Category: Parrot Toys. Category: Avian Health. Category: Breeding and Nesting. Subcategory: How To Select Toys. Subcategory: Signs Of Illness

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Laurence Whitehead
5 years ago
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1 Bird.LifeTips.com

2 Category: Parrot Toys Subcategory: How To Select Toys Tip: Dog chew toys Doggy chew toys can be wonderful fun for parrots. Choose cowhide chew sticks, shoes, strips or any of the toys made from dried cowhide. Just don't let the bird soak the toy in her water cup! If this happens, discard the toy and offer another one. Tip: Introducing new toys to your Parrot Gradually introduce new bird toys to your parrot. Begin by placing the toy on a table or counter within sight of your bird. After a day or so, when your bird has gotten used to seeing the new toy, move it closer. Let your bird approach the toy on its own. Parrots toys are neccessary entertainment for your pet. Category: Avian Health Subcategory: Signs Of Illness Tip: Never medicate the bird yourself! Never medicate your bird yourself! Most over-the-counter medications meant for humans (such as Tylenol) are deadly to birds. Category: Breeding and Nesting Subcategory: Breeding Habits Tip: Community breeding/parakeets Parakeets need the company of other parakeets to breed. It's unusual for a single pair with no other parakeets around to produce young. Tip: Have enough nest baskets! If you keep finches or parakeets in an aviary, make sure there are more than enough nest baskets or boxes to go around. If too few nesting sites are available, the birds will fight over them.

3 Tip: How many eggs? Cockatiels and finches lay between five and seven eggs per clutch. Tip: the breeding hen's droppings The amount of droppings from a hen about to start laying or one that is sitting on eggs will be huge compared to those of a hen not in breeding mode. Tip: The Clutch A nest of eggs is referred to as a clutch'. Category: Covering the Cage Subcategory: Cage Covers Tip: Cage covers Cover the cage at night so that your bird will have some privacy. Birds need downtime, too! The cover also provides the bird with a feeling of security. Tip: Cage door size Make sure the cage door is large enough to allow easy access to your bird. Tip: Housing for small birds Small birds like finches and canaries have a lot of energy packed inside their tiny bodies! Provide a cage that is large enough to allow for plenty of exercise. Never house them in round cages unless you are certain that the cages are roomy enough to let the birds fly around. Tip: Non-stick cooking spray Spray the grates in the bottom of bird cages with a light coating of non-stick cooking spray. Messes will slide right off! The spray is safe for birds; just be certain to remove the bird before applying the spray. Never spray when the bird is inside the cage! Tip: Perch sizes Birds need perches of varying sizes. This helps keep their feet from getting too tired from sitting on the same perch day after day. Birds like variety.

4 Tip: Slide-out bottoms Slide-out bottoms make cage cleaning easier. Simply put a layer of newspaper or cage liners in a stack in the tray. Remove one at a time as they become soiled. Category: Diet Subcategory: Feeding Advice Tip: Birdie sandwiches Offer your bird a special birdy sandwich. Spread peanut butter on whole wheat bread and sprinkle it with raisins. Watch your bird dig in! Tip: Cheerios! Dry cereal, such as Cheerios, make a fun finger' snack for your birds! Never give birds milk--their systems aren't equipped to process it. Tip: Corn on the cob Corn on the cob is fun for parrots! Even small birds like parakeets and cockatiels will enjoy pecking the kernels off the cob. Tip: Dry cereal Dry corn flakes or rice puffs are a fun treat. Offer your bird some next time you have cereal. No milk for the birds, though! Their systems won't process it well. Tip: Fresh water Always offer plenty of fresh, clean water. If your bird tends to dunk his food in the water cups or likes to bathe in his drinking water, you will need to refresh the water supply often. Tip: Loose droppings Fresh fruits and some vegetables may cause loose droppings. This is normal. Tip: People food People food' can be offered if it's not fatty or greasy, too sugary or fried. Some favorites are oatmeal, pizza, rice, pasta, plain pancakes, cheese, or even an occasional

5 well-drained french fry. Tip: Sunflower seeds Sunflower seeds should be fed sparingly. They are fattening! Tip: Vitamin K and conures Conures need lots of vitamin K. Broccoli is high in vitamin K and should be offered several times a week. Category: Managing the Molt Subcategory: Feather Loss Tip: Blood feathers Blood feathers are the new, sheath-encased feathers that grow in to replace the old, molted ones. Avoid bumping the blood feathers when playing with your bird. They could start to bleed. Tip: Cranky birds Some birds may be cranky or nippy during a molt. Make sure they're getting a good diet, plenty of rest, baths, and lots of TLC. Offer treats to soothe irritated feelings. Category: Parrot Behavior Subcategory: Bird Behaviors Tip: Biting If your bird is a biter, try to see what is causing this behavior. Is the bird afraid, unhappy, or bored? Provide plenty of distracting toys and give the bird lots of attention. Never hit a bird for biting! Tip: Flashing eyes Never try to touch an Amazon or other parrot if it is flashing' its eyes, flaring its tail feathers or growling. These are warning signs. Ignore them or you're sure to be bitten.

6 Tip: Party time Many birds love to take part in holiday festivities. This is fine, as long as you make sure they don't have access to any decorations, foil wrapping paper or glass ornaments. Also keep them out of any alcoholic beverages! Tip: Righty or Lefty? Birds favor a foot, just the same as humans favor a hand. See which foot your parrot holds her snacks and toys with. Is she a lefty or a righty? Tip: Scared birds A frightened bird will tighten its feathers and sit very tall. It may also tremble. Tip: shy birds and parties Holiday parties can be a lot of fun for outgoing, friendly birds. Shy or nervous birds should be moved into a quiet room away from the activities if they start to become anxious. Tip: stress droppings Stress or anxiety may cause your bird to have loose, watery droppings. Observe your bird's droppings on a daily basis so that you can tell the difference between healthy droppings and those that may signal a problem. Tip: The life of the party! Some birds are party animals! Let them enjoy the activities as long as they are comfortable. If they start to become cranky or nippy, give them a break by covering the cage or moving them out of the party area. Category: Parrot Showers Subcategory: Bathing Your Bird Tip: Blow dryers Have you ever used a blow dryer on your parrot? You can, if you set it on low and keep it at a distance. Gently direct the air flow over the bird's feathers and watch them fluff and preen!

7 Tip: Keep'em warm Don't let your bird get chilled after bathing. You don't want him to catch a cold! Tip: Spray Bottles A spray bottle makes a great bird shower! Fill a clean bottle with cool water and set the nozzle on 'spray' or 'mist'. Spritz the bird lightly. Most birds will love this, and will hang upside down to catch every drop, or will flap their wings and yell with joy. Category: Parrot Training Subcategory: Taming Techniques Tip: Patience, patience, patience If you are trying to tame a bird, it's important that you have lots of patience. Remember, the bird doesn't know what you want it to do and may be afraid. Take your time, be persistent and kind, and never hit the bird if it bites you. Tip: Talking birds Never buy a bird just because you want one that talks. Some birds develop wonderful vocabularies while others may only learn to say their names. And a bird from a species with the reputation for being great talkers may never say anything! Be prepared to love your bird for who he is, whether he speaks or not. Tip: Watch your mouth! Be careful what you say in anger. Birds tend to pick up words that are spoken loudly and with excitement! Category: Perches Subcategory: Trimming toenails Tip: Perches that keep toenails trimmed Parrots do not like to have their toenails trimmed and most parrot owners do not like to trim. It is easy to trim too high and cause bleeding which creates problems of its own. We have found that the Sandy Perches are by far the best perches to have to maintain trimmed toenails. The more time your parrot spends on a sandy perch the better. These perches are actually manzanita branches covered with a sand mixture. We do not

8 recommend the concrete variety as they will absorb the moisture from the birds feet. Sandy Perches come in several different applications ( cage perches, shower perches, chain swings, feeding perches, etc. ) to offer your parrot an opportunity to spend more time during different activities. This is deffinately a win - win for parrots and parrot owners. For more information on Sandy Perches, go to Category: Quiet Time Subcategory: Calming Techniques Tip: Don't Reward Screaming Never give a bird a treat to try and quieten him! The bird perceives this as a reward and will continue to scream until given the treat. Your bird is highly intelligent and it won`t take him long to realize that if he screams, you will hand over a treat. Scream=treat. Don`t start this cycle! Category: Safety First for Your Parrot Subcategory: Checking Your Surroundings Tip: Cage size Get the largest cage you can afford. Make sure the bars are spaced appropriately for the species of bird you have. Tip: Ceiling fans Turn ceiling fans OFF when your bird is playing outside its cage. Even birds with clipped wings can take flight if startled. Cockatiels and some conures can fly surprising well with clipped wings. Don't take the chance of having your bird fly into an operating ceiling fan. Tip: Don't let your bird 'help' you cook! Never let your bird sit on your shoulder while you are cooking. It would be too easy for her to lose her balance and fall onto a hot stove eye! Tip: Doors and windows Be extremely careful when opening doors or windows when your bird is outside his cage. Make sure windows are screened! The bird might slip outside, or a cat or dog might sneak in and attack the bird.

9 Tip: Electrical cords and outlets Restrict access to electrical cords and outlets. Bird-proof your home in the same manner you would child-proof it. Tip: Lead poisoning Keep all lead items out of reach of birds! Birds love to chew and all it takes is a tiny bit of lead to fatally poison their small systems. Tip: New Bird Vet Checks It's a great idea to have an avian vet give your new bird a check up before taking it home with you. This way, if there are any health problems with the bird it can be treated and medicated, or you can be given the option of choosing a different, healthy bird. The avian vet can also explain the neccesity of quarantining the new bird if you already have birds at home. Tip: Quarantine New Birds Always quarantine new birds for a minimum of 30 days in a room away from any birds already in your home. Even though the new bird may not appear sick, it could be harboring a disease that could make your other birds ill or even kill them! Tip: Safety outside Never leave your bird unattended in a cage, enclosure or carrier when outside. Predators (such as possums and raccoons) are a danger even in urban settings. Snakes, cats, dogs and biting insects should also be guarded against. (Source: Winged Wisdom E-zine November 1998 Issue)

BASIC CARE OF THE PET BIRD

NOTES: 13697 DIX-TOLEDO SOUTHGATE, MI 48195 PHONE 734-284-9122 FAX 734-284-2550 BASIC CARE OF THE PET BIRD A proper diet is essential: Fresh water should be available at all times and should be changed