5 Mistakes New Parrot Owners Make! – don’t make these!

We all make mistakes when we first get a parrot and sometimes even years into parrot keeping we find out we are still making mistakes. These are not something to feel bad about but simply to fix or if you are reading this before you get a parrot you will start off on the right foot!

 

1. All seed diet – an all-seed diet is a very fatty diet. birds in the wild may eat a large portion of their diet as seeds but they also fly anywhere from 50 – 100 miles a day they also don’t always eat seeds and they don’t always find seeds. Some days wild birds go without food. Non the less an all-seed diet in companion parrots leads to fatty liver disease which kills birds! Seeds do not need to be illuminated seeds are great training treats or foraging treats but they should not be the main source of nutrition for your companion parrot.
2. Toys with mirrors –, when given a mirror or a toy with a mirror birds, can think they have a mate when they don’t. this can lead to a bunch of different hormonal issues and in female birds can lead to egg-laying. Egg-laying in parrots is something that is extremely hard on their body and can have major health complications if the bird isn’t getting all the correct nutrients.
3. Sleep schedule – your bird should be getting 12 – 14 hours of uninterrupted sleep. What does this mean exactly, your bird should be in a dark quiet room for 12 – 14 hours. you should not have your bird in a room where people will stay up talking laughing or watching tv during the Parrots rest time. Sleep is so important if a bird does not get enough sleep it can lead to hormonal and behavioural issues, as well as a tired cranky bird just like you get tired and cranky when you don’t get enough sleep.
4. Cage size – the majority of cages you see at pet stores are not suitable for most small parrots. For small parrots like budgies, cockatiels, conures etc. You want to go with a flight cage that is as wide as possible, rather than tall. Round skinny cages should always be avoided
5. Training – jumping into tricks not doing touch training/target training. Target training builds a foundation and a way of communicating for both the bird and the human involved. Target training is also a great way to learn your bird’s body language while also keeping you at a safe distance so you don’t get bit if you misread a behaviour. Target training also is something anyone who wants to interact with your bird but doesn’t know your bird can use to communicate with the bird that the bird understands.