4lf

PARROTS:
Birds in the parrot family include small lovebirds and parrots, which do not grow beyond 12 centimetres, right up to the large macaws, which can grow to over 80 centimetres.

Your parrot deserves the best care possible so make sure you are prepared to:

find out how your parrot will change as he/she matures, including changes in size and behaviour, so that you know how best to interact with him/her and provide the right care, environment and companionship

check that the person who looks after your parrot when you go on holiday knows all about the care needed, including the specialist feeding and how to minimise any disturbance

accept that some parrots can live for more than 50 years.

BUDGIES AND CANARIES:

The right pet for you?
Budgies and canaries are colourful and friendly companions that need to live with other birds in a large aviary. This can be expensive to build or buy and needs regular cleaning, for health reasons.

What do budgies and canaries need?

Companionship - to be with other budgies or canaries and to have human company.
A balanced diet of bird food, seed shaken through a fine sieve to get rid of dust, and regular treats like fresh washed lettuce, carrots and apple.
A constant supply of fresh, clean water.
A large aviary, safe from predators and with sleeping areas or nesting boxes to give protection from cold, wind and direct sunlight.
Daily exercise. There must be plenty of space for flying in the aviary.
Lots of wooden perches for sleeping on. Budgies like to perch high up and all at the same level, while canaries need bark-covered twigs to perch on.
Branches, toys and vegetation in the aviary to create an interesting environment.
Clean water for bathing.
Grit to help digestion.
A cuttlefish bone to peck at.
The aviary to be cleaned regularly.
To be taken to a vet if they are ill or injured.
To be looked after when you are on holiday.
Life span
Budgies can live for up to 10 years, canaries for five to six years.

Behaviour
In the wild, budgies and canaries live in large groups so it is unkind to have just one bird. Get a pair or a group of male or female birds at the same time to avoid jealousy. Canaries and budgies should not be kept in the same aviary as canaries are smaller and may be bullied. All captive birds need a stimulating environment and space to fly around.

Handling
Budgies can be trained to land on your finger and can be handled quite frequently without stress. Canaries should be handled as little as possible. To pick up a bird, place one hand over its back. The tail should lie along the inside of your wrist and the head should rest between the first and second fingers, while the thumb and other fingers restrain the wings. Relax your fingers to make your grip as gentle as possible - never squeeze the bird.

Breeding
The RSPCA advises that you do not breed from budgies or canaries as it is very difficult to find good homes for the young. The best way is to keep males and females apart. Female budgies come into season from early spring until autumn, and will lay up to six eggs in one clutch. Only breed if you are able to provide or find good homes for any offspring.

Health
If your budgie or canary is huddled on its perch, wheezing and gasping for breath, it may have an infection that could lead to bronchitis or pneumonia. Keep the bird warm and seek veterinary advice straight away.

Budgies may suffer from an overgrown beak or claws. The beak can usually be kept in trim by pecking at a cuttlefish bone, but it may need to be trimmed by a vet. Claws can be kept short by providing perches with a rough or bark-covered surface. If they need clipping, a vet should do this.

Budgies may develop a contagious condition called scaly face, a grey crust that spreads around the beak and face. It is caused by a tiny parasite and can be treated by your vet.

Canaries may suffer from digestive disorders, causing listlessness, sleepiness and loss of appetite. If a canary has constipation, diarrhoea or blood in its droppings, keep it away from the others, make sure it is warm and seek veterinary advice straight away.

Feather plucking can be a sign of boredom or stress. Make sure your budgie or canary has suitable companions, lots of room to fly and plenty of interesting toys and perches.

COCKATIELS:

i recomend visiting the national cockatiel society it has great info on sexing and genetics and lots of very interesting stuff u may find useful: http://www.cockatiels.org/

BEHAVIOUR

Cockatiels are a member of the parrot family. This makes them very active, talkative, even noisy (especially the males) and sociable.

As cockatiels are very sociable pets, I recommend to keep two. This can be the same sex or mixed.

HOUSING

Cockatiels need the biggest cage you can afford and accomodate. A budgie (parakeet) cage is not big enough! Make sure the bar spacing is no more than 1" (2cm). It should be big enough for them to spread their wings in all directions. Cockatiels ideally still need daily exercise outside the cage though.

You can put sand at the bottom of the cage. I personally found that just newspaper is much better as I can then daily take the top sheet off and keep it always clean and tidy that way. it must be noted though that some newspaper is toxic. other options include wood chippings and sand paper. At least once a week (more if you have more birds) you need to change and clean everything including food bowls and bars of the cage. The water container should be cleaned daily and refilled with new water.

FOOD

Cockatiels should have a staple diet of either pellets or/and a good seed mix. BUT: this should not be the only ingredient of the diet. Cockatiels also need vegetables and fruit. They also love brown bread, boiled eggs or commercial egg food, pasta and anything really which is good for humans. Do not feed anything which is salty, savoury or sugary or which contains alcohol, caffein, avocado or chocolate. Make sure your bird does not pick and choose and leave all the healthy bits.

Cockatiels also need grit to help them grinding down seeds. However I use oyster shell only - not the mineral grit. Oyster shell disolves in the bird's body and does not cause any problems.

Of course cockatiels need water. This is best offered in a special water container which sometimes comes through the cage (bottle)or a coop cup (stainless steel or plastic) is good too and make sure its changed daily.

HEALTH

Cockatiels are generally quite healthy if they enjoy a good diet and exercise. Signs of illness are often very subtle like changes in the behaviour, eating less or no food, drinking more water, being fluffed up (this can also be a sign of being happy and content and should not be pressumed poorly, also perching on one leg can to be a sign, but again birds often do this to show sign of happiness and relaxment too.). It is best to take a bird to the vet immediately if there is something wrong. Birds can deteriorate very quickly.Signs of illness to watch out for:

abnormal breathing
abnormal droppings (note the quantity, color, consistency)
abnormal feathers, feather growth, or molt
abnormal sleep pattern:
- continuous
- both feet on the perch when normally one foot is tucked up
- head tucked under the wing
- head turned towards the wing with eyes only partly closed
any change in normal activities:
- talking or whistling
- playing with toys
- preening
- interaction with other birds
- interaction with humans
- energy levels
- different perching area
bleeding
discharge from the beak, eyes or nostrils
disorientation
drinking a lot more water than usual
drooping head, tail or wings
dull or swollen eyes
excessive feather picking or plucking
face and head feathers coated with mucus and semi-digested seed
falling off the perch
fluffed up appearance
hunched over posture
loss of appetite
lumps or swellings on the body
sitting on the bottom of the cage
soiled vent
tail constantly moving up and down
untidy appearance
vomiting
weight loss

I will mention some conditions here, but I am no vet and the list is by no means comprehensive. Always ask your vet, preferably an avian vet, for health advice if you have any concerns.

Scaly face: This is a condition that is caused by mites and is easily treatable. It is, if left untreated, deadly. The symptoms are very clear: a crust building up on and around the beak. Eventually the beak will start deforming and make it impossible for the bird to eat. Please do not wait that long. Take your bird to the vet as soon as you notice something wrong!

Respiratory problems: If you find that your bird is breathing more heavily or even laboured and if the tail is bobbing up and down more than usual, please take your bird to the vet. Respiratory problems can have many causes: draughts, cold, compressed immune system due to a poor diet or in females, due to constant egg laying etc.

Egg binding: Females sometimes experience egg binding. This means that the egg cannot pass through and gets stuck This happens often because of a lack of calcium. Emergency treatment is raising the room temperature or placing your bird under a heat lamp or on a hot water bottle (make sure it is not too hot though!). Warmth is often all that is needed to help passing the egg. You may also give the bird milk. Milk contains a form of calcium that can be processed very quickly and easily by the body.To help prevent egg-binding, make sure that your female bird has a calcium rich diet. Calcium is contained in dark green vegetables and salad (broccoli, spinach etc), in egg shells, oyster shells, mineral blocks, cuttle fish bone and in supplements (supplements should only be given if seeds are fed, everything else is already present in pellets).

please visit here for more informative information on egg binding: http://www.cockatielcottage.net/binding.html

There are other possible conditions in birds. As mentioned before, always contact your vet if there are any doubts about the health of your bird. Even the slightest abnormalities physically and behaviour related, could indicate a serious condition.

Vet Insurance: Several insurance companies now offer insurance for vet fees. The prices are very reasonable and it is well worth it. I know from experience that there is no better feeling that saying to a vet "Please do anything that is necessary" without having to worry about the cost of the treatment!

MY FINAL WORDS

Cockatiels have a life span of 12 to 15 years. (although some have been known to live till 30+) So they are a long term commitment to take on! But if you are really interested, then they are great pets and will offer you many hours of entertainment!

OVERALL THIS SITE COMES HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR COCKATIEL INFO, I FULLY RECOMMEND VIEWING: http://www.cockatielcottage.net/

Piczo