Exotic Birds Blog

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You’ve just bought your new parrot, now what? What will you need to take care of him or her? This article will address the care needed in those first few days to get off on the right foot with your new friend.

The first thing you’ll need to bring your parrot home is a pet carrier and appropriate lining material. Birds poop every 20 minute to an hour. The store should have a carrier they will give you or sell you, but a breeder may need you to bring your own. It’s dangerous for your bird to be outside or in the car loose. He could fly away, even if clipped and a bird loose in the car can cause accidents or be easily injured.

You may want to buy a pet carrier made just for birds online and it’s a good investment for all those times you will want to take you pet with you somewhere. I’ve even bungeed my carrier to my bike and taken my parrot for rides. Acrylic carriers are another possible option.  If you will be flying, airlines have specific requirements for carriers and require a veterinarian certificate of health. You willalso want to get your tickets early if you plan to have your bird in the cabin with you as most airlines only allow one pet in a cabin.

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Before you bring your bird home you will want to locate an avian vet. Birds don’t require shots but they do need wing clipping, nail sanding and sometimes beak grinding. Also, be sure your bird is banded properly and you get a copy of any health records or guarantees from the pet store. Birds have been known to be fragile and die after getting home.

Hand feeding an unwearned parrot baby takes practice, and it’s beyond the scope of this article. I did hand feed my parrot but you can hurt your bird if you don’t know what you’re doing. If you choose to take home a baby that needs hand feeding be sure you get your breeder or pet store to show you how it’s done and what formula they are using. Overall it is best to buy a weaned bird.

Assuming you bought a weaned parrot it’s important to check with the pet store, breeder, or former owner, to find out what your parrot was eating before you bought him. If at all possible, buy that brand of feed for your parrot and only slowly change his feed by mixing greater and greater amounts of your new feed into your parrot’s food bowl. Changing a birds food too quickly can cause GI problems. You will also want to research what foods are O.K. for your bird. Avacados, chocolate and alcohol are all posion to birds.

Have your birds cage set up before he gets home. This will make the transition easier. Make sure you get the right size cage for the bird. Larger breeds such as Mccaws will need a much sturdier cage than a parakeet. Place the cage in an area draft free and where your bird can see the action of the home. Make sure at least one side of the cage is against a wall. This will help your bird feel more secure.

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