Sunday, May 16, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
Monday, June 8, 2009
Information on Cockatiels and their Cages
Hello everyone,
This blog is about cockatiel's and what is best for them. I have a friend cockatiel that I bird sit for, her name is Missy. I have become very attatched to her. Cockatiel's are native to the arid and semi-arid areas of Australia. They are prized as household pets thoughout the world. Cocktaiels have a tendency to have a very sweet demeanor, but that is not always true. It depends on how they are raised, handeled and kept, has a great effect on the temperment of this bird.
My experience with Missy is that she is a very loving and playful pet. She is very gregorious and sociable with me, but can be shy with people she doesn't know. She is allowed to roam freely around the house, but we have clipped her wings to keep her from being hurt by ceiling fans or other hazards that might pose a risk to her. She follows me around the house and loves to sit and sleep on my shoulder when I am sitting down. Cockatiel's are generally well socialized birds and enjoy phyiscal contact. Missy loves to be petted on her neck and scratched on her head and neck, (two places she can't easily scratch herself.)
Cockatiels do have a reputation for being demanding, and Missy is no exception. She is not noisy like Pedro (her parrot partner) but she does let me know when I leave the room by cheeping at me. She
also knows when I am going to leave the house and when I pick up my keys, she puts herself back in her bird cage. I rarely have to do it for her.We keep Missy's bird cage in the living room where she has contact with the whole family and also my four westies. This helps when new people come and she isn't so confused or scared.
Most Cockatiels don't talk, but they like to sing. Missy sings to my dogs. It is very surprising, because most westies don't like birds, but mine have been raised with her. For the average Cockatiel I wouldn't suggest letting them be free around dogs.
We have a very nice bird cage for Missy when she comes to visit. I made sure I picked a bird cage that is large enough, 1/2" bar spacing and easy to clean. It is different than the one she has at home, but she is accustomed to it and very happy. When we are away she is kept in her bird cage, but when home she has the run of the house. You just have to be careful not to step on her.
Cockatiels in their natural-habitat of Australia eat mainly grass seeds. A diet of only dry seeds is inadequate for pet Cockatiels or any pet parrot species. We supplement Missy's diet with whole cereals and whole grains, edible blossoms and flowers, (but remember some leaves are poisinous to Cockatiels.) We also feed her cauliflower or broccoli leaves. She also gets all apples and bananas.
Bird Pellets specifically formulated for Cockatiels are all healthy additions.
Alcohol, avacado, chocolate, caffine, or products containing lactose, garlic and onions present a danger of toxicosis and should not be fed....
I hope you have enjoyed reading about Missy our Cockatiel friend and all the information about how we care for her. Cockatiel's are a wonderful bird to own and a great pet for the whole family.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
What kind of Bird Cage for a Parrot
On this blog I am going to talk about mexican red head parrots, one of my favorite birds. I have a friend parrot named Pedro. He is a mexican red head. Since I know so much about Pedro I feel I can relate to the parrot world.
Mexican red heads are one of the easiest birds to train, they are quite gentle natured, most of the time. Pedro talks and says Come In when some one is at the door, hello, pretty bird, I love you, sing pretty, and then he also says things
I won't repeat. He loves to sit on your shoulder and watch tv or listen to music. He is a very charming and loving bird, but they can be very loud and demanding when they want to be.Their natural diet consists of fruits, berries, seeds, flowers and nectar. In captivity they do quite well on a formulated parrot diet with daily
cut up fruits and vegetables. They are prone to obesity so be careful not to feed a staple diet of seeds, which can be very fattening.They require a lot of space and love to play, so make sure when you buy them a bird cage they have the room to romp around.( Pedro is 13" from head to tail.)They need enough room to stand up and fly up to a smaller perch above their head. They need to stretch their wings out without reaching either side of the cage. When looking for a cage make sure it is wrought iron, or iron. Their beaks are very strong so they need a bird cage that is strong enough to hold up to their strong beaks and feet.
They also need toys to play with, they love toys. Keep a supply around so you can switch them around to clean them from time to time. This also helps to keep from boredom and improves their mental health. These birds need to be taken out of their cage at least once a day for exercise and love. If you don't have the time to spend playing with them, I suggest a play stand where they can stretch and get exercise. They are just like humans, they need exercise to be happy and healthy.
I hope this blog helps when you are ready to buy your parrot a bird cage.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
How to pick the best bird cage
Hello again,
When you are a new bird owner, there are certain rules you need to go by when you buy your first bird cage. First of all a pet bird can bring a load of enjoyment for the whole family, so it is very important to buy them the biggest home you can afford and for their size. If you have a young bird, remember it is going to grow so to save money try to invest in a cage that will be suitable for it when it is grown.
It is important that your cage be one and a half times as large as it's wing span to allow your bird to stretch and move around. Remember that this is your birds home just like your home, but for your bird bigger is always better.
Your pet bird on the average will spend most of his life in his cage. There are a lot of bird cages to pick from so it can become confusing. Some guide lines to go by: for a small bird a wire cage is often durable enough but larger birds need a wrought iron or steel bird cage to withstand their stron
g beaks. Their curiosity is often hard on a bird cage that is not built well.I suggest a powder-coated bird cage, it will remain attractive for a long time and is easy to keep clean. A general guide line for bird cage bar spacing would be less than a half-inch for small birds, a half-inch to 1 inch for medium birds and a 1 inch or wider for large birds.
To keep your bird happy bird toys are required to keep your bird from becoming bored and avoiding behavioral and health problems. When buying your toys always take in to consideration the amount of room they will take up. Again a larger cage is always better.
Just another suggestion, place your new bird cage where your pet will have interacton with family members. Find a spot next to a wall or corner so your bird is content and relaxed but can view family action. It can stress your pet if he is in the center of activity. Elevate your bird cage so it has a good view of every one and it also helps from drafts.
I hope this blog has helped you feel more confident in your purchase of a bird cage.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Bird Cages for Missy and Pedro
On this blog I am going to talk about my dear friend who has two birds. A red head Parrot, and white cockatiel. The parrots name is Pedro and the cockatiels name is Missy. I have four Westhighland white terriers. I love animals (can you tell) They are all great friends, which is a little unusual. But they grew up together so I guess that makes the difference.
Pedro and Missy share the same
bird cage most of the time. Because of this Carol just bought the ez-care bowfront playtop bird cage to allow for the space both birds need. The one you see at the right of this page. They think they live in a mansion now. It is the nicest cage and so very easy to keep clean. They have so much room and area to play in.
Missy has a smaller wrought iron bird cage of her own,the one you see to the left of this page, but she prefers to live with Pedro most of the time, which is also a little unusual. When spring comes around each year Carol has to put Missy in her own cage, because she starts laying eggs and is a real grouch. It is the only time my dogs can't go near her. She hiss's at everyone. Then after a week or so Carol takes the eggs away and Missy goes back to live with Pedro and every thing is fine again. She has her own portable play st
and, she lets Pedro have the playtop on the new cage.It is so much fun to see dogs and birds that are friends. Pedro gets on his new playtop bird cage and sings to the dogs and they listen, it is so funny. They tip their heads and listen like they are really enjoying it. Missy just struts around on the floor like she is the queen.
What fun...I hope you have enjoyed hearing about my friends Missy and Pedro and also my dogs.
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