Caring For Your Bird

By: Greencross Vets

Your pet bird is a member of your family and a few simple things can help make your bird happier, healthier and improve the quality of your time together. Different birds have different needs, but all have a few things in common. We can help advise you with any other problems you might be having, so if you have any questions, please ask.

 

The cage – your bird’s home
The size of the cage will depend on the size of your bird, and how much time your bird spends in its cage. All cages need to allow the bird to stretch its wings fully without touching the sides. If your bird will be spending most of its day in the cage, it needs to be large enough to allow the bird to exercise, so perches should be spaced well apart to encourage flight between them, and the cage should be large enough to allow flight between perches. All cages should be longer than they are high for this reason.

 

Cages should be made out of material that is easily cleaned, so wooden or ornate cages may look nice, but will be very difficult to keep clean. They should not have material flaking off, loose wires or jagged edges as birds can injure themselves or chew on these, which may cause injury.

 

Cage doors should be secure, many birds are very small, and soon learn how to open spring doors or lift sliding doors.

 

To stop your birds’ feathers being damaged, make sure your cage has bars that run vertical, not horizontal.

 

Perches in the cage should always be made of natural materials, preferably twigs or sticks, for as natural a perch as possible. Different size perches are important to help exercise your birds feet. It is important that perches are cleaned or replaced regularly, are not painted, and are not from poisonous plants. They should be positioned to encourage your bird to fly between perches and should not be above water or food dishes. Regular cleaning is important to maintain the health of your bird also. All uneaten food and any soiled substrate (e.g. newspaper) should be removed daily. The entire cage should be cleaned weekly, and allowed to dry in the sun.

 

Diet and nutrition
Good nutrition is one of the most important ways to keep your bird healthy. Many commonly kept pet birds are seed eaters, but seed is not a complete diet for any bird. This is where different species of birds differ the most.

 

There are a number of good quality pelleted or formulated bird diets available. Lafebers, Harrison's Bird Foods and Vetafarm all make quality, balanced prepared diets. Wombaroo & Roudybush make excellent baby bird foods & specialised diets including those required for lorikeets & insect eating birds.

 

Grit is not needed for most parrots as they de-husk the seeds they eat. Pigeons, doves and fowl do eat seed whole so require grit to help break seed up in their stomach.

 

A good quality seed mix is very important, seed should be as fresh as possible and small amounts should be offered dally. Don't fill up seed dishes, just offer enough for one or two days and replace it once the dish is empty. This will make sure the bird eats all of the seed and not just its favourite! NEVER feed straight sunflower seed and don’t feed seed mix that contains a large amount of sunflower seed. Sunflower seed is the chocolate of the bird world!

 

Fresh vegetables should be offered and small amounts of fruit. Some types of birds need more fruit than others, but generally don't feed too much fruit, keep to vegies. You can offer fresh seeding grasses (make sure they haven’t been sprayed), corn on the cob, capsicum, carrot (chopped, grated or sticks for larger birds and feed the tops too), broccoli, lettuce (outer leaves and only small amounts), sweet potato (raw or boiled) potato (raw or boiled), cauliflower, silverbeet, spinach, Chinese vegetables (pak choy etc.), unshelled peas (larger birds often enjoy the challenge of these), beans, zucchini, grapes, apple, orange, watermelon and even strawberries as a treat. Food should always be good quality, If you wouldn't eat it, don't feed it to your bird.

 

General Care
Healthy birds should not need their beaks or nails trimmed. Natural wear on perches keeps nails short, and eating a variety or seeds, vegetables and even playing with toys helps keep the beak the correct shape. Overgrown beaks and nails may be a sign of poor health, and will need trimming, something we can help you with.

 

Wing trimming should NEVER be attempted without instruction, again, see your vet. If wings are to be trimmed, it will need to be done on a regular basis, usually every 4-8 months depending on how often your bird moults. Moulting is a normal occurrence, you will notice your bird loosing more feathers and 'pin' feathers will be noticeable over the bird's body.

 

Exercise is also important for birds, just the same as any other animal, to reduce problems with weight and keep them healthy. If your bird exercises by flying free in the house, please read our safely section carefully, as birds can be accident prone. Cages must be very large to allow enough exercise to keep your bird healthy if it spends the majority of the day there.

 

Bird Health
The signs of illness in most birds are very subtle, and most birds don't look sick until disease is well advanced. Sick birds may be off their food, may drink more than normal, may look fluffed up or nod their head as though sleepy. You may also notice their droppings have changed colour or are runnier than normal, or they may have a runny nose or eyes. Birds should have a health check at home each week, checking their body condition, weight and any abnormal lumps or bumps. If you think your bird looks sick, chances are that it is, and should be seen by a vet as soon as possible. Changes in behaviour or appearance may also indicate illness and it is worth having these also checked out.

 

Birds and your health
Similar to any other pet, good hygiene is important for both your bird and you. Birds should not be encouraged to ‘kiss’ and should not be allowed near your face, as this can allow transmission of disease.

People most at risk are the elderly, very young children or people whose immune systems are compromised. This does not mean that these people cannot own birds, just that they need to be more aware of the risks.

 

People with respiratory disease such as asthma may experience problems due to feather dander and dust from birds. A dust mask should be worn by anyone with problems and strict hygiene adhered to.

 

A word on bird safety
There are a number of potential dangers to birds in the home. Some are obvious, such as the family cat ‘Sylvester’, others you may not know about.

 

The biggest concern is the kitchen; this room is full of potential dangers and should be off limits to birds, especially when food preparation is occurring. Over-heated non-stick cookware can release fumes toxic to birds; boiling kettles and water, hotplates, and hot food present dangers.

 

Chemicals in the home should also be kept well away form birds, and never used in their proximity. Birds should always be removed from the room before using insect sprays, spray cleaners or anything from which fumes may be given off. Do not expose your bird to cigarette smoke, as this can cause respiratory problems such as infections.

 

Fans are an obvious but very real danger and extreme vigilance is required to avoid potential disaster. Lamps can also be a danger if birds land on them, as can irons. Curious birds may also chew electric cables, so be aware.