Thursday, October 1, 2009

Not Just Another Pretty Face

Wow! What a Border Face! I could look at her head for hours and just enjoy the bird!! While taken away by the face, you must also keep a watchful eye on the whole bird.

Although a good looker, it is critical to notice its vent is soiled. Birds with longer feathering are especially susceptible to vent soiling. She should have the oily seeds reduced in her diet and given no flax seeds.

The Border in the millet swing is so gorgeous! But what about the nice Border on the left, who while fluffing its feathers, shows a subtle soiled vent. Click on the photo to see the problem.

The hanging dry dropping on both Borders needs to be removed immediately, less it will continue to grow. As the vent becomes increasingly plugged, the bird will strain to try and release its droppings and if not noticed and cleaned, these beautiful birds will die because of their sealed vent.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes, that is a beautiful face on the variegated bird, but what about that nice tiny beak. That's a plus.

Linda Hogan said...

Nothing like a small beak on a border or fife to make the frontal rise so round!! This hen also has an excellent break at the neck and great back!