Wonderful Links and Information for Pet Bird Owners

Please take the time to watch this video. It is about a wonderful little bird named Milo. His poor misguided previous owner had cedar chips in his cage. Unfortunately, cedar is TOXIC to our feathered friends. The video also shows birds that were taken in as rescues because their owners could no longer care for them the way the birds needed.
Before bringing a bird into your life, make sure you can provide for them like you would your own children.

Feathered Friends Rescue: Milo's Story


Help!! My bird is screaming!!

  1. COCKATIEL SCREAMING, HAMILTON & DISTRICT BUDGERIGAR SOCIETY INC.
  2. Cockatiel Cottage: My bird is screaming! Help! What should I do?
  3. Stop The Squawk
    Discover these helpful tips of training parrots not to scream
    By Elise Kaplan


What if I think I want to breed my cockatiels/budgies?


Warning: this line of questioning may seem offensive, but if you are not ready to answer these questions honestly to yourself, you are not ready to breed in my opinion. Keep in mind, this is coming from someone who has had a 20 year love affair with tiels and all it encompasses. Two of my current flock are rescues/re-homes from horrible situations.

One, Ash, came from a home where the people got "free" bird and didn't care for it. He is the last one of four birds from this house, the others didn't make it. He was starved, some would say tortured, had a broken foot that could no longer be repaired, and has trust issues with humans because of the abuse and neglect he suffered at their hands.

First, why do you want to breed? Do you have top notch birds or are they pet store quality? Are you aware that there are hundreds of unwanted cockatiels and budgies out there that are in shelters and rescues because they can't find homes?

Are your birds on a proper diet? Cockatiels can not all seeds, but not all pellets either. They need a constant supply of fresh healthy foods as well, which needs to be removed after 1-2 hours to prevent bacterial growth.

If you are wanting to breed budgies, did you know that they do better without pellets? A pelleted diet has too high of a protein content for their little bodies.

Next, are you aware that you need to wait until the birds are at least 2 years old before they should breed? What will you do if the hen is egg bound? What will you do if they refuse to feed? Can you spend 4-10 weeks hand feeding the chicks around the clock?

Do you know the signs of crop burn, other crop problems like slow or sour crop?


Do you have an emergency avian vet you can go to in any emergency with the chicks? What will you do if they get an infection or aspirate the formula? What if they don't wean on time? You cannot force wean a bird and expect it to be healthy.

What will you do with the chicks when they are grown? They don't sell for much, so you won't make money breeding them.

Not all breeders are wild, but they won't be cuddle bugs either. They will be bonded to each other, not you.

What will you do if one or both parent birds pluck the chicks? Not only does this make the chicks look ugly, but it causes them to use needed caloric energy growing feathers a second or even a third time instead of growing. This could stunt their growth permanently. At this point, you will need to pull the chicks and handfeed, even if you didn't plan on it in the beginning.

Last but not least, what will you do if your hen becomes a chronic egg layer? Constantly laying and depleting her system of needed nutrients? Are you willing to do what it takes to get her healthy and keep her that way, even if you can never breed her again?


LINKS

Some sites will sound species specific, but the information works well for all pet birds.
Protecting Your Birds Through Quarantine
By Joanie Doss
Safety Precautions for Birdkeepers
by Carolyn Swicegood
HAMILTON & DISTRICT BUDGERIGAR SOCIETY INC. The Cockatiel
HAMILTON & DISTRICT BUDGERIGAR SOCIETY INC. Budgie info.
Poopology Budgie and Parakeet FAQ
Birds 2 Grow Bird Care Articles Budgies 'N' Tiels
Find your local Avian Veterinarian Bird Talk Magazine information and training
North American Cockatiel Society BirdSafe.com
Cockatiel Cottage Dangerous and Safe Plant List NACS
Mickaboo reading room Drs Foster and Smith FAQ sheets
Birds N Ways article Don't Play Doctor with Antibiotics IndianRingneck.com
Birds N Ways National Finch and Softbill Society
Birdmart.com
Classified ads Lost and Found
Parrots First
Parrot adoptions, care education, rehabilitation, and rescue. Los Angeles, CA
Avian Biotech - DNA Testing Up At Six Chats
Grey Feather Toys Bird Board Chats
Prevent Lost Birds
Things you can do now to prevent your bird from getting lost
By Crystal Apilado
Lost Bird Action Plan
Things you can do if your bird flies off
By Crystal Apilado
Tips for Creating Your Lost Bird Flier
Use these tips to help find your missing bird
By Crystal Apilado
Greif: Pet Loss Support Centers
Parents Pluck Baby Bird’s Feathers
What action to take when parents pluck their baby birds’ feathers

By Diane Grindol
Signs of Illness
Recognize the signs of bird illness and when to see a vet
By Lisa Paul, DVM
Treat A Burn - Fast
By Margaret A. Wissman, DVM, Dip. ABVP — Avian Practice
Help! My Bird Is Sick
Find out when to use first aid and when to see a vet - fast.
By Lisa Paul, DVM
Stop the Panic
Accidents will happen. Your best defense is to remain calm and then to formulate a plan. If you portray serenity then your bird will too.
By Liz Wilson, CVT, CPBC
Save A Bird’s Life With CPR
Margaret A. Wissman, DVM, Dip. ABVP —Avian Practice
Drs Foster and Smith, Bird Toys Bird Marts: The Single Greatest Threat To Avian Health
By: Ernie Colaizzi
















Just a few neat links:
Lutino Blue and Gold Macaws Cockatiel Aviary Cam
FYI
The cam is down for the time being, but will be back up in the future.
The chat is still up.

Erythrura, The Belgian Site for Gouldian and Parrot Finches



Broken link?? Please email me. To see my personal flock, click the image below.
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