Posts

Outdoors?

  Should you Let your Bird Outside? Bringing your bird outside is a rather controversial topic among bird keepers. Many will tell you that it is good for your bird, and many others will tell you it is dangerous. It all comes down to each bird, and where in the world they live. Temperature has a big part to play in how comfortable your bird will be outside. Many domestic birds are parrots, which are evolved to live in warm environments, so if where you live is cold, it is a good idea to not take your bird outside, so they do not get sick or feel uncomfortable. Weather also has a big factor in how safe the outside is for your bird. If it is raining, or snowing, even just a little bit, it is definitely not a good idea to take your bird outside. This will most definitely lead to them getting sick Another problem is the local wildlife and domestic animals in your area. Your bird may panic and feel unsafe if they see dogs, cats, or even other large birds. You need to be able to be responsibl
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Your Bird's Health

  Checking on Your Bird's Health Like cats, dogs, and other animals, birds are not very good at communicating when they are sick, hurt, or otherwise unwell. In fact, birds often try to hide when they are not quite right. This is due to instinct of trying not to appear weak near predators, and unfortunately, this is not a behavior that many domesticated birds will drop. So, it is up to you as a caretaker to pay attention to your bird and look for early signs of heath problems. However the best solution is often prevention. A healthy diet, a clean living space, and exercise are the best ways to prevent your bird from being injured or sick. This was discussed in earlier blog posts, and are steps you should always take when considering your bird's living conditions. However, even then, you will not be able to completely prevent your bird from becoming ill or hurt. That is why it is important to know what you must do in the event that your bird needs medical assistance. Find a vet w
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Bird-proofing Your Living Area

  Bird-Proofing Your Living Area Birds are very delicate creatures. Because of this, creating a safe environment for your bird outside of it's cage is very important. Taking your bird out of it's cage helps with enrichment, physical health, and mental wellness. It provides room for socialization, exploration, and promotes exercise. Your bird will also be more comfortable in the space they live in if they are given the room to become familiar with the area. Without this type of enrichment, birds can become stressed, which can lead to many harmful behaviors. This can include louder, more frequent screaming, biting, and feather plucking. It also leads to your bird becoming more inactive, which can lead to internal health issues. They may develop obesity problems. The lack of movement can cause their wing and feet muscles to cramp up and become weak. This can spiral into more health issues if not taken care of, so it's better to take steps to prevent these sorts of problems bef
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Bird Grooming

  Bird Grooming Today I will be discussing how to groom your bird for their health. Keeping your bird clean is very important to their overall health. The most common grooming your bird will need is nail trimming. Nail trimming is something many pet owners must take into account, and for birds, it is especially important. Bird's feet are used for all sorts of day to day activities such as climbing, eating, and cleaning their feathers. This is why well trimmed nails are important to the bird. When trimming your bird's nails, it is important to keep them safe during the process. Your bird may squirm and move, so you want to keep them still. The best method of doing this is holding them with a towel, tight enough to stop them from moving around, but not too tight as to not hurt them. When trimming the bird's nails, gently hold the foot or toe still and use a nail clipper to cut off a part of the nail. With certain birds, you may see a dark black or red material inside the nail
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Cleaning Your Bird's Cage

  Cleaning Your Bird's Cage Cleanliness is an important factor in your bird's health. Birds, like any pet, are able to make messes in their enclosure. Today I will be talking about how to properly clean your bird's cage. When you get a birdcage, it will almost always come with a tray underneath the floor wires. This tray has a purpose. It is meant to be lined with paper (newspaper will do just fine) in order to catch any waste products or food that drops onto the bottom of the cage. You should change this lining daily. Sometimes however, waste is not caught on the paper lining, and instead, is caught on the bottom wires of the cage. This, and other parts of the cage, should be cleaned thoroughly, weekly. Always remove your bird during these cleanings and put them in a safe place while you work. A secondary smaller cage will suffice as long as the bird is not there for too long. To clean the metal wires of the cage, use warm water and a small amount of apple cider vinegar, o
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Where to keep your birdcage

  Where to keep your birdcage Keeping your bird's cage in a busy room is important for your bird to develop a level of trust towards humans. Placing the cage in the corner of the room is also very important to keeping your bird calm. However, there are other factors that go into where to place your bird's cage. Do not place the cage in sight of windows. Being able to see the outdoors will make your bird constantly on edge and on the lookout for predators. With no way to hide from a potential hunter, your bird will become very stressed. In the event that they see potential predators out of the window, they will become even more frightened. Some of these predators include large birds such as hawks and eagles, dogs, cats, and other wild animals. If you have other pets but still do want to get a pet bird, it is your responsibility to keep the cage in a place where your bird will not be bothered by other pets. Otherwise, you risk causing more stress to the bird. Do not place the cag
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Being Social With Your Bird

  Being Social With Your Bird The next step to taking good care of your bird is being social with them. Birds, while a social species, can be very nervous around humans. Today, I will be talking about how to form a bond with your pet bird and get them to trust you. Something to remember when handling a bird is that you are massive to them. Birds have natural instincts to flee from danger, and will react loudly when frightened. Keep this in mind when interacting with any small animal that you do not know. The first step is to find a safe spot to keep your bird cage. Hopefully you referred to an earlier post when picking out a cage for your bird. It is good to put the cage in a room with traffic, so they can get used to human presence, but it is also good to keep the cage in a corner. This makes the bird feel more secure. If they are nervous or scared, they can feel like they are not exposed from every side, causing less stress for the bird. It is important to spend time with your bird.
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