One of the most common questions parents ask is, “When is my child old enough to take on the responsibility of having a bird as a pet?” There are a number of things you should consider before purchasing a bird when you have young children in the home. The Age of Your Child While it […]
Over the past two decades aviculturists and pet bird owners have become increasingly aware of just how many deadly diseases can lurk in aviaries, bird marts, and pet shops. Thus, the concept of quarantine has become more important, even in homes adding only a second bird to the “flock.” Some of these infectious diseases are […]
We love to give our birds toys. They are intelligent, curious creatures. Add a toy to their cage, and they will amuse and delight us. Toys keep them happy and involved. Behaviorists often advise owners with a bird who plucks his feathers to make sure they give their pet plenty of toys and rotate them […]
How a Special-Needs Bird Survived the Odds! Boo-Boo (pronounced like the name of Yogi Bear’s friend Boo-Boo) was a special bird from the beginning. He was smaller than his clutchmates, but he seemed very healthy. While it took him longer to get through the initial developmental stages, my experience has shown me that this is […]
Unclipped birds are at most risk when it comes to certain household hazards, such as open doors, open toilets, pots and pans on the stove (burned/boiled/drowned/covered in oil), deep water in kitchen sinks or pails, ceiling fans, electrical wires, and anything the bird could chew and ingest that could cause damage to them either through […]
Possibly you have heard the myth: if you want a parrot to truly bond to you, then you should handfeed the bird yourself. Nothing could be further from the truth. Many relationships between bird and human are damaged by improper handfeeding and socialization during the early weeks of a parrot’s life. This damage is less […]
Heavy-duty food and water dishes or bowls that are made of crockery or heavygauge stainless steel are a must if you don’t plan on buying new dishes periodically. These birds can pierce holes in standard aluminum feed cups. At one point in time, many of us in South Florida began using concrete food dishes. We […]
Such a drastic environmental change is bound to be traumatic for many babies. They are used to the security of having four walls around them. The brooding bin is their nest, and the four sides are the walls that define “their” space. If they were in a real nest, they would take in doses of […]
Nutrition & Diet A varied diet largely made up of live foods will give you the healthiest bird. By live foods we mean vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Dead foods are foods that don’t spoil quickly (i.e. packaged seeds & nuts). That might seem like a simplistic description, but it is actually quite accurate. A […]
The best diet for birds has been a subject of debate for many years. The growing popularity of pet birds has created a market for special foods, from quick-cook pasta mixes to pellets. Many owners feel bombarded with conflicting information. Their veterinarian says feed just pellets, but a friend who breeds hundreds of beautiful parrots […]