Whenever
you buy a bird or other animal, it is recommended to obtain a
veterinarian's opinion that the pet you purchased is a healthy
one. Some breeders or stores provide a "health certificate"
to the new owners, saying that the bird has previously been checked
by a vet and is healthy. When you think about it, this
only means that the bird was healthy when it was checked, and
then it was brought back into the facility, where it could potentially
come into contact with a sick bird and pick up a disease.
At one
point, early in my breeding experience, I asked a prominent veterinarian
if he provided health certificates for babies to be given to
the buyer. He told me "no", and said: 1.) this
would put his reputation at risk, because he would be certifying
a bird as healthy that could possibly come into contact with
a pathogen after he checked it, and it would be safer to check
the bird after it is moved from the presence of other birds to
its new home, 2.) he wanted the new owner to come in for
a health check so that he could meet them and make sure that
they had been informed properly of the responsibilities of ownership,
the commitment involved, and basic bird care, and 3.) after visiting
the vet for the health check, the new owner would hopefully not
hesitate to bring the bird to him if there ever were a problem.
The important
thing to look for when purchasing a bird, is whether you can
obtain a health guarantee from the seller in writing. It
should state that if the bird is checked by a vet within a reasonable
length of time and if there is a problem, then you can take the
bird back to the seller for a full refund. Some stores
will only give a refund in merchandise, not your money back.
We recommend that the bird be seen by a veterinarian within two
working days of purchase. This is to protect everyone concerned,
including the bird.
The first
two days that a new bird is home with you are very important,
especially if he is a just-weaned baby. During this period, you
should carefully monitor his droppings and (assuming that he's
tame) handle him frequently for short periods of time. This means
that it would be potentially dangerous to your new bird to bring
him home, put him in his cage, and leave for the rest of the
day.
Please
note:
If your new bird is *not tame* please skip the next paragraph,
and do not begin handling or training until the bird has had
a week or so to settle in. Birds that are nervous around humans
go through more stress during a move and need an adjustment period.
For advice on taming your bird, please see the section below:
Taming
(the wild bird).
When
you bring your new bird home, and before you put him in his cage
for the first time, you should sit quietly with him for 20 minutes
or so, in the room where his cage is located. Make sure that
there are no distractions such as pets or children moving about.
This may sound contrary to what seems right, but let me explain.
If you put the bird directly into his cage, then he learns that
"in here is safe". The longer he's in the cage before
you take him out, the harder it will be to get him out. However,
if you show him right away that "out here in this room with
us is safe", he will be much easier to get out of the cage
the next time. You can get him out a few more times the first
day he's home with you, limiting these outings to 20 minutes
to half an hour, and allowing him lots of time in his cage in
between the outings to eat, sleep, preen his feathers, and start
to get used to his new cage.
Making
sure your new bird is eating is the most important thing to accomplish
in the first day. It might be helpful to place the food and water
cups near the topmost perch initially. If the cups are low and
can't be moved, then you might try having only one perch in the
cage, down low, by the cups. That way he will be looking right
at his food and water.
The reason for the extra caution here is that when some babies
(and occasionally older birds) go to a new home, they may be
either too scared or overwhelmed by their new environment to
think of eating. If this happens and the baby's hunger becomes
too great, it will refuse to eat and start begging to be handfed
again. When begging, most babies will make a whiney sound and
bob their head up and down. Some of them do it even if they are
eating. If you watch the droppings, you will be able to tell
if he's not eating. If the droppings become very small and dark
(blackish green) or you see two or three white droppings in a
row, and especially if he's begging, it would probably be wise
to call the breeder or store and discuss the possibility that
the baby isn't eating. In this case, the baby might have to go
back to the seller for just a few days, for some supplemental
feedings. Then when he returns to your home, the baby will accept
its new environment much more easily, because he's been there
before. If he is eating, but not eating enough to maintain his
weight, then possibly by the second day, he may stop eating and
begin to beg incessantly. Again, please get in touch with the
seller to let them know what you're observing.
Also, the first week after a bird is moved, even an older bird,
is the most common time for an illness to show up. You must be
on the lookout for any symptoms of illness during this period.
(Please see Signs
of a Sick Bird,
below.)
At first, you should allow your new bird to perch only on your
hand. This will give you better control, and it will teach your
bird manners. With work, he will eventually develop a complete
trust in your hands for handling and petting. Allowing a bird
to sit on your shoulder before he is well-trained would potentially
give him a feeling of dominance and superiority, and he would
try to control *you* from his perch.
The "up" command should be used when asking the bird
to step up. Gently push your index finger against the lower tummy
and say "up". Be sure your thumb and other fingers
are tucked down and out of the way, making a firm perch to step
onto. (Please be aware that some birds will grab your finger
first with their beaks to make sure the "perch" is
steady. Don't misinterpret this move as an attack.) Keep your
finger level and steady, and bend your wrist downward with your
elbow tucked down and in close to your side as you bring him
in level with your chest. Be careful not to hold your elbow up
so that your arm is level with your hand, or the bird might climb
from your hand up your arm, and end up on your shoulder. Try
to anticipate how long he will sit nicely, and before he gets
bored, you can distract him by switching him to the other hand
(giving the "up" command), petting him behind the head,
offering him something acceptable to chew on, walking around
a bit, or simply setting him down. Resist the temptation to offer
your finger from your free hand for him to nibble on. This is
like saying to the bird, "here, chew on this". When
he does, he might nibble too hard, and you are only setting yourself
up for a confrontation.
As time goes on and you get to know your bird, you might allow
him to gently feel and nibble at your skin with his beak, as
long as he's being gentle. Sometimes the bird is just being curious,
and "preening" a human's skin can be a sign of affection.
However, if a bird gets carried away and it hurts, or if he actually
bites, you should immediately let him know he has done something
inappropriate. If your bird does happen to bend down and pinch
the hand he's perched on, you can gently jiggle it and at the
same time, say (sharply) "no!". This will unbalance
him a bit and will bring his head up, at the same time reinforcing
the "no!". If he tries to nip again, give you hand
a more abrupt jiggle, saying "no!" once more. If he
persists, bend over slightly, and when he tries the third time,
say "no!" and at the same time, put him on the floor.
Then stand up and wait a few moments without saying anything.
If he tries to climb up on you, step away from him. After 30
seconds or so, pick him up again using the "up" command,
and chances are, he won't do it again. If he does, you can repeat
the procedure. These birds are so smart that it usually doesn't
take long for them to catch on.
At some point, depending on how well-behaved your bird is, you
may begin to allow him to sit on your shoulder for short periods.
Only allow him to sit there if he steps onto your hand whenever
he's asked to with no hesitation. If he begins to show any aggressiveness
towards you or your hand when asked to step up, then shoulder-sitting
should be discontinued until hand training is re-established.
With some aggressive species and certain individual birds, shoulder
perching may never be a good idea.
Not too
many years ago, the only birds you could buy in a store were
wild-caught or wild captive-bred (parent reared). Large shipments
of birds regularly came into the import stations in both Canada
and the U.S., and wild domestic baby birds were delivered by
breeders who netted them out of flight cages after they fledged.
Tame, hand-fed babies weren't available everywhere like they
are today. Nowadays, it's uncommon to find a wild-caught or wild
domestically bred parrot for sale in a store or elsewhere, but
there are still small shipments of birds coming into the country,
and on occasion wild captive-bred parrots do become available
on the pet market. As well, some stores carry Budgies and Cockatiels
that have not been hand-fed and need to be tamed. Other possible
explanations for a bird not being tame would be that the bird
could be a young bird that was handfed, but it reverted back
to a wild state from a lack of handling after it weaned, or it
could be an older bird that was imported some years back and
the previous owner(s) never successfully tamed it.
If you have purchased a wild, untamed bird, the bird will be
fearful of you and climb away when you put your hand in the cage,
or bite out of fear if you try to pick him up. For the bird's
sake, you should tame him so that he won't be lonely. After he's
tame he'll appreciate your companionship, and look forward to
coming out of the cage to be with you, and most likely will enjoy
being scratched and touched. In this section I will use the term
"wild" to refer to both wild-caught birds and domestically-bred
birds that were never tame or have reverted back to a wild, unhandleable
state.
Important Note: Some very tame birds may try
to bite, and because they are tame, they have no fear of humans.
This fearlessness makes them very dangerous and unpredictable.
If such a bird has previously bonded to one person, perhaps a
former owner, it can be extremely aggressive towards other people,
especially if they happen to be the opposite sex as the person
the bird was bonded to. These birds may *attack* unprovoked,
by lunging or flying at an individual, and then biting them,
sometimes severely. If you have purchased a bird that shows no
fear and acts aggressively towards you, the methods discussed
in this section will most likely not work for you, and could
possibly be dangerous to attempt.
As was
mentioned above, if your bird is not tame, you should give it
about a week to settle in and adjust to it's new surroundings
before you attempt any training. After that, the bird should
be worked with as soon as possible, because the older a bird
gets and the more ways it learns to avoid you, the harder it
will be to tame. Some people believe it's best to leave their
new bird in its cage, coaxing it gently with tidbits of food,
hoping that the bird will eventually warm up to them and be their
friend. They may also be afraid that if they force the bird to
do something that it doesn't want to, that it will hate them.
So they let the bird tell them when he wants them to stop (by
biting or fleeing), and the taming progresses very slowly, or
not at all. A wild bird instinctively fears the "unknown",
because in nature the unknown usually means danger. The bird
will only approach a human to get what it wants and then bite
or run away, because it is afraid to venture into unknown territory
and get any closer. As the weeks and months go by, it becomes
older and more set in its ways. All the while, biting and fleeing
are being repeatedly reinforced as ways to avoid the "unknown"
(the human), and it becomes almost impossible to undo those negative
behaviours. Most birds will never become handleable, let alone
affectionate, with this approach.
The best
way to tame a bird is to "force yourself" on him. In
other words, you need to actively tame him in training sessions.
I tamed many wild birds for people back in the days of importation,
and still there are occasional birds that people bring to me
because they not tame. In some cases, I can have the bird stepping
up on command and sitting nicely on my hand without biting after
the first session. In the case of a totally wild bird, it may
take the owner up to a week to accomplish the task, with guidance.
Generally
speaking, what follows if the technique I use for most birds.
Sometimes, because birds are different from one another, common
sense will dictate an adjustment or variation to this approach.
This certainly isn't the only method of taming a bird, just the
one that works well for me:
1. First, you'll
need to get the bird's wings clipped and have his beak and nails
trimmed. If he can fly away from you, he'll be in control of
the situation, and taming will be next to impossible. Having
his beak trimmed will help lessen the severity of injury in case
you're bitten. Also, this trimming takes some of the cockiness
out of the bird's attitude, and makes him more docile.
2. Next, decide
on a place where you'll work with him. You should never try to
work with a bird in, or on, or even within sight of his cage.
That is his territory and he'll feel dominant there, and he'll
resist your efforts tenfold. If he can see his cage, he'll only
think about is getting back to it. The bathroom is the best training
room for most people: it's small, there aren't any places where
a bird can get stuck behind something (as it could in your kitchen
behind the fridge or stove), and there aren't any sharp edges
in a bathroom for the bird to bang against if it tries to jump
away from you. Alternately, you might choose a small, fairly
empty bedroom.
3. How do you get
the bird from its cage to the training room? One method is to
capture the bird in a towel, being careful to avoid letting him
get his beak around your fingers, and carry him to the room swaddled
in the towel. But I prefer to take his food and water bowls out
of the cage, unclip the top wire part from the bottom, and carry
the top, with the bird in it, to the training room. Once there,
you can slowly turn the cage upside down and when the bird climbs
up (to get away from you) he will come out of the open end of
the cage, and then probably fly down onto the floor. Then you
can take the cage top, turn it right-side up, set it just outside
the room and close the door.
4.
Now
you're ready to begin working with your bird. The first thing
I do is to determine whether, given the chance, the bird will
try to bite me or not (please see Important Note , above). Do *not* use gloves.
They don't protect you all that much, and at some point the gloves
will have to come off and you'll be starting all over again.
If you're careful, and you do it right, you never have to be
bitten by the bird in the process of training him. I bring to
the room with me two perches (doweling) about two feet long,
and the appropriate diameter that makes perching easy for the
bird. I take one perch in my left hand, and since I'm right-handed,
I bend down and offer the stiffened index finger of my right
hand to the bird. I push my finger towards the lower part of
his belly, and say "step up". If he runs or scoots
away, I continue to calmly and persistently keep pushing my finger
towards him, each time repeating the "step up" command.
If, at any point, he shows a strong inclination to try to bite
my finger, I use the perch in my left hand to protect my right
hand, and I offer him the perch to see whether he bites it hard
or is just bluffing. If he does bite the perch hard, then I begin
offering the perch with my right hand instead of my finger, and
hold the second "protection" perch in my left hand,
again, pushing under his belly and saying "step up".
Please note that the bird will *not* hate you for chasing him
around. As long as you are consistent with your actions and are
patient, and do not do something out of anger that hurts the
bird, he will soon learn that you aren't going to hurt him.
5. Continue to
follow him around and repeatedly ask him to step up until he
gets tired of running away from you. At some point (and this
varies!) he will finally step onto your finger or the perch.
At that moment - freeze!- and do not move. That's the bird's
reward for stepping up. All of a sudden, all the action stops,
and he can catch his breath, look around, and rest for a moment.
Don't be surprised if, as soon as he's rested a bit, he jumps
away again. Immediately resume trying to pick him up on the perch
or finger, and you will surely see that this time he gets on
much more quickly. (Already he has learned that is what you want.)
Freeze again. He will probably sit longer this time. If he tries
to bite the hand he's sitting on, or starts to go up the the
perch towards your arm, you can interpose the perch in your left
hand to ward off his beak or have him step on it to regain your
control of the situation. You can continue this until he perches
without trying to leave, but I wouldn't go any longer than about
20 minutes for this first training session.
6. At the end of
this first session, most birds will be stepping up, with some
effort on your part. You can bring the cage back into the room,
and when the bird steps up, return him to his cage. Be prepared
for him to make a leap for the cage because he's probably had
enough of you for the time being! Return the cage to its normal
place and clip on the base, and allow your bird to eat, drink,
and have a bit of a rest before beginning another session.
7. I would give
no more than three 1/2-hour training sessions daily. You'll might
notice that in the beginning of each training session that there's
some regression; the bird is more resistant to your efforts again,
but it won't be as much as the first time. Each time he'll settle
down more quickly. By the end of a week, you should have him
stepping up on command, and calmly perching without trying to
move away. If you've been having him step up onto the perch instead
of your hand, you can begin to shorten the perch by sliding it
back through your hand until the bird is standing your hand.
In future training sessions, you can work on things like stepping
from hand to hand, or you might begin to touch him while he sits
there. This all takes time and patience, but it is definitely
worth it. Now you'll be able to move about the house with your
bird, and you can place him on a T-stand or sit with him while
you watch T.V. You'll find that in a comparatively short time,
you have a bird that isn't afraid of you, because he has learned
you're not going to hurt him. The door is wide open for him to
actually begin to like you and want to be with you!
Most
breeders nowadays are using some form of the pelleted diet as
a main diet for their birds. Pellets are much more nutritionally
complete than a seed-based diet, for the reasons I will explain
below. Most of the baby parrots bred in Canada are weaned
onto these pelleted diets, making it easy for the pet owner to
continue feeding their pet this superior diet.
SEED
It used
to be, years ago, that seed was the only readily available food
for pet birds, so we fed it to them without question. But
studies have shown that seed is deficient in many important vitamins
and minerals, including Vitamin A and Calcium. But, the
real problem with seed is that most birds won't eat anything
else when they're given free access to it. Most birds will
only pick out their favourite seed (usually the sunflower or
safflower seeds) and shovel the rest of the seed out of the dish
with their beaks. Then you have a bird who is getting the
nutrition of only one seed, plus water, in his diet. This
would be something like a human on a bread and water diet; he'd
be alive, but I don't think that this person would live a long
life or be very resistant to disease.
The reason
that birds will eat seed and nothing else, if given the opportunity,
is because they love it. It's nutty and oily, and comes
in a fun little package. Sometimes it helps to understand
that seed to a bird is like meat to a dog. If you fed your
dog meat, your dog would love you for doing it, to be sure.
But his diet would be incomplete. So most breeders and
veterinarians recommend a dry dog food as the most nutritionally
balanced diet for a dog. Also, if you
were feeding your dog meat, it is likely that he would be totally
uninterested in eating any table scraps. But dogs who are
fed dry dog food go crazy for tidbits, because dry dog food is
kind of bland and boring.
With
birds, it's pretty much the same, in that they won't eat the
veggies and good things that they should, when they are on a
seed diet. But when they are on a pellet-based diet, all
of a sudden, they'll eat this wonderful assortment of people
food. Most breeders, and even the pellet manufacturers,
recommend that you feed your birds a variety of things, i.e.
pellets as a main diet, and lots of variety in their snacks.
If your
bird is on a pelleted diet, then all you have to do is keep their
snacks balanced. To do this, you can follow this
guide:
50% BREAD
AND CEREAL GROUP
Any foods
from this group that are good for you are good for your birds.
These include whole wheat bread or toast, rice, couscous, corn,
pasta, Cheerios, Rice Krispies, and cooked oatmeal. Seeds
fall into this group as well, but it is so easy for the birds
to get hooked on them (like a dog would if regularly fed meat),
that if you put seed in their dish, they won't eat anything else.
So you can give 6 or 8 sunflowers seeds, peanut halves, or other
seed/nut treats a day, from your hand as a treat or a training
aid.
40% VEGETABLE
This
would be any of the vegetables that are really good for people
from the yellow and orange group (carrots, squash, sweet potatoes)
and the dark green leafy group (broccoli, spinach, kale, chard,
romaine lettuce, and even dandelion greens from your yard if
it hasn't been sprayed). If you have heard not to feed
your bird head (iceberg) lettuce, it is because it has no nutrition,
is sweet and crunchy, and will spoil them from eating the more
nutritional, dark green veggies that are a bit bitter by comparison.
5% FRUIT
Most
birds love fruit (with the notable exception of Cockatiels, who
will usually only eat a bit of apple), but they don't really
need a lot of it. Birds make their own Vitamin C in their
bodies, so fruit is like nature's candy for birds; a sugar and
water treat. Fruit is good for their mental well-being,
because it's fun, but should be kept in small quantities.
Acidic fruits such as oranges should be limited to only once
or twice a week in small quantities.
5% PROTEIN
A bird
needs some protein in its diet, but not too much. Proteins
include lean meats (like chicken and fish, cooked), beans and
peas (the legume group for plant protein, raw or cooked), hard
boiled or hard scrambled egg (not raw, see Toxic Foods, below),
and dairy products (hard cheese, yogurt).
CALCIUM
In addition
to these snacks, you should offer your bird a calcium source,
so that he can add enough calcium to the snack portion of his
diet to balance it out. You can use either a cuttlebone
or mineral block, and the bird will eat some when he instinctively
feels a need for it. They can't eat too much, but if your
bird likes to play with his block or cuttlebone and destroys
it in a short period of time, then you could put it in the cage
for a few minutes each day, or break it into pieces, and give
him another piece whenever the last one is gone.
If you
were to make a bird's diet up from scratch, this is basically
how you would do it. This is essentially the way the pellets
are balanced, and as long as you keep their snacks in approximately
these proportions, you won't be unbalancing the bird's diet.
Snacks are essential for the mental well-being of your bird,
so feeding them is important!
TOXIC
FOODS
The things
I have heard to avoid, that normally would be considered people
food, are:
Uncooked
egg (as in a fried egg with runny yolk or white, can cause a
serious allergic reaction in some birds)
Avocado
(some birds react adversely to some part of this, not sure which)
Chocolate
(can cause allergic reaction)
JUNK
FOOD
If it's
junk food for you, then it's junk food for your bird. It
doesn't mean that small amounts of junk food will definitely
harm your bird, just that it should be fed in very small quantities
or not at all. For instance, one or two small pieces of
potato chip once or twice a week would not be harmful, but remember
that every time he hears the potato chip bag crunching, he'll
want some!
GRAVEL
Gravel
is NOT a necessity for parrot family members, including Budgies.
Most people are surprised to hear this, because the stores still
sell it.
Seeds
have a protective outer coating, or hull. If a grazing
animal eats a seed, the hull protects the seed so that it passes
through the digestive system unharmed, and it is then deposited
back on the ground complete with "fertilizer" to germinate.
Birds have evolved a way around the problem by having a gizzard,
and eating gravel, which scratches the hull and allows the bird
to digest the seed.
Some
birds need gravel, but those are birds that eat their seeds whole,
such as pigeons, chickens, ducks, etc. These birds peck
at the ground and pop the seeds down whole with the hull intact.
Parrot family members, however, shell their seed, so gravel isn't
needed to digest it.
In fact,
if your pet bird is allowed free access to gravel, he may eat
too much of it; the seed without the hull may not break the gravel
down fast enough to get rid of it. As well, some birds
overeat gravel when they're bored or ill. Then the bird may become
impacted, with so much gravel in their system, that it slowly
starves to death. Most avian veterinarians currently say
that the risks of using gravel outweigh any benefits, and not
to use it at all. But if you feel that you must, only use
a pinch (6-8 grains of gravel) every few months. (I read
an article once where someone had calculated that the box of
gravel sold in the store was enough to last the average bird
300 years!)
Should
you decide to switch your bird to pellets, there are two methods
of doing this, and I will describe both, with my comments.
The first, and most often attempted method, is to mix pellets
into the seed, gradually reducing the amount of seed, until finally,
only pellets are given. Outwardly, this might seem the
simplest and least stressful thing to do.
However,
birds love seeds very much like a dog loves meat. Try to
imagine switching a dog who has been fed meat all of his life
to dry dog food. If you were to mix the two together, the
dog would pick out the meat, and hold out for more. He
would begin to get thin, and you would see his ribs sticking
out.
With
birds, you can't see that they are getting thin; their feathers
hide their weight loss. So as a person gradually reduces
the amount of seeds, the bird is getting thinner, and possibly
still only eating the seeds. Even if the owner sees pellets
crushed up, or on the bottom of the cage, the bird may not be
eating them. Then one day, the owner thinks, "OK,
that's enough", and he stops putting seeds in the dish.
Now this critically thin bird has had his sole food source removed,
and a day later he may be dead. I have heard of this
happening to birds.
So
what is the safest way to do it? In my opinion, it's far
safer to monitor the droppings and switch the bird "cold
turkey". Here's how it's done:
1. Pick
a two day period when things around the house will be normal.
Don't attempt to change the bird's diet if he's had another stress
recently (a move to a new home or change of ownership, an illness,
a new cage, another new pet or new person in the house, or any
other major change for the bird). If he's a new baby, I would
suggest waiting until he's fully settled in and eating very well,
maybe a month or so, before you try to change his diet.
2. On
the first morning, clean the cage, and remove any seed and seed
products, such as a millet spray or honey stick. Put pellets
in the dish, and nothing else. Make sure the bird also
has the usual fresh, clean water. Put clean newspaper on
the bottom of the cage, as this will enable you to see the droppings
clearly.
3. Watch
the droppings throughout the day. At first, the droppings
will be normal. A normal dropping is mostly green (fecal
material, i.e. the poop) with a bit of white (crystallized urine,
i.e. the pee). As the bird holds out, and they usually
do, you will see the droppings getting smaller, with less and
less fecal material. As long as there is green in the droppings,
there is food in the bird's digestive system. Usually by
the end of the first day, if the bird hasn't eaten any pellets,
his droppings will be getting puny, but still have some green
in them when you go to bed.
4. On
the second morning, you will probably find that the bird has
played with some pellets, that they are scattered around, and
some of them crumbled. But how do you know he has eaten
any? If the newest (wet) droppings are larger again, with
more green (sometimes a browner shade of green) in them than
before you went to bed, then BINGO! .....he's eating the pellets,
and you have succeeded. Do NOT put any seed in this bird's cage
again, or at least not for a very long time. If you do,
he will likely switch back to them instantly and start refusing
to eat pellets. To be safe, continue to carefully monitor the
droppings for a few days afterward.
5. If,
on the other hand, the droppings are still small on the second
morning, and as the day progresses, you see that the green part
has become small and blackish coloured, or if you see 2 or 3
all-white droppings in a row, then you know there is no food
in your bird's system. You give him his seeds back right
away, and wait for at least a week before trying it again. This
way your bird will not lose weight, nor do you take a chance
of him starving to death.
Note:
I switched over 200 birds to pellets in my aviary over 10 years
ago (and many more since then). They ALL switched, except
for 2 Cockatiels, which I tried a for second time, and failed.
I had 50 Cockatiels at the time, so I just decided the simplest
thing to do was to sell those two to another breeder who was
still feeding seed. This fairly high success rate shows
that it's not that hard to do, but I came away from the experience
with the notion that Cockatiels might be slightly harder to switch
to pellets than most other birds.
For the
first few days a new baby bird doesn't need any toys in his cage.
Your new bird will be busy learning to climb around in his new
environment, and you need to make sure he doesn't have too many
distractions so that he can concentrate on eating and drinking.
When he's completely used to you, your home, his cage, and other
pets, then he may start to get a bit bored, and you can introduce
a toy or two.
The best
toys are ones that have a variety of different coloured and textured
materials (such as leather, wood, and rope) hanging on a chain
or rope. These toys encourage chewing, which is good for
their beaks and nails, and the hanging type of toys encourage
swinging and spinning, which is fun for the bird, and fun to
watch, too! The clip should be a safe one, not flimsy (like
a key-chain ring), because some birds can pry apart the hanger
and get their beak caught in it. The best hangers are a
C-nut, screw type hanger.
There
are also many good cotton rope toys on the market, that are made
into perches, swings, and hanging toys. The only caution
is that once they get frayed, the bird can get his leg or toes
tangled up in the frayed strings, so it should be trimmed or
replaced at that point.
When
you put a toy in the cage with bird still inside, he will see
a moving, swinging, strange thing coming at him. He will
probably flip out, running and perhaps falling to the floor
of the cage to get away. Therefore, it's better to take
the bird out and away from the cage, and put the toy into a corner
where it won't move or swing. Don't put it too near his
favourite spot to perch, or near his food or water. Then
put him back in the cage. At first he will likely be afraid
of it, but before not too long (minutes to hours, usually), you
will see him playing with the toy and chewing on it. After
a few days, you can again remove him from the cage, and move
the toy to a more central location, where he has easier access
to it.
Try to
resist the temptation to load up the cage with toys. It's
better to only put a couple of good toys in there, and when he
gets bored with them, switch them with other toys. Just
like a child that hasn't seen a toy for a while, the bird will
be more amused than if he sees it every day.
Some
people don't realize that their new pet parrot won't know the
difference between poisonous and non-poisonous plants.
In their natural environment, wild parrots learn from their parents
and flock-mates which plants are safe to eat. In our homes,
we have plants that originated from all over the world, and even
a wild parrot wouldn't know which plants were safe to nibble
on. As well, your pet was probably raised in captivity,
and has never been exposed to any kind of potted plants before.
If you
don't know if a certain plant is safe, don't let your bird come
into contact with it. Some commonly kept houseplants are
quite toxic. The following are partial lists of
unsafe and safe plants commonly kept in our homes:
UNSAFE
PLANTS
Avocado
Azalea
Bird
of Paradise
Dieffenbachia
Elephant's
Ear
English
Ivy
Holly
Mistletoe
Nightshades
Oleander
Philodendron
Poinsettia
Rhododendron
Rhubarb
Many
bird magazine articles, websites, and bird-related news groups
have mentioned the dangers of Teflon® (PTFE) to birds.
But there are still lots of people who don't know the risk because
the manufacturers won't put warning labels on their product.
I have personally known two people who lost their birds to Teflon®
poisoning, and it shouldn't have to happen.
Birds
have a more sensitive respiratory system than we do, and they
are much smaller. They have air sacs in their bodies to
help them be lighter for flight, and they even have hollow bones
which are part of their respiratory systems. So fumes affect
them much more than mammals. (They used to take caged canaries
down into the mines, because if the canary died, then they knew
there was a gas leak, and they could get the people out.)
PTFE
stands for polytetrafluoroethylene, and is a coating applied
most commonly to pots, pans, and bakeware to prevent sticking.
Teflon® has become a generic name for this coating, but there
are different brands such as Silverstone® and T-fal®,
and many other brand names. When overheated, PTFE produces
invisible, odourless fumes that are toxic and sometimes fatal
to birds. If used carefully and conscientiously, it can
be safe, as well. My rule of thumb is to always use Teflon®
on medium heat or lower, and NEVER leave a Teflon® pot or
pan unattended on the stove. If you have kids in the house,
make sure they understand the risk as well. If you don't think
they are taking you seriously, put the non-stick pans away and
only let them use it with your supervision. Some people
with birds refuse to use non-stick cookware in their house at
all.
Please
be aware that Teflon® is also appearing in other places.
These include irons and ironing board covers, drip pans that
go under the stove burners (these can release fumes the first
time the burner is set to "high"), breadmaker pans,
some self-cleaning ovens, hair dryers, curling irons, space heaters
and more.
Some
people think that if their bird isn't near the kitchen, it's
safe. This is definitely not true. One owner told
me that his birds were all the way at the other end of the house,
and that they heated some oil in a frying pan to sear a steak.
The steak went into the pan, and at that moment, they heard loud
squawking from the other end of the house. One of their
two Conures was thrashing on the bottom of the cage, and died
on the way to the vet. The other bird, in the same cage,
was apparently unharmed. It has been reported that oil
in the pan can increase the toxicity.
Just
recently an owner called, wondering if I might be able to help
tell her why her bird had died. It had been noisy and active
that morning, now suddenly, without any symptoms of illness,
it was dead. Right away I thought of a toxicity, and asked
if she cooked with Teflon®. Yes, all the time, was
the reply. Then I asked if she had used it recently, and
she said, yes, she had burned breakfast. But she had been
totally unaware of the danger!
I received this letter through a bird list on Aug. 21, 2000:
"I
know most bird owners know all about Teflon coated pots and pans....I
had a small 1 Litre pot (and) I was heating some water. My Granddaughter
called to ask me to drop her off at the movie. I totally forgot
about the pot. Of course the water boiled dry, and when I got
home I could not find my pet Greencheek. All my other birds seemed
fine, but then suddenly they started dropping one by one. I lost
a pair of Mitreds, a pair of Nandays, a pet Nanday, four baby
Cockatiels in a brooder, and 3 Cockatiels about 8 weeks old.
If anyone out there has birds and loves them, get rid of any
Teflon pots. All it takes is one careless moment. I found my
Greencheek later under my desk dead."
Privately,
in another correspondence he writes:
"(Please
let others know.) Anything to help other bird lovers. The ones
I miss most are my Greencheeck and Bart the Nanday. I handfed
both of them right from the egg...... handreared Conures are
the sweetest and real clowns. Some of the larger Conures
are a bit loud, but they make up for it with their sweetness."
Richard
Vogl
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
This
is so sad, and shouldn't have to happen, ever. I have been told
that the manufacturers of Teflon® won't put warnings on their
cookware because there aren't enough bird owners to warrant the
cost of changing the packaging, and because people might assume
that if it is bad for birds, it's bad for people. Maybe
they need to hear from a bunch of us, and then they will do something?
Contact
DuPont at 1-800-387-2122
DuPont
Canada email: www.Dupont.ca/
Public
Affairs email: Lili.R.Ziobakas@can.Dupont.com
Product
Inquiry email: Paula.M.Biel@can.Dupont.com
DuPont
Canada Inc.
Box
2200, Streetsville
Mississauga,
Ontario
L5M
2H3
Attention:
Public Affairs
Note:
I recently read that they have a bit about the PTFE danger to
birds on a Dupont website:
The page is mostly about some of the other dangers to birds in
the home (unrelated to PTFE/Teflon®). Way at the bottom,
they talk about fumes, and in that paragraph there is mention
of PTFE. I guess it's a start, but most folks don't go on the
internet to read about their new frying pan before using it,
do they?
NEW!! On April 22,
2003, I received a letter from the Environmental Working Group
asking for those people who have lost their bird due to PTFE
to contact them. Please click here to see the letter and view the contact
information! Thanks.
When
you buy your cage, it will most likely have perches made of wooden
doweling. The perches may even be plastic. Wood is
certainly better for the bird's feet than plastic, because wood
is warmer, and is somewhat porous, so that air is able circulate
under the bird's feet, to a degree. Even better than smooth
wood, is a natural tree branch. I like to use the smooth
wood doweling for the lower perches in the cage because they
are easier to clean, and the lower perches are the most likely
to get dirty from food and fecal material.
But for
the topmost perch, where almost all birds will prefer to spend
the vast majority of their time, I use a branch cut from a live
tree, with the bark still on it. I cut the branch to size,
and give it a wipe with a damp cloth to remove any dust or dirt
that may be on it. Then you can notch the ends, or use
an oversize washer on the outside of the cage and attach the
perch with a screw.
Safe
trees to cut your branches from are: any fruit tree except
cherry (apple and pear are both OK), any willow tree, and sugar
maples.
There
are also available, in the stores, various coloured perches made
from ceramic. This is the same material as the white stuff
that you see a ring of on the bottom of a coffee mug. It
is used for sharpening knives, and does a really nifty job of
keeping the bird's nails and beak trim. It does *not*do a good job of dulling the beak or nails; rather they are
kept short and sharp, which is how a healthy beak and nails should
be. If you get one of these perches, put it
in a lower part of the cage, because it is cold and too hard
on the feet for the bird to be on it all night. A good
location is in front of the food or water dish, so the bird is
only on it occasionally, and he will wipe his beak on it when
he is done eating or drinking. Another good location is
halfway between an upper perch and a lower perch, where the bird
has to cross it on the way up or down.
All birds
make noise, but the noise can become excessive if the owners
make the mistake of reinforcing the behaviour. Most birds have
a rowdy time in the morning (greeting the day, I suppose) and
again in the evening before they settle down to sleep. As
long as the bird you've purchased isn't too noisy for your situation,
this can be fairly easy to handle.
The problem
arises when, for one reason or another, the bird makes noise
at the wrong time. Perhaps you have company, and the bird
feels excluded. Or he hears you talking on the phone, and
he's jealous that you're not talking to him. Or you leave
him in the cage during a time when he would normally be out.
Any of these situations (and many more) might cause the
bird to try to get your attention. The natural first thing for
him to try is squawking. If at this point he gets attention,
then you have rewarded him and taught him that it works. Sometimes,
it only takes once, as they are very smart and quick to learn.
My favourite
example, that describes this situation, is that of a child throwing
a tantrum. If Mom breaks down and buys him the candy he
wants, he will throw a tantrum whenever he wants something and
can't have it. Now suppose that someone tells the Mom that
she goofed, and she should ignore the tantrums. The next
time the child throws one and she ignores it, what will happen?
The child will intensify and step up the level of the tantrum,
because he knows it works.
The bird
is much the same as a small child, in that once he knows it works,
he can keep it up for a very long time. If you then try to undo
it by ignoring the bird, it will increase the level and duration,
and almost certainly drive you around the bend. The most
important thing to remember, with any bird, is to never, ever,
give them attention for a loud noise that you don't want to hear
repeatedly. Even punishment gives the bird the attention
he wants. I've heard of people covering the cage, yelling at
the bird, throwing things to scare him, on and on. None of these
things will work, because when the bird is mad at you, he will
try to make you mad. Forcing you into action will reward the
bird, because being punished is better in his eyes than being
ignored.
Everyone in the family has to be aware of the "no attention"
rule, and abide by it. If you are unfortunate and happen
to purchase a bird who already has this bad habit, then you must
ignore it from the very beginning. Show him that in your
house, this behaviour does *not* work.
If the
bird is just beginning to test what will get your attention,
ignore the noise, and wait patiently for him to try something
more acceptable. This might be a cute *little* noise, or
talking. Some birds will try bobbing up and down or swaying
back and forth to visually try to get your attention. Rewarding
him by saying "hello" and looking in his direction,
or going and getting him out of the cage, will be enough to teach
him that this is an acceptable way to behave and an effective
way to get attention.
In order
for their plumage to be healthy, it is essential for all birds
to bathe or have a spray of water on them regularly. Bathing
helps new feathers to develop properly and come smoothly out
of the sheathes that they form in, and it's also good for the
bird's skin. Once a week is about average, but twice a week may
be better during the time of year when our homes are heated or
air conditioned, because the air has less humidity.
Some
birds will take a bath on their own (usually in their water bowl!),
but you may be able to get them to jump into something more appropriate
by offering a bowl of some sort frequently when they are young.
Depending on the size of the bird, you might try a small shallow
bowl for budgies, up to a dishpan size for larger parrots. Splashing
the water with your fingers might get them in the mood.
If they
refuse to jump in on their own, there are other options for giving
them their bath. Some people spray their birds with a spray bottle,
with the water in the bottle being almost, but not quite, hot.
Test it first by spraying it on your hand, and if it's warm the
bird will be more likely to enjoy it. However, some birds hate
being sprayed, and if yours is one of those, you might try taking
him into the shower with you. Even if he sits on the curtain
rod while you shower, his feathers will benefit from the humidity
in the air. As a last resort, you can spray the bird briefly,
even if he's not enjoying it. I figure that they get rained on
in nature whether they like it or not, and they won't have healthy,
shiny plumage if they never bathe.
Just
as an interesting note, many people have noticed that running
the vacuum cleaner seems to trigger a bathing urge in their birds.
They get all ruffled up and start dancing and wiggling their
tails. This is probably because the low rumbles of the vacuum
cleaner sound to a bird (instinctively) like an approaching thunderstorm.
It's
not necessary to buy a commercial preparation to add to the water,
because plain water is really the best thing for your bird's
feathers!
Clipping
a bird's wings to prevent it from flying is important for some
very good reasons.
First,
for the bird's safety. Unclipped birds can fly out the
door or window, hit a ceiling fan, smack into a mirror or window,
fall into a sink, laundry tub, or toilet and drown, or land on
a hot stove or in a pot on the stove.
Second,
a clipped bird stays tamer. An unclipped bird becomes more
independent and less tame. Just like a cat that is let
outdoors, the unclipped bird becomes aloof and independent.
It will bite more and be less affectionate. Sometimes,
after we've sold a bird, the owner chooses to let the feathers
grow back in. Later, the owner usually tells us, "you
were right!", because they've seen the negative change in
their bird's behaviour, and ask to have their bird clipped again.
Each bird needs to
be clipped to suit its individual flying ability. A one-wing
clip is more effective at restricting flight than a two-wing
clip. The
reason that the one-wing clip works better is because
the fully feathered, unclipped wing has a large surface area,
therefore, it has greater resistance in the air, and keeps the
wingbeat slow. With both wings (including the clipped wing) flapping
slowly, the bird can't get lift and loses altitude. He
can't speed up the wingbeat to compensate for the missing feathers. On
the other hand, the two-wing clip would allow him to speed up
the wingbeat, and to eventually build up his muscles and compensate
almost totally for the clip. (Some people think that the one-wing
clip works because it throws the bird off balance, which it initially
might do. But after a short period of adjustment, it will learn
to use its tail as a rudder, and can fly in a straight line.)
Birds
that are are long-winged and good fliers, such as Cockatiels
and most Parakeets, should almost always be given a one-wing
clip. If given a two-wing clip, these birds would initially not
be able to fly, but after a short while, they would adjust to
it and be capable of flying very well. If startled, they could
fly out the door unexpectedly.
Those
birds that are heavy-bodied with short wings (such as African
Greys and Pionus), overweight birds, and those individual birds
that are a bit clumsy at landing on their feet, should be given
a two-wing clip. We now routinely give baby Congo African Greys
a two-wing clip to start because it allows them more lift. If
they're good fliers and adjust by starting to fly level, we gradually
adjust the clip as they moult.
Before you take a bird outside, you should check the clipped
wing(s), and if any feathers have grown back in, they must be
trimmed off. Another safety check is to periodically force
the bird to try to fly in a carpeted room. If he makes
a good effort to fly from about waist height and goes downward
all the way, landing about 6-8 feet away, then his clip is O.K.
If, however, he flies level across the room, he could get lift
outdoors and end up in a tall tree.
Other
aspects of grooming are the beak and nails of the bird.
In the wild, birds have a tougher life than they do in captivity,
so their beak and nails stay more trim. Nails need to be
clipped so that the bird does not get snagged on clothing, furniture,
carpet, or his toys. Also, if the nails are not kept trim,
foot deformities can result. The beak will need periodic
trimming to keep the bite even and to remove excess growth and
build-up. Also, keeping the beak trimmed will keep the
beak from being razor sharp and hurting you when the bird doesn't
mean to. This is especially important if you have children
handling the bird, as they will pull their hands away because
of the sharp beak, and unintentionally reinforce the biting.
Clipping
services are usually very affordable, and it's not worth putting
it off and taking a chance on losing your bird, or worse.
Try to find an experienced person in your area, and ask for references.
If the groomer has experience, they will be more than happy to
put you in touch with some satisfied customers.
Birds
can get along wonderfully with other pets in the house.
Dogs, cats, and other birds can usually all learn to get along
together, but this has to be carefully accomplished in a safe
manner. I need to stress here that although they can virtually
learn to ignore each other, which greatly minimizes the chance
of something bad happening if they should accidentally come face
to face when you're not around, you should not purposely leave
them alone together. Animals are unpredictable; don't expect
them to be perfect.
Animals
are individuals, and you know your pets and their temperament
better than anyone else. Some animals are instinctively
the "killer" type, because they have either been bred
for it or learned it from their environment. Two examples
of this would be certain small Terrier breeds, bred specifically
for their ability to hunt and kill small animals, and some outdoor
cats, who have learned to hunt as a way of life.
If you
have one of these, I am not going to tell you that you can change
them. You will have to be very careful when these animals
are around your bird. Some people think that if they let
their bird fly, it will be safer, when in fact, it is the fluttering
and flying which entices some animals to leap at them and attack.
A bird that is clipped, that walks where he goes, is a lot less
of a temptation for an animal who likes to pounce on or chase
something that is trying to get away.
The first
step in introducing your original pet to a new bird, is to pay
extra attention to the pet that was already in your home when
you bring the new bird in. Your new bird is not going to
know that you're not paying a lot of attention to him, but the
older pet will certainly be jealous if he sees a new pet come
into the home, and everyone making a fuss over it. So at
first, give your original pet lots of attention whenever he is
around the new bird.
Then,
the best way to get these two to coexist, is to have them around
each other as often as possible, under carefully controlled conditions.
That would be where one person is controlling the bird, and another
person is controlling the original pet. Eventually, most
of them will get used to each other, and their attitude will
be, "Oh, it's you. So what."
Because
all pets are individuals, it would be difficult for me to go
much further into some of the things I have learned, that work
for most dogs, cats, and birds, through my own experience.
I could write about them here, but they might not work for your
individual animals, and I would need some background information
before determining what might work best. If you have more
questions, please e-mail me and we can set up a consultation.
"What?
You can potty train a bird?" The answer is yes, but the
success rate depends on two factors. First, how big or small
the bird is, and second, how diligent you are at teaching this
conditioned response.
Smaller birds poop more often than bigger birds, and seem to
be harder to train, because initially, training the bird requires
you to notice when the bird is getting ready to "go",
and then to put it in a suitable place where you want it to learn
that it's OK to do so. Small birds will get away with going in
the wrong place more often because they have to be placed more
frequently and consistently enough to learn what is expected
of them.
With
almost all birds, being low (as in being on the floor) causes
them to think of wanting to go up. A bird on a wire poops before
it flies off because it is natural to "lighten the load"
before flying. If you know that your bird hasn't gone for a while,
and is due to have a dropping, then if you place it on the floor,
this will cause the bird to think of going up, and it will prompt
him to have a dropping. Choosing a "go" phrase like
"Go poop!" or "Go splat!" will teach the
bird a command that it can associate with the activity.
Place
the bird on a smooth floor surface where it will be easy to wipe
up the dropping. Tell him to go and as soon as he does, pick
him up and praise him. If he doesn't go within 30 seconds or
so, pick him up and wait a few minutes before trying again. If
you repeatedly do this, he will eventually learn what's expected
of him when he's put on the floor and he's given the "go"
phrase. Most birds get to the point where they prefer not to
go on your shoulder. Some birds even learn to tell you that they
have to go, by certain movements you will learn to notice, or
by actually saying the phrase they've been taught! My Indian
Ringnecked Parakeet would very gently put her beak on my ear
to let me know, and my Pionus starts to get fidgety when he has
to go. He will easily hold for half an hour if he's on my shoulder.
The exception
to this technique is Cockatoos. I've found that they are easier
to train by holding them away from you by extending your arm,
and I think this works better with them because they like to
be held close. If you put a Cockatoo away from your body, it
perhaps makes him a bit nervous, and then when he thinks of wanting
to get back, he'll go. This is very handy, because you can hold
him over a toilet, or garbage can, or anywhere that's convenient
for him to go.
Cleaning
your bird's cage may seem like an easy enough thing to do, but
I've had some questions on the subject, and seen a lot of misconceptions
about it as well. If your cage came with a grill for the
bottom, then you have a choice of whether to use it or not.
If you use it, it will prevent the bird from going down to the
bottom and tearing up its paper, but it will have to be scrubbed
clean periodically.
It's
also a matter of personal choice whether to clean the cage daily,
or once or twice a week, and may be influenced by the humidity
in the air, as mould will grow more quickly in damp conditions.
As for lining the bottom of the cage, there are several choices.
I believe the best choice is newspaper; it is non-toxic, inexpensive,
and makes it easy to keep an eye on the bird's droppings and
eating habits. Some people have found a source locally
for unprinted newspaper that comes in rolls. Paper towels
will work equally well.
Another
choice is corn cob bedding, which looks nice, but hides the droppings
and can go mouldy fairly quickly, so that it needs to be changed
more often. Pine (not cedar) shavings can be used, but
will blow all over when the bird flaps his wings, and has the
same disadvantages as corn cobs. Cat litter should not
be used, as it can be toxic if ingested. Gravel is not
good if the bird can eat it, as some birds have a tendency to
overeat gravel and become impacted.
As for
disinfecting the cage, it is never necessary to disinfect
unless the bird has had an illness, or you are adding a new bird
to a previously used cage. Some people go overboard with
disinfection and chemicals, and those can be potentially toxic
for the bird. Washing the cage with soap and warm water
will remove any fecal or food debris, and bacteria cannot grow.
Perches
should be scraped or sanded, and they can be given a wipe with
a damp cloth, but they should not be soaked in water. Dry
perches will absorb the water and they will be cold and damp
for days, potentially causing discomfort and foot problems.
If you
lightly spray the paper with water from a spray bottle before
you crumple it up, it will help to keep the dust from becoming
airborne.
All parrot
family members are capable of mimicking the human voice. On
average, they start to talk during their first year, and occasionally
some say a couple of words before they are weaned at 3 months
old. Teaching your bird to talk is a matter of patience,
and some understanding of why birds like to mimic. In my
opinion, birds mimic us because they like the sound of what they
hear and because it gets them attention. So, if you say
a word over and over, like hello.... hello.... hello...., the
bird is likely going to think that's rather boring. If,
on the other hand, you say a few key phrases throughout the day,
and say them once with enthusiasm while waiting for a bit before
you say it again, the bird is much more likely to be paying attention.
An example
would be, if you walked into the room, threw your arms out and
said, "Hello Buddy!!!" You would have the bird's
attention, and he would think that what you did sounded (and
looked) interesting. You might try that 4 or 5 times during
the day. It is usually recommended that you don't whistle
to your bird at first, because some sounds are easier to mimic
than our voices, and if they start with noises, this might be
all they learn how to do.
Teaching
a bird to do tricks, initially, can be as simple as observing
their behaviour, and reinforcing something that they do naturally.
For example, if a bird stands on top of his cage and flaps his
wings for exercise, you might say, "Wave!" while he
is doing it, and wave your hand at him. Some birds will
pick up the association, and begin to flap their wings whenever
you say "wave". Certainly if he did this, you
would want to reward him with some enthusiastic praise or a treat.
Once mastered, you can add to the trick, by waving your hand
as a cue, and saying "hello" instead of "wave".
The bird may learn to say "hello" while he is waving.
Another set of tricks can be taught to those birds who like to
lie on their backs: notably Conures, Poicephalus Parrots, Caiques,
and Cockatoos. First you teach them to lie still on their back,
or "play dead". Some birds have learned to hang their
head and shake their feet when their owner points a finger at
them and says, "bang!" The next step might be
to balance them on their shoulders for a headstand (see photo
at right).
The tricks
you can teach are only limited by your time and imagination,
if you use common sense and reward their good efforts.
Most
birds love to travel in a car, as long as they can see outside.
Just like children, they have been known to get carsick if kept
low where they can't get their bearings. Most people put
their birds in a carrier, such as a cat or dog carrier, for car
trips, but some have their bird trained (by first taking them
on short trips) to behave themselves while loose inside the vehicle.
In this circumstance, open windows are obviously dangerous.
As well, the driver must not be distracted at all by the bird.
If you are travelling, very cold weather and the reliability
of your vehicle are important considerations, particularly if
you are going to be in an isolated area without nearby assistance.
Without heat, a bird would succumb to the cold much more quickly
than a person.
If you
are going to be travelling across an international border, then
permits will be required. All parrot family members are
listed in C.I.T.E.S. as either Appendix I or II (endangered or
protected). Permit requirements frequently change, and
they might take a long time to process, so it would be wise to
check well in advance of your trip. You might contact a
local breeder, veterinarian, or bird club for help in where to
get started.
If you're
going to leave your bird behind for more than a day, you'll need
to make arrangements for its care. More than a day is too
long to be left alone, because if the bird were to spill or bathe
in his water shortly after you left, then he could conceivably
be without water for 2 days if left alone for the weekend.
For some smaller birds, this could be fatal.
The best
option is to have someone stay in your house, or come by a couple
of times a day to check on the bird and keep it company.
If this isn't possible, then perhaps a friend or family member
would be willing to look after the bird in their home.
Another possibility would be a teenager who babysits in your
neighbourhood, who you could get references for. The teen
could look after the bird in their home under the supervision
of their parent.
Also,
there are breeders, veterinarians, and pet stores who will board
your bird for a fee. Common sense will tell you that the
higher the turnover of birds in the area where your bird is kept,
the greater the risk for exposure to contagious diseases.
Pet shops and boarding facilities with large numbers of small
birds coming and going have a high risk of exposure, as do veterinarian
offices that treat sick birds. A breeder who only has his
own birds on the premises, with few birds coming and going, would
be less risky. If they can board your bird in an isolated
area, this would be even better.
We board
birds in our home, but they are isolated from the breeding birds
in our aviary. The risk is not so much to our birds, who
are in their own place and around each other all the time.
The risk is to the visiting bird, who may be stressed by the
move to a new location, and has no resistance to disease because
he has not been around other birds for some time. The fewer
birds he is exposed to, the better.
Assuming
you have taken your bird to a veterinarian for a health check
shortly after purchase, then you are familiar with an avian vet,
and can contact him if necessary. You've had some time
to observe your bird's activities, noise level, and personality.
You know approximately how much he sleeps, when his noisy periods
are during the day, how much he eats, and what his droppings
look like. However, at some point (it could be today,
or months or years later, or never) you may notice something
unusual about your bird. You may think, "oh, lets
wait and see how he feels tomorrow", and this could be a
fatal mistake for your bird! Some things are minor, and
can be watched, while others need immediate attention before
it is too late.
Some
diseases are acute; the bird becomes ill very quickly, and
time is of the utmost essence. Other diseases have nagging
chronic symptoms that come and go, and sometimes owners can get
lulled into thinking that it must not be very serious, when in
fact, if they had the bird treated and the problem was cleared
up, it might double its lifespan.
I tell
people that if they have a dog or cat, every year they would
have medical bills. You do not necessarily have to take
your bird to the vet every year; they need no vaccinations, or
treatments for parasites, and if you're paying regular attention
to him, *you* are the most likely person to recognize when your
bird is ill. So the one time he needs it, don't hesitate!
Along with diet, the factor that most influences the lifespan
of your bird, is prompt veterinary attention by a qualified avian
vet when he needs it.
Below
are some of the most obvious warning signs that something could
be wrong with your bird:
1.
The bird sleeps more than normal.
This
is probably the most common symptom of a sick bird. Baby
birds naturally sleep more than adult birds do, but in between
their naps, they are active and playful, climbing around and
making noise. If you see an increase in the amount of time
your bird sleeps, or if he acts reluctant to wake up, this could
be an indication of a problem and should be checked out.
After an unusually active or stressful day, you might notice
that your bird is tired and subdued, but this is a time to keep
a careful eye on them, because stress can bring out an illness.
*******If
you're not sure, but you think your bird may be sick, seek prompt
veterinary attention!*******
2.
The bird is quieter than normal.
Birds
usually have a noisy period in the mornings, or afternoons, or
both. If you notice that your bird is much quieter than
normal, and there is nothing around him that is new that could
be frightening him, it could be a sign that he doesn't feel well.
This is almost as important as how much the bird sleeps, because
the fact that he's unusually quiet is something you can notice
when you're not even in the same room with him.
*******If
you're not sure, but you think your bird may be sick, seek prompt
veterinary attention!!!*******
3.
The bird is sleeping at the bottom of the cage, or unsteady on
the perch.
Birds
usually choose the uppermost perch to sleep on. Some birds,
such as Budgies and Conures, prefer to sleep hanging in the corner
of the cage. Most birds also tuck one foot up under their
feathers when they sleep. If you find your bird on the
bottom of the cage, or perched unsteadily on two feet, it may
because he is too weak to sleep in his normal manner. When
they climb, they move slower and more unsteadily than normal.
Nesting
behaviour could, in this case, be mistaken for illness.
Some birds will build a nest on the bottom of the cage, tearing
up paper, and especially a female will sometimes sleep there
just before she lays an egg. These nesting birds will be
alert if you approach, waking up normally if they are asleep,
and looking at you with a bright, alert expression.
When they climb up to eat, they are strong, and move with co-ordination.
*******If
you're not sure, but you think your bird may be sick, seek prompt
veterinary attention!!!*******
4.
The bird has fluffed up feathers.
A bird
can help control its body temperature by puffing up its feathers
to keep warm, or holding them tight to the body to cool off.
When a bird is sick and has a fever, it will try to get warm,
just as you or I might by covering up with a blanket. Sleeping
birds normally puff their feathers out a bit, but a sick bird
will continue to keep their feathers puffed out somewhat as they
move about.
*******If
you're not sure, but you think your bird may be sick, seek prompt
veterinary attention!!!*******
5.
The bird has lost weight.
Young
birds that have just weaned (started to eat on their own)
are usually a bit on the thin side. They go through a slimming-down
phase, just as a human child thins down around the time he turns
a year old. But after that, they should maintain or gain
weight and fill out a little. One sign of a sick bird is
that they sometimes lose weight rapidly. In just a day,
they can become critically thin from fighting their illness.
This is known as "going light", and if you are used
to how your bird feels when perched on your hand, you might notice
it.
There
are a couple of good ways to check the weight of your bird.
The first, and most accurate, is to weigh it on a scale.
Some people use a small digital scale, such as a kitchen scale.
The bird can be weighed daily from the day you bring it home.
The second way is to learn to feel the bird's keelbone,
which is the bone that runs from his chest down the middle of
his belly. On a turkey (please excuse the example!), this
would be the sharp bone that the white breast meat is on either
side of. On an overweight bird, such as the turkey, the
bone is buried, and the flesh mounds up on either side of it.
A bird of good weight has the bone even with, or slightly protruding
(1/8") from, the keelbone. A thin bird has more keelbone
protruding, and by feeling your bird's keelbone regularly, you
will know if it starts to stick out more than normal. This
can be an important sign when you think something is wrong but
you're not sure. Sometimes the bone sticks out so much
that you can pinch and hold onto it with your thumb and index
finger. This bird needs help right away!
*******If
you're not sure, but you think your bird may be sick, seek prompt
veterinary attention!!!*******
6.
The droppings look different.
Droppings
are a difficult thing to explain, because there is a lot of normal
variation that does not necessarily mean that anything is wrong.
It's easy to become preoccupied with every little variance.
In general, major changes, or changes that persist, are probably
worth checking out.
A normal
dropping (as you've probably noticed) consists of a green part,
coiled and tubular shaped, and a white part. Sometimes
there can be a watery part, which some people mistake for diarrhea.
This is actually called polyurea, and that just means excess
urine in the dropping. This can be caused by perfectly
normal things, like eating a lot of vegetables and fruit (a good
thing!) or drinking more liquids than normal. If the water
in the droppings becomes excessive or persists however, then
it may be a sign of a urinary infection, and should be checked
out.
True
diarrhea is when the coiled green part becomes runny, flat and
formless. If you check under the bird, there may be droppings
stuck to the vent feathers. This is more serious and should
be taken care of promptly. As well, if the white part becomes
yellow, or the green part becomes a bright limey yellow-green,
this can indicate an illness that involves the liver of the bird.
An egg-laying
female will have larger than usual droppings with a noticeable
odour just before and during egg laying. This is normal.
*******If
you're not sure, but you think your bird may be sick, seek prompt
veterinary attention!!!*******
7. There
are droppings stuck to the vent (the opening where the bird poops).
It is
not normal for droppings to stick to the feathers around the
vent. If they do, it is probably because they have mucous in
them, indicating an infection in the digestive system. Eventually,
some birds lose the ability to pass any droppings because their
vent becomes completely blocked with dried fecal material. Before
this happens, you should take your bird to see a vet. If you
can't get to a vet right away and you find the opening is already
blocked, you can carefully remove the crust, being careful not
to pull at any that is firmly attached to skin. (Using water
to slowly dissolve the droppings is not recommended, because
the bird is likely already ill, and getting him wet would be
stressful.) If a few feathers come out when you remove the crust,
that's OK, since removing the ones with poop stuck to them will
temporarily keep the opening cleaner because there'll be less
feathers to get in the way. This is only a temporary emergency
measure to allow the bird to pass droppings until you get it
to the vet.
*******If
you're not sure, but you think your bird may be sick, seek prompt
veterinary attention!!!*******
8.
The tail pumps up and down when the bird breathes.
This
is most noticeable when the bird is sitting still and you are
away from the cage. Sometimes birds can hide it, but if
you watch from a distance, you will see the tail go flick.....flick....with
each breath. The more noticeable the flicking (the greater
the movement), the more serious it probably is. Also, in
a healthy bird, the tail is in line with the back, but an ill
bird will sometimes hang its tail downward at at angle. These
are signs of respiratory effort, or distress, and can indicate
anything from a low-grade chronic breathing problem to an acute
toxic reaction to something inhaled. Get it checked out!
*******If
you're not sure, but you think your bird may be sick, seek prompt
veterinary attention!!!*******
9. There
are dirty or wet feathers above or around the nostrils, or the
nostril is plugged up.
When
a bird has a respiratory infection he may sneeze more frequently
than normal, and have a mucous discharge from one or both nostrils.
You may only notice that the feathers around the nostrils are
a different colour than the rest of the feathers if the discharge
is slight. You may also notice that one or both nasal openings
looks dark or plugged up. Staining of the feathers or a plugged
nostril could certainly indicate a low-grade infection, and needs
to be treated with medication. In a more active infection, you
may see definite wetness or discharge around one or both nostrils.
Respiratory infections in birds can be quite serious, so please
see a vet right away.
*******If you're not sure, but you think your bird may be sick,
seek prompt veterinary attention!!!*******
10.
The bird is regurgitating.
First
you have to determine if the regurgitation is behavioural or
not. Some birds regurgitate, or bring up food from their
crops, as a sign of affection. In the wild and in breeding
situations, birds will feed each other. They swivel their
necks up and down, and bring food into their mouths, and offer
it. This isn't like when we throw up; it isn't smelly or
acidic, it's only coming from the crop. Normal, healthy
birds will do this to their favourite toy, a mirror, or for the
person they are most attached to.
A sick
bird that regurgitates is usually just standing on his perch,
looking miserable, and throws up. He is not doing it on
purpose as a response to anything around him. If you see
your bird doing this, you need to see a vet right away.
*******If
you're not sure, but you think your bird may be sick, seek prompt
veterinary attention!!!*******
11.
The bird is a female, she has been laying eggs, and now she does
not look well.
There
is a condition, usually caused by a lack of calcium in the diet,
called egg binding. This is when the hen becomes too weak to
lay another egg. Instead of being alert and responsive, she looks
tired and weak, and is sleeping a lot. You may see a bulge in
her lower abdomen where the egg is. When she climbs up to eat,
she looks slow and weak, or she fails to go to her dish and eat
at all. This condition is serious and potentially fatal, and
is best treated by an avian veterinarian. He will give her an
injection of calcium, and this will quickly work to help her
expel the egg.
Egg binding
can also be caused by the owner taking the eggs away each time
she lays one. She will continue laying and trying to complete
her nest, and may lay eggs until she exhausts her bodily reserves
of calcium. At this point, since calcium is needed for muscular
contraction, she becomes unable to push the next egg out. The
proper thing to do if your female lays eggs, is to let her keep
them and sit on them, for three to four weeks. It may be inconvenient,
but she can rest and rebuild the reserves of nutrients in her
body.
*******If
you're not sure, but you think your bird may be sick, seek prompt
veterinary attention!!!*******
12.
The bird is eating (or drinking) more or less than normal.
This
is probably the least accurate sign of illness. Some birds
eat and drink very well when they are sick, some eat or drink
even more. However, if you notice a change in your birds
eating habits, it might be a clue to watch everything else more
closely, and if you see another symptom coinciding with the change,
see a vet. Look closely at the bottom of the cage for any
changes in the droppings or signs of regurgitation, and check
his weight.
*******If you're not sure, but you think your bird may be sick,
seek prompt veterinary attention!!!*******
In the
following section, I will describe some of the more common problems
or injuries that I have seen over the years. Please be aware that if the recommended
procedure involves restraining your bird, the treatment should only be
attempted if
you are familiar with the proper method of holding your bird without
causing injury to him, or being bitten by him. If you are not
sure of how to do this, seek professional advice or assistance.
FEATHER
PROBLEMS
Preening
(grooming of the feathers with the beak) happens frequently throughout
the day, and almost always there is a big preening session before
a rest period. A bird's life in the wild depends on the condition
of its feathers, so it's natural for them to frequently check
and fuss with them. Sometimes the bird is almost frantic with
the activity of picking, ruffling, and running all his feathers
through his beak, like he's in a big hurry to be somewhere important.
When
new bird owners see their birds preening, sometimes they mistake
it for a sign of parasites. Parasites on pet birds are really
uncommon, and with good intentions you might go out and buy a
"mite protector", thinking that you're doing your bird
a favour. The only place your bird can get parasites is from
another bird; they don't arrive on their own. If he doesn't already
have them, you will be exposing him unnecessarily to chemicals
24 hours a day for nothing. And if he does have them, a mite
protector won't get rid of them.
If you
believe your bird arrived in your home with parasites, please
read the section below: PARASITES.
FEATHER
PLUCKING
Instead
of preening normally, certain birds may begin to fray their feathers,
or even pull them out. This is an abnormality in behaviour that
can happen for many different reasons, and it isn't always easy
to determine the cause. Sometimes people think that their bird
is moulting when in fact, he is plucking. When birds moult, they
look fairly normal. You may see that when he stretches his wings,
there are gaps between the feathers, but there shouldn't be an
unkempt appearance to the bird. In the beginning, plucking usually
manifests itself as downy under-feathers sticking out through
the coloured ones, most commonly on the chest or the tops of
the wings. One sure sign is when the bird's head looks really
good, but below that, where he can reach with his beak, looks
tattered.
Sometimes
plucking can be due to an illness: poor diet, infection in the
skin, overly dry conditions, tumors, and parasites are all possible
causes. If your bird begins to chew excessively on his feathers,
or begins to pluck, I always recommend a visit to your avian
vet for a checkup. It really is necessary to rule out any medical
causes for the plucking behaviour before you can be sure that
the plucking is due solely to emotional factors. Be sure to bathe
your regularly (see bathing, above), especially in the winter
when the heat makes the air in your home drier than normal.
That
being said, in most cases, feather plucking is most often a psychological
problem. If the bird is healthy, then plucking can be thought
of as being similar to nail biting in humans; some people chew
on their nails because of nervousness or anxiety, others bite
their nails because they simply enjoy doing it and got into the
habit. Lots of people don't do it at all. Personality is a factor
in nail biting, just as feather plucking is more prevalent in
certain types of birds.
In those
types of birds that are prone to plucking, there may be certain
triggers that can start the overpreening behaviour. Please remember
that not all birds will pluck when these things happen, only
those few who happen to have a predisposition towards plucking
to begin with.
In the
following section, I'll try to list all the potential causes
and triggers that I'm aware of:
1. Spending
less time with your bird. This is probably the most common scenario
in which birds begin to pluck. As the thrill of having a new
pet wears off, you don't give him as much of your time as you
used to. It's important to try to give the bird a steady amount
of attention, because even though he can adjust to gradual changes
in routine, he might react by screaming or plucking if he feels
that he has been somewhat abandoned. Too much attention in the
beginning can also be a negative thing if you can't maintain
that level of enthusiasm, so try to start out with what you can
foresee doing on a regular, daily basis.
2. Breeding
behaviour. The
age at which a bird is sexually mature varies, but is usually
around a year old for smaller birds, up to several years old
for larger species. At this time the bird will pick someone to
bond to, and start to show a strong preference to be with that
person as much as possible. Even though they would sleep in bed
with us if they could, it isn't possible to have our birds with
us 24 hours a day. Sometimes a bird will pluck out of frustration
at not being allowed out at certain times, and if given attention
for it, it can become a permanent bad habit. See #5 below.
3. Moving
to a new home. In
the course of a move, there is a lot going on. Packing and unpacking,
and all the chaos that goes along with it is unsettling to a
bird because you are busy and their environment is changing in
a major way. You can help smooth the transition by continuing
to give your bird the usual attention, and try to set the cage
up in a similar location in the new home. *Don't* choose this
time to buy a new cage for your bird! He needs to get settled
in with as little stress and change to the important things in
his life as possible.
4. Taking
a vacation. There
isn't much you can do if you have to go away, and sometimes being
separated from their primary people can cause birds to pluck.
You can minimize the stress of your being gone by having someone
come into your home to look after the bird, if possible. At least
he would be in familiar surroundings. The next best option is
to have someone look after the bird who can maintain his routine
as similarly as possible to what he is used to at home. Keeping
the amount of time out of the cage the same, and having someone
he likes to give him attention will go a long way towards making
him feel secure about your absence.
5. Giving
your bird attention for preening. Some people are so worried that
their bird might pluck that they watch him constantly when he's
preening and interfere unnecessarly. The worst thing you can
do is to give your bird the idea that preening gets him attention.
A bird might start plucking to try to get attention, and if you
yell at him or try to distract him, he will be getting the attention
he wanted, and pluck more. If he starts plucking, the best thing
you can do (after you visit the vet) is to stay calm and relaxed
about it. That way, your bird won't get the idea that plucking
has "won you back", and he may give it up sooner.
6. Having
a new baby or a new pet in the house. Birds must go through an adjustment
period when a new member of the family is added. To minimize
the stress of the new arrival, make doubly sure that you spend
time with your pet during the early transition period, just as
you would make sure to give an older child attention when a new
baby comes home. Birds are a lot like children in that they can
get jealous of a new addition, particularly when they can tell
that they have been displaced and are not the center of attention
any more. They will adjust to the change, but you need to be
patient and understanding of the underlying cause of the jealosy,
which is akin to sibling rivalry.
Also,
remember that the bird might be afraid of the new baby or pet,
and if that's the case, let him get used to the newcomer at a
distance before getting too close.
7. A
major change in the location of the bird's cage. Try to decide
on the best location for the bird's cage right from the start.
If you do have to move the cage at some point, you might try
putting the bird there for a short time each day or taking him
there for visits so he feels comfortable with it beforehand.
One change I have heard of that prompts plucking in some birds,
is when they are moved from a window location where they could
see outside, to a location where there is no view. Some birds
may become bored without the stimulation that they are accustomed
to. Surprisingly, the reverse can also be true: if they are used
to the security of no view and suddenly there are cars and strange
birds outside within their view, it can make them apprehensive
at first.
8. A
lack of stress (beneficial stress). My theory is that birds in the
wild seldom pluck because:
1. it
would be dangerous. Their flying ability would be compromised
and they would look different from the rest of the flock and
be a potential target for a predator. In captivity, they have
the "luxury" of being able to spend hours fussing with
their feathers, and to get away with messing them up with no
negative consequences.
2. there
is no time for plucking in the wild. Parrots are busy watching
for hawks and eagles, and they have to fly long distances for
food and water. They have other flock members to contend with
for the best perches and nesting sites. They have to win their
mates and defend their territories. In other words, their lives
are filled with stress.
In captivity,
they have a *lack of stress*. We put a ceiling over their heads
(no chance of predators) and place their food and water nicely
in front of them. They have a cage (their territory) and no one
else goes in there. They'll play with their toys and flap their
wings when they feel like it, but just like humans, they need
to be pushed a bit to be physically and mentally healthy. It
might be that *beneficial* stresses such as exercise on a regular
basis and things like varied diet might curb plucking behaviour
in some birds. If your bird is clipped, you can exercise him
by placing him on your hand or arm and making him flap his wings
by raising and lowering it. He'll learn to hang on, and you can
increase the exercise period gradually as time goes on.
BROKEN
OR BENT FEATHER
When
a new feather grows in on a bird, it starts out as a quill filled
with blood. As the feather forms within the protective sheath,
the blood recedes and the feather begins to emerge from the tip
of the shaft. It ends up being dry and hollow. If a large feather
with blood in it gets broken, it may bleed. This usually only
happens on the wing, or less commonly, the tail. The wetness
will irritate the bird, and he will pick and fuss with the feather,
which causes it to continue bleeding. Sometimes it looks like
he has an injury to the side of his stomach because that area
gets blood on it from a broken blood feather hidden in the wing.
The only
efficient way to stop the bleeding is to find the bleeding feather
and pull it all the way out, by the root. Once you do that, the
bleeding will stop. Do *not* use tweezers or pliers to hold the
feather, because clamping it tightly with metal, and then pulling,
cuts or tears the feather and it ends up breaking off instead
of coming out. Use your fingers, hold the feather tightly as
close to the base as possible, and then pull firmly until it
comes out. If it's too short to get ahold of, you might have
to go to the vet to have him remove it.
If a
feather is merely bent, sometimes you can straighten it out by
gently bending it back. If there is no blood present in the shaft
(it looks clear and hollow) and it is loose and floppy at the
point where it is bent, then it's best to just break or cut it
off (cutting the feather does not cause any pain to the bird).
Hold the base of the feather and gently pull off the loose piece.
BLEEDING
FEATHER
Please
see directly above: BROKEN OR BENT FEATHER.
TOENAIL
If you
are planning to clip your bird's toenails, be sure to have some
blood stop (styptic) powder on hand. This can be purchased at
almost any pet store, and the powder works much better than other
styptic products, such as the solid or liquid types.
In an
emergency, any fine edible powder (such as flour, cornstarch,
baking soda) can be used as a coagulant to help stop a nail from
bleeding. Put some powder in a shallow lid (the cap from a pill
bottle works well). If it's the tip that's bleeding, such as
when the nail has been cut, push the tip of the nail into the
powder, and by tamping the nail down several times against the
bottom of the lid, you can pack the powder firmly into the tip
of the nail. Hold it there for a couple of seconds, take it out
and check to see if it is bleeding. If so, wipe off any wet powder
and push the nail back in against the bottom. Do this repeatedly
until the bleeding stops.
Just
like dogs and cats, birds have blood vessels in their nails,
and sometimes these blood vessels extend right into the tip of
the nail. There are times when, in order to clip the nail properly,
the blood vessel must be cut. If you keep clipping beyond it,
the nail can get too long. You will need to cut it to the proper
length, and then use the powder if there is any bleeding. Also,
if a nail becomes overgrown, there is a risk of it getting caught
on the cage bars, toy, or other object, and becoming torn at
the root. If this happens, apply powder, gentle pressure with
a clean dry kleenex, and take the bird to a veterinarian.
It would
be difficult for me to describe here the proper method and length
to cut your bird's nails. If you're unsure about how to do this,
visit with an experienced veterinarian or bird groomer ahead
of time and ask questions so that you feel comfortable with the
technique.
OTHER
BLEEDING
If the
bleeding is more serious than the above, use gentle pressure
with a clean dry cloth, and seek immediate veterinary attention.
BEAK AND
NAILS
CHIPPED
OR BROKEN BEAK
If the
tip of the bird's beak breaks off, and it's bleeding, you can
use the same method as explained above (for bleeding toenail)
to stop the bleeding. If the break is very high up on the beak,
or if there is a crack with blood coming out, or if the bleeding
is severe, you should take the bird to a vet immediately.
Sometimes
a bird might chip either the lower or upper beak, and there is
no bleeding. If this happens, it's not an emergency, but you
should have a vet or groomer look at the beak as soon as possible.
Sometimes the location of the chip might alter the way the bird's
beak fits together and it may, over time, place internal stress
on the soft part of the beak where growth occurs. Then the beak
may begin to deviate to one side, and can actually become crossed.
If this is not corrected early, it can become permanent. Additionally,
the upper and lower beak need to fit together properly in order
for the two parts to trim each other, and when they don't, excessive
growth of one part can occur.
OVERGROWN
UPPER BEAK TIP, TOENAILS
Sometimes
a bird's beak starts to grow abnormally fast. Occasionally owners
don't notice the change because it's gradual, so when it is finally
noticed it appears to have happened overnight. Sometimes poor
diet or liver problems can cause the beak or nails to grow abnormally
fast, so it's worth a visit to the vet if you notice a sudden
change in the rate of growth. Certainly, if the tip grows too
far, it can inhibit eating and preening, and the bird may develop
an unkempt appearance or become listless.
If the
bird's nails become overgrown, it can affect climbing and perching
and can potentially cause foot damage. In the wild, parrots are
much more active and overgrowth rarely occurs. If the nail curls
around too far, there is even the chance that it can get hooked
on the bars of the cage or a toy, and the bird can't get loose.
This is how sometimes a bird can pull its nail out by the root,
causing severe bleeding. Regular grooming can prevent this.
SKIN
SORES
ON THE BOTTOM OF THE FEET
There
are three reasons birds might develop sores on the bottoms of
their feet. First, if they have smooth wooden or plastic perches.
These rub on the feet in the same places all the time, and plastic
in particular can cause sores because it is hard and non-porous.
The remedy for this is to use a natural tree branch (with bark)
for the uppermost perch in the cage. The second instance is where
the owner has put a ceramic perch (designed for nail trimming)
in the upper part of the cage and the bird sits almost constantly
on it. These perches are too abrasive and hard on the feet for
the bird to be standing on the majority of the time, and should
be placed in a lower spot in the cage, such as near the food
bowl.
The third
reason is a condition called "bumblefoot". This is
caused when a sharp nail pierces the pad on the underside of
the foot, causing infection. All that may be present on the bottom
of the foot is a small scab, but the bird may limp or have trouble
climbing because the infection is like a spike that goes deep
into the pad of the foot and can be very painful. You may also
notice swelling in the toes, foot, or ankle area. If you think
your bird has this, please see a vet.
DRY SKIN
When
birds are moulting, they have many new feathers growing in. As
their feathers grow, the bird will preen them and remove the
outer sheath. These pieces of feather casing look like flakes
of skin, and some people might mistake this for dry skin or dandruff.
As long as the bird is getting regular baths (once or twice a
week), his skin should be fine.
SCALY
SKIN AROUND NOSTRILS AND LEGS (Please see PARASITES, next.)
PARASITES
SCALY
FACE AND LEG MITES
I have
personally only seen this condition on small birds such as Budgies
and Canaries and it is probably rare in larger parrot family
members. The skin around the nostrils (cere), eyes, and/or legs
becomes whitish, porous, and crusty-looking. Don't confuse this
with the enlarged brownish cere female budgies may have when
they come into breeding condition.
This
condition can be treated with a topical cream, and can be obtained
either from your veterinarian or a pet shop.
RED MITES
Even
though red mites are the parasite most often found on pet birds,
they are still uncommon and usually confined to the smaller species.
If you'd like to check, there is an easy way to find out if your
bird has these. First, you should know that red mites look like
tiny red specks; the size of a dot a sharp pencil would make.
They move very slowly, and only move onto the bird at night.
During the day, they hide in cracks and crevices near where your
bird sleeps. Look for them during the day by taking the perch
he sleeps on out of the cage, and tap each end of it on a white
sheet of paper. If there are any mites, they will certainly be
hiding in the end of this perch, and they will fall out onto
the paper. If you look closely, you will see them move.
The treatment
for red mites is to use a veterinarian-approved powder on the
bird and his perches, and to wash and disinfect the cage, cups,
toys, and anything else he has come into contact with. If treated
properly, the problem will not reoccur.
LICE
I have
not seen lice on pet birds, but they would be treated as for
red mites, above.
FLEAS
Parrot
family members do not get fleas, so there is no risk of transmission
from dogs or cats.
What
is that grinding noise my bird makes with his beak? When a bird is
getting comfortable, and just when he's settling down to go to
sleep, he'll making a weird grating noise with his beak. He's
actually rubbing the lower beak against the inside of the upper
beak to sharpen it. If you look closely at the inner surface
of the tip of the upper beak, you'll see it has ridges, just
like a file or rasp. When the biting edge of the lower beak is
pushed against it, it becomes sharpened like a chisel. This is
an instinctive preparation for the next day of eating and chewing.
Where
are my bird's ears?
Just behind the eyes are circular patches of feathers that look
different from the other feathers on the head. These feathers,
which cover the small oval ear openings, have evolved a special
texture to permit the transmission of sound. If you gently scratch
the bird and lift these feathers, you will see the ear holes.
He may "yawn" when you touch him there, because it
tickles a bit!
My
bird sometimes sneezes. Is he sick? Birds have tiny modified feathers
in their nostrils that resemble hairs to collect and filter out
dust. After preening, they sometimes sneeze once or twice to
clear out the feather dust that they've inhaled. This is normal.
Also see: Signs of a Sick Bird, #9 (above).
Why
is there a hole under his lower beak? It isn't actually a hole that
goes right through to the bird's mouth, it just looks like one.
This is a hollow spot where the skin tucks in and attaches up
inside on the lower mandible. This is likely an evolutionary
development to amplify the volume of the bird's voice (sort of
like cupping your hands to your mouth when yelling).
My
bird is always picking and scratching at himself. Does he have
parasites? It's
normal for a bird to groom themselves (preen) many times during
the day. After he eats, plays, and just before resting, he will
staighten out, once again, all his feathers to make sure everything
is in order. Sometimes, it can look quite frantic, but it's a
sign of a healthy bird.
Why does my Budgie spit up seeds all over his mirror? When birds are
in love, one way they show their affection is to feed each other
by bringing up food from the crop and offering it to their mate.
This can also be viewed as preparation of a sort for feeding
babies that will hatch subsequent to nesting. When a bird sees
its reflection in a mirror, it actually thinks there is another
bird there, and will bond with it, potentially trying to do all
the things it would do with a real bird.
Sometimes
my bird hangs onto his perch and flaps his wings like crazy.
Why? This
a a perfectly normal behaviour, and it's the bird's way of getting
excercise when he's inside the cage or his wings are clipped.
It means he's feeling great!
Why does
my bird suddenly shake himself? This is called rousing, or ruffling,
his feathers. If your bird is awakened in the middle of the night,
or upon his waking up first thing in the morning and periodically
through the day, he will ruffle his feathers to straighten them
out. Sometimes you can see a little cloud of dust come off the
bird when he does this, and this is the result of healthy down
feathers giving off what is known as powder down.
