Bird Blog

Whether your baby bird is stressed, molting, nesting or growing, eggs can be an excellent source of protein. Boiled eggs contain all of the necessary vitamins and minerals, including lysine and methionine, needed for feather growth. Homemade egg food can be made with a variety of ingredients. These include finely chopped greens and vegetables, cooked oatmeal, RB soak & serve, multi-grain bread crumbs, handfeeding formula, and dried egg food. Eggs are a good source of protein Finches need a good source of protein, especially during breeding, nesting and molting periods. In addition to a regular diet of seeds, fruits and ... Read more

Purple finches are common year-round throughout Missouri. Unlike European Starlings, they don’t cause as much destruction to native birds. They are attracted to sunflower seeds and thistle (nyjer) in tube and platform feeders. Males are a vivid raspberry red, while females look duller in winter. This bird breeds across Canada and the northern US, but migrates south in the winter. Chickadees With their endearing round heads on tiny bodies, chickadees are busy little birds that flit around looking for insects and eagerly visit backyard feeders. They also investigate everything and everyone, including you! Black-capped and Carolina Chickadees can be spotted ... Read more

If you are breeding finches, you should be keeping a close eye on their eggs. Hens will usually begin incubating their clutch after the 3rd or 4th egg is laid. Incubation is usually shared, with the female sitting during the day and the male at night. If you discover an egg that is not hatching, it is important to understand the cause of this problem. There are several reasons why an egg may not hatch. Soft shells There is a chance that as you raise chickens you may collect some odd-looking eggs. Usually this is just a ‘glitch’ but occasionally ... Read more

Cockatoos are popular birds in aviculture, but they are challenging to keep well. Illegal trade in wild-caught birds is contributing to the decline of some cockatoo species. The cockatoos are members of the parrot family Cacatuidae. There are 21 species worldwide, with a mainly Australasian distribution. Penny the cockatoo is the star of a TikTok account. Her mom shares all sorts of funny footage of this beautiful bird. Palm Cockatoos The palm cockatoo (Probosciger aterrimus) is a large black bird with a distinctive red patch on the face that goes deeper red when the bird is excited or alarmed. Its crest ... Read more