BUYING FROM THE SOURCE

Parrot breeders play extremely important rolls in the lives of the parrots that they raise. They adopt the role of being the parrot’s surrogate parents.  The way a parrot is raised and how it is handled when it is young directly affect its personality when the parrot is an adult. 

When looking for a parrot breeder, start by finding someone who has a very good reputation.  Rescue groups and pet store may be a good place to buy parrots but, when you purchase one from a breeder you are able to receive the bird history and the understanding the way it was raised.  

WHAT WAS THE PARROT FED?

Raising a healthy parrot depends a lot on that particular breeders methods.  Feeding the parrots is a huge part of the duties of a parrot breeder.  Different types of parrots have different responses to feedings.  Breeders are responsible for giving their parrots nutritious and safe food.  They are also responsible for weaning the parrot babies before they are sold.  Young parrots should be eating fresh produce, warm soft food, pellets and or seeds. 

TO CLIP OR NOT TO CLIP

Another important aspect to a bird’s life is the ability to fly.  Most owners prefer to have their bird’s wings clipped.  They don’t like the idea of their birds flying around their homes possibly breaking things.  But baby parrots need to learn how to fly before their wings are clipped.  It is in the best interest of the bird to find a breeder who will allow their babies to learn how to fly.  They also need to learn how to land and maneuver in flight.  A parrot’s level of socialization and their emotional health depends a great deal upon the care it receives early in its life time from the breeder.  Potential buyers can ask breeds how they socialize the baby birds they are selling.   

CARE, SHIPPING & BATHING OF PARROTS

Most parrot breeders are responsible and caring individuals who love the breed and being apart of a parrot’s life at such a crucial time.  But some breeders are just in it to make money.  As a buyer you need to be aware of who you should do business with and who you should stay way from.  Shipping birds in certain ways through certain companies is illegal.  It is also important for a breeder to introduce bathing to their birds at an early age.  The best time to introduce bathing is when the baby is partially feathered. 

ASK QUESTIONS

Potential owners need to ask their breeders questions.  Breeders should allow buyers to view their aviaries.  Contract for this very important business transaction is a must.  Good breeders will also be available after the purchase to answer questions and give support to new owners.  Some parrot species can live between 60 and 100 years old.  They are a huge commitment and are worth the effort you put into finding the right kind of breeder.

Some parrot breeders are more knowledgeable then pet store owners and continue to breed parrots for the love of the breed.  If you choose to buy a parrot through a breeder you will have a better chance of purchasing a well adjusted, happy, and more importantly healthy bird that will last a lifetime.

Parrots are amazing and smart birds.  They have been tested for their intellectual abilities and have been proven to have the intelligence level of a small child.  For some, part of the fun of owning a parrot is to teach it tricks.  But, teaching a parrot tricks is not just for entertainment purposes.  Training a parrot will create a better behaved and more sociable bird and may solve some behavioral problems. 

When teaching a parrot owners need to keep the training sessions short.  They do not want to tire the parrot out and cause the session to be a negative experience for the bird.  Owners also keep their training sessions positive and do not start a training session until they are both ready. 

Training in a quiet and a room free of distractions will only increase the chances of success. 

Another good tip is to make sure that the room is well lit and that your parrot is comfortable in that room. 

Owners need to be stress free when starting to train parrots.  Not having enough patience with the parrot will affect the way the parrot learns. 

An easy trick that most parrot owners start with is teaching their parrots how to “step up”.  This is an extremely useful trick that will be used most often and throughout the bird’s lifetime.  It is the simple act of asking the parrot to step onto the object that is in front of it.  This act can simply be done by placing one’s fingers in front of the bird’s feet and asking them in a calm soothing voice to “step up”.  Use a forearm for larger birds.  Owners can use a piece of food to entice the parrot to move forward.  When the act is completed, the food is given as a reward. 

Another trick that people like to teach their parrots is to “turn around”.  As the parrot is standing on its perch offer it a piece of food.  As it reaches for it move one’s hand slowly to its back so that the bird has to turn its head around to see the food.  Owners have to coax some birds to do a full turn while other birds immediately turn themselves around on the perch.  Once the parrot has completed a full turn, the food reward is given to it.  

Teaching a parrot to speak can solve the problem of the bird being too vocal with its screeching.  Some birds have learned how to get attention this way.  By teaching a parrot a word owners can enjoy their vocalization more.  Owners need to start with only one simple word that contains only one or two syllables.  Most people start with the word “hello”.  Owners will repeat the word slowly to the parrot several times until the parrot makes a sound it response.  Once the parrot responds, owners give it a food reward.  The first sound it makes may not be the word that the owners are trying to teach it.  But, they idea is to get the bird to respond to a human voice.  Owners repeat this drill several times until the parrot begins to mimic the word.

By Barbara Delgiudice 

Pet birds and parrots are very social beings that need allot of love and attention. They like to be included at meal time, and we can have allot of fun sharing food with our feathered friends. But we need to beware of some very poisonous foods and toxic fumes that can be deadly to our precious bird friends.

One fruit that you would not suspect of being harmful is the avocado. But it can be deadly to pet parrots and other birds. The skin and pit of the popular fruit is known to cause cardiac distress and heart failure in pet birds. There is some debate about the degree of toxicity of avocados, but it is much better to be safe than sorry. I would definitely keep avocados, guacamole and anything else made with this fruit away from my pet birds. I read about someone’s pet cockatiel that died the next day after eating guacamole with their family.

The next poison food on the list is chocolate which is deadly. Chocolate poisoning affects your pet parrots digestive system causing vomiting and diarrhea. As the poison moves its way through the birds system it attacks the central nervous system causing seizures and eventually death.

Apple seeds along with other members of the rose family including cherries, peaches apricots and pears have trace amounts of cyanide (a deadly poison) within their seeds. The fruit of the apple is fine to share with your bird, but make sure to core and wash the apple skin thoroughly because it may contain toxic pesticides.

Onions is another poison food for our parrot friends. A limited amount of onions and garlic as flavorings are acceptable. But in large amounts onions cause vomiting, diarrhea and other digestive issues. Prolonged exposure to onions can lead to a blood condition called haemolytic anemia which is followed by respiratory failure and eventually death.

Alcohol is a very bad poison and nothing to mess around with concerning your pet parrot. Most pet bird owners are responsible and would never offer their parrot any alcoholic drinks. But there have been some instances where wild birds have gotten into unattended cocktails. Alcohol depresses the organ system of birds and can be fatal. Make sure to secure your pet bird into his cage and preferably away from the party in another room to keep him safe from toxic brews.

Mushrooms are a type of fungus and have been known to cause digestive upset in our precious companion birds. Some varieties of mushroom caps and mushroom stems cause liver failure.

Tomato leaves are another poison food to keep away from our pet parrots. Tomatoes are of the nightshade family like potatoes. They have a tasty fruit which is fine for your bird, but the stems, vines and leaves are highly toxic to your precious friends. Make sure that the tomato is cleaned properly, sliced with all of the green parts removed to keep your pet bird safe from any poison.

Salt is a health risk for pet parrots as it is for people. Even though a small amount of sodium is ok for all living creatures, too much salt for birds can cause excessive thirst, dehydration, kidney dysfunction, and death. Be very careful not to give your pet parrot friend an excessive amount of foods containing salt. It is better to stay away from salt altogether.

Caffeine is a toxic brew for your little feathered friend. These would include caffeinated beverages such as soda, coffee, and tea. Allowing your bird to indulge in these types of beverages is asking for a very sick pet bird. Caffeine causes cardiac malfunction in birds, and is associated with increased heartbeat, arrhythmia, hyperactivity, and cardiac arrest.. Share a drink of pure vegetable juice, fruit juice or filtered water (filtered with a simple water filter like Brita that can be bought in a store near you) with your bird. Keep caffeinated beverages away from your pet parrot.

Dried Beans which are uncooked contain a poison called hemaglutin that is very toxic to birds. If you are going to share beans with your pet parrot make sure to thoroughly cook them. Cooked beans are a favorite treat for many birds. My pet cockatiels love cooked soy beans.

Teflon is very deadly to your pet birds. Get rid of your teflon and any plastic coated cookware that you have in your home. It’s not worth the risk of loosing your parrot friend. Overheated teflon omits an odorless gas that you cannot see or smell. Your bird can die within minutes upon inhalation of the deadly fumes. Absolutely no teflon should be in the home of a bird owner.

Be Safe. Use cast iron cookware and glass cookware.

There are many more things that can harm our pet birds who have very fragile and tiny lungs. Smoke and burnt food are other poisons to watch out for. Use common sense when thinking about what could be harmful to your precious parrot.. Do some research on that questionable item. Call your avian veterinarian if you are not sure.

It’s better to be safe than sorry concerning your precious feathered friend.

Here’s a great collection of safe, nutritious, healthy food for your bird.  Click HERE.