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Pet bird care tips for responsible bird owners
Naturally, birds are mainly known as social animals. Most of the birds can make fun with you and can make you happy. Taking care of pet birds isn’t difficult, but it is different from taking care of a dog or a cat. If you are considering buying birds as pets or you are already a bird owner, you should read this whole article for getting pet bird care tips and ideas.
Birds’ health care tips for all bird owners
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Housing
You should place your bird’s cage in a corner or against a wall in a room where your family members spend most of their time. You should put the bird’s cage in a corner or against the wall so that your birds can feel safe and comfortable. Your birds will feel safe when you place your bird’s cage above you.
- Bird proof
Many common household items like chemicals, sharp objects, medicines, small objects, etc. are dangerous to pet birds. Most of the households have fans which are also dangerous for birds. Vapors and fumes are also injurious to birds’ health. You can consult with your vet about making your house birdproof.
The happiness of a bird depends on the size of the cage. The long width of the cage will allow your bird to stretch its wings fully. You should buy a high cage so that your bird can stand without touching the top of the cage. A rectangular cage is ideal. If the birds get frightened, they will be able to hide in the corner of the cage. A cage made of stainless steel is the best. The guillotine-type door is not safe for your bird. The bars of the cage should be close enough so that your bird can’t go out or get caught between the bars. So, you should keep in mind four tips before buying a bird’s cage:
- Buy a large cage.
- Choose a rectangular cage.
- Place the cage in a warm and comfortable place.
- Place newspaper on the cage’s bottom.
- Perches
Provide your birds with perches with different shapes, textures, and diameters. You can collect wood perches from dogwood, willow trees, or fruit trees. Don’t provide them with concrete or other artificial perches. Providing sandpaper perches is not good for them. You can provide rope perches but you must check them repeatedly. If it becomes dirty, change it. You should also make sure that your bird does not eat rope bit.
- Bowls and dishes for food and water
Food and water bowls are very indispensable for a bird cage. Place food dishes high up so that they cannot be contaminated by excrement. All food or water bowls should be kept full at all times because many of them don’t drink from half or poorly-filled dishes or bowls. You can set up an outside-mounted water bottle to save space in your bird’s cage. You must train your birds before setting up a water bottle. Changing water from a water bottle or water bowl daily is a must.
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Environment
70 – 80 degrees F is the ideal temperature for your bird. So, don’t place your bird’s cage near the air conditioner or heater. You should place your bird’s cage outside during day time so that they can monitor everything. Protect them from predators. You should inspect your cage daily for ants or others. Out-of-cage activities are also important to keep your pet bird healthy and happy. Although your pet birds are kept indoors, you can provide them with living plants and branches so that they can get the natural touch. You will find that your birds are enjoying it.
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Sunlight
When we learn how to take care of pet birds at home we must know their body clock. During the day time, you must give your bird access to natural light in order to keep them healthy and happy. Make sure that your feathered friends are getting dark during the night for ten hours. If it is not possible naturally, you can consider using a blackout cover or veil to help them to get rest.
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Don’t smoke near your birds’ cage
When you are learning “how do you take care of a bird”: don’t smoke near your bird. It is a personal decision whether or not you smoke. But you can’t do this near your feathered friend. The negative impact of smoking can’t be ignored. The smoke of cigarettes contains tars, hydrocarbons, and nicotine which are injurious to the lungs. Smoking will reduce lung efficiency, damage the heart, and increase blood pressure. So, before adopting a bird, take a no-smoking policy in your home.
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Bath and grooming
Naturally, birds love water and they are capable of taking their bath. They can groom themselves. You must provide them with fresh water in a big bowl. Your feathered friend will take their bath alone without your help. Birds like to take baths to keep them cool in the hot weather. So, during the hot weather, your first duty is to provide water.
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Feeding
In order to keep good health, provide your feathered friend with the right diet. Your birds’ diet should consist of 75% to 80% bird pellets and 15% to 20% fruits and vegetables.
You can include these vegetable items:
- cooked mint leaves
- Parsley leaves
- Coriander leaves
- Bean sprouts
- Peppers
- Zucchini
- Cauliflower
- Collard and Dandelion greens
- Sweet potato
- Green beans
- Squash
- Chard
You can include these fruits items:
- Papaya
- Grapefruit
- Plums
- Strawberries
- Pineapple
- Raspberries
- Oranges
- Grapes
- Apples
- Mango
- Tangerines
- Persimmons
- Passion and star fruit
If you have any questions about your birds feeding and health, you can consult with a vet.
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Provide fresh water
Provide a water dish and fill it daily with water of normal temperature. If you don’t give water to your bird within 1-2 days, your bird will suffer from dehydration. Birds can’t drink easily from a deep dish. So, give them a shallow but big dish. Make sure that the water is being changed daily. Placing a water dish on the opposite side of the food dish is a good idea.
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Handling
You must get used to your bird within several days in order to remove its stress. Put your hand in the bird or cage along with some food, in the long run, your bird will sit on your hand or finger.
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Toys and exercise
Manage toys and puzzles when you buy a cage. You can’t complete your aviary care without its mental stimulation. Toys and puzzles also keep them away from boredom. You should also let your bird out of the cage to maintain their fitness and not let them become fat or overweight.
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Social interaction
As birds are sociable animals, they need fun and attention to become healthy and happy. Eat meals during your birds’ mealtime and handle them gently during the passing time. During your free time, you can take your bird in the garden to ensure your feathered friend that you are a part of their life.
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Consult with experts
You can consult a vet who is specialized in birds for any problem such as food, nutrition, medicine, etc. Some species of birds may require some special requirements; you can also get suggestions from them on this matter.
