#Aviary netting

[hebmetalmesh]

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More Ideas

ZOO MESH – A BETTER ZOO ENCLOSURE AND AVIARY NETTING

Types of Zoo Mesh Order with Different Panels and Meshes All In One

Black Oxide Zoo Mesh Order with Different Panels and Meshes All In One

#zoo mesh #aviary mesh #zoo fencing #animal enclosure mesh #Animal fence #Aviary wire mesh #Aviary netting

[santoshivers]

My story “Aviary” hardly even has a proper title yet, I call it Aviary as a placeholder, but it's Infinitely fun to think about. I’ve been rotating it in my mind recently. So here’s a few tidbits of information!:

The World in which Aviary takes place in is one where the core of the planet is Mostly Covered By Water. Though that isn’t to say there’s no land whatsoever, there’s plenty of Small to Medium sized islands dotting the sea, and Medium to Large sized islands up in the sky. Most Sea Islands are fishing towns!

This is a specifically Post-War story. The time where the majority of the events take place are within the first few years of a pretty Large Scale War between a Land and It's people getting Colonized, and The Colonizers behind it. Tensions still run high.

There Three Deities in this world are based on the concept of The Past, The Present, and The Future. All with personalities and designs to match.

The character you'll probably see the most, named Folke Pandion, is an amnesic, work-driven, war veteran that's Essentially Undead. He's fine.

#santostutter #santoslore #aviary #folke pandion #first little lore dump! #kinda casting a wide net here just for people to chew on #ocs #worldbuilding #original story #original character #original world

[skulandcrossbones]

audio transcript:

hi there, non emergency line, how can I help you? power outage? have you gone outside to see if the entire block is out? okay well then go outside - it's just you? I have to ask, did you pay your power bill this month? you didn't— oh you're a sovereign citizen? well see therein lies the rub— hey chill out, I- I don't like paying my bills either! and I just need to say, I'm a government employee and you called me so the irony is not lost—

non emergency line how can I help you? there's birds blocking the exit to your apartment? have they attacked you? no? okay good. can you count how many birds there are? yes it actually does matter. if it's eight or less we can send out keith, if it's nine or above we're gonna have to contact animal control. oh it's not arbitrary, it's aviary— I'm kidding, I'm kidding, no! no yeah we'll send out keith — KEITH GET THE NET!

non emergency line how can I help you? got a noise complaint? well it is.......3pm. we can't do anything until 10. okay i guess uh, yeah I guess children's laughter can be grating but—

non emergency line how can I help you? okay I'm going to have to transfer you to poison control for that— no it's a very common issue we have here so don't even worry—

non emergency line how can I help you? okay so yeah you will want poison control for that—

eehhh poison control– poison control– poison contr– buddy I love the way that gasoline smells too but unfortunately we're gonna have to loop in poison control—

non emergency line how can I help you? OH MY GOD SOMEONE'S SHOOTING AT YOU??? oh shouting at you, I was gonna say, you should [laughs]– we have a hold you should've called 911! what are they shouting at you? it does matter, see, the police and I have uh split custody of, of verbal altercations so it really does... okay so they're saying "no you incompetent buffoon, the birds are out--" KEITH IS THIS YOU??

#videos #audio transcript #instagram #instagram reels

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for reporting my neighbor to the police and getting him evicted for trying to poison my chickens?

I know that question sounds insane but bare with me. I (F30) live next to my landlord (F60s?) and my neighbor (M30s). I have 3 hens that I keep as pets and for fresh eggs.

I have my landlords written permission and follow all city ordinances (so no roosters, no more than 6 hens, built the coop away from houses, have a permit from the city, etc.)

They are in my yard in a fenced in run with a coop. I made sure to get a breed that's very quiet and docile so as not to bother neighbors, but whenever new people move in, I still go introduce myself, let them know I have hens, and then ask them if they want fresh eggs.

When I asked my new neighbor, he looked disgusted and said "I don't want shit from dirty ass barn animals"

Uh, okay. I told him that I was sorry for bothering him and to have a good day. He said "Whatever" and then closed the door.

A week later, I get a knock on my front door and open it. It's someone who works for animal control telling me that they've received a noise complaint.

At first I thought it was for my dog, who's a chihuahua mix, because he was barking VERY loudly at a squirrel the other day. Nope, it was the chickens. The guy said that someone reported roosters crowing.

I do not have roosters. My chickens are 2 years old so I'm 100% sure that they're hens and not roosters.

I invite him in, take him into the yard, and show him the chickens. I show him where their coop is, show him that I keep all of their food in secure containers to prevent mice and rats, I show him my license number, etc. At this point he's confused, because my chickens are very quiet and I clearly have no roosters.

Every time I saw the neighbor, he was usually hanging out with friends, and as soon as he noticed me he would immediately start complaining about my chickens. Talking about how barn animals are nasty, chickens are loud and stinky and gross, how they're only good for eating, etc. Basically the usual "You have prey animals as pets so I'm going to joke about killing and eating them".

I ignored him, and whenever I did see him I would smile and say hello, ask how he's doing, etc. which he ignored.

One morning I came out into my yard to let the hens out for the day, and saw something in their run. At first I thought it was some kind of weird, fucked up mushroom, but I looked closer and realized it was a piece of bread that was a bluish green color.

I looked up, because my chickens run is fenced in and covered in aviary netting, and realized that there was a huge cut in the netting. I went back inside, grabbed a plastic ziploc bag and gloves, put the bread in it, and then got a shovel to dig out the dirt that the bread was sitting on just in case.

I wasn't sure where to go, so I took it to my vet and showed one of the vet techs. He looked concerned, asked if any pets ate it, and then took it back to show one of the vets.

He came back out and told me that it looked like it had been covered in rat poison, and I told him that the aviary netting was cut, and this was in my yard. He told me to go to the police and make a report because it was 100% someone intentionally trying to poison my chickens/dog.

Before doing that, I went home, and checked my cameras. I have them up in the corner of the birds run facing their coop, so that if anything ever happened to them (we have lots of raccoons) I would be able to see.

I saw my neighbor climb up (I'm assuming on a step ladder), use a knife to cut the netting, and throw the bread into the yard. I took the video and piece of bread to the police, and filed a report.

I told them yes, I know, it's just chickens, but they're my pets and I also have a dog that could have eaten it (he goes into the coops with me). I love my chickens, all of them have names and I take them to a vet if they ever get sick, so to me they're more than livestock.

Cops are useless and I figured they wouldn't do anything, so I also told my landlord about it. I showed her a copy of the video that I saved, and she was horrified and told me she would take care of it immediately.

I'm not sure if the cops ever did their jobs, but he was gone a week later. My landlord apologized profusely for the trouble and I said it was fine, she had no way of knowing.

I thought I was justified in what I did, since I literally caught this guy on camera throwing poison into my yard for my pets to eat (and then slowly die of internal bleeding).

But I mentioned it to an IRL friend (F28) through text (she's out of town) and she was FURIOUS. She asked me wtf I was doing, ACAB, etc. and basically said "Isn't your neighbor black? How would you have felt if the cops showed up and shot him over some stupid birds?"

I told her that I went to the cops because my vet told me to, and just because he's black doesn't give him an excuse to poison peoples animals for no fucking reason.

I also reminded her that the cops in our town are useless and since no animals were actually poisoned, they probably wouldn't even get off their asses to go talk to him.

For context: One time someone got HIT BY A CAR 10 minutes away from the police station. It took them 20 minutes to get there.

She told me I was a racist bootlicker and a cracker... She's white and I'm mixed race (my dad is Colombian) so like... lol. lmao even.

#aita #am i the asshole

[buffetlicious]

Now looking back at the map, I see that I have missed exploring the Heart of Africa aviary as I was rushing to go for lunch at the Egg Splash Cafe so I can attend the animal presentation later at 12.30pm.

Guess what I ordered for lunch? Smoked Salmon & Egg Benedict Toast (S$15.90) using omega eggs with hollandaise sauce on onion bread. The poached egg yolks are just viscous enough without being too raw that the yolks get drained onto the plate. The salty smoked salmon with the creamy sauce and egg were so good that I wished the toasts were bigger so I can mop up the sauce.

There is just enough time before the next event is due. The Treetop Play area lets the kids bounce on the trampolines and scale the nets. There are also two shuttle stations which provide Complimentary In-park Shuttle Service. However, this tram ride is not a sightseeing tour but to fetch visitors from near entrance area to the centre of the park. There isn’t anything to see along the way though there are tons of pandan plants (Pandanus amaryllifolius) growing on both sides of the road and they smelled so nice.

#Bird Paradise #Singapore #Mandai #Mandai Wildlife Reserve #Egg Splash Cafe #Smoked Salmon #Egg Benedict #Omega Egg #Onion Toast #Hollandaise Sauce #Salad #Lettuce #Cherry Tomato #Vegetables #Lunch #Treetop Play #Shuttle Service #Tram #Food #Buffetlicious

[diamondcrownacademy]

DCA Info Part 5: Subjects and Clubs

The following subjects are thought at Diamond Crown Academy

Basic Classes

Magic History - The study of the historical figures of the academy and the histories throughout the years.

Incantations - Verbal spells that require learning a specific language while waving the magic pen in a certain pattern.

Basic Etiquette - The study of proper manners, posture and communication.

Ancient Rune Reading - The study of ancient writing and spells that are cast through magic rune stones.

Animal Linguistics - The study of animal language, and conversing with animals.

Music - Theater and musical performances.

Alchemy - Minerals, plants and many other ingredients are fused to create something entirely new.

General Magic - Magical spells for offense and defense as well as spell breakers and minor hexes.

Study of Magical Relics - The study of old relics and the identification of their history and uses.

PE Subjects

Fencing/Sword Fighting - There is various swords used as well as various sword-handling.

Obstacle Run - The tracks are set with magic traps and obstacles that students need to overcome.

Derby Racing - Horseback racing.

Magical Shift/Maglift - Using magic to throw discs towards a goal.

Griffin Disc - Riding griffins while having to chase a gold disc and place it on the team's catching net.

Martial Arts - Taekwondo, Judo and many other physical combat activities.

Marathon Run - Running a set amount of kilometers.

Side Note: If a student does feel anxious then they're allowed to be excused, Actius dislikes forcing students to do physical activities if they feel uncomfortable. But since he is allowed to run the class however he wishes, he'll just have them write some papers regarding physical education as a substitute or maybe have them do light jogging instead.

Extra-Curricular Classes

Animal Care - Basic study of caring for animals and identifying what they require.

Magical Beast Study - Study of magical beasts as well as taming them for the purpose of gathering information before they are released.

Party Hosting - Learning how to host an event.

Needlework and Jewelry - Sewing clothes and making accessories. The finished products are worn by the students.

Cultural Dance - Dance to different cultures.

Art - Study of art and any form be it, sculpture, painting, metalwork and many more.

Ballroom Dance - Learning the steps of the waltz and many other dances performed by nobles.

Clubs

Theater Club - Stage plays performed by students, the club expects a lot from their members to deliver their roles to utmost perfection. Allison and Evonie are members of this club.

Horse Grooming Club - The horses are used for the derby but also performance. So this club focuses on taking care of the horses as well as training them to do tricks. Ella is a member of this club.

Gardening Research Club - Planting rare species or mixing seeds to see what plant will grow. Vidya is a member of this club.

Volleyball Club - It's volleyball. You smack a ball, also you get hand strength to slap the soul out of someone.

Chess Club - Students play a battle of wits and strategy.

Book Writers Club - Students write novels or short stories and present them during club meetings.

Comic Otaku Club - Fangirling over 2D boys or girls and having the waifu and husbando wars.

Fairy Keeping Club - A club for making sure that the fairies on campus are given proper treatment, such as treating broken wings, keeping their homes clean as well as learning about the body language of fairies.

Magical Artworks Club - Students paint with enchanted brushes to create moving portaits. Rozeline is a member of this club.

Roleplay Game Club - The students play, Dragons and Maidens (Note: This is likely Twisted Wonderland's version of Dungeons and Dragons) and sometimes play the game while wearing a costume of their avatar. Perrine and Cerule are members of this club.

Aviary Club - Bird watching, as well as bird keeping are the clubs main activities. Jinlong is a member of this club.

Asher Vs. Florence Club - A secret club made by Faustus. Only those who know the password are allowed to join. The password asks if you prefer the color pink or blue.

Griffin Scout Club - The griffins are ridden to forests and the students do the scout activities such as recognizing carvings to mark directions. There's also scout cookie sales where they train griffins to deliver packages of cookies to customers. Elu and Briar are members of this club.

The Griffin Scouts was an idea of Actius. He manages the club activities and schedules, and he also manages the griffins used for the scouting team.

The griffins are not like horses, they have a more high standard when it comes to people riding them. Only senior members of the club who has earned a number of badges to receive their senior badge could only ride griffins. Elu and Briar are two of the few who have senior badges. No one owns the griffins, they are called in the summer and autumn for the scout club activities and when winter rolls in, Actius lets them go to migrate to a warmer climate.

Novice scouts are the ones who have to get community service badges, expert scouts have to survive in the wilderness and learn secret codes and symbols to get badges and become senior scouts when they have a certain number of badges and have completed the griffin test. It's when the scout stands a meter away from a griffin flock and have a griffin approach them and offer them a feather as a sign of mutual respect and that they are a worthy rider.

Actius is still stern but a bit more hands on with his teaching, he will show the students how to properly tie a certain rope knot or how to pitch a tent. Even the griffin scout cookie sale was also being taught by him, his cookie recipe is to die for.

#DCA info #general information #diamond crown academy

[flock-talk]

Can I ask where you got a lot of the perches and ropes and what not for your bird room(s)? I'm looking at setting up my own aviaries, but I am having a hard time sourcing materials.

Most of the perches are from feathered addictions

These more intricate ones are from the west coast tropical bird studio

If you need larger ones I’ve heard Blooms and Branches can be a good place but I’ve not ordered from them personally! They are not a bird specific site so do be sure you're getting bird-safe ones when looking there.

Ropes are from mysafebirdstore primarily, the net I made out of rope I purchased from them

Hardware for attaching everything was largely from RONA, they have a variety of stainless steel hardware that works well for bird stuff.

if there's a specific item/toy you'd like to know about specifically let me know, odds are I still remember where I got it from/ what it's made of!

#bird room ask

[broodwolf221]

happy friday!!! for morrigan/leliana maybe and from the smutfic prompts: heavy eye contact

happy writing!

amazingly this one did not end up in smut territory lmao. love writing them circling each other tho <3 @dadrunkwriting 1054 words cws: none

Leliana thought she was prepared. She knew that Morrigan would be here, at the Winter Palace. She knew that she had to set... old feelings aside, that she could not give herself over to the soft warmth of memories. She knew all of this.

Then she saw her.

Her breath caught and she barely covered the lapse, arching a brow imperiously before remarking to her conversation partner about the magical advisor. The man scoffed and shook his head, muttering something about witches in the imperial court, but Leliana was barely paying attention.

Why was she wearing that dress? It was just as Leliana had once pictured her in, had described to her. Then, the other woman had brushed it off, but now...? Those at the Winter Palace did not just so happen to be dressed a certain way—everything was painstakingly deliberate and planned out, with fittings and precisely tailored outfits that showed off exactly what the wearer wanted shown. Every single dress, every suit, every pair of shoes made a statement, and so did Morrigan’s.

But what game was she playing at? Was she hoping to prey on Leliana’s feelings? To set her off-guard so that she could make her move tonight? She was the spymaster for the Inquisition and had acted as the brutal left hand of the Divine. She was not the wayward young girl she had been when they’d met during the Blight, hopelessly infatuated with the world and with the beautiful, mysterious woman who had been traveling with the Warden.

Was the dress a peace offering or a weapon? Regardless, she could not heedlessly approach—Morrigan remained embroiled in the court, guarded by her position even with the obvious disdain she had netted from certain parties. Even that they were both part of the Warden’s group during the Blight would not give her the clearance to approach, for Halamshiral did not care about the Blight, about the horrors of it, not anymore. That potential disaster had passed and it was forgotten, replaced by the intricacies of courtly intrigues and the civil war. To engage with Morrigan publicly using the Blight as an excuse would only earn them both disdain and would reflect poorly upon the Inquisition.

No, she had to bide her time and make sure the Inquisitor knew what—knew who—they were up against.

She still felt a chill travel down her spine when Morrigan caught her eye, golden eyes sparking and the faintest smile curving her lips. Her expression was difficult to place—haughty, perhaps? Amused? It was enough that even when the other woman looked away she still felt pinned to the spot.

Prey recovering from a predator’s loss of interest.

~~~

She had been postponing this. Morrigan had been at Skyhold for several days now, making use of the gardens, and Leliana had thrown herself fully into catching up on correspondences and discussing what they had learned with the Inquisitor and the other advisors. But for the first time she had a free moment.

She could find a practical way to fill it, she knew. Could fine-tune her network that little bit more, could determine if she should have her spy move tomorrow or wait until early next week, see if he wasn’t able to overhear more in his current position, but... ultimately, there was nothing that commanded her immediate attention. And she felt the presence of the other woman like a physical force.

So she rolled her shoulders to try and work out the stubborn kinks and proceeded down to the garden, ignoring the startled looks she received on the way. Few were accustomed to seeing her going anywhere except the war-room or the aviary, but there surprise was not her interest right now. And the only surprise she was interested in was not given to her, Morrigan meeting her eyes with the same faint smile she’d worn at the Winter Palace.

Or was it different? Perhaps a touch more coy, now. Or sardonic. Or—Maker, why was the woman so hard to read? “Leliana,” she was greeted smoothly as she approached, nodding. “Or should I call you spymaster?”

“You may call me whatever you wish,” she said, voice a touch sharper than she’d intended. But Morrigan did not look defeated or off-put. If anything, more intrigued. “I have been meaning to speak with you,” she continued after a beat, and now Morrigan was the one nodding.

“Forgive that I do not feign surprise,” she retorted and Leliana had to bite back a sigh.

“I need to know that you have the Inquisitions interests at heart.”

“I am here, am I not?” Not a response, but not a deflection, either.

“This is not the first time you have allied yourself to a cause,” she pointed out. “Nor would it be the first time you have chosen your own.” Morrigan’s eyes narrowed but she did not look away, instead appearing to assess Leliana.

“You have changed,” she said at last.

“Have you?” She countered, although she was taken aback by Morrigan’s contemplative tone.

“Certainly.” The single-word answer was frank but not defensive or aggressive, which was itself a change. She was a mother now—that alone would have changed her, but Leliana had not been sure how. Time, too, had changed them both, time and myriad experience. “It is the nature of people to change,” she continued after a moment, mirroring Leliana’s thoughts.

“So it is,” she agreed. Not once through this exchange had they looked away from each other, but something shifted in Morrigan’s eyes. Once more she felt the weight of a predator’s gaze. This, too, was a change. “Have you been given a tour of Skyhold?” She asked abruptly, surprising herself. But Morrigan only arched a brow slightly, the hunger in her eyes not abating in the least.

“Not a sufficient one, no.”

“Then may I offer one?”

“Please.” The answer was polite but her tone was anything but, and those golden eyes remained fixed on Leliana’s even as she approached. The witch wove her arm through Leliana’s, the outfit she had worn during the Blight doing as little as ever to disguise her body, although Leliana could not forget the dress she’d worn at the ball.

She began the tour, although they both knew that it would end in Leliana’s room.

#broodwrites #dadw time #morriana #morrigan #leliana

[homeofhousechickens]

Hi! I know you deal mostly with house chickens, but do you know if it's safe to put a coop under a tree? It's a big maple tree

I looked it up online and people are saying that it's safe and they'll enjoy the shade (it gets very hot and humid during the summer here), but my main worry is that wild birds will land on the branches and defecate down into the chickens run and might spread diseases.

I'm planning on putting aviary netting over the top but I'm still not sure.

It's safe but I would put an actual roof on your coop and run. Outside chickens in general are more at risk for disease so that's just something you will need to keep in mind. Like sending in a fecal sample to the vet yearly to keep on top of any worms 🪱

Considering global temperatures rising I think the shade will help prevent the losses from heat stroke.

[hebmetalmesh]

Best Aviary Netting: The All-in-One Solution for Bird Safety

irds are magnificent creatures that inspire people all over the world. They are beautiful, graceful, and have an impressive range of abilities. That is why people put so much effort into creating environments, like aviaries, that are safe and conducive to their well-being. One of the crucial aspects of building an aviary is choosing the …

Best Aviary Netting: The All-in-One Solution for Bird SafetyRead More »

#aviary mesh #aviary netting #hebmetalmesh

[beazt]

ive seen you mention some stuff about your thesis, so id like to ask what kinds of research were you doing before? and what was your favorite bird to work with?

still working on the thesis!! I was just about to post an update on it. :) heads up you’re getting more than you bargained for with this ask. lmao

but my thesis research is really my first (not only, see end of this post) foray into research, tbh. Technically didn’t start with a thesis, but everything I did worked towards giving me the data I needed for my eventual thesis. so I just refer to it all as my thesis research. so I’ll just give the rundown on my thesis since I have an excuse lmao

my thesis research only involved working with two species, but I’m only focusing on one for the thesis itself. we work with tree swallows and eastern bluebirds! this is because they’re both highly competitive obligate secondary cavity nesters. I’ll break that down. basically it’s fancy speak for “these birds will only nest in holes that were already made before they came along and they will not nest anywhere else.” researching birds is really hard, ask any ornithologist. they’re small, they’re fast, they fly, they’re smart enough to avoid most traps, they don’t really let you get close to them. you can do behavioral monitoring if you have a good enough population, population monitoring if you’re willing to use citizen science and some mist nets. maybe skein some data from point counts. but anything physiological or reproductive is really hard. unless you do a secondary cavity nester, which nests in boxes that you can open and monitor and trap birds in and even do behavioral trials!

(of course there’s also aviary kept birds, but not all species are well suited for that, it’s expensive, it takes a lot of space, and it’s hard to get approved.)

my research specifically focuses on eastern bluebirds. I did quite a bit of field work before ever coming up with a research question, and quite a bit of bench work. most of my bench work at that point was dissecting nests and quantifying parasites. the general reaction I get to this is “ew, I could never” but I loved it! I love insects and especially parasites. a clean nest with no parasites would only take maybe 2 minutes but a mossy, wet, muddy nest full of parasites could take 2 hours. and we get 300+ nests per year, most are parasitized. so I spent a lot of time doing this!

I was having a parasite quantifying party with the other guy in my lab who works with the parasites and our professor/research mentor, when I was just asking questions about the parasites and stuff. and I ended up asking “do the parasites affect the baby bluebirds color?” and boom, my thesis question was born. you see, no one has studied this question before, because not that many people in the US study bird color, my professor is one of few. but it’s also an interesting question because juvenile bluebirds will retain their flight plumage into their first breeding season. and my prof has shown that differences in colored ornamentation affect mate choice and sexual selection in the past. so essentially, an effect on color could affect their first breeding season as well as potentially affect parental care (not as much research is done on that, because fledglings are hard as fuck to study.)

so I went through as much literature as I could find, there’s very little on the effects of any parasites on bird color, but I went through other things that could affect coloration, especially structural coloration. quick tangent on structural coloration: essentially, blue and green birds do not have blue (or green, except in the case of the turacos) pigment. the blue is caused by some wacky keratin structures that reflect blue light. this is a very different mechanism than repurposing or producing pigments!

I also kept on trucking through those nests. I would arrive at uni (45-60 min drive) every morning by 6 am to dissect nests until my 9 am class.

And then I started doing another bit of bench work where I took the feather samples we collected (2 cm of the tip of the 5th primary wing feather on each side) from the nestlings and taping them to non-reflective black paper for color analysis. and then I measured them! we use a fancy machine called a spectrophotometer to objectively measure the reflectance of every wavelength of light between 300 and 630nm, so through the UV into near infrared. birds are tetrachromatic, which means they have 4 visual pigments in their eyes, so they can see UV! so it’s important we measure it objectively, since we can’t even see it.

not to mention that we have a ton of data we collect on each bird and I had to do a TON of database management to make sure the data was even useable. I won’t even go into that much cause it’s boring, but it’s a lot of reorganizing, hunting down missing data, and scanning for typos, in literal thousands of rows by over a hundred columns of data.

it’s worth noting that I’ve been working on this project for two years. I did all of this for the first year myself, and also caught up a lot of lagging work from previous years and collaborators projects (perks of being an undergraduate research assistant: I got paid to do this). I also measured adult bird feather samples and the tree swallow samples. and then the second year came around. I trained people to do the nest dissecting, feather taping, and adult feather spec work, and some parts of the database management (and wrote/developed detailed protocols for all of these.) I kept some of the work for myself because it’s difficult to do correctly and takes experience, like the advanced database management and spec’ing the baby bluebird feathers. I just recently finished all of the database management for my thesis the years 2019-2022, there’s still a bit more to be done but not super relevant to my thesis. This alone took over 50 hours, total.

and in 2022, in my preliminary data, we noticed a correlation between parasites and baby color, but only for the female babies. (I ended up presenting this preliminary data at a conference.) this is significant because most rearing environment conditions affect the males more than the females. so since I still had a year, we decided to do some more analysis. the other guy working with the parasites was doing molecular work to quantify immune response to the parasites in the nestlings and brooding adult females. so I hopped on that bandwagon and did a ton of work in collaboration with him, and I mean 12 hour days of molecular work, to quantify the immune response of a male and female nestling from each nest and their mother. we did this through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) which here’s the very basic premise (excluding a lot of detail, forgive me). you extract the proteins of the parasites. then you add the blood of the birds. the immune cells in the blood of the birds react to the parasite proteins. then you add another immune type enzyme that attaches to the active bird immune cells. then you add chemicals which make those enzymes change color. then you use a microspectrophotometer to measure the optical density (basically the inability of light to pass through the solution) of each sample, and it tells you how strong the bird immune response was. you of course run a bunch of controls and then calculations based on those controls too.

then I ran a bunch of fancy statistics and color analysis and visual modeling. :P the visual modeling essentially takes the photoreceptor qualities and quantities across the avian eye to determine what the birds can see, and then the differences between two colors in avian vision. I used it to determine if a bird could tell the difference between a parasitized and unparasitized bird by their color, allowing their plumage to act as a signal of parasitism.

and now I’m writing about all of it. I’ve just finished my methods and results sections today, im probably not going to post about final results until I’ve been peer reviewed and published. but yeah, that’s essentially my thesis.

I suppose you could say bluebirds were my favorite bird to work with. It was really fun weighing and measuring their babies and watching them grow. And measuring the adults too. And taking their blood and feather samples. All of it was so fun. The particularly aggressive parents will dive at you when you’re messing with their babies lol. Ever seen a bluebird aiming for your face? I have.

overall I’ve spent well over 400 hours on this project, and I’m a fast worker. More hours to come with writing and preparing for publication. :p

in the middle of this project (summer 2022) I also completed an REU (research experience for undergraduates) program in Cincinnati where I was studying jumper spiders. That’s where I learned the visual modeling, actually. I spent a little over 400 hours on that project as well, except over the course of 10 weeks. the major difference is that was a full time job just doing research. with my thesis research I’ve been a full time student (15-17 credit hour semesters) the entire time and had a part time job 18 hours per week with a 2 hour commute each day all at the same time. that’s why it’s taken me 2 years to get the same amount of hours dedicated. lol

#lous clues #thesis :V #ornithotag #long post #anon

[cmgaldre]

Peppercorns First Day Out

In December we picked up a duck that was having a rough time and needed re-homing. She’s spent the holidays with us in a little quarantine pod where she’s recovered wonderfully. We found out she can fly and has green tinted eggshells so she probably had a wild Mallard Drake sire and got her Black  Swedish looks from her mom. We’ve spent the last few days completing updates to our own flocks safe foraging area to accommodate her flight ability. 8ft fence all around and aviary netting. Today we finished up just in time for Ms. Pepper to complete her quarantine period and we took her out to make introductions!

Everything is a bit muddy atm due to weather and work going on in the area but with the avian netting up at least ms peppercorn got her first visit with the ducks Sable had to be put in horny jail as he was complicating introductions but the girls got on well after that.

Shes put on some good weight and muscle in the last two weeks. Her appetite is where it should be and she readily takes and tries new foods. She's back in the house with us this evening but tomorrow we are going to let her stay out in the run and coop and bring Sable in.

Sable is very sweet, kind, and gentle as far as male ducks go... but he's still a male duck and some time in horny jail while Pepper gets to know the run and Olive and Fauna without competing with male attention and Olive's jealousy over said attention.... will probably be good

[mayhe123]

Chicken Wire Netting

Chicken wire mesh, also referred to as poultry netting or hexagonal wire mesh, is a flexible steel netting with hexagonal holes and is available in galvanized or PVC-coated finishes. It finds common usage in various applications such as chicken coops, rabbit runs, aviaries, garden fencing, deer fencing, and fruit cages. Additionally, chicken wire netting is ideal for domestic gardens, horticultural, and agricultural purposes. 

[testormblog]

Money with Wings

One day, I found a live baby parrot on the ground, fallen from its nest.  I thought it could be my pet so carefully carried it home and showed it to my father.  Dad smiled sadly at me.  He liked the little bird too.  He said, ‘Jakob, put it in an old cage in the shed.  However, it probably won’t survive.’  He was right.  I brought a few more young parrots home.  We fed them bread and honey.  Unfortunately, they didn’t survive either.  The next one, I fed grain.  It lived and thrived.

I decided to catch more birds.  What a challenge!  They were smart and escaped me quickly.  I talked to Pop about this and he built me a single door treadle trap.  Inside it, I placed a tub of grain to attract my quarry.  Once the bird was inside, its weight closed the door.  The trap worked well and I caught some birds.  Dad then suggested we construct an aviary.

At that year’s Beenleigh Show, I loitered around the bird exhibits and discovered that people bought birds.  I had a keen eye for money making ventures.  Some rare birds were selling for ten shillings each.  I knew where these nested in the bush and could catch three or four of them a day.  Forty shillings beat the miserly two shillings an hour Mattie Jones paid me.

I expanded the aviary then built another and constructed more traps.  My hobby became a small business.  I held up to one hundred birds in stock.  I began to breed, both from birds I caught and purchased.  I bought a state show champion and bred beautiful opaline budgerigars.  My aviaries housed budgerigars of every colour, a variety of parrots, including some pretty peach face lovebirds, and java finches.  My birds won show prizes every year.  This gained me free advertising and clients.  Everybody wanted a pet bird yet suppliers were few.

Still, my enterprise wasn’t an easy lark.  My aviaries had to be registered with a government department.  I had regulations to learn.  These included which species I could legally trap and breed.  An inspector could arrive anytime unannounced.  Sometimes, a pretty bird flew my way and I had no idea whether I should make it mine.  Nevertheless, my pet shop clients never asked if the birds were trapped or bred.  I looked after my birds well and only kept the healthy ones.  I helped the local farmers in return for bird feed, otherwise difficult and expensive to obtain.  They let me harvest cobs of corn as well as stalks of milo to thrash for seed.  I nicked off from school at lunch to check my traps and transfer any quarry in with my call birds.  With Reggie, I delivered orders as far as Brisbane.  Reggie really liked driving his car if I covered his fuel.  The pet shops always accepted whatever I offered.  After expenses, each delivery earnt me a hundred shillings plus, over five pounds.  Good pocket money!

I quickly learnt which birds attracted what prices.  Generally, their prices reflected their availability for sale, their physical appearance and condition as well as their dietary requirements.  Scaly green parrots were plentiful and difficult to feed.  They fetched a shilling each.  Rainbow lorikeets were rare at that time as well as beautifully coloured.  They were worth twenty scaly greens.  A pair of pale headed rosellas brought four shillings.  Most finches sold at ten shillings per dozen except for a single gouldian.  This small purple and gold breasted, green winged, red faced bird netted twenty shillings.  Nobody wanted pigeons, miners or magpies however.  If a cockatiel flew my way, that was a lucky day.  The same applied to a galah.  Back then, the galahs lived out west and strays were difficult to trap.  Both these species were talking birds.  This made my price negotiable.

The biggest threat to my business were Mother’s two cats, Peter and Jimmy.  She loved them and they her but nobody else.  Dad and I avoided them.  They sank their claws into anything living and efficiently killed whatever wasn’t human, including native fauna.  Mother claimed they were good ratters.  Well, these cats bore a grudge towards me.  When I was little and they much smaller, I decided Peter’s bluey grey colour should be green thus painted him so with housepaint.  These murderers longed to avenge my misdeed and sought to slaughter my beloved birds.  They often prowled around my aviaries hoping for an open door before they buggered off to the chook house.  One day, they took their frustration out on a poor hen.  Dad then exacted his on them!

The illegal export game was a risk too.  I unwittingly became caught in it.  A Mr Bright enquired about birds for sale.  He had seen my aviaries whilst driving by.  I was suspicious of him.  He admired my best birds kept in the large open aviary.  Many of these were my call birds and weren’t for sale.  They called their wild cousins into traps for me.  He offered me prices I couldn’t refuse.  Thus, I sold some.  He ordered others and returned for them.

Mr Bright asked about a specific bird not available in the pet shops.  I knew this bird lived near the creek.  He offered me twenty shillings each, a pound, and placed a £25 order.  Big money!  I found a couple nests then watched the chicks hatch and grow.  I stole them when they had their feathers and were ready to fly.  I caught fish daily to feed them and waited for Mr Bright to return.  He didn’t!  I pondered what to do with these birds; release them or sell them to another client.  I figured they were valuable given Bright’s offer of a man’s weekly wage.

Late on a Saturday afternoon, Reggie drove me to a client’s house.  I regularly delivered birds there, showing up without prior notice, as was the case this time.  Dad came too.  He suspected something wasn’t right.  This client, nicknamed Happy Dog, sold top notch birds at his pet shop in the City.  Dad and I knocked on his front door for some minutes.  We heard grunting noises from inside.  An unhappy Happy appeared in his boxers.  He saw the cage of birds and beckoned us into the light of the enclosed veranda.  On this veranda was a bed on which sat a different type of bird wrapped in a sheet, likely the sort who did tricks.  She was displeased that her transaction was interrupted.  I was naïve to her kind of business and only hoped to offload the birds for my small fortune.

My hope evaporated.  Happy said these birds were illegal to keep.  The woman yelled at both him and I in coarse language.  She demanded I leave with the birds and he come back to bed.  He moved me away from her earshot and asked me the price.  I told him Bright’s offer.  The enormous amount seemed a joke.  He laughed, then replied he’d pay twenty-five shillings tops, a tenth of the price.  I reluctantly handed over the birds and resolved to stick to my usual species.  I continued to supply Happy.  He was a major client.

I saved my profits. My birds laid me quite a nest egg to feather my future.  When my adult life began, my business flew the coup.

#moneywithwings #parrot #Beenleigh Show #money making #pocket money #beloved birds #Happy Dog #nest egg

[000h-la-la]

we lost another chicken the other day. no holes in the fence or netting so not sure how whatever it was got in or out with such a big bird. motion alarms woke me up and i got up to chase the bobcat caught on the security cams off. 😺 hoping i gave it a good scare!

update: looks like we're down to 3 birds. cloud was missing this morning. 😭 i patched up any holes in the overhead aviary netting i could find and threw down a good line of human scent around the perimeter (concentrated snuggle fabric softener).

[amybei]

Chicken Wire Netting

Chicken wire mesh, also referred to as poultry netting or hexagonal wire mesh, is a flexible steel netting with hexagonal holes and is available in galvanized or PVC-coated finishes. It finds common usage in various applications such as chicken coops, rabbit runs, aviaries, garden fencing, deer fencing, and fruit cages. Additionally, chicken wire netting is ideal for domestic gardens, horticultural, and agricultural purposes. This galvanized wire netting(Chicken Wire Mesh) is designed to withstand the elements and is suitable for outdoor applications.

#https://www.qunkunmetal.com/wire-mesh/chicken-wire-netting.html