Diet General Care With the exception of most lories and Bathe your parrot several times a week Caring for lorikeets, the natural diet of parrots with a fine mist, being careful not to soak consists of fruits, nuts, grains, seeds and its feathers. Keep your bird warm and out Your flowers of tropical trees. Diet should be of drafts while drying. varied and include a high quality, clean Parrot seed mix or pelleted diet plus fruits Keep other animals away from your bird. (except avocados), dark green or yellow Do not house with another bird until after vegetables, hard boiled eggs and a veterinarian's approval. occasional bits of cooked lean beef or chicken. These supplements, along with Re-cage your bird before leaving the commercial foods, will satisfy your pet's house to discourage those that like to nutritional needs. In addition, provide chew on furniture, rugs and electrical calcium blocks or cuttlebone in your cords. parrot’s cage.
Call an avian veterinarian immediately if you notice a discharge from your parrots Peanuts, peanut butter, sunflower seeds, and safflower seeds should be offered in eyes, nose, or mouth; any bleeding; or any limited quantities because of their high fat change in behavior, activity, fecal droppings, or eating habits. content. Do not feed your parrot avocados, chocolate, raw onions, raw meat, raw chicken, moldy foods, or This information is designed as a basic alcohol. These are toxic to parrots and guide. There are several books and online can cause health problems. Also, the resources available which provide in- overheating of empty Teflon pots or pans depth information on parrots and their creates fumes that are toxic to birds. care.
All food dishes, cups and feeding devices Do right by your pet. should be thoroughly cleaned and rinsed Do right by our environment. as they are refilled. Don't release unwanted pets.
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A cage with a pullout tray at the bottom About Parrots Training facilitates cleaning. If the cage has a grid Parrots are a very old family of bird that separates the tray and cage, most of A tamed and trained bird rather than one species, first appearing 40 million years the bedding material on the market may afraid of humans makes a much better pet. ago. Macaws, cockatoos, African greys, be used as a tray liner. If there is no grid, Taming is not difficult once you parakeets, cockatiels, lories, and others paper liners are the best choice. understand how to accomplish it. If your are all parrots. Parrots are identified by bird is not yet already tame, consider their large heads and heavy hooked beaks, Perches should have different diameters having their wing feathers clipped short and strong necks, short legs, and for comfort and exercise of the feet. professionally to initially limit your bird's thick and muscular tongues. Natural wood perches from a hardwood ability to fly. New feathers will grow tree make excellent perches. There are back.
Choosing Your Parrot also a variety of commercially produced perches available. Give your bird time to adjust to its new Regardless of which bird species you surroundings. Maintain a distance have chosen, a veterinarian who Food and water receptacles should be between you and its cage while talking specializes in avian medicine should softly. This will help ease any fears. Once examine your new parrot. The located above the perch so it is accessible, and protected from bird droppings. your bird realizes you mean no harm, it veterinarian can assure you of your will overcome its natural fear of humans parrot's health status, and vaccinate him Locate your parrot’s cage in a quiet room. and will begin to trust your display of against diseases that could be fatal. A test friendship. Work with your bird daily to The cage should not be placed in direct may be conducted to make certain your bolster trust and create a bond. bird does not have psittacosis, a disease sunlight, near heating and air conditioning transmissible to humans. vents, or near the kitchen. This leads to a human-companion animal bond that will last a lifetime. Once tamed, We recommend separate/solitary housing Parrots require 8-12 hours of sleep, so purchase a cage cover to provide rest and your bird can be permitted out of its cage of your new pet for at least two weeks or to interact with you and your family. until your veterinarian approves group a feeling of security. During the day, housing. provide full spectrum lighting.
Besides human companionship on a daily basis, provide activities and toys that are Your Parrot’s New Home appropriate for parrots to alleviate When choosing a cage for your new boredom and loneliness. parrot, larger is better. Birds with long tail feathers should have enough vertical room to keep their tail feathers clear of flooring. The horizontal space should be large enough that their feathers do not touch the sides of the cage when their wings are extended.