Methods for Preventing and Treating External Parasitic Diseases in Hwamei (Chinese Thrush) Breeding

I think many people are familiar with the hwamei. It is actually not especially cute in appearance, but because it has a line of white feathers above its eyes resembling an eyebrow, people named it the hwamei. The hwamei has excellent ornamental value, and many people who like keeping birds are very fond of raising them.

Prevention and Treatment of External Parasitic Diseases in Hwamei Breeding

External parasitic diseases of the hwamei are mainly caused by lice, mites and the like. Lice and mites are small in body size and mainly parasitize feathers and skin, feeding on the bird's dander and feathers, and sometimes also sucking blood; some hide in the fine crevices of the cage or the cage cover. An experienced or attentive bird keeper can tell by examining the bird cage and cover whether the hwamei has been infested with lice and mites, and can even tell how many there are. Because lice and mites will 1. Causes of external parasitic diseases in the hwamei: the hwamei is not bathed regularly; the bird cage and cover are not cleaned on a regular schedule.

2. Symptoms of external parasitic diseases in the hwamei: after the hwamei is infested with lice and mites, the entire body is affected, causing itching or bleeding of the bird's skin; the bird becomes restless and agitated, and most birds will also bite their own feathers, causing the bird's feathers, especially the tail feathers and wing feathers, to become broken and incomplete. In severe cases, the bird's feathers fall out completely, and the skin becomes red and swollen, etc.

3. Prevention and treatment methods for external parasitic diseases in the hwamei:

① Focus on prevention, making sure to bathe the hwamei on time and to regularly clean and disinfect the bird cage and cover.

② Once the hwamei has been infested with lice——and mites, it should immediately be isolated from other birds, and its equipment should be thoroughly cleaned——and disinfected.

③ Choose drugs such as Baichongling for medicated baths and spraying.

④ Mash the stems of native tobacco, boil them in water, and use the liquid to bathe the hwamei; 3 days is enough.

⑤ For red and swollen skin, use anti-inflammatory drugs internally and externally to reduce the inflammation.

Feeding Methods for the Hwamei  

1. Hwamei chicks are divided into three stages: nest chicks, soft-feathered, and fully feathered. Newly hatched young birds are called nest chicks, those whose feathers have grown in are called soft-feathered, and those that have already molted are called fully feathered. Birds in these three stages are the gentlest in temperament and are not afraid of strangers, making them easy to raise; once past these three stages, they are beyond the ability of a beginner who is new to hwamei.  

2. After obtaining a young hwamei chick, you can use a small cardboard box with cotton cloth or shredded paper placed underneath for it to live in. When the chick chirps, use a thin bamboo strip with the tip ground into an oval shape, pick up a bit of feed paste, and stir it around the edge of its beak to feed it, about once every twenty to thirty minutes, and you must pay attention to its defecation situation, adjusting the timing accordingly. Each time you feed it, clean up its droppings, until its feathers gradually become full and it can peck food on its own.

Training Methods for the Hwamei  

1. After fledging, a young hwamei in the wild goes through eight or nine months until its wings are fully feathered, by which time it can choose a mate and move away to live an independent life. At this time, because the young bird often jumps back and forth on the branches, it is called a branch-hopper. In fact, it is already a fully mature adult bird. After this, the older and stronger it becomes, the better it sings, but the more aggressive its temperament becomes and the harder it is to tame; whenever it sees a stranger, it will snap its beak and jump about incessantly. Even so, most enthusiasts prefer to use birds of this age for training.  

2. Although the hwamei is difficult to tame, it is by no means absolutely impossible. Once training succeeds, the vast majority turn out to be top-grade birds excellent at both singing and fighting. Birds in this period, when first placed in a feeding cage, will all panic and jump about; at this time, you must first use a shorter bird cage with relatively closely spaced bamboo bars. In the early stage, lower the curtain so that it is not exposed, and place it in a noisy place with human voices, letting it first get used to human voices. After it has become used to this, lift half of the curtain to form a chevron-shaped opening, letting it show itself and look at people. After it is no longer afraid of people, place it among a group of birds, so that it gradually begins to call and sing, and only when it is tamed and proficient can it be hung up high to sing, so that all previous efforts are not wasted.  

3. The hwamei has a naturally good voice and a stubborn, combative personality. Training the hwamei, in other words, is about eliminating its wildness so that it adapts to the human living environment, can be carefree and content, is good at understanding people's feelings, and sings all day long, making people happy and comfortable. To raise a hwamei that can sing beautifully and fight bravely, in addition to requiring a high degree of patience and a long period of time for raising it, you must also follow the bird's nature and cultivate it gradually; only then is there hope of success.

Points to Note When Keeping Hwamei  

1. During the raising process, note that male hwamei are rather combative and are best kept in a single cage. Also, the cage must be sturdy, because newly captured wild birds have relatively strong wildness and often thrash and crash about; if the cage is not sturdy, it may be damaged by the impact. The cage for keeping hwamei should have a bright bottom, with a droppings tray below.  

2. “Ban” is the most common defect in hwamei that detracts from their ornamental value, and the better a bird sings, the more prone it is to “ban.” So-called “ban” refers to the bird continuously joining its head to its neck and chest and tilting backward and downward. This defect is caused by improper keeping, and once a bird has “ban,” it is very difficult to correct, so it is necessary to take preventive measures.

Actually, any bird has a wild nature; they like the feeling of flying freely in nature. But birds raised from a young age will still fly back after flying out, and this requires the keeper's continuous taming; birds will also develop deep feelings with people.