Nursery
Here at The Aviary, we strive to ensure our birds get the best care in our store and when they go home. We will walk you through the whole process and tell you exactly what your bird needs to have a long and healthy life. If at any time you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call us. We are here for you and your feathered friends and we will do everything we can to ensure their health and happiness.
A PARROT’S BILL OF RIGHTS
BIRDS AND TOYS
Toys are vital to yours bird’s health and emotional well-being. A minimum of 3 to 5 toys should be offered in the cage including one of plastic, one of wood and one of a shredding material. This way your bird gets a variety which makes for a happy bird. Extra toys need to be on hand to rotate every 3 to 4 weeks to prevent boredom. If the old toys are still in great shape, wash, sanitize and put away for rotation at a later date. Foot toys a must. Place the toy by a perch or swing.
Toys are meant to be destroyed. These toys satisfy your bird’s natural instinct to chew and shred. Foraging toys satisfy your bird’s need to forage for food as well as their need to chew and shred. Don’t worry, birds do not eat their toys they just simply destroy them. Most toys are either dyed with cake or vegetable dye that is not harmful to your feather friend.
Play with your bird. Play fetch! Put a ball close to the bird and let it throw the toy on the floor. Go and fetch it. They love to play games.
PERCHES
Perches are one of the most important things you will put into the cage. You will need to offer a variety of shapes, sizes, and textures. The straight wooden dowel that comes with the cage should not be used as they can cause muscle problems and arthritis over time. Correct size is very important. Scatter the branches around the cage for exercise to encourage your bird to climb. The nails need to be digging into the side of the perch. The following are our recommendations: Natural perches (grapevine, dragon wood, bottle brush); Concrete perches (keeps nails and beak trim); Rope perches (bungees/twisters) offer lot of fun and exercise. Swings usually use either a natural wood or concrete perch.
CAGE CLEANING
Change cage paper or bedding daily. Corn cob can be scooped daily with a cat scooper. Never use pine shavings, cedar chips or kitty litter because the aromatic oils of pine and cedar are harmful to a bird’s respiratory system and kitty litter produces dust. Scrub the cage, perches and toys weekly. Hot water and dish soap together with a touch of bleach is great for cleaning. PoopOff is a wonderful product for getting off droppings and is non-toxic. Pet Focus is an excellent disinfectant and non-toxic. If possible place your wet cage in the sun for drying.
Cage cleaning day is a great opportunity to rotate your bird’s toys. Here are a few different reasons why this is so important.
Boredom: Rotating toys can help combat boredom. If your bird is staring at the same toy day in and day out, your bird can become disinterested.
Cleaning and Inspection: Changing toys on a regular basis gives you the chance to clean and inspect them for wear and tear. Don’t hesitate to trash a toy that looks unsafe or dirty beyond cleaning.
Changing toys frequently also helps birds to not to be so fearful of change.
HEALTHY DIET – HEALTHY BIRD
SUGGESTED FOODS
VEGGIES: FRUITS:
CORN APPLES (NO SEED)
BROCCOLI ORANGES
ASPARAGUS PEARS
GREEN BEENS PLUMS
PEAS GRAPES
CARROTS MANGO
PEPPERS BANANA
ROMAIN LETTUCE BLUE BERRIES
SPRING LETTUCE MUSHROOMS PAPAYA PEPPERS
POTATOES PINEAPPLE
SWEET POTATOES STAR APPLE
ZUCCINI RASPBERRIES
EGG PLANT STRAWBERRIES
KALE
SPINACH
COLLARDS
CAULIFLOWER
NO: AVOCADO, APPLE SEEDS, CAFFINE, SODA, CHOCOLATE, CANDY, CELERY, BOSTON LETTUCE, SALT, RAW MEATS, CHEESE, DAIRY, ONIONS, TOMATOES, GARLIC. DRIED FRUITS HAVE SUGAR AND SHOULD BE LIMITED.
COOKED: CAN EAT EGGS, BEANS, RICE, NOODLES, (WHOLE WHEAT PREFERRED) WHOLE WHEAT BREAD, MEAT, CHICKEN AND CHICKEN BONES (THEY LIKE THE MARROW).
PLEASE NOTE: A BIRD’S DIETARY NEEDS VARY SOMEWHAT WITH
SPECIES. ALWAYS ASK YOUR AVIAN VETERINARIAN OR THE AVIARY FOR RECOMMENDATIONS OF FEEDING YOUR BIRD
AVIARY’S RECOMMENDATIONS: 4 0% HUMAN FOOD, 40% PELLETS, AND 20% TREATS.
Signs of a Healthy Bird
Signs of a Sick Bird
THINGS TO REMEMBER WHEN YOU TAKE HOME A BABY BIRD FROM THE AVIARY
CAGE TIME
During the first three days, give your baby plenty of cage time to get acclimated to its new family, environment, food containers and toys.Allow your bird to stay in its cage for the first few hours before coming out to play. Restrict playtime to 15 to 20 minutes at a time, then return it to the cage for 3 to 4 hours. Remember,your bird is still a baby and can tire easily. If your bird starts to get cranky, it may be a sign that it needs to go back in the cage to rest. Werecommend daily socialization and frequent handling. It is important to wash your hands before handling your bird to protect it against bacteria and viruses. Once you are sure your bird is eating well, maintaining body weight and adjusting to its new home, the length of time the bird is out of its cage and the number of times per day it is out will gradually increase. Remember, stagger your schedule so as to not to make your bird accustomed to coming out at the same time during the day.
PLACING YOUR CAGE
Place the cage away from A/C vents, fans andopen windows, to avoid a direct air current. If you have limited choices, try to direct the air flow away from the cage. If you have a previously used cage, make sure it is disinfected, including the grill, and replace all wood perches and wood toys with new ones.