Essential Bird Basics

• Poor diet is the No. 1 reason for poor health.
• Feed your bird a daily varied mix of pellets, vegetables, beans, grains, fruits, sprouts, seeds, and nuts.
• Pellets and fresh, clean water should always be available-change both daily.
• Birds are social animals and social eaters-share your healthy foods with them.
• Never give birds alcohol, chocolate, caffeine, avocados, guacamole, rhubarb, high salt/sugar or fried foods.
• Learn your birds habits. If your bird acts or looks different (e.g. listless, fluffed at bottom of cage, nostril discharge, irregular poops), see an avian vet IMMEDIATELY.
• Bathe your bird at least weekly in a shallow pan of water, in the shower with you, or spray mist them with a spray bottle. Make it a fun event !
• Do yearly well-bird checks by a qualified avian vet, including cultures and blood work.
• Trim nails and flight feathers by a qualified bird groomer.
• Keep a list of Toxic Plants and Chemicals etc. handy!
• NEVER use non-stick cookware, scented candles, plug-in air fresheners or your oven's self-cleaning feature.
• NEVER leave birds unattended with children, dogs, cats, or other pets.
• Respond ONLY to behaviors you like; ignore those you don't. NEVER PUNISH!
• Birds usually bite when they run out of ways to communicate-pay attention.
• If you have problems living with your bird, seek out a competent avian behavior consultant.Your bird must have a cage for its safety and as an emotional haven.
• Bar spacing needs to be the right size for your bird.
• Have several bird-safe toys in cage-preferably some shredable ones.
• Change cage papers daily. Don't use corncob or other bedding-they promote bacteria growth.
• Clean cage thoroughly with soap and water at least once a month.
• Clean dishes, water bottles, and perches daily!
• Spend at least 30 minutes a day with your parrot (out of the cage).
• All birds need at least 10 hours of UNINTERRUPTED, dark, quiet, sleep in their cages every night.

Socializing Your Parrot

Socialization should start from the time the baby is pulled from the nest box around two weeks of age. A good bird breeder will spend a lot of time holding, cuddling and playing with the babies. Their job is much more than just pumping formula into all of the crying babies and cleaning cages etc... One of the most important questions you can ask a breeder is, "Are your birds well socialized and abundance weaned?" Also ask them how much time they actually spend with the babies. This is very important in the early development of a baby parrot.

They need to develop trust in human companions, interaction, and learn to play with other birds and toys at an early age. Also a well socialized baby parrot can develop vocal behaviors almost anytime before or after weaning. Making sure that your parrot gets plenty of interaction at an early age will make a world of difference and eliminate a lot of behavioral problems.