Caring For Your Parrot
THINGS TO AVOID
While bringing home your new baby is an exciting time, there are things to avoid to ensure the safety of your pet. Birds can be more susceptible to everyday products and foods that aren't dangerous to other animals. It is important to familiarize yourself with these dangers.
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FOODS TO AVOID:
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Avocado
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Tomato
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Mushrooms
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Celery
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Dried beans
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Onions and garlic
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Chocolate
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Xylitol
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Fruit Pits / Apple Seeds
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Caffeine
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Alcohol
PRODUCTS TO AVOID:
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Cooking with Teflon pans
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Cleaning Products
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Candles / Fragrances
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Pesticides
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Smoke / Aerosols
​This is not a complete list of things to avoid for your pet. Always use caution around your pet and if you're worried about feeding / using a certain product its best to research it, ask someone with experience or avoid it!
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GENERAL CARE
We recommend arranging a visit with a licensed avian veterinarian as soon as possible after picking up your new pet. They will be able to make sure your bird is healthy and can answer any questions you might have. Establishing a relationship with a veterinarian sooner rather than later may help in the future if an incident or concern may arise. Call an avian veterinarian immediately if you notice a discharge from your parrot’s eyes, nose, or mouth; any bleeding; or any change in behavior, activity, fecal droppings, or eating habits.
If bringing a new bird into your home where other birds reside, it is best to quarantine them separately in solitary caging until their veterinarian exam. Keep other existing pets away from your new bird until they are properly introduced so they don’t pose a danger to your new bird. We recommend keeping predatory animals such as dogs and cats away from your bird, and to never let them interact unsupervised. Accidents happen, and birds can be very fragile. We also advise having supervised 'play dates' with your new bird and existing bird, if any bullying or aggression arises, break up and separate the birds. Not all birds are guaranteed to get along, even if they are the same species or opposite genders. We do not recommend allowing large and small birds to interact, they may not get along and the smaller bird may be injured.
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You should allow your parrot to bathe several times a week. Some will bathe in their water bowl, the sink or even the shower. An appropriately sized shower perch with a warm mist from the shower head is a typical favorite. A water bottle with a fine mist may also encourage grooming. Pay attention to your bird's personal ques, some may love water while others will tolerate it. Keep your bird warm and out of drafts while drying.
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A play stand or pen is a great way to allow your parrot time out of its cage to exercise and play, however it is recommended to put your bird back in its cage before leaving the house. This ensures the safety of your bird and to discourage those that like to chew on furniture, molding, and electrical cords for example.
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Keeping your bird's nails groomed will be beneficial to both you and the bird. Keeping nails trimmed and short will prevent them from being snagged on toys, as well as being much more comfortable for you to hold. Getting into a routine using avian nail clippers or a Dremel will help ensure proper nail grooming. We always recommend having blood stop or styptic powder on hand while trimming nails. If you are uncomfortable with grooming your bird's nails, we advise having your veterinarian or someone experienced trim your bird's nails. Proper perching will also help naturally groom your bird's nails, sand or concrete perches help, but should not be the only type of perch your bird has access to as they can be hard on their feet.
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YOUR PARROTS NEW HOME
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When choosing a cage for your new parrot, larger is better. The wider the cage is better versus taller, birds fly side to side, not up and down. With taller cages there is a lot of wasted space and droppings from the top will soil everything on the way down. 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.
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A cage with a pullout tray at the bottom facilitates cleaning. If the cage has a grate that separates the tray and cage, most bedding material on the market may be used as a tray liner. Newspapers, paper towels, craft paper and cardboard are the most commonly used. If there is no grate, paper liners are the best choice. Corn cob is not recommended to be used as a substrate as it harbors a lot of molds.
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Cage cleaning should be maintained regularly. Soap and water are generally the most commonly used, though there are cage cleaning-based products. Whichever you prefer to use, rinse thoroughly and follow the directions.
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Perches should have different diameters for comfort and natural exercise of the feet. Natural wood perches from a hardwood tree make excellent perches. There are also commercially produced perches. If making your own perches be sure the wood is safe from pesticides and is a parrot safe wood. It should be properly cleaned as well.
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Food and water receptacles should be filled at all times and located above the perches, so they are protected from bird droppings. Water bottle training your bird is an excellent idea as your bird's water will stay clean and fresh throughout the day. Since your parrot’s beak is continuously growing, adding a mineral block to give them extra calcium and essential minerals they need while helping to keep their beak groomed and filed down. Chipping and flaking of the outer layer of your bird's beak is completely natural, flaking off the loose bits will keep your bird's beak clean and discourage food being trapped between the flakes. If you are concerned with any unusual chipping or cracking contact your veterinarian.
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Besides daily human companionship, provide activities and toys that are appropriately sized for your parrot to alleviate boredom and loneliness which can lead to feather plucking. Rotate and change out toys to keep your bird mentally stimulated. Toys and perches with excessive wear should be discarded and replaced to prevent injury. Rope toys and perches should be examined often as loose strings can pose strangulation hazards. Fuzzy type huts should be avoided as birds are known to chew and ingest the fibers which may impact their crop/digestive system. We recommend putting your parrot’s cage in a quiet room not near the kitchen, and not in direct sunlight, or near heating or air conditioning vents. WARNING: Overheating empty Teflon pots or pans creates fumes that are toxic to birds, potentially fatal.
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Parrots require 8-12 hours of sleep, so the use a cage cover to provide rest and a feeling of security may be used. If you are using a cage cover inspect for any chewing or loose fiber/threads. If there are signs of chewing or loose fibers the cover should be replaced or properly patched. During the day natural daylight is very beneficial to your bird, if unable to allow safe access to natural light we suggest looking into full spectrum lighting.
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DIET
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With the exception of most lories and lorikeets, the natural diet of most parrots consists of fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, seeds and flowers of tropical trees. Diet should be varied with a high-quality pellet in addition to fruits and vegetables. A high-quality seed and nut mix can be offered in moderation and works great as training rewards. These supplements, along with commercial foods, will satisfy your pet's nutritional needs.
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Research on your specific species dietary needs will greatly improve your bird's care. Macaws need a much higher fat and protein content compared to cockatoos, where a similar diet may lead to obesity and health issues. Eclectus parrots' diet should be primarily fresh fruits and vegetables with small amounts of seeds and grains. Natural pellets may be offered, but dyed pellets should never be offered to an eclectus due to their sensitivity to artificial dyes.
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Peanuts, peanut butter, sunflower seeds, and safflower seeds should be offered in small quantities because of their higher fat content. Do not feed your parrot any of the following:
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Avocado
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Tomato
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Mushrooms
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Celery
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Dried beans
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Onions and garlic
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Chocolate
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Xylitol
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Fruit Pits / Apple Seeds
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Caffeine
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Alcohol
These are known to be toxic to parrots and can even be fatal to birds. All food dishes, cups and other feeding devices should be thoroughly cleaned and rinsed as they are refilled or soiled.