I have a large flight with plenty of perches, however more and more of my birds choose to live on the floor of the cage. They are not overweight, nor are they runners, they can all fly, but they choose to stay on the floor. I am wondering as we strive to produce birds with "dirrectional feather" are we producing birds that choose not to fly as they have difficulty looking forward? Are other breeders experiencing this problem also? Thoughts? Clearwing

Very interesting that you mention that!

 

I have heard that in a couple of aviaries over here the preponderance for floor dwellers, like you say, the birds would rather live like a quail.

 

Also that directional feather actually impairs proper vision and birds are said to fly into things all the time.

 

I can only speculate, but IF I were a budgie and had a ton of feathers blocking my sight, I don't think I'd risk flying around too much 'cause I wouldn't want to continuously bump into things!

 

But, I wonder how their bodies are developing if they can't get good exercise to strengthen those muscles?

Edited February 3, 201015 yr by renee

I have a large flight with plenty of perches, however more and more of my birds choose to live on the floor of the cage. They are not overweight, nor are they runners, they can all fly, but they choose to stay on the floor. I am wondering as we strive to produce birds with "dirrectional feather" are we producing birds that choose not to fly as they have difficulty looking forward? Are other breeders experiencing this problem also? Thoughts? Clearwing

 

im not experienced enough to comment on it really

but in my view i believe the feather over the eye look is crule when taken beyond a certain point

why im choosing to breed birds with the key hole look but just with a tad more direction

 

the birds i got from nub are perfect examples of not to much but still with the show look and ability to see fine (why i got them )

i think the manning s birds are over the top but then everyone loves them so

but then his birds seem to be able to fly with out difficulty's from what ive seen in a video off his birds on u tube

maybe your floors cooler and they just like to pick around on what evers their

i know my birds prefer the lowest perches in flight and their no were near having to much feather direction lol

I dont have any who prefer the floor unless its one of the gimps that have another issue....some of them get left to live their lives here and others are "rehomed" .

 

I do have birds that fly into me when I am in the flights, so I would guess thats die to feather ( or just bad flyers ? )

 

and lately with the hot weather a lot of them stay at floor level.

 

I did have some from the same family that seemed unable to fly even though they had their full flight feathers.........I culled that family.

Edited February 3, 201015 yr by KAZ

I am not having that problem but I do have a few that went into the breeding cage that could fly and came out and couldn't fly and still haven't flew.

Looks like one of their wings is damage and i have no reson to why.

It's only my fat birds that are having trouble flying , they can fly but they struggle to get to the top.

I don't like floor dwellers - unless it's hot or at feeding times. Says to me that the birds are not interested in flying around (therefore don't fly well maybe). I am really happy to see budgies zipping around everywhere and hanging off things or trying maddly to open the slide bolts on the doors etc. Says to me they are fighting fit and bursting out of their little feathery bodies.

 

I have a tendency to get rid of anything that dwells on the floor. BUT I have perches low to the ground 20cm of the ground is the first one so there is no real reason for anyone (even big fat girls - hens I mean) not be be able to find a perch off the ground somehwere.

 

I often have budgies that crash into me while they are zipping around though - I have had a couple lately meet me face to face (quite literally) - scared me as much as it did the budgies that did it mind you. One of them even employed some claws in a last minute bid to get turned around - OW! THIS tell me that their directional feather is imparing their ability to see straight in front of themselves - I'm okay with that though

I often have budgies that crash into me while they are zipping around though - I have had a couple lately meet me face to face (quite literally) - scared me as much as it did the budgies that did it mind you. One of them even employed some claws in a last minute bid to get turned around - OW! THIS tell me that their directional feather is imparing their ability to see straight in front of themselves - I'm okay with that though

 

well thats encouraging as a lot of mine do this, but in the junior flights

I have the odd crash here and there Even the ones that can't fly here climb the wire or ladder to get to the perches.

Mine only sit on the floor when it is hot you always no when it is too hot for them as yep on the floor and no noise but when it's a nice day they chirp that loud that you can't here yourself think sometimes and the zip and fly everywhere.

BUT I do have some heavty hens that have trouble lifting their weight ...

Looks like all the girls at this address need to go on a diet yours truely too.

Edited February 3, 201015 yr by splat

I have plenty of floor dwellers - all can fly though.

 

I think it has more to do with the type of flights our birds have. Anyone who knows me knows that I HATE birds with anything resembling rough or long wings. In fact i have a couple of excellent cock birds that have very short flights. At first glance they look like moulters, but there are 8 very fine and short flights.

 

Im sure the feather around face also has something to do with the floor dwelling

Yes

Yes

 

 

Man of few words!!

Yes

 

 

Man of few words!!

 

their is a saying

 

don't speak unless you can improve the silence

mabe matt follows this rule

Edited February 3, 201015 yr by GenericBlue

Well that must be the answer feather and the directional feather, they prefer to stay on the floor than crash

My birds must be seriously sh*t feather wise then as they do not spend time on the floor but most of their time flying about or annoying each other!

Yes

 

 

Man of few words!!

 

their is a saying

 

don't speak unless you can improve the silence

mabe matt follows this rule

 

I shall now speak GB.

Never had birds on the floor until I purchased some birds from another breeder. These birds sat on the floor , from then on my birds have been going to the floor , its like a flock thing where they all join in .

Personally I hate it , but as yet still working on a solution.

I shall now speak GB.

Never had birds on the floor until I purchased some birds from another breeder. These birds sat on the floor , from then on my birds have been going to the floor , its like a flock thing where they all join in .

Personally I hate it , but as yet still working on a solution.

 

That's exactly how one breeder described it to me ~ maybe these 'floor dwellers' all came from the same aviary!

Yes, floor dwellers out to bring down all avairys!

I have a mix of pet types/show stock birds. Certain times of the day it's like "o.k. everyone on the floor". Usually late afternoon, they forage around, have a poo pick as I call it and go for whatever seed heads vege's etc on floor. I've tried hanging veg'e etc but they just toss it all out and go to ground. They just seem to have a social get-together on the floor, through choice I think. But none "live" on the floor. All come in from the flight to roost of their own accord to the perches so I now leave door between open, so first light they can get out if they want or chat, indoors.

I was talking yesterday with a breeder of national winning birds and she said a lot of hers like to spend time on the floor now too.

They can fly, they just dont want to most of the time.

Is it seasonal ? Hotter weather ?

Is it as the birds progress in feather development ?

Is it learned behaviour ?

I was talking yesterday with a breeder of national winning birds and she said a lot of hers like to spend time on the floor now too.

They can fly, they just dont want to most of the time.

Is it seasonal ? Hotter weather ?

Is it as the birds progress in feather development ?

Is it learned behaviour ?

That is the breeder I was referencing.

I was talking yesterday with a breeder of national winning birds and she said a lot of hers like to spend time on the floor now too.

They can fly, they just dont want to most of the time.

Is it seasonal ? Hotter weather ?

Is it as the birds progress in feather development ?

Is it learned behaviour ?

Good question Kaz , maybe it's just birds of a feather. Mine seem to have chat sessions, forage sessions, play sessions etc. Maybe learned behaviour as my young ones seem to be leading my older birds. I put chicks out in flight, gave them new foods etc from fledging, whereas my old birds didn't seem interested in those things before chicks started.

Edited February 9, 201015 yr by KAZ