Calcium

Hi David...

It is hard to find liquid calcium here in my place... yesterday I bought calcium tablets meant for human consumption: the tablet size is just like normal Panadol Tablet... I administered  the tablet(a quarter) to my young shama which readily takes everything from my hand...  but I found it difficult with other shamas - in my possession specially a pair of shamas which I am trying to breed... suggestion from u is much needed, btw:

1. any risk of calcium over dosage?..is 1//4 of the tablet considered enough or less?, is twice a week enough for my breeding shama?
2. is it safe to mix calcium tablet with multivitamin tablet (crushed) and dilute it into  bird's drinking water?

Thanks...

Best Regards,
Yusran 






Hi Yusran,

Before supplementing the food that we feed to our shamas, we first need to consider if there is even a need for it.  Only after we have concluded that there is likely to be something lacking in the diet and we have identified what is likely to be lacking, should we go on to consider how much to feed and how to do it.

I would suggest that it is preferable to feed vertebrates such as fish and froglets to the shamas rather than supplement directly with calcium.  I have not found the need to supplement with calcium even when my birds are molting or breeding when vertebrates included in the diet of my birds .

Assuming that calcium supplementation is necessary, I would think that feeding a quarter tablet to the shama at one time is probably too much.  The tablet is intended for the daily intake of an adult human whereas a shama only weighs about 1 once.  I would only give about 1/16 of the tablet to the shama and even then I would not be sure if this is too much.

To feed the calcium, break of the amount that you want to feed the bird.  Then remove the head of a small cricket and, using a toothpick or something similar, gently insert the piece of calcium inside.  A large cricket should not be used as the bird will then try to break it into smaller pieces and the calcium might drop out.

The frequency of feeding should be about 3 to 4 times a week.

It is safe to mix the calcium powder with other water soluble vitamins.  However, I do not put vitamins in water.  The bird may not like the taste and may not drink.  Also,  the water may be spoiled by bacteria if the water is not changed for the whole day.

Best regards,

David

Sunshine

I see in the Malaysian Shama Forum that there is some discussion on whether or not shamas should be sunned.  Like any topic in which hobbyists have an interest there will always be differing views and practices.  I would like to add my own.

In any consideration on the effect of sunlight on the shama, the first thing to note is that the bird itself seems to enjoy some sunshine.  When exposed to the morning or evening sun, which does not burn, the shama will tend to bask on the floor or perch with outstretched wings; its head lolling to one side, its eyes closed.  All in all, it is like a man on the beach, trying to put on a tan and liking the caress of the warm sun on his skin.

The very fact that the shama seems to enjoy sunshine, or at least a limited amount of it, must indicate that sunlight is beneficial to the bird in some way.  This is so since biological studies have established that the wild bird gets most of its Vitamin D3 requirement from sunlight.  This critical vitamin is needed to process calcium for the formation of bone.  If sunlight is not available to the captive bird, an alternative source of this vitamin will have to be provided.  This is not a problem since commercially available calcium products include vitamin D3.

In addition to assisting in bone formation, sunshine may also be helpful in eradicatimg mites or to reduce their numbers on the bird.  Here again, any lack of sunshine can be remedied by the use of insecticides such as Frontline.

The question then arises as to whether the shama still needs to be sunned if vitamin D3 and insecticides are available as alternatives to sunlight.  Let’s see what they do in Indonesia.  There is a general belief in that country that the shama requires sunlight. Starting with short periods of 20 minutes a day, the time is gradually lengthened until the hobbyist suns his shama for up to 2 hours a day.  Experienced shama keepers in Indonesia advocate exposure to sunlight to bring up the bird’s form.  Such exposure is advised especially in preparing the bird for competition.

I think the tendency to sun the shama in Indonesia stems mainly from the fact that competitions there are held in open fields and last from morning to early afternoon.  Obviously, a shama that has not been exposed to large dozes of sunlight will wilt in the noonday sun and stand no chance in the competition.

I would think that if short periods of sunshine can be made available to the shama on a daily or frequent basis, no harm and some good may result to the shama.  The birds in my aviaries receive some sunshine and they seem to do well.  In the aviary, they can choose to sun themselves or to retreat to the shaded areas.  This is best since it is the shama which decides when he has had enough sunlight.

As regards those of my shamas in cages, I continue the practice of sunning those birds of Indonesian origin that I may have and whose owners have been sunning them.  I do not make it a practice to sun my other shamas on a regular basis.  The reason is that too much sunlight tends to dry the feathers.  This is not a problem with the short tailed Indonesian shamas that are kept for their song.  However, with long-tailed shamas, prolonged sunshine has the effect of drying the tail feathers.  This causes the primary tails to bend upwards and spoils the beauty of the bird.  I have not found that lack of sunlight adversely affects the form of my long-tailed shamas.

 

Crickets

Dear David ,

Inline with what u hv advised on the buffalo chewing away Jeffery's fish stomach.

The shop /tokoh owner Pak Amin hv this to comment on Crickets.

While feeding crickets to our birds , on some aggressive crickets , sometimes we do experience being

cramped n bitten by the crickets front two sharp fangs.

He strongly advd that before feeding the live crickets to birds , advisable to nip the head of the crickets

not to kill it but to disable the front fangs as once swallowed by birds that are not dead yet

n can actually do what the buffalo did to Jeffery's fish.

The two back jumping legs have to remove as they are sharp as well n can choke our birds.

Perhaps this piece of info u had alrdy knew n is nothing new to bird owners at Sin

I just felt the need to share n remind.

Bst Rgds

Hi Sunny,

Thanks for the information. Its always useful to know what others are thinking and doing with regard to bird care.

There are 2 types of crickets that are readily available in Singapore. One is black and the other is a light brown.

The black grows much faster and bigger than the brown. It is also fiercer and the legs, especially the rear ones are sharp and should be removed especially if the cricket is an adult. The brown is smaller and softer and there is no need to remove the legs. It also does not sing as much or as loudly.

Both types are sold by the cricket farm from which I buy my crickets weekly. Since the crickets are from a farm, I can choose the type and size that I want.

Needless to say, I only feed the browns to my birds. I also buy only the sub-adults. Previously, when I fed the blacks to my birds, I would remove the hind legs but not the head although as Pak Amin notes, the fangs are sharp and may bite us. I feel there is no need to do so. Unlike the buffaloes that are small and may be swallowed live by the bird with the danger that they may do harm, a large cricket is too big for the bird to swallow. It will always kill such a cricket before attempting to eat it.

Best regards,

David

Shama Care

16 February

Hi Dave ,

Allow me to introduce myself.

Singaporean working in Indo JKT. Pickup Shamas about 8 months ago.

Have written to u a couple of times but have not received replies from u.

Anyway later found out that most if not all my questions , the directions from u were all in your blog.

Nowadays , I frequently visit your site on a regular basis. However, there is a reason why I wrote this am.

a. My first bird - kalimantan , went thru the first molt n came out well , stronger , chatty , braver , loud.

I went thru the whole process of what u hv written in yr blog.

b. My second bird medan , the picture attached is alrdy after his molt. -

But he is no alike the borneo bird , he sings but still whispers , his beak is not wide open.

Though the trust is there , he will eat the live food off my hands.

c.But to my surprise , last weeks ( alrdy 2mths after his molt ) he shed all his secondary white tails of course one at a time.

Fright Molt , Weather change ? I do not keep other pets , and he always sit at the best place in my terrace house. Pouch not too

hot , open , not too windy.

I kept these two birds apart. one at the bck of the hse n the medan infront , where they hear each other but never see face to face.

Please advise what shud I do to improve the situation fr my medan bird.

Remarks

The indo way , is somewhat different - they like to put their Shama direct under the morning Sun fr hours. 7 to 10 am.

they claim will improve their stamina on singing /loud n their body will be more toneup ( feathers not fluffy )

Supply of live foods is abundance here incl buffalo worms , Indo says cant be feed to Shama , they will lose all their feathers.

Need your opinion on above.

Hi Sunny,

When I first started in shamas, there was no literature available on them and I learnt the hard way through trial and error. In an attempt to shorten and flatten the learning curve for others, I have placed a great deal of information on the care and breeding of shamas on my website and blog. Nevertheless, I still get many basic questions by people who would rather take the easy way out and ask questions when the answers are already available with a bit of effort. I have learnt to stop answering questions from the start as a reply tends to invite more questions and I just don't have the time or inclination to provide personal tuition.

Now, to answer your questions. You will find that I have mentioned on my blog that if a bird receives the correct food and care during the molt, its form should start to rise as the molt comes to an end with the bird reaching top form about 1 1/2 to 2 months from the completion of the molt. If the bird does not start to come into form, then there was something wrong with the keeping of that bird. As I have also written on my blog, citing Robert Black, what may be suitable for one bird may not be completely suitable another bird of the same species.

Your shama has obviously had a stress molt. Such a molt could be caused by any number of things. Could it have had a severe fright without you knowing it? A bird that is on the floor or clinging to the cage bars in the early morning, very likely had a fright during the night. Was it eating well as observed from the droppings. If a bird is not eating well, it could mean that it does not find the food suitable. If the dry food is scattered, this is not an indication that the bird is a fussy eater, but rather that the food that is offered is not suitable for this bird. The bird scatters the food as it looks for food that it can recognize as such. If the bird is merely eating less, my guess is that it is a vitamin deficiency and the most likely vitamin that is given in insufficient quantities is B Complex. As mentioned on my blog, B Complex is required to assist the shama to digest protein and if not given in sufficient quantities the bird will eat less for the reason that it cannot properly digest its food. If you give Vitamin B, make sure that it is bright yellow in colour as this indicates freshness. A lack of Vitamin B will result in a stress molt.

When I keep short-tailed Indonesian birds, I continue to sun them the way the Indonesians do. I do not sun my long tailed birds as the heat tends to curve the tails upward. The main benefit of sunlight is Vitamin D3 and I make sure my birds get enough without too much direct sunlight.

I do not feed live buffalo worms to my adult birds. Jeffrey Low says that when he kept Lohan Fish and fed these worms to them, when one of them died and he cut it up, he found that the worms had bitten through the stomach. I do offer them to the parents of newly hatched chicks as the parents make sure the worms are truly dead and softened before feeding them to the offspring.

Best regards,

David

Hi David,

Allow me to introduce myself. I am Stanley from Johor Bahru, Malaysia, and am new to the hobby of keeping Shamas.

Would you kindly offer me advice as to getting 2 of my Shamas into the bath cage? (Individually of course)

I have been unable to 'chase' them into the bath cage and would not want to try catching them by hand as it proves to be stressful.

Also, I am reluctant to spray them with a spray bottle as I read on your site it is not advisable to do so, water may get into their lungs.

Could you offer me solutions to get my birds into the bath cage?

& also, if all else fails, what would be my last resort in regards to their bathing hygiene?

I thank you in advance for your precious time and valuable advice.

Regards

Hi Stanley,

The bird that is not familiar with crossing into the bath cage will be reluctant to do so. The most effective method is to use the cage cloth to completely cover the area between the cage and the bath cage. The cloth should cover part of both cages. This seems to calm the bird and help it to cross. After the bird has crossed, leave the whole setup as it is. In other words don't shut the door and remove the cloth. Let the bird cross and re-cross if it wants to. If the bird does not bathe after half an hour, return the bird to its usual place. Eventually the bird will be unafraid and it will bathe. You can remove the cloth when the bird will comfortably cross the cage.

Another method is to place a perch in the bird's cage just at the entrance of the door.

Another method is to place a female at the other end of the bath cage. This works if the male is in form as he will want to reach the female.

David

Basic Shama Care

written March 12, 2007

I hope that this article will assist persons beginning in shamas to learn about their care. Below is a summary of what needs to be done to keep the new owner and his pet happly. For more information, readers should visit my website at shama.com.sg.

Cage
1. As a rough guide, the minimum cage size should be: (approximate length of shama’s tails + 3”) x 2. So if the bird has 7” tails, the minimum cage size which is determined by the cage’s diameter should be 20”.

Cloth cover
2. Get a cloth cover for the cage. If the bird is wild and tries to poke its head out of the cage, almost completely cover the cage. The cover seems like a wall and will deter the bird from trying to escape through the bars. As the bird gets tamer, open the cover progressively. Even with tame birds, I cover half the cage so that the bird has a sense of security.

Cage location
3. If the bird is kept in the home, choose a cool corner of the room to hang the cage. It should neither be too bright nor too dark. The location should be airy without being draughty. The kitchen is the worst place to hang the cage because of changes in temperature.

4. Make sure the bird likes the place you choose. If it is constantly flying and moving all over the cage, it may be because it finds the location unsuitable. Try to find a better location.

5. Once the location has been chosen, do not change it without good reason. The shama is a territorial bird and needs to get used to the location that you have chosen for it.

Dry food
6. It is imperative that you initially feed the same dry food that the seller has been feeding but appreciate that it may not necessarily be the the best available food for the bird as sellers usually feed pellets for chickens or other low cost food.

7. In addition to the dry food, feed crickets, mealworms, grasshoppers, other insects and small fish to the bird in the morning or evening. The shama is insectivorous and must have some live food.

8. Check the droppings to make sure the bird is eating well. Ideally, the droppings should be a patch of white (urea) and a bit of black (waste matter). A large amount of waste matter suggests that the food is not suitable. I do not think pellets that are fed to chickens is suitable for shamas.

9. If the dry food is suitable, the bird will pick the bits and eat them. If the bird is swishing the food with its beak and scattering the contents on the cage floor, this is an indication that it is not eating much of the dry food. In such case, consider adding cut insects and/or changing the dry food.

10. If the dry food needs to be changed, the change must be gradual. Otherwise the bird will not recognize the new food as food and it will starve. Powder some of the new food and cut insects to be mixed with it. In this way the bird learns to eat the new food and its digestive system will get accustomed to it. Make sure the bird is eating well (by checking the droppings) before you stop providing cut insects.

Baths
11. The shama needs to bathe at least every other day and preferably daily. Provide a bath cage for this purpose. It may be bought from the bird-shop.

12. After bathing, hang the cage in a cool place outside so that the bird can dry. Do not place the cage in the sun. The shama is a bird of the forest and does not need much sunlight.

13. It is a good sign when the bird starts to bathe. It indicates that the bird is becoming more relaxed in its surroundings.

14. If the bird does not bathe in about 15 minutes, don’t spray it with water. Just put it back in its cage and within a few days it will want to bathe. Spraying may result in some of the water entering its lungs.