Observe before servicing
Pause outside the cages before changing anything. Account for each bird and note breathing, posture, movement and interest in food. Compare each bird with its own usual behaviour. A quiet bird hidden behind foliage still needs to be accounted for.
- 01
Clean water
Clean drinkers and provide fresh drinking water daily. Observe that birds can reach and use the drinker.
- 02
Shallow bath
Offer a clean, shallow bath when the birds can bathe and dry comfortably. This Gouldian illustration uses plain water.
- 03
Remove and dry
Remove soiled bath water and clean the dish. Keep birds away from direct air-conditioning drafts while wet.
Bath salts and aromatic products need their own species-appropriate instructions. A pigeon bath reference is not a drinking-water recipe or a finch concentration.
Water and food
Provide fresh drinking water and wash drinkers every day; change contaminated water immediately. Water additives do not replace cleaning. Check that apparent seed is edible kernels rather than empty husks. During rearing, confirm that accepted foods are replenished and the caregivers continue feeding.
Close the day deliberately
Remove soiled moist foods, check drinker function, confirm that every bird has a safe sleeping place and secure doors. Record an exception when it occurs, rather than writing only a vague 'all fine'. Leave a clear handover for a substitute keeper.