Gardening for Your Fid
Gardening truly is for the birds - it's easy, healthy for your birds and good exercise for you! Cool weather is the climate that lots of greens like to grow in, so let's get started with some basic greens. Collards are full of calcium, with two cups raw containing 104 mg. Turnips are about the same for one cup, and the other greens go down from there - except for dandelion, which is the highest in calcium with 205 mg in two cups. (Don't bother growing them as you can pick all you want in the spring, providing the yard is free of pesticides and fertilizers.) Other greens to consider are arugula, beet, escarole, kale, chicory and watercress.
Greens need a minimum of either four hours of sunshine or eight hours of grow light time daily, with the grow light no further than six inches above the plants. Any container that allows water to drain out the bottom will work for planting, and soil can be either purchased or gathered from your own yard - if it's good, nutritious soil with no additives like fertilizer or pesticide.
Fill the container with soil to about one inch below the top.
(Or, in warmer climates, plant outside!) Sprinkle the seeds on
top, then cover them with just enough soil to completely hide the
seeds. Pat down to firm the soil, then water. Collard greens
will take one 3-gallon container per plant, but several kinds of
smaller greens will fit in that size as well. Try planting one
3-gallon container with a collard plant, and another with a mix
of mustard, turnip, radish and an edible flower like pansy.
These are all cool weather foods that our birds love.
- Diana Dougherty
The AHN Online Conference is Almost Here!
The Second Annual StopPDD Online Conference will be held November 15th and16th. Participants will receive all conference information in their email boxes, then have the opportunity to ask questions of the experts involved. For only $25 you can learn about many areas of aviculture, from safe cleaning products to avian health issues. Conference articles will be distributed via email, and all participants will have the chance to ask questions of the experts. (All questions will be answered publicly.)
This year's authors include Joe Arbogast, Geri Aronson, Dr. Greg Burkett, Mike Burton, Pamela Clark, Dr. Harvey Cohen, Joanie Doss, Bob First, Dawn Henson, Jean Pattison, Janice Shade, Carolyn Swicegood, Garry Wallan, and Liz Wilson. Dr. Branson Ritchie's team (Emerging Diseases Research Group) will also present a summary update to the information they presented at last year's Conference.
This year the Online Conference will also feature a mini drawing
for prizes that is open only to Online Conference ticket holders!
Additionally, last year's conference papers are now available for
sale in both CD and hard copy format, with a discount given to
last year's attendees. To purchase tickets, or for more
information about the Online Conference and enter the toy of
the month drawing, please visit http://www.stoppdd.org/makeitwork/conference/conf_main.htm
or contact Steffanie@StopPDD.org or Val@StopPDD.org.
- Steffanie Budnick
AHN Announces New Avian Experts On-Call Program
Ever spend hours searching the internet for parrot-related health information, only to come up with dead links and outdated info? The days of wandering aimless through a sea of electronic misinformation looking for one jewel of knowledge are over - Avian Experts On-Call has arrived!
Each month, AHN will feature a health-related question from a bird owner in need along with an answer from a qualified avian expert. From toe nails to blood feathers, nutrition to molting, and wheezing to sneezing - if you have a question, AHN will find the most accurate and up-to-date answer available from some of the world's top avian health experts.
This is where you come in. we need your questions! So if your
bird is exhibiting an unusual symptom that's got your puzzled,
or you have questions about the lab report from your recent vet
appointment, don't wander through life uninformed. Simply send
your questions to avianexpert@avianhealthnetwork.info, and we'll
find an expert with an answer.
- Editor
In Appreciation
AHN would like to recognize the following individuals for their enormous contributions to our mission:
- Len and www.claviaryonline.com, for his generous donation of 10% of all the sales for the month of September in memory of Meggie. Thank you also goes out to all of Len's customers who purchased during the month and made this a hugh success. A total of $5,046.81 was donated to Stop PDD and got our second year kick off to a wonderful start.
- StarBird/Bonnie Jay, for generously donating a personally hand-printed fine art print in memory of Meggie. The auction was a huge success and raised $175.00 for Stop PDD. (Thanks to Debra Standiford for the winning bid!)
- www.scritches.com, for hosting the auction as well as donating the cost of the auction, posting a banner ad on their site, and donating half of all the fees on auctions closing during a two-week period.
In Memoriam
Albert Schweitzer once said, "At times our own light goes out
and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has
cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the
flame within us." Thank you to each and every one of you who
"rekindled my flame" after Meggie's passing. I cannot express
how much your e-mails and AHN donations meant to me.
The sorrow my family and I felt was soothed by your messages of
encouragement and hope for the future. Meggie's memory will
live on, as will the memory of all the precious souls ripped
away by this dreaded disease. They will never be forgotten
because we will continue the fight to help find a test and
eventually a cure!
- Cindi Dickey and Family
Call for Photos
There have been some great pictures arriving for the Avian Health Network CD! If you've caught your bird doing something photogenic and actually managed to get the camera in time, share the photos with others and help raise money for PDD research! The photo's can be silly, cute, playful. it's up to you. You may submit photos or questions to Steffanie@StopPDD.org.
Avian Health Network, Inc. #54-2068091 is a 501(C) (3) Tax Exempt Non-Profit, headquartered and incorporated in the state of Virginia. We are an organization of volunteers with no paid personnel. We are committed to raising public awareness and funds for avian diseases such as PDD. Financial Statement is available upon written request from the State Office of Consumer Affairs, Commonwealth of Virginia, P.O. Box 1163, Richmond Va. 23218.
www.AvianHealthNetwork.info or www.StopPDD.org Avian Health Network, Inc. T #54-2068091 is a 501(C)(3), headquartered and incorporated in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Financial Statement is available upon written request from the State Office of Consumer Affairs, Commonwealth of Virginia.
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