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The information above will provide you a basic idea of what to expect. If you
have further questions, feel free to ask!
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New Species!
We are cutting back on our Hahn's Macaws, and other New World species and
focusing more on the Poicephalus birds. To that end, we are planning to offer
Red-Bellieds, Orange vested Senegals, and Meyers Parrots as well as Timneh Greys
in 2010-2011.
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Articles
Some of my articles, or articles I've reprinted with permission are under a
link on my site. Check them out!
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Weight loss:
As birds move into the weaning process, they fledge
(fly), and during that time right before they fly, they go on a ‘diet’ and
will slim their bodies down for flight. The pudgy baby bird goes away and a
sleek adult bodied bird remains. Some babies lose quite a bit of weight
during this time and are slow to regain it as their metabolism slows down
some. They no longer consume easily digestible baby food! Your baby has been
fully weaned and has gone without hand-feeding for over a week and has
maintained its body weight. It is now up to you to continue a healthy diet
so your baby can regain some of the weight it lost during its
fledging/weaning phase. Expect your bird to put on anywhere between 10 and
20 grams of weight in the first three months. Any loss of weight, lethargy,
unwillingness to eat and/or excessive begging should be a warning sign. If
you witness any of these, please call us and let us know ASAP.
Begging:
Sometimes, a new baby will
feel very insecure at first in a new environment. Even though the baby is
completely weaned, it may go through begging mannerisms to show you it feels
vulnerable. These babies are hand-fed and look to humans as their protectors
and parents. When they beg, they’re not asking for food because they’re
hungry, they’re asking for physical and emotional comfort. Do not feed your
new baby any formulated hand-feeding food when and if your new baby begs.
This will only encourage and reward further begging. You want to bring your
baby close to your body and talk to it, even snuggle it under a towel or
blanket with you and reassure the baby it’s perfectly safe and has nothing
to fear. The begging will eventually stop as the baby grows more
confident in its new home. Signs of begging behavior: Fluffing head
and bobbing it slowly. Twitching a wing randomly (usually while fluffing and
bobbing). Rapid pumping if the beak is touched.
All of these signs
are very common and do not indicate sickness, so do not be alarmed to see
your baby exhibiting any of these begging signs. However, IF your baby will
not eat food at all, and/or is losing weight; please call me ASAP.
Cage:
A good general recommendation
for the new bird owner is "the largest affordable cage that one’s home will
accommodate”. Parrots are active birds and require a lot of mental and
phyiscal stimuli during the day. A decent size cage allows for playing when
you're at work at all day. Horizontal space is more critical than vertical
space in species where a long sweeping tail isn't going to get caught up in
the cage bars. More space is preferable to less space and daily time out of
the cage is important for both exercise and the social interaction that is
essential to the well being of your parrot. Below are averages;Conures, Senegals,
Caiques and Hahns Macaw need a decent amount of room. The minimum required
for a these species is 20" wide, 20" deep, 20" high. Please make sure the
spacing is no larger than ½” between bars.
Eclectus are vivacious birds and utilize their entire cage. Minium
requirements for an Eclectus would be at least 30" wide, 24" deep, and 36"
high. Congo African Greys, contrary to popular belief, do not hold to the
'bigger is better', and feel more secure in a cage that's a bit smaller than
what is normally parroted out there these days (pun intended!). A decent
cage size for a Congo is at least 30" wide, 24" deep, and 36" high.
Social Community:
One
of the best suggestions I can give you, as a new bird owner is to join a
bird community. This may be a bird club in your home town, or simply an
online based one. You can find species specific boards like greyforums.net
or conurecorner.com. The advice can be invaluable and you can get a lot of
mutual support from fellow bird owners. The one I belong to is called
www.birdboard.com.
You're welcome to join too! And, as always, I'm here for anything you
need, at any time!
Toys:
Parrots need a lot of toys. Please provide toys that
encourage preening, mild chewing and foraging. Toys should be rotated
frequently so the bird doesn’t get bored. Toys that show wear should be
replaced if needed. Avoid toys with small beads that can be swallowed. A
favorite toy place of mine is
www.fowl-play.com.
Another is
www.featherfantasy.com.
For crafty people, try making your own toys! I get my supplies from
www.cabirdnerds.com .
Food:
Your
baby's diet can be found here:
Daily Diet
Please do not feed your
bird any Avocados, olives, and avoid in-shell peanuts. Your baby is on a
diet that has very limited Sunflower Seeds. You should maintain this, and
only use Sunflower Seeds as treats and not as a primary staple in your
bird’s daily intake.
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