You can save yourself a lot of trouble by sticking to the following rules:
- see to it that aviary and cages are always clean and dry;
- use some moisture-absorbing material (e.g. wood chips) to cover the floor;
- make sure the temperature is right and that light levels are sufficient;
- do not put too many birds in a small space;
- closely inspect new birds for any symptoms before you buy them;
- place each new bird in a separate cage for the first 6 weeks;
- watch out for possible unusual aspects of the excrements;
- regularly check for red and black mites;
- clean the cages at least once a week and replace the floor cover;
- disinfect the perches weekly, with a disinfectant that is not harmful to birds;
- take care not to spill water, in order to avoid problems due to fungi and bacteria;
- if you find any damp spots, clean them with a disinfectant;
- the mixture of seeds that you give should be clean and – in particular – dry;
- give 15 to 20% (1.0-1.5 g) eggfood daily;
- make sure the birds have something to do and don’t get bored;
- don’t give medicine treatment because you think that it is about time you did;
- don’t allow the birds to go on laying eggs, the female will succumb as a result;
- birds that normally live a solitary life should not be put together.