Comments on: How to Care for a Parrot

on 8/8/2006 Say hello to your parrot twelve times every hour for three and a half weeks. If your parrot does not learn 'hello' by that time, the parrot is only useful for parrot pudding.

on 7/31/2006 While it's true that many of the common birds you see in your backyard have seed based diets, parrots in the wild don't! Read about your breed of bird and get to know it's nutrition requirements. In addition to fruits and veggies, Zupreem is a great pellet that every bird I know gobbles up with gusto. Also remember to change diets gradually. Birds have to get used to new things.

Also, cleaning can be a breeze if you have the right equipment. I put those plastic mats made for office chairs under my birds cage to protect the carpet, and the best (and cheapest) way to clean all that bird mess from every thing is to mix 1/3 part white vinegar with 2/3 part water in a spray bottle. Vinegar is harmless to your birds, and acts as a natural disinfectant and insect repellent. It's safe to use on all your birds perches, toys, etc. Just remember to always remove the bird first!

on 2/25/2006 Grit is bad for parrots! It hurts their stomachs and they don't need it because they hull their seeds, unlike chickens, who do need grit.
Also, you don't need bird sand or gravel paper for the cage bottom for the same reason. Newspaper is fine, it's not poisonous (but to be safe don't use anything from a color page, some papers use unsafe color inks) and it's easier to clean, as you can just take it out, dump it, and replace it with more. It's a lot cheaper too.

And a word about wing clipping:
If you have a problem bird, clip him! It makes a huge difference for the better, because it makes him dependent on you, and he will realize he likes you!

on 11/22/2005 Saliva from a cat or a dog are deadly to birds. Should your bird be bitten(even if you cannot see a break in the skin) it needs immediate veterinary attention. Remember, birds hide their illness as long as possible so by the time you see that they aren't well, it could be too late.

on 11/22/2005 Ideally, your parrot should be bathed every other day. Fill up a spray bottle with hot water (as it will cool in just a few minutes) and when it is sprayed it will also feel cooler to the bird. As long as the temperature is steady in the room you are bathing the bird in, and there are no strong drafts, there is no need to towel dry your bird. Typically, they like to prune themselves as they dry.

on 11/22/2005 Wooden perches should never be allowed to get wet. This causes the wood to expand and bacteria to be trapped inside. Instead, buy a perch cleaner from your local pet store, or scour the feces off with dry steel wool.

on 12/22/2005 Parrots like their cages in the corner of the room, for security, and that makes a lot more work: keeping walls, floors and baseboards clean. I bought inexpensive fabric, sewed a rod pocket in one end, left the salvage edges as is, and hung it on the wall with caf? curtain rods. I used 4 rods end to end. I used enough fabric to cover the walls 6-7 feet high, with an additional foot of fabric at the bottom. After I got the fabric on the rods and arranged to cover the wall span, I laid a 4 foot X 8 foot wall panel (finished on one side for easy clean-up) on top of our wall-to-wall carpet, tucking the excess fabric underneath as I went. The panel fit snugly into the corner of the room-and now I have a great nursery for my birds. Two or three times a week I pull the cages out, vacuum the feathers and dried food off the fabric, vacuum and mop the wall panel on the floor, and return the cages to their positions. When needed, I can just pull the fabric down and wash it, return it, and no scrubbing walls and baseboards or shampooing carpets! At $1.99 per yard for the fabric, I can even throw it away and buy new if it begins to get ragged (my Eclectus loves to chew) and change the look of the nursery. It is a big work saver.

on 11/22/2005 Depending on the weight of your pet bird, up to the 10th flight feather should be clipped by an avian vet to prevent flight injuries. This will also prevent the escape of many birds to the outdoors. Most pet birds will not survive if not found.

on 11/22/2005 If you're having trouble getting your bird to eat her vegetables, bake her a special bread. Just get an inexpensive corn bread mix and throw anything in that you think your little one might need in her diet. I put in oatmeal, banana, egg, fruit juice, peanut butter, and a bag of frozen mixed veggies (pureed). Cook according to the corn bread instructions. Stick a toothpick in the center to check if it's done. Then cut it into squares and freeze what you won't be using soon. The birdies love it!

on 11/22/2005 If you see your bird sitting on the cage bottom doing nothing for a short time, check him because something might be wrong. Birds rarely do this unless they are babies or just weak. They come down to peck for food but not to sit around.

It isn't normal for a bird to fall off his perch or to have trouble climbing.

Check to see if your other birds begin to pick on one. This might mean the other is sick.

Watch out for cuttle bones or objects that could drop down or drop with the bird. They must be on the cage securely. I lost my cockatiel, Mickey, because of his feeding dish falling with him. It was very sad and could have been avoided. Also, any wires or connecting things left up could cut a bird easily. It never fails. These little guys get hurt all the time. If it is there, they will bump into it.

on 11/22/2005 Because of new developements scientifically, your birds diet should be based with pellets, not seeds. Though pelleted diets can be more expensive, they are more complete and there is less waste without the messy seedhulls. Seeds like millet, and canned mixes, make a great trick training treat but are so high in fat that they can cause mal-nutrition. Most birds fed a seed diet with an occasional human food, do not get to live out their full life potential. Give lots of fresh vegies, SMALL amounts of well cooked meat, and other healthy human foods. A parrot should always have clean plain water with nothing added to it. No sugar, salt, heavey spices, caffine, chocolate, and PLEASE NEVER give a Parrot GRIT.

on 11/22/2005 Great tip: Use "Fit Fruit and Vegetable Cleaner" to remove dried feces and food from cage, playgrounds, etc. Spray on, wipe off! May need to let sit for a few minutes for larger spots. It's all natural, so it's safe and REALLY does work!

on 11/22/2005 Be careful smoking around parrots, cockatiels etc. They could get pulmonary problems or get "the snot". The best thing to do is to keep parrots in a smoke free room.

on 11/22/2005 When heated to certain temperatures, Teflon releases gasses that will kill birds. Keep your bird as far away from the kitchen as you can.

on 11/22/2005 While strawberries are safe their green stems are toxic to parrots. Since several fresh fruit's and fresh vegetable's pits and seeds are poisonous or dangerous because they could cause choking, to be safe REMOVE ALL pits & seeds prior to feeding.