When considering whether or not a parrot is a good choice for you and your family, please keep in mind that they are wild animals, and they do bite.
Parrots are the sweetest and most loving animals ever, but they have hard beaks and it really hurts when they bite. I never want to discourage people from buying parrots or adding to their flock, but I feel people should be made aware that parrots although beautiful, are a lot of work to care for. To help you find out if a parrot is a good choice for you check out our page Introduction
Wing clipping is a very controversial topic. Some people think that clipping a parrot's wings is cruel because it takes away their ability to fly. Some think that clipping wings hurts the parrot.
Others think that clipping is a necessity as it keeps the parrot from flying into things that could cause harm. Then there are people who remain neutral on the subject. They don't clip but if need be they will. Whichever "side" you're on I think we can all agree that there are benefits and risks to both sides. Benefits of clipping: Clipping allows you to have more control when it comes to training your parrot.
This has been spotted at Walmart and pet shops.... If you see this do NOT buy it!
This is extremely unhealthy for your parrots and should not even be available to buy! I've also seen candy covered sunflower seeds... It sickens me what companies come up with just to catch your eye and try to get you to buy... Please share this post and make sure fellow parrot owners are aware that this is not ok for their parrots. Millet should only be given as a treat as it doesn't have much nutritional value. Parrots should never eat candy or any kind of sugar unless it is natural as in fruits..
Did you know that not everyone can openly own a quaker parrot?
When Quakers (monk parrots) were first brought over to the united states in the 1960s, a crate carrying them was dropped and many quakers escaped. Not thinking they would be able to survive the winter, no one was ordered to find them. Well Quakers are tough and were able to survive the winter. Come spring they ate all the crops around the area they were living and had to be exterminated, although not all were killed. So because Quakers can survive, live in big numbers and devastate crops, they are illegal to own in certain states... If you are thinking about getting a Quaker parrot be sure to check this chart to make sure it is legal for you to own one.
New appliances are something people usually don't think will harm their birds. If you are going to be buying new appliances please keep this post in mind.
I used to promote plastic water bottles for water, but after some research and a couple informative Facebook posts, I've decided to switch my parrots over to using stainless steel dishes for water.
There are glass water bottles with stainless steel spouts (such as shown to the left), however I don't care for these because I feel birds can't get enough water out of that kind of spout. Those bottles are safe for parrots. If you feel they would work for your parrot, try them out! Here is the Facebook post I felt needed shared: Keep your parrots safe! "I want to tell you how I almost killed my parrotlet and spent thousands of dollars in vet bills because of my ignorance. A few years ago my little guy wasn't doing well. I took him to the avian vet and she diagnosed him with gram negative bacteria and gave him antibiotics. He would be good for a while but would need more treatment and more meds every 6-8 weeks. This went on for 18 months with every test know to bird done on him. Eventually I asked to be referred to a special exotic animal hospital. We went for the appointment and had to fill out an extensive form outlining his medical history, food and environment. The vet walked into the room and told me she knew what was likely wrong with him before she even looked at him. Biofilm poisoning from his plastic dishes. Here's the scoop. Even when proper hygiene and washing is used, biofilms eventually build up on plastic dishes as they are porous. Wolfs dishes were washed daily but that does not matter. He was being poisoned every time he ate. The fix was easy.,,. Stainless steel bowls. The vet explained that biofilm poisoning is most likely to occur in birds smaller than a cockatiel. She says that these birds usual present in the ER vomiting and sick but most of them just die at home without the owner ever knowing why because people tend to be less likely to vet a small bird. Wolf is doing well but because of the 20 times he was on antibiotics and The long term sickness, his immune system has been damaged and his lifespan likely shortened, do yourself and your bird a favour and throw away those plastic dishes.. My mission is to get the word out so that no little parrots have to die needlessly. Every time I see on my boards about a parrotlet dying suddenly For no reason i wonder if it could have been biofilms. There is next to nothing out there that address' this so get the word out!" Learn more about Biofilm here: Biofilm/Wikipedia
There are so many stainless steel cleaners out there and let's face it most of them smell toxic and have toxic ingredients. Toxic smells and ingredients are not only harmful for us but also for our birds. Most people now have stainless appliances be it ovens, fridges, toasters, coffee or espresso machines, slow cookers, etc.. and we need safe non toxic cleaners without breaking our budgets. It took a little digging but I found an awesome way to clean stainless appliances and it's also safe to use on your stainless cooking pots, utensils, etc..! AND only uses TWO ingredients that most have in their kitchens!
Water and Cream of tarter. Yup that's it! Just use a sponge to apply and a wet towel to clean it off. To keep your stainless steel shiny and clean finish off polishing with some baby oil. After using this on my appliances, they have stayed clean for weeks! Just wipe down every once in a while and they stay clean! Plus there are no toxic smells to make you or your birds sick! I hope you find this useful. What have you found that works to keep your stainless steel clean? Feel free to comment below. What you'll need: 1 Tsp. Cream of tarter 1/2 Tsp. Water A dab of baby oil What to do: Mix cream of tarter and water in a small dish. It should be like a paste. Buff onto Stainless steel surface with a sponge and wipe clean with a wet towel. Put a dab of baby oil on a clean towel and polish.
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