|
Here are some handouts we use in our clinic on a daily basis. You'll need to download Adobe Acrobat to view these files. Click here to download. If you're interested in any handout, click on the light blue title that is underlined and in italics.
NUTRITION
Birds should be fed primarily a pelleted diet with limited treats. Dr. Flinchum recommends that the diet be 80% pellets with 20% fresh fruits and vegetables for treats. Recommended fruits and vegetables would be those that are green leafy (i.e. Romaine lettuce, spinach, etc.) and orange pulpy (i.e. cantaloupe, mango, sweet potatoes, etc.). For more information, check out our Recommended Fruit and Vegetable List and our Tips for Converting Your Bird to Pellets. (NOTE: Please check with your avian veterinarian before attempting to change your bird's diet.)
Birds who receive tablefoods that are high in sugar, fat, and/or salt may display behavior problems such as inappropriate breeding behavior. In some cases of featherpicking, removing the high sugar, fat, and salt foods can reduce the amount of featherpicking. Here is a list of several food items people have given to their birds and their sodium content: Sodium Guideline
HEALTH/SAFETY
Below you will find the health and safety handouts that our clients receive:
Safety First for Pet Birds
Emergency First Aid
Household Poisons
Poisonous Plants
Metal Poisoning
Psittacosis Booklet
BEHAVIOR
Behavior Training- Your bird will respond best to behavior training if both you and your bird are relaxed. A behavior routine session should always be fun - it should not be viewed as work. The routine works best during morning or afternoon hours, as most birds usually are not nocturnal.
The first week's sessions should concentrate on up, stay and up, shake, and wings. It is highly recommended that you do at least one session per day.
Sessions are limited to a MAXIMUM of one hour. During the session, watch your bird carefully for any signs of stress, such as rapid breathing, breathing with the beak open, wings stretched out or feet that are unusually warm/hot. These are signs that the bird is over-heating and needs a rest - DO NOT CONTINUE.
Here is a Behavior Routine you can try at home with your bird.
Screaming Birds - This is one of the most common behavior problems that we see. Fortunately, it is one of the easiest behavior problems to correct.
We frequently hear, "I don't want to give him away, but I can't stand it anymore." Birds who are "screamers" may find themselves going from family to family. There are too many birds being moved from home to home to home for a problem that is very easy to correct.
You must be committed to sticking with the program for it to be successful. If a bird is screaming for 10 minutes and you respond, he learns to scream EVERY time for 10 minutes. Ignore 10 minutes and respond at 20 minutes, and the bird now learns to scream EVERY time for 20 minutes. You MUST ignore the screaming every time for whatever length of time it lasts. The only time the bird gets attention is while being quiet. Usually within a week, the bird learns that it is pointless to scream because you are not going to respond. For more information on dealing with screaming, please click this link: Screaming Birds.
MISCELLANEOUS
Birds and Pregnancy
Traveling with Your Bird
| 
