Hi Rob,
It is not a good idea to use honey in bird feeding mixes as it can
carry pests and diseases that affect bees. European and American Foul
Brood disease spores can survive for years in honey and are very
common in commercial honey. The spores are easily picked up by
foraging bees and carried back to the hives. In NSW and I believe most
if not all other states, it is an offence with a fine of up to $1100.
So, please advise your friend to modify their mix. Malt syrup or
molasses is a good substitute. The Apiary industry has had a hard
enough time during the drought without another potential source of
diseases around. If you wish any further details, please do not
hesitate to contact me off list.
As for the problem of the freeloading natives, the only cure is to
deny access to the feed. This can be done by re-positioning the
feeders in the aviary, so as to reduce the escape of feed to areas
accessible to the natives or double cage the aviary, with the outer
cage wire about 1m out from the aviary. Once wild birds find a free
feed, it is very difficult to dissuade them.
Cheers,
Carl Clifford
On 03/01/2008, at 12:44 PM, Robyn Charlton wrote:
Greetings all,
I've just spent the Christmas/New Year Season looking after a
friends aviary
birds. The interesting thing is that of course the 'wild' birds were
in for
a feed too. Feeding all the birds was an elaborate affair: the wild
birds
accessing oats, honey and rice milk; bread; seed mix and any thing the
aviary birds dropped. The main wild birds that came in ( and the
area is
south Lake Macquarie) were Rainbow Lorrikeets, Magpies, Noisy
Miners, Indian
Mynahs Spotted Turtle- Doves, Crested Pigeons and a Grey
Butcherbird. And
while it was delight to see many of the Natives come in, I can't
help to
think that it isn't the best idea to 'feed the birds'. Magpies can
become
very impatient for starters. Then there are nutrition and dependency
issues.
Personally I prefer providing a ' natural' feeding habitat for them
and
offer areas where water can be found.
Thoughts anyone?
Rob
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