Healthy and “Happy” at Home
Life out in nature involves foraging for food throughout the day. Constant access to food encourages boredom, waste, and picky eating. Please consult your Avian Veterinarian before deciding what is best for your bird. I feed my birds a high quality pellet twice a day as the foundation of their diet. This assures that each bird is getting a balanced nutritious diet.
A base diet of pellets allows your bird’s favorite foods such as seeds, nuts, fruits, veggies, treats to be used for reinforcing good behavior. A high quality sugar-free (read the label) pelleted diet such as those from Harrison, Tops, Roudybush, or Lafeber ensures that your bird is getting healthy, balanced, pesticide-free nutrition and not just picking out their favorite foods.
Always introduce new foods into your animal’s diet gradually and with care. Be certain that your bird is eating the pellets (another good reason to feed meals rather than keep full bowls).
Weighing your bird regularly allows you to make sure the bird is maintaining a healthy weight.
Voluntarily standing quietly on a scale is one of the behaviors that can be taught to help make your bird’s veterinary care less stressful for all involved.
Please consult your avian veterinarian with any questions or concerns about your bird’s health and when making changes to your bird’s diet.
Furnishing Your Bird’s Cage:
At least 4 perches offering different diameter sizes. Natural wood offers a choice of diameters. Offer choices - perches a bit larger and a little smaller diameter plus at least a couple perches sized well (their toes reaching almost halfway around perch) and flat perches giving their feet a bigger surface.
At least 3 different perch materials. Different kinds of wood, wood with bark, wood without bark, rope perches, different textures, materials - depending on what is safe for your bird. Natural wood perches and rope perches are important especially higher in the cage to offer comfortable choices for sleeping. A dowel perch may be an option for chewing as well as perching. Concrete or sandy perches should have the smooth side up against the foot, the sandy surface on the sides for nail wear (not always effective for nail grooming but offer an option).
At least 2 flat or platform perches. These can be solid as in a piece of wood or a laddered wood or metal “sundeck” shelf attached safely in the corner or to the side of the cage. Offer at least one flat perch or platform up higher in their cage as a choice for hanging out or sleeping. Keep these and all perches clean and dry.
At least 1 action-balancing perch. A swing, boing, bungee, bird climbing net, “orbit”, ladder, rope, etc. that provides physical and mental exercise and enrichment.
+ Privacy. Offer your bird a way to gain some privacy - something such as hanging a side of a cardboard box or a hanging toy by a perch for them to lean against, chew, and/or block their view of the room.
Placement of the furnishings in your bird’s cage should be situated for your individual bird’s safety, comfort, and hygiene:
Arrange the environment in and around your bird’s cage and home to ensure the safety of your bird and all animals and humans during the day and night.
Allow that your bird’s individual perception of safety is integral to their wellbeing. Your bird must feel safe as well as be safe.
Birds in nature are often seen choosing to be higher in the environment where they can observe the world and watch for predators and flee when they feel the need.
Birds in our homes may naturally feel more confident with their cage higher - certainly up off the floor.
Many birds prefer to sleep safely on perches placed near the top of their cage.
Be sure perch placement offers sufficient clearance for your individual bird’s posture - especially room for their tail, head when using each perch.
Keep all perches and areas clean and dry. Consider gravity and the path of your bird’s droppings.
