Saturday, December 27, 2008

Tips When Picking Feeders Bird Baths

feeders bird baths

The sight of migratory birds feeding and bathing in your garden or yard is sheer beauty. To bird lovers the sound of chirping birds is music, a vibrant symbol of life. There are quite a large variety of feeders bird baths available on the market to cater to the birding hobby of many. Decorative bird feeders and bird baths are good. But they should not compromise on the needs of the birds.

The bird bath is an artificial puddle of water created for the birds to have bath and drink water. A shallow basin is put on a pedestal and a depth of two inches is sufficient for the wild birds, as they do not submerge their entire body in the water. They just dip their wings and splash water all over the body. You can heat up the water in bird bath with solar bird baths. The wild and migratory birds can get warm water to bathe in during the winter from your backyard. You can even add a suet bird feeder during the winter months.

Hygiene is of paramount importance with both bird feeders and bird baths. There cannot be a compromise on the cleanliness of the feeders or the bird bath. Regular cleaning is a must to ensure good hygiene of the birds that throng to your feeders bird baths. Some types of birds can carry harmful bacteria and viruses which will affect the health of other birds, which will put wild and migratory birds at risk of spreading diseases. However, treating the bird bath with special tablets can prevent the spread of diseases. These tablets break down harmful bacteria and enzymes in the water.

The placement of feeders bird baths is also of utmost importance when you are planning for bird watching in your own yard. The bird bath should be placed near a big tree or bush so that when there is an imminent attack from birds of prey your winged guests can fly off and take shelter immediately. Bushy berry trees can serve the dual purpose of providing shelter and food. Many species will love the bird feeders and bird baths in your yard if they are assured of proper shelter and protection.

Friday, December 5, 2008

What is the best type of chicken

With many people reverting back to the good old days of growing your own veg and keeping your own chickens for eggs, some folks are asking me "what types of chickens can I keep that my children will be safe with and will make good pets"

It is a sure fact that some breeds of hen are not suitable for keeping as both pets and for eggs however, there is one breed that is both full of charater and will keep you in eggs throughout the year.

The Rhode Island Red:

Rhode Island Reds are a good breed to choose if you want to keep a small flock of dual-purpose chickens. They are great for both egg production and also as pets.

The average hen lays large brown eggs and is also very freiendly so long as they are given teh chance to get to know you. Once you have them used to you they will let you stroke them, pick them up and generally fuss over them - in fact they love to have their feathers stroked.

The hens lay an average of about 260 eggs per year which is an ample amount to keep you in a small business if you have more than a couple of them. The Cock is NOT suitable - only hens as the Cock will be aggressive and noisy (and obviously does not lay eggs).

The Rhode Island Red is one of the most popular breeds but it is also one of the more recently developed breeds as well. It got its name from being bred and developed in Rhode Island in the 1830s but it was also developed in Massachusetts. It’s breeding is a combination of Brown Leghorns, Cochins and Malays. It gets it’s deep rich red color from the Malay influence in its breeding.

You can get more information about keeping chickens from www.chickenkeepers.co.uk