When Parrots Are For Sale

The state of the pet industry can be sad sometimes... especially when it comes to the unethical moving of too many parrots to unsuspecting buyers willing to buy the next cutest little parrot they see. Parrot buyers are giving less and less thought as to what it really means to bring home a baby parrot, and pet store owners aren't helping the problem. Just go into any pet store, play dumb and act like you're interested in purchasing a bird, and you'll find they're very happy to sell you one, but fall VERY short of actually preparing you for what it takes to raise a happy, healthy baby parrot. So I've written a short article that touches on the subject, and can help give you a few guidelines to follow when buying your next bird. You can find it here, it's called "When Parrots Are For Sale", and gives you 3 quick tips to help spot a pet shop that you shouldn't let sell you their birds.

When Parrots Are For Sale

The state of the pet industry can be sad sometimes... especially when it comes to the unethical moving of too many parrots to unsuspecting buyers willing to buy the next cutest little parrot they see. Parrot buyers are giving less and less thought as to what it really means to bring home a baby parrot, and pet store owners aren't helping the problem. Just go into any pet store, play dumb and act like you're interested in purchasing a bird, and you'll find they're very happy to sell you one, but fall VERY short of actually preparing you for what it takes to raise a happy, healthy baby parrot. So I've written a short article that touches on the subject, and can help give you a few guidelines to follow when buying your next bird. You can find it here, it's called "When Parrots Are For Sale", and gives you 3 quick tips to help spot a pet shop that you shouldn't let sell you their birds.

Fixing Phobias In African Grey Parrots

If you've ever purchased anything from me, you know that I am constantly using the services of Kim Bear. Who runs her parrot behavior consulting business at KimBear.com Well a few week ago I called Kim, because I had realized that one of the biggest problems I'm constantly having to coach people through is the "shy African Grey". You know, the type that's afraid of his own shadow. Because Kim is an expert with the handling and caring for African Grey's, I asked her to help me with input for an article that dives right into the heart of this issue. It's a bit longer article than normal, but if you have an African Grey, or are thinking about getting one, this article is a must read. And I mean that with all my heart. Not reading this article, is doing a HUGE disservice to your African Grey. So make sure you check out the African Grey Parrots article that dives into how to fix phobias, by visiting my article directory on my home page.

So You Don't Think Small Parrots Can Be Trained Huh?

So you've been told by your ignorant pet store owner... "yeah, small parrots are kinda' hard to train... just try to treat 'em nice, and make sure you buy our hand fed ones" ... What a load of crap! If I only had a dollar for every time I've heard that line before. It's the most stupid, ignorant bit of information owners of small birds can hear... and to be honest, it's down right moronic. My brother and I have trained small birds, I personally have trained my parakeet to fly to me anywhere within sight. He'll fly off of anything, be it a lamp, TV, another cage or anywhere he's been perching himself. All I have to do is give him the cue. He'll even fly back into his cage if I give him the cue. Now I admit... that's not very common, but it was VERY simple to teach, and didn't take more than 3 days to train. And when it comes to small birds, I didn't stop there, I've also trained my cockatiel ,Mr. Magoo, and my Parrotlet, Ricky, to flex, spin, and crawl through toilet paper roles. But what I've taught my birds isn't what I wanted to convey to you today... it's THAT I've taught them, and that you can teach your smaller parrots too! Don't discount them because they're small. I think you'll find they are very intelligent, and often learn quicker than bigger birds like Macaws... that's been my experience. In fact my brother and I are re-releasing a powerful series of training videos specifically designed for small bird owners, this upcoming Monday. It'll be full of tips, and tricks that will blow you away! Stay tuned to the blog for videos of all the stuff our new video series will teach your small parrot to do. If you own a bird the size of a Cockatiel or smaller, you'd be a fool not to get your hands on these videos. Maybe that sounds arrogant, but I'll stand in front of the world and let anyone who'll listen hear, that these videos are the MOST ADVANCED parakeet training videos ever created!

Are You Having Trouble Getting Your Parrot To Take Treats From You During Training Sessions?

Picking the best treat to reward your parrot with, is a crucial part of your training success. Even a starving parrot won't eat certain things. For example cockatiels that have note been taught how to eat pellets, have no idea that they are food, and if given the option between starving to death, and eating pellets right in their food bowl, will choose death... it's pretty common. I bring this up, because of my recent troubles with training Ricky, my Parrotlet, sometimes he wants to work for food and other times he doesn't. But one things for sure, is that he doesn't like the millet I've been offering to him lately, and it's hurting his training routine. So what's the solution... Try EVERYTHING... I need to go buy 4-5 types of different millet sprays to see what he likes most, I need to try lots of different seeds... I need to try shelled vs. unshelled seeds etc. And recently I've been seeing him pick nuts out of pieces of bread I've been giving him, so I should get those same nuts, and try to use them as treats. I bring this up, because lots of people give up way to early, because their bird's won't work for treats. This is from one of two reasons, A, there bird doesn't like the treat you're giving them, or B, your bird has become bored with the training, and going through the effort just isn't worth the treat anymore. Be sure to be perceptive of which problem your bird's having, and correct it with either more variety of treats, until you find something he likes... or VERY short, one to two repetition training sessions to keep the training short, active and fun for both you and the bird. Your sure to end up with a much more energetic bird, that'll fall in love with his training sessions in no time!

A Great Clicker Training Resource

Have you heard of this great free resource for learning about clicker-training? I found it by picking up a great book called "Clicking With Birds" and the author formed a group called 'Bird Click' that can be found by searching yahoo groups under the phrase 'Bird Click'. It's a group that focuses primarily on clicker training... and frankly just reading the success stories of how people have trained their parrots by using a clicker is enough to get you pumped up to try clicker training. So your homework for today is to go on over to Yahoo Groups and sign up to be a member and read these guys articles.

African Grey Parrots UK

Plenty of my customers and subscribers that live in the UK are looking for African Greys. And since this breed of bird seems to be so popular, I thought I'd point you in the direction of a few good UK locations, or websites to check out, when it comes to looking for your next African Grey in the UK. The first is a site I found while cruising google, that rescues parrots at http://www.parrot-rescue.co.uk/ and is a site that receives abused, or abandoned parrots. And if you know what you're doing with bird handling and you want to give a sad parrot a happy home, they're worth checking out. I've also posted a quick article about African Grey Parrots in the UK in the breed information section of my website. And when all else fails, head on over to google, and search for different locations near you, to find your next lovable Grey.

Training Your African Grey Parrots To Obey You -- And NOT Develope Phobias

I personally do not own an African Grey parrot, but I've worked with thousands of clients, and been coached by professionals on how to handle this breeds specific types of behavior problems. Currently I'm working with a VERY talented behavior specialist in creating an article that will help warn, and prepare new African Grey parrot owners, on this breeds issues. But don't be alarmed, a properly raised Grey is an amazing animal... but an improperly raised one is extremely shy and develops strong phobias of people, toys and things. So check out this African Grey Parrots Article, and stay tuned to this blog for the publishing of more Grey based articles that should help you out if you're a new owner of an African Grey, or looking to buy one soon. And if you're looking for more resources for your african grey, you might want to check out this parrot website too, it's got lots of great articles about Greys, that might interest you.

How To Systematically Desensitize Your Parrot

Every breed of parrot can be taught to overcome their fear of things. It doesn't matter whether they fear your fingers, the vacuum or their new toys you spent half your paycheck on to make sure he had plenty to play with. People are always asking me "How can I stop my parrot from..." I'll let you finish the sentence, because it rarely matters what they say from there on out. Because through systematic desensitization you can get a parrot to do ANYTHING or overcome any fears. It's a simples step by step process... where all you do is get your parrot to make miniscule amounts of progress, that over time add up to drastically changed behaviors. For example let's say your bird doesn't let you near his cage... here's how to overcome this: 1. First think of what your parrot wants? My guess is that he wants you to go away... am I right? So use that as a reward! Next time you go near his cage, get him to let you one inch closer before he starts hissing and screaming at you... if he does, reward him by leaving for 5 minutes. It'll work every time. 2. Don't give up, if you keep this up long enough, your parrot will be slowly desensitized to you moving closer and closer, until you're able to touch his cage, and he no longer gives it a second thought! I go into it in a lot more detail on my "clicker training" cd in my parrot training system, but I think if you'll just give this method some thought, it'll work wonders for you.

How To Stop Leg Biting

Here's a question I recently got from one of my students, and the corresponding answer given by Kim Bear, the parrot behavior consultant who answered this students question.

"We have an 8 yr old Greenwing Macaw, Coco. He's fairly well adjusted, in most respects, although I'm looking forward to receiving Chet's info in order to fine tune a few behaviors I find annoying (to say the least!)

Anyway, the one thing I've not seen nor heard addressed is leg biting. That is, he bites his own leg when he gets nervous or agitated. It doesn't look like a self-mutilation behavior, because he doesn't break the skin or pluck any feathers. I don't think it's a grooming behavior, because he doesn't do it all the time.

It looks to me like a child who knows he can't hit ME when he's frustrated, so he hits the wall, or such. But I could be completely mis-reading it.
Any ideas?"

Here's what Kim, my parrot behavior specialist had to say for some great advice!

"Take a good look to see if the area is irritated in any way. Look for bumps, scratches, redness, swelling, flaking, etc. that may need a vet's attention. It may be something your bird does under stress, like how some people will bite their nails, blink a lot or wring their hands. But if it gets to a point where there's any irritation, he may be picking at it because it itches or hurts."

Where To Get Great Parrot Food

Since we've been doing so much talking about setting up a great diet for your bird... I thought I'd give you a resource that is thought of as the BEST bird food made today! It's a brand called Harrisons, and if you talk to any parrot behavior specialist, or avian Veterinarian worth their salt, they'll tell you that Harrisons is an amazing food. And if you'd like to get your hands on some of this great food, a great place to do so is over at Beaver Creek Aviary Pet Bird Supplies. You'll find that they have several different formulas of Harrisons in stock, and can point you in the right direction for picking the proper formula that will help you most with your bird... whether it's a baby, still growing or an older adult. I constantly get people asking me where to find great parrot food, so I figured I'd finally make a post and tell you where you can buy some. That's all for now...

Don't Be Lazy About Your Parrot Training Regimine

A bit of a kick in the butt today... because I think some people become afraid to dive headfirst into their parrot's training, or give up way to quickly because they think they have to train 3 times a day for 20 minutes forever! ... let's look at this type of perspective. Do you own dogs? Do your dog's get 30 minutes of play time with you every day? Heck... I know some dogs get to play all day long, and even sleep in your bed! They get to follow you around the house... you hook them up on a leash, and they walk around the neighborhood with you, or go on a stroll in the park. So why on God's green Earth, does it seem so demanding of your time, to do the same with your parrot. There are companies who make bird leashes. Go make the $15 investment and pick one up. Spend some time training your bird to wear it comfortably... and don't give up. I know plenty of puppies who hated their leash the first time they had to wear it. Why would you give up on leashing your bird so quickly? A leashed bird can go on walks with you outside. (I highly recommend you secure the leash to something VERY secure, and don't just hand onto it-- you'll risk accidentally letting go, and losing your bird or clip your bird's wings) And can even go to the park. Last year, at our local park here in Spokane, Wa I was pleased to see a Muloccan Cockatoo, perched on it's owners shoulder in the middle of a festival downtown with tons of people -- what a STIMULATING environment for that guys bird... I'm betting that bird doesn't get bored often. Don't take for granted the fact that your bird is beautiful, and settle for a house ornament. They're living breathing beings, and they deserve the right to live in a stimulating, interactive environment... so give it to them! ... and even though I'm ranting about why you should spend more time with your bird, I'm hear to let you know, once you pour hours, days, weeks, months or even years, into your parrot's training, your bird knows it for good. It's like riding a bike! Sure your parrot may need a refresher, but heck, I'd be willing to bet if you havn't touched a bike in 5-10 years, you might be a little rusty if you had to go race on a BMX track... I'm right aren't I? Your bird remembers what to do, once he's learned something, it comes back to him with small training sessions every now and then. The perfect example of this is my Parrotlet Ricky, who you can read about in several of last months posts. I was able to fix his out of control biting in one day! By puting him in a sleeping cage, and about 5-8 target training sessions... which was a behavior he already knew. And it's now been nearly a week, I haven't done any more target training, he hasn't slept in his sleeping cage, and he STILL has NOT bitten me. All he needed was a refresher training session. I don't have to pour all my free time into training him... he's smarter than that! So give your bird that same credit, and just do refresher training sessions every now and then. He'll be more stimulated, and you'll have a happier, more playful parrot because of it.

Information On Different Macaws and their Breeders

Here's a few more articles I've posted, I've posted the first part of the article here for you... if you want to see the rest, just click on the link in each section: New Article 1: Information On Indigo Macaw: If you need some information on indigo macaw, here is a good place to start. The indigo macaw is from the psittadae family – what this means is that it is part of the parrot family as opposed to the cockatoo family. Information on indigo macaw is not always easy to come by because this is indeed a rare bird. In 1976 the indigo macaw was declared endangered, and at the time they had “counted” some sixty five birds in the wild. In 1995 a smaller population in another area was found, and today it is estimated that there may be up to two hundred indigo macaws in existence in the whole world. The information on indigo macaw tells us that as an endangered animal, the dangers of pet trade and the illegal capture of this bird only increase the risk of losing this breed to extinction. ...continued at article New Article 2: Camelot Macaw Breeders: So you’re looking for camelot macaw breeders, and I’m guessing of course that you would like to see a list of the best camelot macaw breeders available. Well, let’s see how we can help, but first, let’s talk about the actual camelot macaw and why it is hard to find standards on this exotic bird. The Camelot Macaw is a second generation hybrid (a mutt in the macaw world). As most mutt lovers will tell you, the fact that this bird is a mutt – hybrid - does not detract at all from the fact that it is an incredible bird of unbelievable beauty. As usual, there is great debate among macaw lovers if Camelot macaw breeders should continue to breed a hybrid. ...continued at article New Article3: Care And Breeding Of The Scarlet Macaw If you are looking for information on the care and breeding of the scarlet macaw look no further. Well actually, the more you know about the care and breeding of the scarlet macaw the better off you’ll be, because macaws aren’t the easiest of birds to deal with. The Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao) belongs to the psittaformes, psittacidae. Basically what that means is that the Macaw is from the parrot family. The origin of these incredibly beautiful birds is from the tropical climates of Southern Mexico through Central America to South America, ...continued at article Enjoy! Chet

The 2 Best Macaws Money Can Buy

This post is all about the wonderful Macaw. Whenever someone asks me what type of bird they should think about getting, I just struggle thinking of one good reason not to get a Macaw, especially when even if size is a concern, their are breeds like the Severe Macaw, who embody all the spirit of a Macaw, but in a smaller package. So for starters, I wanted to give you some Blue And Gold Macaw Facts that every parrot owner should know. The Blue and Gold Macaw, has the best temperament of any of the Macaw species. They are at a lesser risk for plucking their feathers than Cockatoos, or African Greys, and they are more loving than the scarlet, or Green wing Macaw. But that doesn't mean you should leave the Severe Macaw out of the question. If you're looking at purchasing a Macaw, but can't decide on which species to purchase... and size is an issue... the Severe macaw is Much smaller, and has the same type of temperament as the Blue and Gold. This makes the Severe Macaw a perfect pet for those of you who might live in an apartment, duplex or condominium and are low on space. But one of the greatest reasons you should consider a Macaw when trying to decide which breed of parrot you would like to bring into your family, is the ease of taming. Some people may say I'm full of crap, but hear me out first... I've used several techniques for training macaws, and the first one that I made very popular was a technique I call "the perching method". This method uses two wooden dowels to pet an aggressive parrot, getting him used to being touched, but without you having to risk losing a finger. Now this method works VERY well on Macaws, but now so well on other species... and it's for one reason. The perching method works on birds that would rather attack you, and lunge at you, then run away and hide. And that's exactly how an untamed Macaw acts, VERY aggressive. But in my opinion it's an easier behavior to fix, then fixing a more timid scared bird's behavior, and spending the time overcoming fears. Don't get me wrong, there's a TON of value in working with a timid bird, but it's a slower process for sure. Plus be sure to check out the links on this post, to get a little more information on the Severe Macaw, or the Blue and Gold. That's all for now! Cheers...

Training Parrots Is Just Like Training Dogs

Well this post is a bit unorthodox, but I still think it will help you. From my experience, a high percentage of parrot owners, also own dogs. And because the methods to train dogs are VERY similar to training parrots, I've recently created a product to teach the art of dog training to people. Plus I've just put together an article archive of 23 dog training articles at my dog training website. So if you have a dog, hop on over there and check out these articles... you'll be glad you did. Happy Training! Chet