Aviculture, Avian Medicine, And The Pet Bird Industry

Aviculture, Avian Medicine, and the Pet Bird Industry

Susan L. Clubb, DVM Loxahatchee, Florida

Session #2000

Birds have held a place in man's affection since the ancient Egyptians and Romans kept birds. Europeans have successfully bred birds, especially smaller birds and pigeons, for centuries. Only in recent years, however, have science and medicine been applied to aviculture and pet care.

Our industry--the pet bird industry, of which aviculture and avian medicine are an integral part-- is experiencing an evolutionary process, becoming self sufficient, applying science to aviculture, and changing with the social values of the times:

Regulatory changes have dramatically altered our supply of birds. We must respond by increasing productivity.

The application of science and medicine to aviculture, however, is a modern development. The pet industry is becoming more sophisticated at the manufacturer and retailer levels.

Public philosophy on the use of birds as pets is changing. Birds are now considered less expendable because they are not so easily replaceable.

Aviculture and the pet industry must determine what our role in the conservation of avian species will be.

The Wild Bird Conservation Act of 1992

The WBCA is now reality, but regulatory wheels turn slowly. It is unlikely that significant numbers of wild-caught birds traded under sustainable utilization programs, or foreign captive bred birds, will be imported at least for several years. The importers who previously supplied us with an almost inexhaustible supply of birds are now seeking other business opportunities. Quarantine stations are being renovated for the importation of ratite hatching eggs. Most of the businesses that previously made birds available to us no longer exist. It is clear the US pet bird industry must now rely on US aviculture.

Common and catastrophic diseases of imported birds, such as parrot pox and Pacheco's parrot disease, are becoming rare, replaced by more long term diseases such as proventricular dilatation syndrome and polyoma virus infection. As diets have improved, we see fewer birds with obvious deficiency diseases.

Working Together

To keep the momentum, which we have enjoyed in the pet bird industry, we must continue to strive to increase production, improve quality, and decrease the cost of our product--pet birds. Veterinarians will be called upon to assist in making US aviculture a viable industry. Aviculturists and veterinarians must work together to understand each other’s needs. Veterinarians must understand the economics of aviculture and try as much as possible to assist in reducing costs as well as improving health. Treatment regimens should be simple, avoiding labor-intensive and disruptive treatment programs whenever possible. We must all understand that everyone has health problems from time to time. The only stigma associated with problems would be to let them progress without attempting to solve them.

Aviculturists must also understand the economic pressures placed on veterinarians. They must understand the cost of a thorough diagnostic work-up and not expect a veterinarian to always be able to diagnose a problem simply by looking at it. Tying up the veterinarian on phone consultations to avoid clinic or farm visits is also unfair. Aviculturists must become well acquainted with the problems that exist in their aviaries and work with veterinarians to develop treatment and control programs, which are appropriate to the facilities, species, and resources available.

A Changing Pet Bird Industry The Application of Science and Medicine to Aviculture

Those who frequent pet industry trade shows, or read trade and veterinary journals, will observe a continuum of new products available for aviculture, avian medicine, and pet bird care. According to recent discussions with cage and feed manufacturers, orders and sales are brisk. New products are available for aviculture such as brooders, egg transporters, incubators, special diets, and better caging. As the availability of dry goods and veterinary services proliferates, a base of pet birds must be there to provide a market.

Veterinarians are often critical of the pet bird industry. A well-known avian veterinarian recently stated to me that he did not feel birds should be kept as pets. I hear this frequently and question the logic of working in a field within which one has philosophical conflict. It is obvious that for avian medicine to advance, avian veterinarians must have patients. For the pet industry to continue to develop and distribute products to enhance the care of pet birds, there must be a market. Despite the appropriateness of an individual bird or species for use as pets, it is apparent that birds have been and will continue to be kept as companion animals and aviary subjects.

Many aviculturists may re-examine the business potential in the small species with which most of us started our avicultural pursuits. Retailers are universally looking for good breeders to supply small common economical species, which make up the bulk of the pet bird market. The market for larger species is not expected to be as strong as the market for small species.

The seasonality of aviculture and the pet industry also presents a challenge. In the summer months, when most aviculturists have the largest number of chicks of marketable chicks available, sales are slow for most retailers. Since celebrating Christmas in July is not practical, aviculturists must work on ways to shift the breeding season to make more birds available during peak market months. A better understanding of exogenous factors, which enhance breeding, will help to accomplish this.

An Alternative Life Plan for Birds

I often hear warnings given to new pet bird owners of the life long commitment to our pet birds, such as "Don't obtain a pet bird unless you write it into your will". Our concept of keeping a pet bird for it's natural life span may need to change. Many of the behavioral problems which we experience with pet birds are associated with their desire to fulfill their life cycle, a cycle which includes playful adolescence, maturity, reproduction, retirement, and old age. Rather than battling problems such as feather destruction and aggression associated with sexual frustration, a more appropriate approach may be to consider the use of birds as pets as time out from aviculture. Juvenile birds, up until the time of sexual maturity, make excellent pets. Older birds, like the old dog lying by the fireplace, also make excellent companion animals. Aviculturists find it difficult to tie up cage space and utilize resources holding young birds until they reach breeding age. The disposition of birds, which are not productive breeders, is also problematic. These birds can be readjusted to life as pets, especially if they were pets prior to becoming breeders. We keep our children safe, at home, until they are mature and ready for a life of their own. Why not consider the same for our birds? After reproductive potential has declined, many birds will have 10 to 20 years during which time they would be happy to live the more sedentary life of a caged bird. Life planning--moving a bird from being a pet, into aviculture, and back to being a pet--may be a practical approach to dealing with some behavioral problems and a way to give the bird the best possible and most productive life.

As in any animal production industry, culling is an important management tool. Birds, which are culled due to poor production, could be good candidates for companion animals, especially for those people who cannot afford expensive hand-fed birds.

Our Role in the Conservation of Birds

New regulatory controls will limit the availability of wild caught birds, especially those, which are not common in US aviculture, as these species will not likely be evaluated for sustainable utilization programs. Species, which are not represented by large numbers of individuals-- especially those, which are not popular in trade and as pets--may fall by the wayside and be lost to aviculture. These birds are essentially irreplaceable, so it is vital that we strive to establish such species in captivity now before too many years pass and the origins of the birds become obscured. The conservation role we can all take now is to maintain as complete and accurate genealogical records as possible and to encourage propagation of less popular species.

Summary

Aviculture, avian medicine, and the pet bird industry are inextricably entwined, and that association must continue in harmony for the advancement of all. The primary goal for all is to provide healthy companion birds to the public. Applying science to aviculture and refining avicultural techniques will help the aviculturist fill the demands of the industry at a competitive price. Establishment of species in captivity, and learning as much as possible about the biology of these species, are goals to which we can all contribute. Certainly these efforts can also enhance the conservation of wild populations.