The Truth About Owning a Bird:
Breeding parrots in captivity is a relatively recent phenomena. Prior to the 1950s there were very few aviaries specializing in parrots. Well established breeding programs did not begin to flourish in North America until the 1970s. Although most birds currently sold in Canada are the product of multiple generations of captive birds, the fact remains that these creatures are not far removed from their wild roots. The process of hand raising parrots results in the bird imprinting on humans and becoming "tame" birds. Many people do not realize that this is an ongoing process! Parrots must continue to receive loving human interaction throughout their lives in order to remain "tame."
Many people think of pet birds merely as objects of interest and beauty for their homes. Nothing could be further from the truth! Unfortunately, this mistaken idea has resulted in many birds living in misery and becoming a source of frustration and irritation to their owners.
Parrots are highly intelligent, social creatures that have been lovingly manipulated into believing that human beings are their "flock." They require extensive, daily interaction with their human owners not unlike that required by a dog. Failure to provide a bird with daily out of cage time interacting with their family members will result in a parrot who bites, screams, and self-mutilates. If you are not able to spend daily time with a parrot, please do not adopt one. You will both soon become very unhappy. If you can, you will find a parrot to be a loyal and entertaining companion who will bring you joy for many, many years.
In addition to daily human interaction, parrots require a varied diet that includes a high quality pellet and plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. They need a large cage with regularly rotated bird-safe toys. The cage needs to be cleaned at least once per week and feeding bowls should be cleaned daily. Parrots are relatively messy creatures and a certain amount of noise and the odd nip are a fact of bird ownership. Most parrots also develop some behavioural challenges as they reach sexual maturity. The "terrible twos" is a phrase that can be applied to both human and parrot babies! Parrots at this stage are often given up as their owners do not understand that this is a normal part of parrot development. A firm and loving training approach will be successful in re-establishing acceptable behaviours. Parrots also require a full spectrum light source on a timer for 12 hours of light and darkness per day. This goes a long way in preventing hormone related behaviours.
With proper care, parrots can be extremely rewarding life long companions. All of our parrot species are known to live 20-30 years or even longer! If adopting a pet parrot is a commitment you feel ready to make, please read on for further information about how to provide an appropriate home for one of these amazing creatures.
Your Parrot's First Days in Its New Home:
When you arrive home with your new pet you should not immediately place it into its cage. Instead, take some time to handle and talk to your bird. A bird's cage should be viewed more as a playpen might be used for a human baby or a crate might be used for a dog. It provides a safe place for your parrot to play when you cannot directly supervise it. If the cage is immediately established as the parrot's "safe place" you may have difficulty getting the bird to come out of it's cage and feel safe with you. When you do place the parrot in it's cage, be sure that there is fresh water and familiar food available to the bird. Be sure to place a perch near the food bowls! Watch your parrot closely for the first few days to be sure it is eating and eliminating regularly. Occasionally baby birds will regress with the stress of a move and stop eating independently. Please contact us immediately if you think this may be the case. We will be happy to provide support and advice to help you through this transition. Try to establish regular routines during those first few days that you will be able to maintain. Parrots dislike change and are more relaxed and secure with familiar sequences of events.
If Your Bird was Shipped:
Please be sure to take your bird directly home from the airport. Do not stop to shop or show it to friends and family. Shipping is a stressful experience for a bird and it is important that this transition be kept as short as possible. Airlines require that animals are dropped off at least three hours prior to their flight. Add travel time to the airport, the actual flight, time to unload the bird and travel time home, it is often 12 hours or more that the bird has been in their crate! Upon arrival at home, take the shipping crate into a small room that can be closed off. Allow the bird out of the crate and offer it fresh food and water. Often birds will have exhausted their food and water supply in their crate. It may be scared and startle easily. The contained space will keep it safe while it calms down and becomes acquainted with you. Only introduce the bird to one or two members of your household on the first day. After spending a little time with your bird, introduce it to its cage. It will be tired from the long trip. Let it have several hours of quiet time to rest. Usually this will be overnight. Be sure some of the familiar food shipped in a package attached to the carrier is in the cage as well as fresh water. The next day you can start to introduce your bird to other people but keep play times short with periods of rest in between. It’s best to limit the bird to only one or two rooms in your home to start. You can gradually introduce the bird to other rooms in your home as they settle in and feel safe with you. Do not start trying to train your bird, bathe your bird, or travel with your bird for several days. You want to keep your bird as stress free as possible adding new people, places, and experiences slowly.
Cages and Accessories:
Purchase the largest cage you can afford and accommodate. Many bird owners keep their birds in cages that are far too small! Caiques and Lories in particular are very active birds and require plenty of space to climb and play. Horizontal space is preferable to vertical space. A cage that is 36” wide and 24” deep is recommended. The cage should not be smaller than 30” wide x 22” deep for Caiques and Lories and 24” wide x 22” deep for Conures, Senegals, and Meyers. The bars should not be more than 3/4" inch apart. All of our parrot species prefer to sleep in a tent or hammock hung near the top of the cage. You can also consider providing a nest box with bird safe aspen shavings. A nest box reduces or eliminates the need to cover the cage at night. Some cages provide an opening so that a nest box can be attached to the outside of the cage. This arrangement is preferable. If there is no nest box opening on the cage, the bars can be carefully cut and filed to create an opening if desired. Nest boxes designed for Cockatiels are usually sufficient. If a nest box cannot be provided, consider purchasing one of the cloth tents available for birds at pet stores. Be sure to check the tent regularly for wear as we have heard many stories of birds getting their feet trapped in worn or chewed cloth.
Perches and Toys:
Cages should also be equipped with a variety of perches in different sizes and materials. At least one rope perch should be installed near the top of the cage. This will provide a comfortable resting spot. A cement perch near the food bowl will facilitate beak grooming and natural wood perches are great for healthy exercise. A variety of toys must also be provided and installed at different levels in the cage. Some toys should be shreddable to satisfy the parrot’s natural urge to chew. These will need to be replaced regularly. Be sure to include some foot toys for playing at the bottom of the cage. Bird toys need not be expensive. A crumpled piece of paper or a piece of toilet paper roll can provide hours of entertainment. Many toys approved for use by human babies are also suitable and safe for birds. There are a variety of websites that sell bird-safe toy making supplies for creative bird owners.
Location:
Your bird will want to be wherever you are! However, it's cage should be in a place where it will be quiet and dark during the night. Some cages come equipped with wheels so that you can move the cage from room to room. Be very cautious about keeping your bird's cage in the kitchen. The emissions from over heated non-stick pans are very lethal to your bird! There are many sad stories of people accidentally killing their beloved parrot while baking Christmas cookies or simply cooking dinner. If your bird will be spending time with you in the kitchen we strongly advise that you get rid of all non-stick cookware and replace it with non-toxic alternatives such as cast iron, ceramic, or anodized aluminum. Look for cookware that advertises it is PFOA and PTFE free. Don't forget that many cookie sheets, broiler pans, and portable grills are also coated in potentially toxic non-stick treatments. Even hair dryers and space heaters can contain non-stick components. Never run the self-clean feature on your oven with your bird near by. If you must use these products make sure your parrot is somewhere far removed where it will not be exposed to the fumes.
Cleaning Tips:
Seed catchers/shields are very useful in containing food and droppings. Pre-cut plexiglass available at building supply stores can be hung on the back and sides of cages (especially Lory cages) to protect floors and walls. Shower curtains hung on the wall behind your parrot’s cage are great as they can easily be laundered.
Most cages have pull out trays for easy cleaning. Lining these trays with layers of newspaper can simplify the cleaning process as usually only the top layer or two need to be removed when cleaning the cage. Dried food and droppings clean up more easily if they are first misted with plain water and allowed to moisten. Be very cautious about using any cleaning products in or near your bird's cage. Birds are very sensitive to the toxins contained in most cleaning products.
Lighting:
Your bird's cage will also need a full spectrum light on a timer. Birds can see far more colours than humans can so good lighting is very important for their comfort. This can easily be accomplished by using a floor lamp or a clip on light and equipping it with a full spectrum bulb. Alternatively, you can suspend a light fixture over the cage. We like the Chew Guard lights sold by M&M Cage company on Amazon. Look for full spectrum bulbs that have a CRI (colour rendering index) of 90 or above, 400 lux or above, and a colour temperature of 5000K or greater. Current research seems to indicate that UV light is not necessary for birds so we do not recommend UV lights. This is an area of ongoing research, however. Be sure to clip electrical cables out of your bird's reach! The light will need to be put on a timer to provide 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness. Most parrots are equatorial birds and have evolved to expect photoperiods of this length. The bird should be in the cage in the morning when the light comes on and put back in the cage before the light goes off. This will help to ensure your bird gets enough sleep. Like humans, sleep deprived parrots are grumpy and more likely to act out!
Diet:
An appropriate diet for your parrot is dependent on the species of parrot you purchase. Be sure to follow the species specific recommendations that follow. Unsafe foods for all birds include avocado, caffeinated beverages, chocolate, alcohol, onions, dried beans, moldy or spoiled fruits, and junk food.
Red and Green Naped Lorikeets:
Lories are nectar eating birds and require a specialized Lory diet. Regular parrot food is too high in protein and iron for these birds. Seeds, with the exception of some sprouted seed, should not be regularly offered to these birds. Seeds are much too high in fat and protein and can result in liver and cardiac disease among other problems. We feed our Lories a liquid nectar diet. Lory nectar comes in powdered form. It is mixed with warm water and provided to the birds in small quantities as it can spoil quite rapidly. Follow the instructions on the package for appropriate powder/water ratios and serving amounts. Some, but not all powdered Lory food can also be fed dry. Check the instructions on your specific product. We make a small amount of dry food available to our birds at all times. If dry food is provided, a water dish should be located near by as Lories like to soak their dry food. This fouls the water which must be changed regularly. A large water dish can also double as a bird bath. Most Lories love their baths! Lories should also be provided with finely diced fruits and vegetables at least every other day. We make our Lories a fruit smoothie out of a variety of fruits and veggies and add this to their nectar each day. Pureed baby food (with no added iron), apple sauce, and cooked rice or pasta can also be offered. Many websites about Lories mistakenly recommend a dry diet to minimize the mess of the liquid dropping of these birds. It is our opinion that the Lorikeet digestive system is not adapted to a totally dry diet and that a good quality liquid nectar is an essential part of a healthy diet for these parrots.
Caiques, Senegals, and Meyers:
These birds can eat foods prepared for most species of medium sized parrots. A good quality pellet should form the majority (75-80%) of their diet along with fresh fruits and vegetables and plenty of fresh water. We recommend pellets with no artificial dyes as there is some evidence these dyes may contribute to feather plucking. Nuts and seeds should be considered "dessert" and be fed sparingly or as treats. The exception to this is sprouted seed. The process of sprouting consumes the harmful fats and adds many beneficial nutrients to the seed. Cooked pasta, brown rice, and whole grain bread can be provided for variety. Frozen vegetables and fruits that have been thawed can provide a quick and healthy meal for these birds. Chopped hard boiled eggs, small amounts of chicken meat or chicken bones, and even Lory nectar is often appreciated as an occasional treat. Parrots, like people, develop distinct preferences for certain foods. You will soon learn which foods your bird likes and dislikes. Be sure to always provide a variety of healthy options as food can be a source of entertainment as well as nutrition.
Behaviour and Training:
Step up:
Probably the most important command for your parrot to learn is the "step up" command. All of our babies will come trained to do this but you must continue to practice daily for the behaviour to become firmly established. Be sure to sometimes have your parrot step up onto a wooden perch that you hold in your hand. This can be useful if your parrot ever becomes upset or frightened and may be more prone to bite. The step up command simply involves offering your parrot your finger and using the command "step-up." Your parrot should step onto your finger. Don't be surprised if it first tests the stability of your finger with it's beak. If your parrot does not step up, simply press your finger against it's lower abdomen while repeating the command. Your parrot will soon get the hang of what you want it to do. Be sure to offer plenty of praise and a treat for successful responses. If your parrot seems to be in a non-compliant mood, leave it alone and try again later. Remember, it is still getting to know and trust you and may need more time to settle in.
Screaming:
To some extent noise is a fact of life when living with a parrot. Certainly, some species and individuals are more vocal than others (we find Caiques and Lories to be noisier than Meyers and Senegals). All birds have their natural calling times when they check in with other members of their flock. This usually occurs for a period of time in the mornings and again in the evenings. You might observe this with wild birds as well! This is normal parrot behaviour and should generally be ignored. If your parrot is calling to you because it cannot see you, you can let them know where you are with a whistle or a word. If your parrot's cage is somewhere where it can see you eating, you may find your parrot screaming for some of your food. It is natural for parrots to feed together in the wild and your parrot is just wanting to join in a normal flocking behaviour. Remember, you and the other members of the household are its flock! You have two choices in dealing with this behaviour. Don't eat in front of your parrot or offer it something to eat with you before it starts to scream. If you wait until after it is screaming and then offer it food to "keep it quiet" you will be rewarding the screaming behaviour. Once it starts screaming your only choices are to leave the room yourself, move the parrot to another room, or ignore the screaming. Telling the parrot to be quiet will only teach the parrot that it gets your attention when it screams. Our Chattering Lory, Quincey, came to us with a bit of a screaming habit. Someone clearly used to yell at him for this. Quincey will give an ear piercing scream and then say to himself, "Quincey, shut up!" or "Quincey, be quiet!" Clearly, yelling at Quincey only rewarded his screaming behaviour! If your parrot is getting enough attention and has adequate food and water, it's vocalizations should not be excessive.
Biting:
All parrots will bite if provoked. Sometimes it can be difficult to tell what has provoked it. If parrots are not handled daily, they can begin to revert back to wild behaviours. If your parrot suddenly bites you, consider if you have been spending enough time with it. It may just be that it needs more time with you. Some parrots are quite territorial around their cage and will bite if you stick your hand inside the cage. If this happens, offer a wooden perch or cover your hand with a towel and your bird will likely step up quite willingly. Other birds develop a dislike for a certain person or gender. Sometimes, this is a sign that they have become exclusively attached to their "special person." It is important that your parrot is handled by all members of the household into order to prevent your parrot from becoming unduly attached to one person. Probably the most common cause of biting is lack of sleep. Be sure your parrot is getting 12 hours of quiet darkness. Other causes for biting might include raging hormones, a sudden fright, or grumpiness due to molting. If your parrot does bite the best thing you can do is say "No" in a firm voice and put your parrot down in a safe place (preferably not it's cage). Ignore the parrot for 30 seconds or so and then offer your parrot your hand to step up. If your parrot bites you again, repeat the procedure. Parrots want your love and attention and will quickly learn to avoid behaviours that cause you to withdraw from them. If you know what caused your parrot to bite, try to avoid a repeat. Our bird Quincey hates the rubber gloves I wear when I clean his cage. He will attack my hands if I am wearing them. I simply put Quincey in another room before I don the gloves to clean his cage! Quincey will also bite if someone grabs him to pick him up. Many birds do not respond well to being grabbed. Instead, offer your hand for your bird to step up. If it is being stubborn, offer it a treat or an alternative perch rather than grabbing it.
Training:
Parrots can be trained to do a variety of entertaining tricks. Clicker training is particularly effective with parrots. There are many videos and websites available if you are interested in learning more about this. They are all based on the simple principle of rewarding desired behaviours. Training your parrot is not only fun for you but provides much needed stimulation for these active and intelligent creatures!
Grooming:
Bathing:
Your bird should be provided with a shallow bowl of water (we call them pools!) large enough to bathe in. Bathing is important for birds to keep their feathers and skin in good condition. This does not need to be left in the cage all the time but should be offered every other day or so. Some birds prefer to be misted with a plant mister. Always use plain, warm water and never add any kind of soap as this is toxic and destroys the natural oils on the bird's feathers. Often misting a bird first will inspire it to take a bath in its "pool." We keep open water dishes in all of our bird’s cages as well as water bottles so that water for bathing and clean water for drinking is always available.
Nail and Beak trimming:
Parrots will need to have their toenails clipped from time to time. Many people prefer to take their bird to the vet or to a groomer who specializes in birds to have this done. Some pet stores offer this service. It is not difficult to learn to clip your bird's nails yourself but it is probably best if you watch an experienced person do it first.
Beak trimming is not something that usually needs to be done with a healthy bird who has been given am appropriate diet, toys and chewable items. Sometimes, as a bird ages, it will need to have its beak trimmed. An overgrown beak in a young bird can be a sign of illness or nutritional deficiency and warrants a trip to the vet. Beak trimming should only be done by a vet. A parrot's beak is full of nerve endings and blood vessels. A healthy beak is too essential to its well being to be attempted yourself. Please note that it is normal for a Caique to have a long point on their top beak. We have known even veterinary clinics to inappropriately trim a Caique’s beak thinking it should look like a Lovebird or Senegals’s beak. It does not! Trimming a Caique’s beak this short will cause it pain and it may stop eating. We would only trim a bird’s beak if it is interfering in it’s ability to groom and eat.
Wing Clipping:
The clipping of a parrot's wings limit or prevent the bird from flying (depending on how much has been clipped). This is a controversial procedure. There are merits to both sides of the argument. A bird that has had it's wings clipped is less likely to fly into a window or mirror or even out the door! This is a significant safety issue for a tame parrot! A parrot that has had it's wings clipped is more likely to remain on a perch or on your hand making it easier to socialize and train. On the flip side, parrots were designed for flight. Recent research has indicated that parrots who are given opportunities to fly are healthier and more fit than those that aren't. Most parrots will soon learn to avoid windows and mirrors and can be trained to fly back and forth safely from a perch to your hand. Also, flight harnesses are available that enable the parrot owner to take the bird safely outdoors for flying exercise.
All of our chicks are allowed to become fully flighted. We generally recommend a gentle wing clip just prior to a chick going to it’s new home. The bird is still capable of short flights but cannot fly full tilt into a window. This allows the bird to become familiar with its new home and makes early socialization easier for the new owner. We then recommend allowing the flight feathers to grow back. The exception to this is our Lorikeets. Lorikeets are exceptionally active birds and clipping them is very hard on them. They are also very quick to learn to fly to you on command. Our Lorikeet chicks all do this well even before they are fully weaned. Some care must be taken to show them the location of windows and mirrors but they seem to learn this quickly. We do not find the benefits of clipping Lorikeets outweigh the adverse affect it has on their quality of life.
We are currently making it our practice to introduce a flight harness to our chicks from a very young age in the hopes that they will accept it more readily if their adopted owners wish to use one. This has been very successful.
We do not recommend clipping a bird's wings yourself as it can be a somewhat risky procedure. If you accidentally clip a blood feather, it is possible that your bird could bleed to death. The only way to stop a blood feather from bleeding is to pull it out! Also, the rough ends of improperly clipped feathers can be irritating to the bird. If you wish to keep your bird's wings clipped, we recommend you take it to an avian vet or avian groomer.
Parrots and Other Pets:
One often reads heartwarming stories about parrots that seem to have befriended a family dog or cat. Unfortunately, I suspect the stories about the family pet being the cause of a parrot's unexpected demise are much more common than we would like to believe. Cats and dogs have bacteria in their saliva that is toxic to parrots (humans do too)! Even a friendly lick can spell disaster let alone sharp teeth and claws! Our parrots are never out of their cages without close supervision if our cats or dog have access to the room. Parrots are very bold creatures and often show no fear towards animals larger than themselves. Fortunately, our other pets seem to be a bit afraid of the parrots! We have never had an incident between our parrots and our other pets but if we were to have something unexpected happen, even if the bird appeared uninjured, we would take it to the vet to see if preventative antibiotics might be in order.
One must also be cautious about introducing other birds as companions. Hand raised parrots have come to think of humans as their flock and their ability to socialize with birds may be limited. Also, some parrot species and individuals are not tolerant of other birds and will attack and even kill members of their own kind. Lory's are particularly known to be intolerant of other birds. Having said this, our Chattering Lory, Quincey, seems to quite enjoy the company of other birds. However, the other birds are not tolerant of him and will nip at him or chase him if given the opportunity. We do not recommend keeping more than one bird in the same cage unless they are a bonded (mated) pair and you are prepared to deal with the possibility of eggs and chicks! You can certainly keep more than one bird if you have the time to devote to them but provide them each with their own cage. Ensure that they are closely supervised when they are together and that each bird gets individual attention as well.
Breeding parrots in captivity is a relatively recent phenomena. Prior to the 1950s there were very few aviaries specializing in parrots. Well established breeding programs did not begin to flourish in North America until the 1970s. Although most birds currently sold in Canada are the product of multiple generations of captive birds, the fact remains that these creatures are not far removed from their wild roots. The process of hand raising parrots results in the bird imprinting on humans and becoming "tame" birds. Many people do not realize that this is an ongoing process! Parrots must continue to receive loving human interaction throughout their lives in order to remain "tame."
Many people think of pet birds merely as objects of interest and beauty for their homes. Nothing could be further from the truth! Unfortunately, this mistaken idea has resulted in many birds living in misery and becoming a source of frustration and irritation to their owners.
Parrots are highly intelligent, social creatures that have been lovingly manipulated into believing that human beings are their "flock." They require extensive, daily interaction with their human owners not unlike that required by a dog. Failure to provide a bird with daily out of cage time interacting with their family members will result in a parrot who bites, screams, and self-mutilates. If you are not able to spend daily time with a parrot, please do not adopt one. You will both soon become very unhappy. If you can, you will find a parrot to be a loyal and entertaining companion who will bring you joy for many, many years.
In addition to daily human interaction, parrots require a varied diet that includes a high quality pellet and plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. They need a large cage with regularly rotated bird-safe toys. The cage needs to be cleaned at least once per week and feeding bowls should be cleaned daily. Parrots are relatively messy creatures and a certain amount of noise and the odd nip are a fact of bird ownership. Most parrots also develop some behavioural challenges as they reach sexual maturity. The "terrible twos" is a phrase that can be applied to both human and parrot babies! Parrots at this stage are often given up as their owners do not understand that this is a normal part of parrot development. A firm and loving training approach will be successful in re-establishing acceptable behaviours. Parrots also require a full spectrum light source on a timer for 12 hours of light and darkness per day. This goes a long way in preventing hormone related behaviours.
With proper care, parrots can be extremely rewarding life long companions. All of our parrot species are known to live 20-30 years or even longer! If adopting a pet parrot is a commitment you feel ready to make, please read on for further information about how to provide an appropriate home for one of these amazing creatures.
Your Parrot's First Days in Its New Home:
When you arrive home with your new pet you should not immediately place it into its cage. Instead, take some time to handle and talk to your bird. A bird's cage should be viewed more as a playpen might be used for a human baby or a crate might be used for a dog. It provides a safe place for your parrot to play when you cannot directly supervise it. If the cage is immediately established as the parrot's "safe place" you may have difficulty getting the bird to come out of it's cage and feel safe with you. When you do place the parrot in it's cage, be sure that there is fresh water and familiar food available to the bird. Be sure to place a perch near the food bowls! Watch your parrot closely for the first few days to be sure it is eating and eliminating regularly. Occasionally baby birds will regress with the stress of a move and stop eating independently. Please contact us immediately if you think this may be the case. We will be happy to provide support and advice to help you through this transition. Try to establish regular routines during those first few days that you will be able to maintain. Parrots dislike change and are more relaxed and secure with familiar sequences of events.
If Your Bird was Shipped:
Please be sure to take your bird directly home from the airport. Do not stop to shop or show it to friends and family. Shipping is a stressful experience for a bird and it is important that this transition be kept as short as possible. Airlines require that animals are dropped off at least three hours prior to their flight. Add travel time to the airport, the actual flight, time to unload the bird and travel time home, it is often 12 hours or more that the bird has been in their crate! Upon arrival at home, take the shipping crate into a small room that can be closed off. Allow the bird out of the crate and offer it fresh food and water. Often birds will have exhausted their food and water supply in their crate. It may be scared and startle easily. The contained space will keep it safe while it calms down and becomes acquainted with you. Only introduce the bird to one or two members of your household on the first day. After spending a little time with your bird, introduce it to its cage. It will be tired from the long trip. Let it have several hours of quiet time to rest. Usually this will be overnight. Be sure some of the familiar food shipped in a package attached to the carrier is in the cage as well as fresh water. The next day you can start to introduce your bird to other people but keep play times short with periods of rest in between. It’s best to limit the bird to only one or two rooms in your home to start. You can gradually introduce the bird to other rooms in your home as they settle in and feel safe with you. Do not start trying to train your bird, bathe your bird, or travel with your bird for several days. You want to keep your bird as stress free as possible adding new people, places, and experiences slowly.
Cages and Accessories:
Purchase the largest cage you can afford and accommodate. Many bird owners keep their birds in cages that are far too small! Caiques and Lories in particular are very active birds and require plenty of space to climb and play. Horizontal space is preferable to vertical space. A cage that is 36” wide and 24” deep is recommended. The cage should not be smaller than 30” wide x 22” deep for Caiques and Lories and 24” wide x 22” deep for Conures, Senegals, and Meyers. The bars should not be more than 3/4" inch apart. All of our parrot species prefer to sleep in a tent or hammock hung near the top of the cage. You can also consider providing a nest box with bird safe aspen shavings. A nest box reduces or eliminates the need to cover the cage at night. Some cages provide an opening so that a nest box can be attached to the outside of the cage. This arrangement is preferable. If there is no nest box opening on the cage, the bars can be carefully cut and filed to create an opening if desired. Nest boxes designed for Cockatiels are usually sufficient. If a nest box cannot be provided, consider purchasing one of the cloth tents available for birds at pet stores. Be sure to check the tent regularly for wear as we have heard many stories of birds getting their feet trapped in worn or chewed cloth.
Perches and Toys:
Cages should also be equipped with a variety of perches in different sizes and materials. At least one rope perch should be installed near the top of the cage. This will provide a comfortable resting spot. A cement perch near the food bowl will facilitate beak grooming and natural wood perches are great for healthy exercise. A variety of toys must also be provided and installed at different levels in the cage. Some toys should be shreddable to satisfy the parrot’s natural urge to chew. These will need to be replaced regularly. Be sure to include some foot toys for playing at the bottom of the cage. Bird toys need not be expensive. A crumpled piece of paper or a piece of toilet paper roll can provide hours of entertainment. Many toys approved for use by human babies are also suitable and safe for birds. There are a variety of websites that sell bird-safe toy making supplies for creative bird owners.
Location:
Your bird will want to be wherever you are! However, it's cage should be in a place where it will be quiet and dark during the night. Some cages come equipped with wheels so that you can move the cage from room to room. Be very cautious about keeping your bird's cage in the kitchen. The emissions from over heated non-stick pans are very lethal to your bird! There are many sad stories of people accidentally killing their beloved parrot while baking Christmas cookies or simply cooking dinner. If your bird will be spending time with you in the kitchen we strongly advise that you get rid of all non-stick cookware and replace it with non-toxic alternatives such as cast iron, ceramic, or anodized aluminum. Look for cookware that advertises it is PFOA and PTFE free. Don't forget that many cookie sheets, broiler pans, and portable grills are also coated in potentially toxic non-stick treatments. Even hair dryers and space heaters can contain non-stick components. Never run the self-clean feature on your oven with your bird near by. If you must use these products make sure your parrot is somewhere far removed where it will not be exposed to the fumes.
Cleaning Tips:
Seed catchers/shields are very useful in containing food and droppings. Pre-cut plexiglass available at building supply stores can be hung on the back and sides of cages (especially Lory cages) to protect floors and walls. Shower curtains hung on the wall behind your parrot’s cage are great as they can easily be laundered.
Most cages have pull out trays for easy cleaning. Lining these trays with layers of newspaper can simplify the cleaning process as usually only the top layer or two need to be removed when cleaning the cage. Dried food and droppings clean up more easily if they are first misted with plain water and allowed to moisten. Be very cautious about using any cleaning products in or near your bird's cage. Birds are very sensitive to the toxins contained in most cleaning products.
Lighting:
Your bird's cage will also need a full spectrum light on a timer. Birds can see far more colours than humans can so good lighting is very important for their comfort. This can easily be accomplished by using a floor lamp or a clip on light and equipping it with a full spectrum bulb. Alternatively, you can suspend a light fixture over the cage. We like the Chew Guard lights sold by M&M Cage company on Amazon. Look for full spectrum bulbs that have a CRI (colour rendering index) of 90 or above, 400 lux or above, and a colour temperature of 5000K or greater. Current research seems to indicate that UV light is not necessary for birds so we do not recommend UV lights. This is an area of ongoing research, however. Be sure to clip electrical cables out of your bird's reach! The light will need to be put on a timer to provide 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness. Most parrots are equatorial birds and have evolved to expect photoperiods of this length. The bird should be in the cage in the morning when the light comes on and put back in the cage before the light goes off. This will help to ensure your bird gets enough sleep. Like humans, sleep deprived parrots are grumpy and more likely to act out!
Diet:
An appropriate diet for your parrot is dependent on the species of parrot you purchase. Be sure to follow the species specific recommendations that follow. Unsafe foods for all birds include avocado, caffeinated beverages, chocolate, alcohol, onions, dried beans, moldy or spoiled fruits, and junk food.
Red and Green Naped Lorikeets:
Lories are nectar eating birds and require a specialized Lory diet. Regular parrot food is too high in protein and iron for these birds. Seeds, with the exception of some sprouted seed, should not be regularly offered to these birds. Seeds are much too high in fat and protein and can result in liver and cardiac disease among other problems. We feed our Lories a liquid nectar diet. Lory nectar comes in powdered form. It is mixed with warm water and provided to the birds in small quantities as it can spoil quite rapidly. Follow the instructions on the package for appropriate powder/water ratios and serving amounts. Some, but not all powdered Lory food can also be fed dry. Check the instructions on your specific product. We make a small amount of dry food available to our birds at all times. If dry food is provided, a water dish should be located near by as Lories like to soak their dry food. This fouls the water which must be changed regularly. A large water dish can also double as a bird bath. Most Lories love their baths! Lories should also be provided with finely diced fruits and vegetables at least every other day. We make our Lories a fruit smoothie out of a variety of fruits and veggies and add this to their nectar each day. Pureed baby food (with no added iron), apple sauce, and cooked rice or pasta can also be offered. Many websites about Lories mistakenly recommend a dry diet to minimize the mess of the liquid dropping of these birds. It is our opinion that the Lorikeet digestive system is not adapted to a totally dry diet and that a good quality liquid nectar is an essential part of a healthy diet for these parrots.
Caiques, Senegals, and Meyers:
These birds can eat foods prepared for most species of medium sized parrots. A good quality pellet should form the majority (75-80%) of their diet along with fresh fruits and vegetables and plenty of fresh water. We recommend pellets with no artificial dyes as there is some evidence these dyes may contribute to feather plucking. Nuts and seeds should be considered "dessert" and be fed sparingly or as treats. The exception to this is sprouted seed. The process of sprouting consumes the harmful fats and adds many beneficial nutrients to the seed. Cooked pasta, brown rice, and whole grain bread can be provided for variety. Frozen vegetables and fruits that have been thawed can provide a quick and healthy meal for these birds. Chopped hard boiled eggs, small amounts of chicken meat or chicken bones, and even Lory nectar is often appreciated as an occasional treat. Parrots, like people, develop distinct preferences for certain foods. You will soon learn which foods your bird likes and dislikes. Be sure to always provide a variety of healthy options as food can be a source of entertainment as well as nutrition.
Behaviour and Training:
Step up:
Probably the most important command for your parrot to learn is the "step up" command. All of our babies will come trained to do this but you must continue to practice daily for the behaviour to become firmly established. Be sure to sometimes have your parrot step up onto a wooden perch that you hold in your hand. This can be useful if your parrot ever becomes upset or frightened and may be more prone to bite. The step up command simply involves offering your parrot your finger and using the command "step-up." Your parrot should step onto your finger. Don't be surprised if it first tests the stability of your finger with it's beak. If your parrot does not step up, simply press your finger against it's lower abdomen while repeating the command. Your parrot will soon get the hang of what you want it to do. Be sure to offer plenty of praise and a treat for successful responses. If your parrot seems to be in a non-compliant mood, leave it alone and try again later. Remember, it is still getting to know and trust you and may need more time to settle in.
Screaming:
To some extent noise is a fact of life when living with a parrot. Certainly, some species and individuals are more vocal than others (we find Caiques and Lories to be noisier than Meyers and Senegals). All birds have their natural calling times when they check in with other members of their flock. This usually occurs for a period of time in the mornings and again in the evenings. You might observe this with wild birds as well! This is normal parrot behaviour and should generally be ignored. If your parrot is calling to you because it cannot see you, you can let them know where you are with a whistle or a word. If your parrot's cage is somewhere where it can see you eating, you may find your parrot screaming for some of your food. It is natural for parrots to feed together in the wild and your parrot is just wanting to join in a normal flocking behaviour. Remember, you and the other members of the household are its flock! You have two choices in dealing with this behaviour. Don't eat in front of your parrot or offer it something to eat with you before it starts to scream. If you wait until after it is screaming and then offer it food to "keep it quiet" you will be rewarding the screaming behaviour. Once it starts screaming your only choices are to leave the room yourself, move the parrot to another room, or ignore the screaming. Telling the parrot to be quiet will only teach the parrot that it gets your attention when it screams. Our Chattering Lory, Quincey, came to us with a bit of a screaming habit. Someone clearly used to yell at him for this. Quincey will give an ear piercing scream and then say to himself, "Quincey, shut up!" or "Quincey, be quiet!" Clearly, yelling at Quincey only rewarded his screaming behaviour! If your parrot is getting enough attention and has adequate food and water, it's vocalizations should not be excessive.
Biting:
All parrots will bite if provoked. Sometimes it can be difficult to tell what has provoked it. If parrots are not handled daily, they can begin to revert back to wild behaviours. If your parrot suddenly bites you, consider if you have been spending enough time with it. It may just be that it needs more time with you. Some parrots are quite territorial around their cage and will bite if you stick your hand inside the cage. If this happens, offer a wooden perch or cover your hand with a towel and your bird will likely step up quite willingly. Other birds develop a dislike for a certain person or gender. Sometimes, this is a sign that they have become exclusively attached to their "special person." It is important that your parrot is handled by all members of the household into order to prevent your parrot from becoming unduly attached to one person. Probably the most common cause of biting is lack of sleep. Be sure your parrot is getting 12 hours of quiet darkness. Other causes for biting might include raging hormones, a sudden fright, or grumpiness due to molting. If your parrot does bite the best thing you can do is say "No" in a firm voice and put your parrot down in a safe place (preferably not it's cage). Ignore the parrot for 30 seconds or so and then offer your parrot your hand to step up. If your parrot bites you again, repeat the procedure. Parrots want your love and attention and will quickly learn to avoid behaviours that cause you to withdraw from them. If you know what caused your parrot to bite, try to avoid a repeat. Our bird Quincey hates the rubber gloves I wear when I clean his cage. He will attack my hands if I am wearing them. I simply put Quincey in another room before I don the gloves to clean his cage! Quincey will also bite if someone grabs him to pick him up. Many birds do not respond well to being grabbed. Instead, offer your hand for your bird to step up. If it is being stubborn, offer it a treat or an alternative perch rather than grabbing it.
Training:
Parrots can be trained to do a variety of entertaining tricks. Clicker training is particularly effective with parrots. There are many videos and websites available if you are interested in learning more about this. They are all based on the simple principle of rewarding desired behaviours. Training your parrot is not only fun for you but provides much needed stimulation for these active and intelligent creatures!
Grooming:
Bathing:
Your bird should be provided with a shallow bowl of water (we call them pools!) large enough to bathe in. Bathing is important for birds to keep their feathers and skin in good condition. This does not need to be left in the cage all the time but should be offered every other day or so. Some birds prefer to be misted with a plant mister. Always use plain, warm water and never add any kind of soap as this is toxic and destroys the natural oils on the bird's feathers. Often misting a bird first will inspire it to take a bath in its "pool." We keep open water dishes in all of our bird’s cages as well as water bottles so that water for bathing and clean water for drinking is always available.
Nail and Beak trimming:
Parrots will need to have their toenails clipped from time to time. Many people prefer to take their bird to the vet or to a groomer who specializes in birds to have this done. Some pet stores offer this service. It is not difficult to learn to clip your bird's nails yourself but it is probably best if you watch an experienced person do it first.
Beak trimming is not something that usually needs to be done with a healthy bird who has been given am appropriate diet, toys and chewable items. Sometimes, as a bird ages, it will need to have its beak trimmed. An overgrown beak in a young bird can be a sign of illness or nutritional deficiency and warrants a trip to the vet. Beak trimming should only be done by a vet. A parrot's beak is full of nerve endings and blood vessels. A healthy beak is too essential to its well being to be attempted yourself. Please note that it is normal for a Caique to have a long point on their top beak. We have known even veterinary clinics to inappropriately trim a Caique’s beak thinking it should look like a Lovebird or Senegals’s beak. It does not! Trimming a Caique’s beak this short will cause it pain and it may stop eating. We would only trim a bird’s beak if it is interfering in it’s ability to groom and eat.
Wing Clipping:
The clipping of a parrot's wings limit or prevent the bird from flying (depending on how much has been clipped). This is a controversial procedure. There are merits to both sides of the argument. A bird that has had it's wings clipped is less likely to fly into a window or mirror or even out the door! This is a significant safety issue for a tame parrot! A parrot that has had it's wings clipped is more likely to remain on a perch or on your hand making it easier to socialize and train. On the flip side, parrots were designed for flight. Recent research has indicated that parrots who are given opportunities to fly are healthier and more fit than those that aren't. Most parrots will soon learn to avoid windows and mirrors and can be trained to fly back and forth safely from a perch to your hand. Also, flight harnesses are available that enable the parrot owner to take the bird safely outdoors for flying exercise.
All of our chicks are allowed to become fully flighted. We generally recommend a gentle wing clip just prior to a chick going to it’s new home. The bird is still capable of short flights but cannot fly full tilt into a window. This allows the bird to become familiar with its new home and makes early socialization easier for the new owner. We then recommend allowing the flight feathers to grow back. The exception to this is our Lorikeets. Lorikeets are exceptionally active birds and clipping them is very hard on them. They are also very quick to learn to fly to you on command. Our Lorikeet chicks all do this well even before they are fully weaned. Some care must be taken to show them the location of windows and mirrors but they seem to learn this quickly. We do not find the benefits of clipping Lorikeets outweigh the adverse affect it has on their quality of life.
We are currently making it our practice to introduce a flight harness to our chicks from a very young age in the hopes that they will accept it more readily if their adopted owners wish to use one. This has been very successful.
We do not recommend clipping a bird's wings yourself as it can be a somewhat risky procedure. If you accidentally clip a blood feather, it is possible that your bird could bleed to death. The only way to stop a blood feather from bleeding is to pull it out! Also, the rough ends of improperly clipped feathers can be irritating to the bird. If you wish to keep your bird's wings clipped, we recommend you take it to an avian vet or avian groomer.
Parrots and Other Pets:
One often reads heartwarming stories about parrots that seem to have befriended a family dog or cat. Unfortunately, I suspect the stories about the family pet being the cause of a parrot's unexpected demise are much more common than we would like to believe. Cats and dogs have bacteria in their saliva that is toxic to parrots (humans do too)! Even a friendly lick can spell disaster let alone sharp teeth and claws! Our parrots are never out of their cages without close supervision if our cats or dog have access to the room. Parrots are very bold creatures and often show no fear towards animals larger than themselves. Fortunately, our other pets seem to be a bit afraid of the parrots! We have never had an incident between our parrots and our other pets but if we were to have something unexpected happen, even if the bird appeared uninjured, we would take it to the vet to see if preventative antibiotics might be in order.
One must also be cautious about introducing other birds as companions. Hand raised parrots have come to think of humans as their flock and their ability to socialize with birds may be limited. Also, some parrot species and individuals are not tolerant of other birds and will attack and even kill members of their own kind. Lory's are particularly known to be intolerant of other birds. Having said this, our Chattering Lory, Quincey, seems to quite enjoy the company of other birds. However, the other birds are not tolerant of him and will nip at him or chase him if given the opportunity. We do not recommend keeping more than one bird in the same cage unless they are a bonded (mated) pair and you are prepared to deal with the possibility of eggs and chicks! You can certainly keep more than one bird if you have the time to devote to them but provide them each with their own cage. Ensure that they are closely supervised when they are together and that each bird gets individual attention as well.