How to Care for Your Bird

There are simple measures you can take to keep your bird active and happy. If room permits, get the biggest possible cage you can afford, so it has plenty of room to move around, and even fly for short distances. Also put things in the cage for your bird to amuse itself with. Ladders and ramps for climbing are good, and toys can also help. However, make sure the toys are very tough, one-piece items, especially for larger birds with strong beaks. Toys with easily removable parts can cause intestinal blockage or death, if the parts are removed and swallowed.

Nutrition
Bird nutrition all depends on the type of bird you own. For instance, a pet bird that's a carnivore would have a different diet than a nectar sipper. Birds need a balanced diet. They need a variety of vegetables and fruits, as well as pellets and nuts and even seed. Some birds are picky eaters. If your bird is a picky eater it will sometimes eat foods that it sees you eat. Also, get your bird to try new foods by handing the food to them when they are someplace they are happy such as a certain perch in their cage or out of cage on a playground, etc. Never starve your bird into eating new foods. The philosophy of "he will eat when he gets good and hungry" has dehydrated and killed many birds.

To get your bird to eat, give your bird his favorite foods, but also a variety of different foods. Birds are intelligent beings. If you give them the same old thing day after day, it's bound to bore them. Don't be afraid to offer seed, as long as it isn't the main meal. Offer up the bird pellets as well, as they have essential nutrients.

You can give your bird a vitamin, mineral and amino acid supplement. Add this in a powder or liquid form to whatever your bird will eat. Start with the tiniest amount and very slowly work to the manufacturer's recommend dose. Most of all use patience and common sense. Birds are instinctively afraid of new items in their cages and surroundings and this includes new foods. If it takes a month for your bird to go near a new or different toy it may well be the same for your bird to go near a new food. If everything fails consult with your vet.

Birds are not toys; they aren't meant to be played with briefly, then put away and ignored for extended periods of time. They are living things with intelligence and emotions, and they require interaction with human beings when they are denied sufficient companionship with their own kind. Ignoring them can easily make them sick, both physically and mentally. Without regular interaction, birds eventually engage in self-destructive and self-mutilating behavior, especially feather-picking and foot-chewing. While plucking a few feathers is a condition that can be corrected, once a bird has removed enough feathers to leave large patches of bare skin, it is a very sick bird indeed, and will likely not recover. A simple, daily schedule of play and other forms of attention will keep your bird alert, happy, and healthy.

There are many things to take into consideration when bird proofing your home. Never leave toilet lids open. Never leave any containers of water out. Make sure that all of your plants are non poisonous to birds. Never leave the kitchen when you have something hot on the stove. Make sure your curtain strings do not have lead in them and tie them up so the bird cannot strangle himself. Never leave chocolate or avocados out. (These are toxic to birds.) Always close doors and windows. Do not cook with Teflon products near your bird, it can kill a bird if overheated.

Most people like to have their bird's wings clipped for the safety of the bird. To clip a bird's wings, wrap the bird in a towel and make sure that your hands are out of the way of the beak. Turn the bird upside down in your hand and clip at an angle. Once you do it a few times it becomes easier, unless you have a very large bird who doesn't trust you at all. If it doesn't come easy for you then the veterinarian is your best option because the bird will become stressed if you take too long when clipping. Make sure you have q-tips and styptic powder on hand to stop bleeding if you accidentally cut a blood feather.

Clipping the nails can also be done at home. It is better to cut too little than to go too far. If you get a little blood just put a little powder on a q-tip and the bleeding will stop. If you have good scratching perches, you may not have to clip the nails at all. The time it takes for the feathers to grow back varies from bird to bird.