








Wonderful Links and Information for Pet Bird
Owners
Help!! My bird is screaming!!
- COCKATIEL SCREAMING, HAMILTON & DISTRICT
BUDGERIGAR SOCIETY INC.
- Cockatiel Cottage: My bird is screaming!
Help! What should I do?
- 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 cockatiel owning/breeding 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.
Also, if you are breeding budgies in the
state of California, Colorado, and Connecticut,
did you know that they must have a traceable
state registered closed band on in order
to be sold, traded or bartered legally in
the state?1 2 This makes many of the budgies that are
sold in small pet stores illegal. What will
you do with 5+ chicks that you can never
legally sell?
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?
1. Information on banding gained from Winged
Wisdom Magazine 11/06
http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww5eiii.htm
2. History Of The Leg Band
Originally used to trace the movements of
wild birds, leg bands today are used to identify
a pet bird’s origins
By Dick Schroeder
LINKS
Some sites will sound species specific, but
the information works well for all pet birds.
| Medical and Emergency information |
Specific Bird Care Information |
Protecting Your Birds Through Quarantine

By Joanie Doss |
The Budgerigar
(A.K.A. Budgie, Parakeet) |
Safety Precautions for Birdkeepers
by Carolyn Swicegood |
HAMILTON & DISTRICT BUDGERIGAR SOCIETY
INC. Budgie info. |
Find your local Avian Veterinarian  |
Budgie and Parakeet FAQ |
Poopology 
|
Budgies 'N' Tiels |
Birds N Ways article Don't Play Doctor with
Antibiotics 
|
|
Dangerous and Safe Plant List NACS  |
The Cockatiel |
Dangerous Foods For Birds |
North American Cockatiel Society |
Help! My Bird Is Sick 
Find out when to use first aid and when to
see a vet - fast.
By Lisa Paul, DVM |
HAMILTON & DISTRICT BUDGERIGAR SOCIETY
INC. The Cockatiel |
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 |
Cockatiel Cottage |
Treat A Burn - Fast 
By Margaret A. Wissman, DVM, Dip. ABVP —
Avian Practice |
Budgies 'N' Tiels |
Save A Bird’s Life With CPR 
Margaret A. Wissman, DVM, Dip. ABVP —Avian
Practice |
|
Bird Marts: The Single Greatest Threat To
Avian Health
By: Ernie Colaizzi |
Indian Ringneck Parrot |
Parents Pluck Baby Bird’s Feathers
What action to take when parents pluck
their
baby birds’ feathers
By Diane Grindol |
IndianRingneck.com |
A BIT ABOUT GRIT
Do Birds Need It?
by Carol Highfill |
|
Avian Biotech
DNA Testing |
Lady Gouldian Finches and other Finches |
| Help! My Bird Got Out of the House!! |
National Finch and Softbill Society |
Prevent Lost Birds
Things you can do now to prevent your bird
from getting lost
By Crystal Apilado |
Great information, Saftey, Training, Taming
and more! |
Tips for Creating Your Lost Bird Flier
Use these tips to help find your missing
bird
By Crystal Apilado |
BirdSafe.com |
Lost Bird Action Plan
Things you can do if your bird flies
off
By Crystal Apilado |
Drs Foster and Smith FAQ sheets |
| Birds N Ways |
Bird Talk Magazine information and training |
Birdmart.com
Classified ads Lost and Found
|
Mickaboo reading room |
| Greif: Pet Loss Support Centers |
Bird Talk Magazine
Bird Channel.com |
|
THE ABC's OF LEG BANDS
by Carol Highfill
|
|
Things to Look For in a Reputable Rescue
Information courtesy of Fine Feathered
Frauds
- The Truth about a Wisconsin Bird
Rescue
|
| Toys, Food, Adoption |
Online Chat Groups!
Talk with other bird owners |
Grey Feather Toys
I personally love this place!! |
Up At Six Chats |
| Drs Foster and Smith, Bird Toys |
Bird Board Chats |
Jar Sprouting Directions
&
Avian Naturals Herbal Supreme |
|
Parrots First
Parrot adoptions, care education, rehabilitation,
and rescue. Los Angeles, CA |
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Just a few neat links:
| Broken link?? Please email me.
|
To see my personal flock, click the image
below.
|
Email |
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