5 Things Every Parrot Owner Should Have

Great imfo!thanks chet

I would advise to add to the list about six “emergency” homeopathic medications. Arnica 30 C for pain/injury, Arsenicum Album 100C or 200C, for poisening, Phosphorus 30 C to stop bleeding, Pulsatilla for respiratory infections, Aconite 200 C for fright, Apis 200C for swelling. Never give Apis and Rhus Tox. together. Wait at least one day in between the two remedies.

There are certain rules that need to be followed in order to abpply homepathic meds safely and with success. Please do some research on the subject before getting started.

Thanks Chet for the great tips as usual!

Ramkishore, New Delhi, India

Liked the idea about including behaviors in the journal. I never thought of that. for some reason, only weight. I have four birds and it is hard to remember all the details about each. The vet never fails to ask something I don’t remember. Thanks.

Thanks Chet

Fantastic advice and I’m already doing it. I am convinced that monitoring my birds’ weights has saved them more than once.
The evacuation advice is sound too. We had serious bushfires here in Australia last year and a lot of us have need to evacuate each summer. I have carriers for each of my birds, one for my cat and even foldup ones for my dogs. I thought it was common sense to be ready and I’ve had cause to be glad of it. Good idea to train your birds to cooperate when getting into a carrier too. Speed can matter.
What I didn’t count on was a stray parrot that someone had dumped on me the day before the bushfires… I have a spare couple of avaries/large cages so I often get called on for emergency accommodation. Not so fantastic when i didn’t have a carrier for a rescue bird in an evacuation.
I would like to point out, if you’re known as an animal person chances are you could wind up being asked to help a neighbour who wasn’t prepared in an evacuation. Keep a spare carrier just in case. Believe me, people notice parrot people and will ask for help when they’re not organised themselves. I’ve never been able to say no to helping and it’s not fun when you have to combine birds into a cage that aren’t into sharing cages!!!

many thanks..particularly for ‘Carriers’, which if I had, I would not loose my Grey Parrot
in a fire building. Somebody stole it!

Chet, thanks for all the helpful articles. Keep them coming, I learn new stuff everytime.

Really great information.

thanks i’ll be getting me a first aid kit. many thanks, ann

Wow…I need to be better prepared!! Thanks for this info!!

That is great advice, I have several of each, but there are a lot of people that doesnt know!

Thank you, Chet. I wouldn’t have thought of getting the bird scale, but I definately will.
I would be hurt to loose such an important member of my family.

Great advice. I need a First Aid kit. I also weigh their food each day. Eliminates waste and is an indicator of general health.

melody 05/24/2010

Thanks for the great info.

Thanks Patty! This is really important information esp for somebody like me who is relatively new to birdhood. An excellent ‘avian and exotic’ vet is Dr. Douglas Coward in Mission Viejo, South California (Animal & Bird Clinic of Mission Viejo; right off the I5). Heidi

BUT, where can i get a birds first aid kit and how much will it costs me?

I’m good 4 out of 5! Am on my way to get a gram scale for my Green Cheek asap!
Thanks!

You have just chared something that will save many Parrots lives!! Thankyou:)

Thank you for the very important suggestions you have offered.

Hmmmm – i have four of the five. Don’t have a scale but my friendly petstore likely will. That’s my next purchase for my dear Zooey. Thanks, Chet, for the ongoing wonderful gems of advice. Couldn’t do it without you!!!

I just became a happy owner of a love bird, my green cheak conure passed on last spring and I have finally moved on. The Love bird has had a lack of human contact. A person to be there and keep the bird clean and keep the cage clean, the bird dose notice. Unfortenly I have to grab the bird to put her back in her cage for work and other activities and its a chase, I dearly hate this. My green cheak was trained potty trained and positive reinforcing good behavior is how I accomplished these traing skills with my bird. Its just a little hard because this love bird “Fern” is a year and hasn’t started any training. My frist goal is to get Fern to take food from my hand. She doesn’t let me come near her, I am going to take her in as soon as possible and get the wings, beak and nails trimed.

Living in earthquake country, I have my carriers prestocked for evacuation. Each critter has a designated carrier, and each carrier has food, water, bedding, and a toy or two. I also keep a designated bird towel and self warming heat packs with the first aid kit. (Random Amazon link for heat packs: http://www.amazon.com/Instant-Reusable-Heat-Pack-WARMERS/dp/B000E48LVM)

I keep forceps and quickclot wrapped in the towel on top of the first aid kit. Broken blood feathers are scary.

I googled for a good online first aid kit, and was surprised to find none. Mine was designed by a local avian vet and sold by a local rescue group in coordination with classes by said vet. It has basic supplies in a small cage (injured and frightened bird will like a dark cave-like place. The normal carrier cage is probably too big.)

This does remind me that I need to check the expiration dates on my supplies.

Doesn’t everyone weigh their birds daily? That is just a stop on the way from the sleeping cage to the day cage.

CHET I AM IN SOUTH AFRICA AND WANT TO TAKE MY AFRICAN GREY TO UK WITH ME,WHICH IS THE BEST CARRIER FOR HIM TO TRAVEL IN,WHEN HE HAS PASSED ALL HIS TESTS ECT. THAT IS

that is the stupidest thing i ever heard what are you spoiling your bird for they dont need journals!!!!

Oops! Forgot something. GOOD FOOD! So many people think because they have bought the latest perches and toys, they can throw anything and everything into their food cups! Learn what your bird eats in the wild, and most importantly HOW they eat. Are they foragers? Ground birds or treetop dwellers? Buy good food from a reputable dealer – NOT what’s on sale at Wally World!

Chet, You are the man!!! Thank you. We really care for our feathered family. Thank you.
Rick and Danielle…

Fantastic Information.

Thanks man…………….my peach faced lovebird rly enjoys watching ur vids

BIRDTRICKS ROCKS!!

This is of great help. Thank you! I will now get a first aid kit and a gram scale and now keep a journal.

FABULOUS!!! I have a first aid kit for my cats and dogs I need to get one ready for my coming attraction, a Peach Faced Love Bird who has behavioural problems. This will not be my first bird as I have had parakeets. I wish I would have known this info when I had them as well as the wild birds I rehabilitated. All of the information I have read on your site is absolutely wonderful. What an honor it must be to have the ability to tame these beautiful creatures so they have a long, happy and safe life. When I watch the beautiful birds you work with and how you train them it brings tears to my eyes to see how much you really love the birds. I, personally, am so greatful that you are sharing your talents with us. Thank you so much Chet and Patty and to all of your staff. You do a wonderful job for us. I can’t thank you enough. Dawn from Little Rock, AR

Do you think people “need” an air cleaner/purifier?

thank you so much for this information, i will start to get these things togather.you are such a help i live in a small town and there isn’t anyone who deals with birds i will have to treavel a long dis. i pray jolly stays well

Wow, don’t have the scale but i’ll try and get one. Oh one question: How old does my budgie have to be to mate with my female?

thanks alot for the info I never even thought about. thanks to you chet for all other info that you always have on birds.

Hi Rebecca,
Try using millet as the treat for target training. It keeps your hands at a “safer” distance while offering a reward. It’s amazing how different they all are, isn’t it?
Patty

Hi Nicole,
Your need for an air purifier depends on a few different factors. Cockatoos, cockatiels and african greys are among the dustiest birds. I have 2 cockatoos, and 2 cockatiels, so I “need” an air purifier. It also depends on the ventilation in your home and on how close the proximity you live with your birds is. I’ll be doing a post on this subject very soon.
Patty

Thank you Chet, great advise.
From Lisa Davidson, mommy to two African Grey’s ‘Krakr and Princess’
Ontario.Canada.

LAST MAY I LOST ONE OF MY SWEET PARROTS TO A WEIRD DISORDER,I SAW HER EATING THAT DAY BUT ALL AT ONCE SHE PUFFED UP AND ACTED SLEEPY,NOT NORMAL FOR HER.I TOOK HER TO MY VET,HE SAID SHE WAS NOT RECIEVING ANY NUTRITION,ALTHOUGH SHE WAS EATING.SHE WAS SKIN AND BONES UNDER THOSE BEAUTIFUL FEATHERS.SHE WAS ONLY SIX MONTHS OLD.HE SENT ANTIBIOTICS HOME WITH ME,BUT SAID HE DIDN’T THINK SHE WOULD MAKE .SHE DIED AN HOUR AFTER I BROUGHT HER HOME. PLEASE WEIGH YOUR BIRDS OFTEN.I MISS THAT SWEET LITTLE BABY GIRL.

im going to start a journal right away, and thanks for the avian vet advise but here in new zealand we only have an all round vet so I will check that one out. again many thanks for all your advise and videos, lesley

hi i have a cockatiail that now can talk thank you for helping me out.

than Mr.Chet fot this information and tips…
This is very help me about cared my bird…

thanks Chet for the valuable info, just the info i needed because we are moving to the bush, and no doubt there will be bush fires.

Patty,
I very much enjoyed the information in your article some of the emergencies I have actually encountered, like the bleeding blood feather in a cockatiel. One thing you mention in your article is keeping a journal. This is an excellent Idea I stumbled across when our male Solomon Island Eclectus stopped eating for 2 weeks. We kept a record of his weight, behavior, and how much we could get into him between vet feedings. We just did an emergency run for our female SI Eclectus because she was laying many eggs over a long period of time. About 11 eggs over 8 months. We came home one evening from work and her demeanor had changed from this morning. We gave her 30 mins to come around with us being home but nothing changed. By then it was a 1.25hr drive to the Avian vet, we made the call and left immediately. The point I am trying to make is KNOW you bird. Small changes can be significant, as you mentioned. If I had not known our males eating habits or our females normal daily doings they might have gone down to apoint of no return to quickly.
Johm

thanks for info i am learning a lot that i didnt know

Great advice Chet. Thanks so much. I will be getting the kit and carrier asap.

my parrot love my wife but hates me. He is ok when she is not home but when she gets home i become the enemy. he will now attack me fly at me and be very aggressive to me even when i feed him he take the food eats it then try to bite me. any help before i give him away. we have two parrot i think 1 is a female and 1 is an aggressive male.

On the Upper West Side of Manhattan; These are superb avian vets.

The Center For Avian & Exotic Medicine
568 Columbus Avenue
New York, NY 10024
(212) 501-8750

Thanks so much for all of you advice,tips and knowlage that you have shared with me and others.
I surely would not know half of what I know hadn’t been for all your e-mails.

Thanks chet, i like the information,its great

Your the best, Thanks, Kathy

I am going to get all of these things ASAP! I already have an Avian Vet, but not the rest! Thanks for this list, it really helps!

Good lessons, I used to have a carrier but my bird hates it to death and managed to break the clips off. I will have to get a nicer one like in the photo.

Thank you, Chet!

Really nice INFO, ofter this i am going to do it,,
i have a parrote ,before he was talking but now a days dont know why
can anybody tell me what should i do ,that he should talk
Qais_samandary@hotmail.com
Thanks for Helping me
Waiting for you Emails

thanks for the info. It is great to know and makes a lot of sense.

thanks a lot for yr advice i will do my best to bring them all esp i have 2 grey parrots

Dexter my conure “ran away” yesterday. He was on my shoulder when my daughter opened a door and he took off. I ran outside and called to him (he loves me and will usually come to me no matter where I am) . I walked the neighborhood calling to him, and never heard a single sound from him. He is very loud and I know his voice very well, I put his cage on the deck which is very high off the ground and very visable. I live on a lake so there is alot of visibility in my backyard. I am going to put up posters and check with vets and humane society. I was wondering if anyone has any more suggestions to help me find my baby? I’m sorry to post here but I didn’t know where else to ask so many bird lovers. Thank You for any help you can offer. valery savage

Hi Valery,
You’re off to a good start, but remember that the more people you make aware of the situation, the more people will be on the lookout. Please read this post on the subject: http://www.birdtricks.com/blog/what-to-do-if-your-bird-escapes/. One thing you have to your advantage is that your bird is people friendly. Those are the ones, especially the smaller birds, who go to people for help when they get hungry. To get your bird back, that person has to know where to find you. Please let me know what kind of conure you have, a few details (does he say anything special, know his name etc) and your general area and I will cross post on some bird forums. Good luck and don’t give him up for lost just yet!
Patty

Dear Patty, Thank you so much for responding so quickly. Dexter is a sun conure he is mostly green with an orange forhead and yellow chest. He says how are you, I love you , whichy witchy woo woo (don’t know what it means but he says it at night when he is in his bed) he sas dance dance when he hears music, he whistles, does really loud kissing sounds and will land on anyones head and stay there until you make him get down. He steps up on command. I live in Arlington Texas on Lake Arlington. Can birds get lost and not Know how to get home, or do they stay away because they want be free? I’m scared for him because he is only 2 yrs. old and very friendly. since we live on a lake we have many trees lots of big birds in the area and various animals around the lake. once again thank you for your help. valery savage

Valery,
Captive birds don’t run away. They are either frightened into flight or they go out to adventure in the other “room” with all the cool trees in it. Once there, nothing is familiar and they are easily disoriented. Also, our birds seem to be able to go up, but have trouble coming down. Your bird might very well go to a human for help. I will get on the forums and let them know about Dexter and I have a friend from Austin who volunteers for 911 Parrot Alert, and I am a member of the Austin Parrot society and I will contact them as well as people in Houston. They have the Texas thing pretty well covered and will make some calls. I will use your email address for contact info. Make an ad on Craigslist, that’s one of the first places people go when they find a bird. Watch your local paper for found listings, and make a lost listing. Tell everyone you know, keep people’s eyes to the sky!
Patty

Thanx for the tips umm… can u like add me on msn please if u have it cause i need to talk to u.
My other bird died, it got a cold and yer, now I’ve got 2 new budgies and i am only 12 by the way if u didn’t know cause the pics that i see on your website is mostly peeps that are over 18 so i was thinking that you’d thought i was an adult. I have an male and a female budgie and i think it’s about to lay an egg or two. Great information. please add my msn you know it and yer. Thanks.

Thanks so much some if not all I never would have thought of.

wowww chet! never thought i woud need the carrier! thanks!

Hi Kevin,
Why do you think your bird is about to lay an egg?
Patty

I have crates for my companions in case of fire and find that crate training is a must to make it a quick operation to the car if your not going to stay and defend, and get a piece of dowel that is the comfortable diameter for the bird going into the crate and screw the ends through the sides of the crate to create a low perch, I find the larger parrot doesn’t like standing flat footed in the crate, they are more comfortable on a low perch and settle quicker. And just in case you can’t go home for a few days, install feeders and water dishes that either swivel or slide from the opposite end of the crate from the door, all companions equate door opening to ‘I’m leaving the crate’ and get extremely irate when they don’t.

Hi Chris,
This is great, practical advice! The crates aren’t a lot of good if you can’t get them inside, especially in a hurry if needed!
Patty

Thanks I really needed that.I have a question I have 2 parakeets and they preen each other,when will I see them start to mate?

Hi Kathryn,
Preening each other isn’t necessarily the start of that kind of relationship. Two birds of the same sex will do this. Are you sure you have one of each?
Patty

Thank you Patty for the great advice!!

Dear Chet, Recently, I had a sun conure named Sunny..She let out a scream & I ran into the living room where she lived..She became listless, & I tried to revive her with CPR but the little girl just died in my hands…I also had 2–Cockatiels (male) Smokey, & Buddy…Smokey was Buddys’ offspring, Smokey resided in the same cage with his mate..He & Buddy died the same day as Sunny…Both of them had rigimortis in them & they had died sometime that same day..But I was so upset with Sunny dying that I momentarily look in on the others…I also had a precious little green-cheeked conure that also died the same day…I am so upset over their passing…I called my regular vet & asked what could have caused their death…They said it could have been bacterial or Viral & couldn’t do it there, that I would have to see an Avian Dr..& he was over a 150 miles…from my home…Could you give me some reasons why they died…Smokey mate Chili still lives in the same cage…I removed all of the toys & sterilized the cage before I returned Chili to the cage…I have her (Chili) cocatiel & Molly my African Grey they are still alive…Please help me, I am sooo sad after losing them…They were my family…Sincerely,

Hi Phyllis,
I am so sorry about your loss. I know how much it hurts to lose them. Your vet is right, you need an avian certified vet. My concern here is for the remaining birds. If there was a contagious disease present that caused the death of the others, it could be working against the other birds now. Read this post to know how to identify a problem with your birds http://www.birdtricks.com/blog/when-to-take-your-bird-to-the-vet/, and consider taking the others in for blood work. I know it’s a long way to go, but it is worth it, if only for the peace of mind you’ll have knowing they are okay. When a bird dies of unknown causes, it is always a good idea to get a necropsy done: http://www.birdtricks.com/blog/why-you-should-have-a-necropsy-done-when-your-parrot-dies/.
Patty

THANX CHET
BUT HOW ARE YOU SUPPOSE TO WEIGH YOUR BIRD WHEN THEIR ALWAYS SCWARMY?

Thanks Chet for your lovely article. keep them sending adds to our information. Also dicuss aout grey parots living in hot places, their care food and every thing.

thanks,
Shahnaz

hi its kathryn . I am sure I have one of each. Their names are jelly and peanut, im really new to having birds. what are the signs of when they wanna mate?

Hi Kathryn,
How birds go about mating and selecting a mate varies. Sometimes is begins with preening or feeding each other. Sometimes there’s a big, showy display of wings and crests, sometimes they skip the formalities and get right down to business.
Patty

Hello Chet!

Want to also let everyone know about the issues of having any vet outline a plan of treatment that includes intubation of your bird should you need to seek medical help. Know that the action of inserting a breathing tube down the trachea of your pet can set the creature up to develop Xanthogranulomatosis. This condition causes a membrane to grow over the trachea , usually within a 2 week time frame from the time of extubation, thereby effectively causing suffocation of your pet. I found out the hard way when a board certified avian vet had my 14 year old Blue and Gold Macaw sedated and intubated for an X-ray of his leg following a fall in his cage. Two weeks later we were having surgery performed to remove the new growth and then two weeks after that we had to have the little guy put to sleep as it had recurred. It also almost killed his brother who had never been apart from him and fell into a depression refusing to eat or interact. This happened in Wisconsin. I truly was careful and thought I had all my bases covered, but, found out that a vet “being board certified” is still not going to protect your pet. As the “parent” or owner, it is still up to you to be informed and make intelligent choices for your pet. I write because I don’t want another such incident to happen to anyone’s bird.

I already knew that but thanks anyway

all of these stuff seem expensive i don’t think my parents will let me buy it all! lol i’m only 15 years old

jk