Author: Alison

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Bathing

Bathing is a natural activity for wild parrots, but it’s not always something a pet parrot is fond of or able to do frequently enough. There are many ways for a bird to get its feathers wet: shallow bowls, spray bottles, sinks, showers, and rain.

Many finches, canaries, and parakeets are fond of large, shallow bowls for bathing. When placed on the bottom of a cage this is a good way to let your bird bathe when it wants to. Make sure it is heavy enough where the bird won’t tip it while it stands on the rim. Position it away from overhanging perches so droppings will not fall in.

Cockatiels, conures, and other medium sized parrots enjoy bath time in the sink if it happens to have a spray attachment. Larger amazons, greys, and macaws can be taken into the shower for bathing to accommodate larger flapping wings. With both of these methods, make sure the water is lukewarm and the water pressure not too hard. It is important to avoid spraying directly in the nostrils and face.

Spray bottles with a mist setting are generally reserved for birds who are frightened of the loud shower or stronger stream of water. An outside perch or a shower perch are a great way to save the cage and floor from getting wet.
Spray bottles should be a fun experience for birds and never used as punishment.

Last but not least, some parrots enjoying bathing naturally in a warm, summer rain.

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Spring Cleaning

Cleaning cages can be a daunting task. You can help yourself minimize the hassle by having a daily routine that only has to take a few minutes.

It’s a good idea to begin with picking out or scraping off any loose or excess droppings or toy pieces from the grate, this way it will fall into the already soiled tray. Change papers second so any mess that drops from the tray will get swept or vacuumed after.

Tip for NON-paper shredding birds is to line the tray with several layers of paper. When it is time to change them, just remove the top 1 or 2 layers and discard!

Don’t forget to take out and clean off perches and toys. They can both accumulate dander and droppings as well. This is a convenient time to change perches around and rotate the toys so your bird doesn’t get bored. Also, try to position perches so they aren’t overlapping above each other; this prevents the lower branches from ‘catching’ all the droppings.

There are products available to make the clean up easier:

Handheld vacuum: Convenient for carpet and hardwood floors to round up loose feathers and crumbs.

Cage Skirt: Generally can be found in sizes for cages up to 105″ inches in perimeter. Helps keep in loose feathers and seed shells.

Poop Off: This is a non-toxic and biodegrable enzyme formulate to help break down droppings for easy clean up. Comes in wipes, bottles with a scrubber end, spray bottles, and gallon refills.

Pet Focus: This is a ready-to-use disinfectant, available in a 1-quart spray bottle or gallon size. Spray on and wipe off or let air dry.

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Cages

Cages have long been viewed as a negative, but necessary part of bird keeping. What a cage may lack in freedom though, can be turned into a great opportunity for a safe and enriching area for your bird.

The cage is an important part of keeping your bird safe while you are away. A fidgety or curious unsupervised parrot on a stand can easily get itself into trouble. Many will make it a point to climb down and explore their surroundings. Others may get scared and jump off with no way to climb back up. Electrical wires, houseplants, and furniture all make for very expensive and very dangerous chew toys.

A cage should have enough space for a bird to stretch the wings out fully and not touch the cage on either side. It should also be tall enough so the tail does not drag on the bottom, and that it can have an upper perch area for sleeping. When purchasing a cage, ask if the bar gauge and bar spacing is appropriate for your parrot. For small birds like finches, parakeets, and cockatiels, ½” spacing is recommended so they cannot either fly out or get their heads stuck. For medium parrots, like senegals, and many conures, ¾” spacing is appropriate and generally offers more strength for the slightly larger beaks. Macaws and cockatoos are best with 1” spacing, allowing them to climb without getting toes or wings pinched in-between the bars.

It is also important to keep in mind for birds that are kept flighted, like canaries and finches, which benefit and get exercise from horizontal flight, small cages and narrow, tall cages are not appropriate. Many antique or wooden bamboo cages may also look pretty, but old or rusted metals can be toxic and wooden cages will be chewed through!

Cages should contain more than one or two perches, preferably natural wood ones. A variety of toys should be placed around the cage in easy to reach locations like above a perch or to the side of the cage next to one.

Cages can be a big investment, so it is important to get the right kind of cage for your bird.

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Healthy Greens

Dark, leafy greens are great nutritional elements to add to your birds diet. They are rich in vitamins A, C, and K, plus calcium, fiber, and other essential vitamins and minerals. Many that are readily found in grocery stores or farmer’s markets are: kale, spinach, turnip greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens, carrot tops, collard greens, and swiss chard.

If possible, buying organic is recommended, and always wash and rinse fruits and vegetables before eating them or serving them to birds.

There are many ways for birds to enjoy these leafy greens. They can all be offered raw or cooked. Some birds like African greys like them strung about the cage or woven in the bars for a fun foraging opportunity. Many canary and finch owners use cage clips to attach full leaves conveniently near a perch. Others like them chopped into easy-to-munch pieces and offered in a dish. If you have a bird that is a picky eater, try chopped greens mixed into cooked scrambled egg or bird bread, or, try coating
their favorite moist fruit pieces with them to
entice your bird to try something new.

Remember to remove fresh foods within 4-6 hours to prevent spoilage.