Caring for your Bird

By: Mackay Pet Superstore Pty Ltd

Cockatiels

The Cockatiel makes a friendly and cheerful pet. It has lots of character and is easy to train and teach. They mimic sounds they hear and the males can learn to talk. Cockatiels have been kept as pets since the late 1800's.

 

Toys - These birds are natural chewers and should be provided with plenty of things to do. Toys can be any-thing from toys purchased at the pet shop to a branch that is taken from a Bottle Brush tree. A daily rotation of a couple of their toys will keep them interested in the surroundings.

 

Food - a seed designed for small parrots is the best. You can also feed your parrot apple, broccoli, cuttlefish, snow peas, carrots, corn and many other fresh veggies. There are also some native plants that your cockatiel will enjoy :

• Eucalypt, acacia, Lucerne, wild oats, veldt grass, bottle brush & wattle. Multi-
• Grain bread and hard boiled eggs will make some extra special treats. You should supply your cockatiel with some dry egg and biscuit as this will help with their growth.

 

Worming - your cockatiel (like dogs and cats) can get worms, so it is a good idea to keep it wormed. This is done every 3 months and is a simple process. Just ask one of the friendly staff and they will explain the details to you.

 

Where to keep your Indian cockatiel - Your Cockateil should be kept in a draught free area and part shade if you are keeping your Cockatiel indoors. It should be kept out of direct air flows - like air conditioners or an open window.

 

Budgies

The budgie - Budgies make cheerful and friendly pets; they have lots of character and are easy to train. Budgies are hardy parrots, easy to care for and make ideal first pets for young children. Owning a budgie can be very rewarding with the amusing antics, interaction and talking they can do.

 

Care of the budgie - a cage with the dimensions of 60cm x 40cm is a recommended size as there is a lot of room to move and space for toys and treats. Make sure all latches to doors etc are secure as these parrots may learn to open them up.

 

Please remember to add wooden perches of different widths to ensure exercise of feet. Dead branches from native trees are ideal.

 

Toys – Budgies get bored if they are left with very little to do. Make sure to keep your bird happy with plenty of bells, mirrors and even some small cat toys.

 

Food – seed designed for budgies is best. Do not add extra sunflower seed etc to the mix as this may cause problems at a later stage. You can try your bird with apple, broccoli, cuttlefish and leafy vegetables. No avocado, lettuce or cabbage

 

Worming – your Budgie (like dogs and cats) can get worms, so it is a good idea to keep it wormed. This is done every 3 months and is a simple process. Just ask one of the friendly staff and they will explain the details to you.

 

Where to keep your Budgie – Your budgie should be kept in a draught free area where it gets filtered light. Budgies do not like being in direct air conditioning airflow.

 

Alexandrine Parrot

The Alexandrine Parrot - Sometimes is known as the "poor man’s Macaw" is certainly a most attractive bird, and one that is now getting out more and more into aviculture. One of the most impressive things about these birds is their size, which is around 58 to 60cm. The alexandrine originates from Southern India and Sri Lanka.

 

In the wild these birds breed from November till April, laying their clutch of two to four eggs in large trees such as palms and malabarcias. They chew out hollows to suit themselves, with several pairs sometimes using the same tree. Although not recommended in captivity, in the wild these birds colonise without any major problems. They have been known to nest in wall cavities and roofs of houses. Natural foods consist of seeds, nuts, berries, flowers, fruit and nectar. These birds are known to damage grain, maize and rice fields, as well as fruit plantations.

 

In Australian avicultural conditions they breed from early August through January, nesting in either natural logs or sturdy well made nest boxes. If young are taken away from the parents for hand rearing purposes the parent birds will sometimes double brood without any problems. Incubation is around 25 to 28 days and if left with the parents the young fledge at around 7 weeks later. Young stay dependent on their parents, with both parent birds feeding for another 3 weeks after that. Young stay with the females until adult plumage starts at around 18 months and will not compete until adulthood is reached at 32 or so months of age. Adult males will be blessed with the stunning nape or neck band, common in Asiatic bird species, while females do not carry them. Both sexes have a lovely maroon/purple wing or shoulder patch which maybe slightly larger in male birds. These birds stay in great tight feather most of the year until, like all asiatics, molt. Molting may last up to 6 to 8 weeks. There are mutations available in this bird around the world.

 

Some of these mutations are lutino, blue, grey, olive and white

 

Worming – like all parrots, Alexandrines can get worms and should be wormed every three months.

 

Food – large parrot seed is the best seed for Alexandrines, you can also feed apples, carrots, cuttlefish, broccoli, corn and many other veggies.

 

General Bird Care

Birds require grit to grind food in their crop (this prevents crop infection).

 

Birds need to be wormed every 3 months. To do administer bird wormer take the birds water away at approx. 4pm. The next morning add the wormer to the water, and leave for 24hr.

 

During this time do not offer your bird any wet food (eg. apple, celery etc). Birds should be wormed every 3 months. If your bird has not been wormed at all repeat the process after two weeks three times and then 3 monthly thereafter.

 

You then need to find out why the bird is unwell. Has the bird had:

• Change of food, sometimes this can affect birds. Change should be done slowly.
• Too many greens, especially greens or too often.
• Chill, in windy weather birds can get a chill or if they get wet and aren’t able to dry & get warm.
• Been attacked, if outside wild birds can attack pets. This distress’ the bird sending them into shock, then 1 or all of the symptoms can set in.
• Dirty bottom, check if the bird is light (if it can be handled), or breastbone sticks out. If bird has been eating well, maybe it’s been eating too much. Could be sign of worms.
• Sleepy with dirty bottom, could also be a sign of worms. Sulpha remedy should be used first for 5 days, then use a wormer. They should be wormed 3 times in a 6 week period. First dose kills worms, second dose kills worm eggs, third dose will make sure all worm are dead. Then they need to be wormed every 3 months.
• Runny nose & cough, bird has a cold. Sulpha remedy should be used. Often when a family member has had a cold, birds can catch a cold from humans.

 

1. Scaley beak or feet, possibly a mite (different to white crab like mites). These mites can burrow under the skin creating a white scaley growth on the face or feet. Scale & mite remedy can be use by dipping a cotton bud into the solution and applying to the affected area for 4 days. We also suggest that you wash the perches & rub scale and mite remedy on them with a cotton ball or tissue. If the you have a large aviary place the afftected bird into a smaller cage to make treatment easier. Not all birds in an aviary will catch it.
2. Mite or lice, spray bird thoroughly as per instructions on the bottle. Like the wormer spray them 3 times in a 6 week period. Again wash the perches and spray them as well.
3. If a bird is ever sick or unwell, we suggest that you keep it warm (near a closed window where it can get sunlight) and away from any breeze or wind until it is well.
4. Antibiotics should be given as per instructions on the bottle. It is important to take any cuttlefish or greens out of the cage for the period of the treatment. These can absorb the antibiotics making them ineffective (only provide seed and water).