4AnimalCare.org
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| --- Be sure you're caring properly for your bird --- No myths allowed |
| Stay a while - scroll down and explore Some of the things you'll find on this page include: Behavior Modification for screaming & biting Sleep requirements -- Cage needs -- Feeding & Nutrition Poop! How to read those droppings Mating Behavior, Egg Laying Why you should NOT buy pet store products for health ** and a lot more ** |
Without you there would be no them
Birds
| Parrot Nutrition It surprises a lot of owners to learn that most birds these days should have a predominantly pelleted diet. Pellets are constantly updated to keep with the current research and science with regard to ideal nutrition for birds. Today’s formulas are better than ever. It’s still necessary to supplement this diet with fresh foods every day and to decrease seed feeding until it doesn’t amount to more than about 15-20% of the overall diet. Sunflower seeds shouldn’t be allowed at all. The only reason they’re in all those seed mixes is because they’re cheap filler and birds tend to love them. Children love sugar and fats too, but we don’ t let them eat it all day, every day, right? We have to be even stricter with our birds because their systems are more susceptible to nutritional problems like liver disease, tumors and a lot more. ********** So, what to feed? *********** Whole grains, dark leafy vegetables, fruits and legumes. Include the colors orange, yellow , green, plus reds too! Think sweet potatoes/yams, squash, melons, oranges, peas, chard, beets and others. Brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat couscous and natural, whole grain pastas are great choices. Limit fats, especially the kind from animals. Good fats are most plant fats like soy, olive and canola oils. No fried anything Don’t hesitate to give your companion a few sips of all natural orange juice or carrot juice. It’s not a good idea to put it in their regular water dish, rather, provide a separate dish for it and don’t leave it for more than an hour or two at most. You don’t want to chance introducing a bacterial infection to your bird while trying to keep them healthy. -- There are recipes at bottom of page-- |
| Pet Store Health Products Just in case you’re wondering about those pet store products Vitamins or medicines to add to a bird’s water? When it comes to parrots (any bird with a hooked bill) --Never use them – These products can put your bird off their water, leading to dehydration and multiple associated health risks. As for the antibiotics, they don’t work, have not been known to work for many years (which is why they’re available over the counter) and they aren’t about to start working anytime in the future. What they will do, however, is kill the good bacteria in your bird’s system. The bacteria that supports a healthy immune system. They may also strengthen the bad bacteria in your bird as bacteria develop resistance very quickly When your bird really needs an antibiotic it may be difficult to find one that works. Using these products can hurt your bird not only immediately, but most certainly in the long run. |
| Keep scrolling down to find out more about ideal cage set ups, egg laying, behavior and more |
| Birds need to be weighed once a week. If not, then by the time you notice weight loss, it’s usually significant and whatever underlying condition started it is much further along than it has to be. A bird needs to be weighed on a gram scale. Ounces won’t do it. By the time an ounce scale registers the loss of an ounce, it’s more than 28 grams! That’s significant for a bird. The average weight for a Grey Cheeked parakeet is 45-60 grams; a red rumped is 60 grams and Quaker or Monk = 90 to 150 grams. Find out more on various birds’ average weights here: AvianWeb Weights |
| Cages - a frequent recommendation is to get the biggest you can afford. Unfortunately, many people cannot afford the properly sized cage. You need to hold off on getting a bird until you can afford the biggest cage for it's size. Birds need a cage that they can turn around in with their wings outstretched and not touching any of the sides, top or bottom. A cage needs at least three different kinds of perches: Natural hard wood like Manzanita, natural soft wood like pine and a rope perch. You really should also have a grooming perch like calcium, Manu, concrete or cement, although a cuttle fish bone and mineral block in the cage are acceptable instead. I have grooming perches, cuttle bone and mineral block for each bird. |
| Yes, bird beaks also molt and you might see some layers coming off, like this |
Birds need regular challenges, input and interaction. Be sure toys are safe for a human toddler and double check for bird safety. No bean-bag toys or you'll have the stuffing everywhere! No fluid filled toys like teething rings And no matter how sure you are about the toy safety, always check them to see how they're holding up |
| This is a "baby wing trim " - the bird will still be able to fly, but not have a lot of lift or distance. It's a good idea for a bird to have confidence This is the next stage of wing trimming for the next big molt. It reduces more lift and distance This is the full wing trim. The bird shouldn't get any real lift or distance, but is able to gently glide to the floor or nearby surface. |
Wing Trimming is a kindness for most birds. If a bird is out of cage a lot, which is good, there's no forewarning when someone else might open a window or door. I can't begin to count the number of times I've heard that "It's been years and years and nothing has ever happened". All it takes is once and your bird can be gone forever |
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| Birds need toys that they can shred and destroy. Safe wood on safe materials are well worth the investment. Toys are necessities |
| All Birds Poop - what should it look like? All bird droppings are made up of three parts: Faeces (feces), the solid, central part which can vary in color depending on the food the bird eats. Urates, the next layer of the ring, which can be cloudy- clear or with shades of white, yellows and greens, again depending on the foods eaten. Urine is the clear liquid, usually outer layer of the ring. Depending on the amount of fruits and fluids the bird eats/drinks, this can be a significant part of the dropping. Human companions to birds need to learn what’s normal for their bird. When the bird is healthy, acting fine and eating a well balanced diet, there’s a general look to the droppings that may vary depending on the time of day, but are usually similar looking. If a bird eats beets one day, the droppings may look frighteningly reddish. Sometimes when the bird eats more dark leafy greens (or blueberries), the droppings can assume a nearly black hue. When a bird is on a largely seed diet, the feces may be any shade of bright green; pelleted diets without added food colorings would produce a dull, brownish-green. If the bird is eating colored pellets, the droppings may reflect what colors are most often chosen. Constipation or pasting of feces at the vent area may be symptoms of egg binding. Many owners discover that their ‘male’ is actually a female when this happens, sometimes after many years and even some vet visits over that time. Other causes of what is perceived as constipation is ingestion of a foreign object (including grit if it’s made available), toxins or other disease. If caught very early you might try administering a tiny drop of olive oil to the side of the beak so the bird ingests it; setting the bird in a shallow, warm ‘bath’ of plain water while gently massaging the vent area may also prompt a movement – or passage of an egg, but since this is a serious symptom and can become life threatening in a very short time, I wouldn’t wait or try home remedies. Diarrhea is often actually Polyuria. True diarrhea is when the feces part of the droppings are not well formed and liquidy. Diarrhea is usually caused by a disease. Polyuria is when there’s more than usual amounts of the urine and urates (the feces are still well formed). Polyuria may be caused by viral infections, allergies to foods or even a tumor somewhere. There are just so many possible causes that a vet visit is essential in order to catch things early. ‘Bubbly’ droppings are also considered abnormal. Some bacteria produce a gas and this is what may be causing the bubbles. One day of abnormal droppings (usually appearing too loose or liquid) is not typically an emergency. As long as the bird is still eating, drinking and acting normally, there’ s no change in vocalizations, there is no feather fluffing (looking bigger), staying at the bottom of the cage or excessive sleeping - sometimes a change in droppings is little more than something that will last a few hours and be fine. If there’s ever red in the droppings and they have no dietary explanation, blood must be suspected and it’s prudent to make an appointment with an avian vet. If droppings remain abnormal more than 24 hours, please see a vet or have a mobile vet visit your home. It’ s far better to have a visit and exam find nothing wrong, than to miss something that with early treatment may insure the bird lives. |
| Eggs ? This is not good Egg laying is something that every female bird can do without benefit of male birds. Of course eggs laid without a male to mate with are not fertile and will not hatch. Laying, in birds other than chickens and other food source poultry, is not healthy and shouldn’t be ignored. All steps you can take to stop this behavior should be taken and right away. Make sure you provide fresh cuttlebone to this bird at all times to help maintain calcium in their over- stressed body. Other good sources of calcium are in fresh foods such as kale, broccoli, chard tops, spinach and collard greens. You might want to increase her nighttime hours to 13 sleep instead of 12+12. Another option is to move things around inside the cage. Change out her toys, switch perches, rearrange feeding and water cups - make it look 'new' to her. Even moving the actual location a little bit can help. Other precautions are to not pet her under her wings or touch consistently from the mid-back down (this can trigger egg laying). No feeding her from your mouth, which is just a good idea anyway since we have far too much bacteria there to be safe for a bird. No feeding soft foods from your fingers which may be perceived as regurgitation, another mating behavior. Leaving the eggs in with your bird may help curb the behavior as well. If you notice any cracks or breaks, the egg must be removed. I prefer to replace them with fake eggs of a similar size and shape, available at many craft stores. Just be sure they are bird safe - no flaking paint for example. Some cockatiels, parakeets and other smaller birds will accept regular marbles as their eggs. If egg laying continues or becomes chronic, you must consult with an avian vet or other vet who is well experienced with birds. Chances of severe health complications exist in over-layers. Here are some more links to help stop egg laying T. Lightfoot, DVM Cockatiel Egg Laying |
| Out of Cage Time Your bird needs to leave their cage just like you need to leave your bedroom or house. The average bird owner has their parrot out of cage for at least 4 hours every day No less than 2 hours a day is recommended Our birds are out of cage for 7 hours every day Finches, canaries and some other smaller species that are in nearly constant motion would be the exceptions |
| Rev. Dr. S. August Abbott - Certified Avian Specialist - -Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council member- -Int. Assoc. of Animal Behavior Consultants - |
| Screaming ? When your bird screams and you react, even when you're obviously unhappy, red in the face, yelling and flailing your arms in the air, the bird is getting a reward for the scream - your attention. The worst thing you can do to a bird is deny them your attention. So, when there's screaming going on, stop and silence everything. Put the t.v. on mute, put the kids on mute and everybody freeze, turning your back to the bird or even leaving the room. Sure, this is an effort on your part, but think about it. If it stops the screaming, isn't a few days of effort going to be worth it? There are no quick solutions, no magic or secret tricks. Once the bird stops screaming - and your timing needs to be impeccable to catch them during those few seconds as they catch their breath - turn or re enter the room, face them, quietly praise them and interact. The moment they start again, turn your back and hit all those mute buttons again. Set aside a couple times a day for the bird to be a bird. Usually in the morning and just before going to roost in the evening most birds will chatter and call out to touch base with everyone else in their flock, which under domestic conditions is you and your family. Prepare the neighborhood and remind them that at least it's not loud music, annoying boom-cars, screaming children, barking dogs or fighting spouses (although you want to be careful about what you say and to whom) - this is just a few minutes a couple times a day of a bird exercising their vocal chords. Another method of curbing the incessant screaming is a simple water bottle set on stream. When the bird begins at the wrong time, firmly say "no" (which will quickly be learned and repeated back to you by most parrots) and squirt at their tail feathers or feet, just once or twice. Always plain, clean water; never - ever at their body or head and do not do this repeatedly. You want it to be a surprise that distracts them from the screaming, not something that terrifies them of the bottle, the water or you! This is far more effective if done just once - when the screaming seems out of control and there is no calming your bird with other measures such as silence, leaving the room or whispering. A squirt should be used just to break the pattern. Very shortly you'll find you don't need to squirt at all, just point the bottle in their direction., or in some cases, just aim your finger - it works with ours sometimes. What people need to do is look at things not from a human point of view, which makes perfect sense to us since we're human; but, look at things from the parrot's point of view. This is really much harder because we're not parrots. Once you understand why they do something it's much, much easier to be understanding and patient. Give them time, let them learn at their own pace and never be harsh. You see, since most of them have many, many years to live, they don't see what the hurry is. If you keep in mind that this bird will probably be around to see you go through significant life changes, it helps put it in perspective for you too. |
| Biting ? Parrots love our company, despite how it may seem otherwise. Their biting is quite often actually ‘beaking’, a way that they show of attention, an interaction that's normal for them and would be well received by another bird of their species. In order to teach them that it’s not acceptable for us, when the ‘beaking’ becomes ‘biting’, stop everything. Remove the bird from your presence, be very quiet about it and give them 1 to 5 minutes of silence, no eye contact, no interaction, etc.. Then start over again. You have to be consistent with this method. You can tell them "no biting" or "don't bite" in a firm voice (not yelling) immediately after it happens and as you're about to "shun" them for the 1-5 minutes (any longer than this is ineffective). continued below |
(Biting - continued from above)
There are a lot of factors involved in successful taming of a bird (of the pet variety). I’ve worked
predominantly with all varieties of macaws and eclectus, but also raptors (hawks, owls, etc) of all sizes. The
most important thing you need to arm yourself with is patience. Look at it this way, if you aren’t patient and
push for immediate or ‘quick’ results, you will fail and have an aggressive or frightened bird for a long time, if
not the rest of its life. Taking your time and letting the bird learn you, adjust to their surroundings and ease
into sharing life with you – is by far the better choice.
Even if the bird never learns to truly trust, at least to live in peace, comfort and care is a huge
accomplishment.
Start by providing the largest cage appropriate for the species of bird you have. Include 3 different types of
perches (suggested): 1 natural wood perch, 1 rope perch and 1 ‘rough’ perch for grooming (concrete,
mineral, etc.). Never use those sandpaper perch covers. They do not provide secure grip and can result in
injury; plus, they just don’t do anything worthwhile.
Perches should be of varying widths as well, from where the feet wrap ¾ of the way around, to where the feet
wrap ¼ to ½ way around.
The rope perch will likely be chosen for sleep/nighttime; the concrete/rough perch should not be placed
where the bird is forced to stand on it without other options (such as to eat or drink). They’ll choose the
perch when they need it.
Approach the cage when the bird is calm. Be slow, keep your movements smooth and don’t raise your hands
above your own shoulder level – or above the eye level of the bird. Speak with a soft voice and give the bird
time to calm down and accept your presence. If it doesn’t adjust relatively quickly, back away until it calms
down – the last thing we want is for the bird to injure itself by flailing around in fear.
Remember, patience.
I approach our new additions (usually abused birds entering rescue/rehab) an hour or so after tucking them
in for nighttime. Their cages are covered on all sides, leaving just ½ of the front uncovered so they can see
out and feel secure. It also insures decent air circulation. The room light would be very dim, but not totally
dark. Most birds have poor night vision, unless they’re nocturnal birds like owls and approaching them in total
darkness is frightening to them.
At this time, whispering, putting a hand up against the cage and just holding it there is a start. Remember,
keep it non-threatening and below their eye level.
When you notice them calmly stretching a wing and leg slowly out to the side and back, mimic the action with
your own arm slowly stretching out to the side and softly stay engaged vocally (“what a good bird you are”,
“that’s a pretty bird”, etc).
After just a few minutes of nice interaction, leave them be for their night and the next day use the same tone
of voice and slow, calm movements around them.
Open the cage door (as long as your bird is not panicking and will be safe if they escape, unable to get to
places you cannot recover them from) and offer your finger/hand just above the feet and gently touching at
the breast area there say “step up”. This command is important to use every time so that when the bird
hears it they know it’s time to be on hand/finger.
Remember to respect your bird. Sometimes it won’t feel like stepping up or interacting, just like sometimes
you might not feel like doing something. That should be ok. Try again later.
Don’t wake a bird up to play and don’t interrupt them while they’re eating.
In an untamed bird there may be some biting and squawking, but if you can tolerate it until they are on hand,
you’ve accomplished a very important step. Once up they usually stop biting where they’re perching (your
hand) and if they don’t, giving them an “earthquake” a gentle shaking of your hand, but not enough to
dislodge them or cause them to feel insecure, will often distract them.
I’ve also found that walking quickly into a different room (which isn’t hard to do with a big macaw chomping
down on my arm like a pitbull) will surprise them enough to stop. Suddenly, in new surroundings, I’m their
best friend.
If you cannot get your bird to cooperate right away with hands, remember, you’ve got years ahead of you – it’
s worth it to do this right. Try just placing your hand in the cage for a minute and letting them get used to it
being there. Having a treat in hand will help make your fingers a positive thing.
Continue the night whispering and no matter what, don’t give up.
There are a lot of factors involved in successful taming of a bird (of the pet variety). I’ve worked
predominantly with all varieties of macaws and eclectus, but also raptors (hawks, owls, etc) of all sizes. The
most important thing you need to arm yourself with is patience. Look at it this way, if you aren’t patient and
push for immediate or ‘quick’ results, you will fail and have an aggressive or frightened bird for a long time, if
not the rest of its life. Taking your time and letting the bird learn you, adjust to their surroundings and ease
into sharing life with you – is by far the better choice.
Even if the bird never learns to truly trust, at least to live in peace, comfort and care is a huge
accomplishment.
Start by providing the largest cage appropriate for the species of bird you have. Include 3 different types of
perches (suggested): 1 natural wood perch, 1 rope perch and 1 ‘rough’ perch for grooming (concrete,
mineral, etc.). Never use those sandpaper perch covers. They do not provide secure grip and can result in
injury; plus, they just don’t do anything worthwhile.
Perches should be of varying widths as well, from where the feet wrap ¾ of the way around, to where the feet
wrap ¼ to ½ way around.
The rope perch will likely be chosen for sleep/nighttime; the concrete/rough perch should not be placed
where the bird is forced to stand on it without other options (such as to eat or drink). They’ll choose the
perch when they need it.
Approach the cage when the bird is calm. Be slow, keep your movements smooth and don’t raise your hands
above your own shoulder level – or above the eye level of the bird. Speak with a soft voice and give the bird
time to calm down and accept your presence. If it doesn’t adjust relatively quickly, back away until it calms
down – the last thing we want is for the bird to injure itself by flailing around in fear.
Remember, patience.
I approach our new additions (usually abused birds entering rescue/rehab) an hour or so after tucking them
in for nighttime. Their cages are covered on all sides, leaving just ½ of the front uncovered so they can see
out and feel secure. It also insures decent air circulation. The room light would be very dim, but not totally
dark. Most birds have poor night vision, unless they’re nocturnal birds like owls and approaching them in total
darkness is frightening to them.
At this time, whispering, putting a hand up against the cage and just holding it there is a start. Remember,
keep it non-threatening and below their eye level.
When you notice them calmly stretching a wing and leg slowly out to the side and back, mimic the action with
your own arm slowly stretching out to the side and softly stay engaged vocally (“what a good bird you are”,
“that’s a pretty bird”, etc).
After just a few minutes of nice interaction, leave them be for their night and the next day use the same tone
of voice and slow, calm movements around them.
Open the cage door (as long as your bird is not panicking and will be safe if they escape, unable to get to
places you cannot recover them from) and offer your finger/hand just above the feet and gently touching at
the breast area there say “step up”. This command is important to use every time so that when the bird
hears it they know it’s time to be on hand/finger.
Remember to respect your bird. Sometimes it won’t feel like stepping up or interacting, just like sometimes
you might not feel like doing something. That should be ok. Try again later.
Don’t wake a bird up to play and don’t interrupt them while they’re eating.
In an untamed bird there may be some biting and squawking, but if you can tolerate it until they are on hand,
you’ve accomplished a very important step. Once up they usually stop biting where they’re perching (your
hand) and if they don’t, giving them an “earthquake” a gentle shaking of your hand, but not enough to
dislodge them or cause them to feel insecure, will often distract them.
I’ve also found that walking quickly into a different room (which isn’t hard to do with a big macaw chomping
down on my arm like a pitbull) will surprise them enough to stop. Suddenly, in new surroundings, I’m their
best friend.
If you cannot get your bird to cooperate right away with hands, remember, you’ve got years ahead of you – it’
s worth it to do this right. Try just placing your hand in the cage for a minute and letting them get used to it
being there. Having a treat in hand will help make your fingers a positive thing.
Continue the night whispering and no matter what, don’t give up.
This gives you an idea of how to use PVC pipe and
connectors to make your own play gyms and perches.
I use natural, safe wood limbs secured into the pvc so the
birds have a good grip. PVC by itself can be slippery. A
slippery or unsure perch can cause stress in any bird
which may increase biting and screaming - the bird's only
tools to communicate
Our happy blue and gold macaw is enjoying one of her
regular showers in a protected outdoor area.
Temperatures should be 70 degrees (21 C) or higher for
an outdoor shower.
Otherwise, indoor bathing is the order of the day
connectors to make your own play gyms and perches.
I use natural, safe wood limbs secured into the pvc so the
birds have a good grip. PVC by itself can be slippery. A
slippery or unsure perch can cause stress in any bird
which may increase biting and screaming - the bird's only
tools to communicate
Our happy blue and gold macaw is enjoying one of her
regular showers in a protected outdoor area.
Temperatures should be 70 degrees (21 C) or higher for
an outdoor shower.
Otherwise, indoor bathing is the order of the day
| For caged birds who chew, it is not recommended these days to put a dowel in their habitat. Much of today’s lumber has been treated with chemicals and unless you can know for sure that it’s untreated wood, your bird could slowly poison itself by nibbling away at this dowel. Better choices are three different perches: 1. A rope perch available through many pet supply stores, appropriate for the bird you have. Be sure to keep the perch trimmed of frayed rope (and discard it when it’s too frayed) and always make sure it’s clean. Rope perches are easy to rinse off in a sink, bathtub, with a garden hose or even on the gentle cycle of a wash (no fabric softener in the rinse please). A rope perch is often chosen by the bird to sleep on. 2. A soft wood perch, like pine or many fruit trees is another necessity. Never avocado branches or Oleander See here for more safe and unsafe woods 3. A grooming perch, usually made from manu (a calcium/clay type material) or even some of the concrete perches available are good choices. You still must provide a cuttlebone for your bird and scrape it regularly to be sure it’s got a clean, fresh surface available. Another good perch and very popular is manzanita wood. This would be considered a medium-hard perch, but they come in such natural shapes with great variations from one end to another that they are just plain good exercise for those feet and legs! The sizes should vary so that one allows the foot to wrap around just ¼ of the way; another should allow the foot to wrap around about ½ way and the third perch should fit the foot around ¾ of it. The rope perch should probably be the one that allows a ½ way around grip. |
For a more detailed list of safe and not safe plants and perches, click here |
| Perch on this |
| "She was not what you would call refined. She was not what you would call unrefined. She was the sort of person who kept a parrot" (Mark Twain, 'Following the Equator') |
Birds larger than a cockatiel and
children under 10-12 years old are
not a good mix.
Birds can perceive the slightest
changes in expressions, pupil
dilation and children's movements
are not smooth and sure which
frightens a bird.
Bites with beaks larger than a
cockatiel's on little fingers can be
serious and are best avoided to
begin with.
children under 10-12 years old are
not a good mix.
Birds can perceive the slightest
changes in expressions, pupil
dilation and children's movements
are not smooth and sure which
frightens a bird.
Bites with beaks larger than a
cockatiel's on little fingers can be
serious and are best avoided to
begin with.
| Better Breakfast Serves two macaws and a human ½ cup natural oats (regular, not instant) Approx. 1 tablespoon each: Raisins + dried pineapple + mango and whatever else you can find, preferably without sulfites ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ to 1 teaspoon natural brown sugar Toss everything together in a bowl and add 1 cup of water (doesn’t have to be hot). Mix it up and let it sit about 10 minutes or so until the water is absorbed. In order to get some birds interested in this at first I’ll top with a sprinkling of chopped nuts like cashews, almonds, walnuts, etc. (not peanuts). Sometimes I’ll add chopped apple, banana or a little applesauce instead of the brown sugar. I prefer not to put both in because the sugar content is already a little high with the dried fruit. For the human serving you can add a little cream, milk, soy milk, whatever you might like. I’ve learned to like it just the way I serve it to the birds. The best part is that it’s fat free and whole grain, plus fruits. It’s one of the best breakfasts there is for birdy and buddies. |
| Cookie Soup Chicken soup for the winged and wingless 6 cups water in large saucepan on medium high heat 1 rounded tablespoon natural chicken paste (or one can broth) preferably low sodium/no sodium 1 rounded teaspoon fresh crushed ginger (not powder). Most grocery stores carry jars of crushed ginger these days and it lasts several months in the refrigerator ½ package each of frozen peas + corn + chopped spinach (or collard greens) 1 tablespoon lemon juice (fresh or reconstituted) 1 cup pasta shells Bring water with the chicken paste/broth and ginger to a boil and add the pasta. Reduce heat slightly so it doesn’t boil again and stir occasionally for 10 minutes. Add the vegetables, lemon and simmer another 10 minutes or until pasta is done I’ll toss in some cubed (boneless, skinless) chicken or turkey that I might have on hand in the freezer My in house birds can’t get enough of this soup and even though I’m a huge fan of garlic and spice, this is a very good and healthy meal. By the way, it’s called ‘Cookie soup’ because my Severe Macaw, Cookie, will almost throw herself into it in order to get more. |
| Hoppin’ Sadie A variation of an old southern dish called Hoppin’ John 1 package frozen, chopped spinach or collard greens, thaw and squeeze dry 1 can black eyed peas, about ½ drained (retain some of that liquid) ½ cup whole wheat couscous ¼ cup lemon juice (fresh or reconstituted) olive oil and cover with 1 cup plain hot water for about 15 minutes or until the water is absorbed and couscous is soft.Put the couscous in a casserole dish I’ve used low or no sodium chicken broth on occasion instead of the water, so you can consider this for a variation. Add the spinach, black eyed peas, lemon juice and a couple tablespoons of olive oil - toss well until mixed. Cover lightly. I use an inverted plate over the top rather than plastic wrap; a paper plate will work (not Styrofoam). Microwave about 3 minutes, stir and microwave another 2 minutes. I let this stand a good 20 minutes before giving it to my birds and am sure to test it myself to be certain there are no hot spots. |
| Baby Food for Baby Parrots: (Human) baby rice cereal mixed as directed Add (also from the baby food aisle) ½ to 1 teaspoon each of: Applesauce Sweet potatoes/yams Peas or Green beans This can be fed as a supplement or in an emergency, but should not be fed as their only baby food. Please choose a professional formula |
| Need a Vet ? vet-lookup hospital directory International List |
| Hand feeding guideline - scroll down |
Sleep is vital for overall health in our birds. Keeping with the bird's
natural rhythm is best. That means 12 hours of quiet, dark nighttime
and 12 hours of daylight and activity.
We provide separate sleep cages as seen here, with just the basics: A
soft perch, a small amount of food, full, clean water and a 'snuggly'. A
piece of material or soft toy for the bird to have next to them, like a flock
mate would provide that security in the wild.
Cover all except about 1/4 of the front door so the bird can see out and
feel reassured that there's no danger.
natural rhythm is best. That means 12 hours of quiet, dark nighttime
and 12 hours of daylight and activity.
We provide separate sleep cages as seen here, with just the basics: A
soft perch, a small amount of food, full, clean water and a 'snuggly'. A
piece of material or soft toy for the bird to have next to them, like a flock
mate would provide that security in the wild.
Cover all except about 1/4 of the front door so the bird can see out and
feel reassured that there's no danger.
During seasons with longer night hours, or with females that are egg laying,
increasing the nighttime hours to 13 or 14 is acceptable.
So if you generally wake up at 7 a.m., putting the bird to bed at 7 p.m. is good.
To get 14 hours, I suggest putting to bed around 6 p.m. and waking at 8 a.m.
increasing the nighttime hours to 13 or 14 is acceptable.
So if you generally wake up at 7 a.m., putting the bird to bed at 7 p.m. is good.
To get 14 hours, I suggest putting to bed around 6 p.m. and waking at 8 a.m.
| Pulling a chick for hand feeding should be done only about 2 weeks before they’ll wean (which means you only have to provide about 2-3 feedings a day). Weaning ages vary depending on the type of bird. Carefully place the baby (chick) on a towel and gently cup your hand around the body for support. You can use an eyedropper or small syringe available at all bird shops and many pet stores specifically for this task. As you approach the baby with the food, they will often instinctively open their mouths for feeding - their crop is going to be to their right side of the throat, so angle the dropper/syringe to be sure it goes there. As the instrument touches the inside of their mouth, they will typically start pumping at it (they are doing their part to help you through this), slowly, but steadily dispense the formula. When the formula is emptied, take a look at the crop. It’s going to look like a pouch at their right side of the throat area. It’s supposed to bulge. Depending on how much the eyedropper or syringe holds and the type of bird (and the age), you may have to offer another feeding right away. If the bird has a full crop, both of you will know it and the bird won’t be so anxious to accept the device. It usually doesn’t take too long before you become comfortable with feedings and they can be done relatively quickly; however, I prefer to not go too fast and enjoy the bonding. This isn’t to say make it such a slow process that the chick becomes stressed or overly anxious, but not treating it like an assembly line job (to just get it over with) may be nicer for both of you. As the chick gets older and begins eating a bit on their own, many owners like to supplement their diet with spoon feedings of a thicker mix of the formula. At first, this means holding the spoon to their beaks much in the same way as the dropper or syringe was and letting the mixture just fall into their mouths. It’s messy for sure, but pretty soon they’ll start bending their head down to take the mixture off the spoon themselves. It’s important to not offer formula for too long since it’s high in fat and can cause health problems when fed to weaned birds. In sick, older and special needs birds there are exceptions. It’s something that needs to at least be discussed with an avian professional. |
| For more about hand feeding click here |
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