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When we think of products that we need for our bird(s), one of the items often forgotten is a scale. In the following article we will discuss why a scale should be on every bird owner's list.
The Importance of a Scale at Home: Many of us tend to believe that unless we are a bird breeder a scale is not needed. While scales are truly invaluable to a breeder, they are also extremely important in the home. Having a scale in your home allows for keeping an accurate record of your bird's weight on a regular basis. Knowing your bird's "regular" weight is a major key to keeping them healthy. This is important because one of the early signs of illness in birds is weight loss in small, continuous amounts. Unfortunately, this type of weight loss cannot be detected just by looking at a bird. On top of that fact, birds can endanger their own health by hiding an illness until they become too weak to continue to do so. They do this because in nature the weak and sick are kicked out of the flock to help keep predators away. This instinct carries over to our homes, with the only difference being now we are considered the flock. With a scale, weight loss in a bird will not go unnoticed and illness can be spotted sooner. It is recommended for adult birds to be weighed at least twice a month. Based on this knowledge, it certainly is a great advantage for a bird owner to invest in a scale.
The Importance of a Scale to Breeders: If there were a bird breeder's mantra it would be: "Those who breed shall weigh." In other words, if you breed birds you must have a scale. A scale is an invaluable breeding tool with two major functions: It is used to weigh out hand feeding formula the babies are fed; and, of course, is used to weigh the babies themselves. Baby birds simply cannot be raised properly; and, most importantly, to be healthy, without a scale. Hand feeding formula must be weighed out or there is a possibility of malnutrition occurring in baby birds from the wrong ratio of food to water.
Babies must be weighed every morning before the first feeding of the day to accurately access their growth rates. Remember, no one can look at a bird (even a baby one) and tell if it has lost small amounts of body weight; yet, small amounts of weight loss can be an early sign of a major problem. Please invest in a scale to weigh your formula and your babies daily.
