doors and screens in the aviary.
5. Prevent cats, dogs, mice, weasels, snakes and other animals from entering the breeding ground to harm hibiscus birds. Don't leave the birdcage unattended outdoors to prevent grey magpies, eagles and falcons from preying on hibiscus birds.
6. Do not change cages or change the placement direction and position of feeding cages during feeding. Don't clean the birdcage within 10 days after the chicks hatch.
7. Always keep birdcages and tableware clean and hygienic to prevent the breeding of feather fleas and mites.
rise
1. Daily feeding: refers to the feeding of young birds after they can eat hard particles by themselves. At this time, the feathers on the bird have grown up and can fly. Although the body is not as strong as adult birds, they can be raised alone or in groups. Prepare feed according to the formula of "granular material" in the section of "feed" above, add enough feed according to the number of hibiscus birds raised, and leave a small amount every day. Empty the feed of the previous day every morning, and then add new feed.
A. Drinking water must be changed every day, and the water dispenser should be cleaned before adding new water.
B hibiscus birds like to eat vegetables and fruits, and keep it constantly every day. Take out the leftover vegetables or fruits at night.
C. Feed at least three kinds of feed every day, and the more varieties, the better. To ensure that birds can get enough protein, vitamins and trace elements.
2. Breeding in breeding period: refers to the whole process of courtship (pairing), mating, nesting, spawning, hatching and brooding of hibiscus birds. The breeding period of each nest is about 50 days, and the whole breeding period is as long as half a year. This is the hardest season for hibiscus birds and the busiest period for breeders. The main job of the breeder is to pair hibiscus birds, adjust feed, increase nutrition, and provide breeding cages, nests, nests and grass. Also pay attention to the hatching situation. For hibiscus birds that don't hatch, find a volunteer bird (commonly known as nanny bird) to feed the chicks instead (see the section on feeding instructions for details).
3. Feeding in molting period: hibiscus birds molt once a year (also called molting), and the time is from July to September, and the new feathers grow together in about 45-60 days. During molting, birds are weak and easy to get sick, so they need to be raised carefully. If they are not properly managed, they are easy to die. The water bath should be reduced or stopped. Breeding sites should be quiet and ventilated, and strong winds and ventilation are prohibited. When birds begin to shed their feathers, feed them with high protein, fat and vitamins to promote the growth of new feathers. For birds with red feathers, red pigment feed should be added until the new feathers grow together.
operate
The management of hibiscus birds can be divided into daily management, seasonal management and special period management.
1. Daily management
(1) Make daily management plan. Hibiscus birds have their own specific life habits and activities. If they want to live well under artificial breeding conditions, breeders should make daily management plans. One is to make hibiscus birds live regularly, and the other is to check the daily activities of hibiscus birds and the feeding work of breeders.
(2) Feed formula. According to the feeding habits of hibiscus birds and the nutritional value of food. After the birds adapt to the fixed compound feed, the breeder should not suddenly change the formula of the feed, let alone feed a single feed.
(3) Feed and change water regularly every day. Generally, food and water are given in the morning, and the remaining green materials and eggs are taken out at night, especially in the hot rainy season.
(4) Keep the trough and water tank clean and hygienic. Before feeding and changing water every day, check the hygiene of the trough and water tank, dump all the residues and replace them with new materials and water. Wash and drain vegetables and fruits before feeding. Powder in the cage should not be more than half a day.
(5) Regularly clean and disinfect the birdcage. According to the number of birds in each cage, it should be cleaned at least 2-3 times a week. Disinfect bird cages 1-2 times a year. The method is to clean the birdcage and expose it to the sun for 1-2 days or spray disinfectant for disinfection. The disinfectant can be Sur or 3% potassium permanganate.
(6) Take a bath regularly. Divided into water bath and sunbathing. Hibiscus birds like water bath very much. If the temperature is suitable (above 20℃), you can put a bathtub in the cage every day and let them bathe freely. The amount of water is appropriate to the height of the bird's calf joint. Take the bathtub away in time after taking a shower. It is advisable to reduce the water bath once a week in winter and molting period. Hibiscus birds should not be exposed to the sun for a long time. You can sunbathe for an hour every day under the condition of half sun and half shade, and you can avoid sunbathing in hot summer.
(7) Observe the activities of hibiscus birds every day, check whether the feces are normal and the bird's demeanor, so as to find abnormal situations and deal with them in time.
2. Seasonal management
(1) spring. The temperature difference between morning and evening is large. It is the season when hibiscus birds are generally in estrus and frequently sing. During this period, in addition to breeding birds and paired birds, the supply of fat feed for single male birds should be reduced. Feed more turquoise feed to prevent feathers from being damaged, and don't sing at night.
(2) Summer. Due to the hot and high temperature, water bath should be provided as much as possible, and the drinking water is fresh and sufficient. Don't bask in the sun. Keep the birdcage in a cool and ventilated place. Prevent mosquito bites at night, do a good job of hygiene, and pay attention to keeping the feed fresh. At this time, hibiscus birds should increase protein feed to promote molting.
(3) autumn. The weather is getting cold, and the feed should contain 20% fat particles, so pay attention to cold and warmth.
(4) Winter. In cold weather, the room temperature should be kept above 5℃, preferably around 15℃.
3. Special period management
(1) Breeding period management: Hibiscus can breed in spring and autumn. Early spring enters the breeding season (late in the north), and the temperature is still low, so pay attention to keep warm. Put the chicks out of the nest into the nest in time, otherwise, the chicks will easily freeze to death. Don't frighten the birds in the breeding season. Frightened birds will abandon their nests and eggs to feed their young. Don't move the birdcage or change its original direction. Don't clean the chicken for ten days after it hatches. Feed hibiscus powder one week after hatching, and then feed eggs and millet one week later until the chicks can eat hard food. Green vegetables and fruits increase and are often replaced.
(2) Management of molting period: Generally, hibiscus birds begin to molt in early July, and will all molt in one and a half months to two months. Improve the content of high protein food and minerals in feed. For example, add cooked egg yolk, bone meal, squid bone meal, eggshell meal, etc. Reduce or stop water bath. During molting, hibiscus birds need to be carefully raised, and if they are not properly managed, they will easily get sick and die.
4. Breeding instructions
Hibiscus birds mostly enter the breeding season in early spring every year and begin to estrus and lay eggs. (There are also a few who lay eggs in the autumn after molting. ) breeders should be prepared for breeding in advance. In addition to the necessary bird raising tools mentioned in the previous sections, more efforts should be made in the selection, pairing, hatching and feeding of breeding birds. These are not difficult, as long as you study hard, everyone can learn. After a breeding season, chicks can eat pellet feed one after another and fly high. The breeder's heart will naturally be filled with a sense of accomplishment, and the joy of harvest is beyond words. If you don't care, you can get a small "rich man" Dangdang. Why not?