Your bird can live to be colorful, cheerful, entertaining part of your household for many years...from about ten years for the average budgie to over seventy years for the larger macaws! The most important factor affecting your bird’s longevity is husbandry; the proper cage, accessories, diet and management of your bird are essential to assuring him a full and happy life.

Home Tweet Home: The Cage

A general rule for cages is The Bigger the Better! Birds should at the very least be able to perch and spread both wings without touching the sides of the cage. Locate the cage in a room which has the most activity; most birds like to be in the center of the excitement, and may become depressed if isolated. The room should be free of excessive drafts and large temperature fluctuations, although a healthy, well-nourished bird can withstand variations in climate quite well. Ideally, the cage should be cleaned daily, or weekly at the very least. Newspaper is the best cage lining, as it resists bacterial growth. It’s a good idea to separate the bird from the litter with a wire screen which allows droppings to fall through.
Perches: The perches should be of varying thickness, preferably natural branches. (Click here for a list of safe plants.) There should be at least two perches to encourage your bird to exercise. In addition, a concrete perch can be installed to help groom your bird’s nails and beak. DO NOT USE SANDPAPER PERCHES.
Dishes: Food and water dishes should be located for easy accessibility and not under perches. Birds readily learn to use rodent-type water bottles; these hold more water and are not as easily contaminated by food. Avoid clay or porcelain products from Mexico as they may contain lead. Dishes and water bottles should be scrubbed daily.
Toys: Toys are important to prevent boredom, keep beaks in shape, encourage exercise, and stimulate mental processes. They should be durable and non-toxic. Avoid paints, thin plastics and toys with small pieces which may be bitten off. Good toys include metal mirrors, acrylics, keys, rawhide shapes, untreated leather, natural branches, wooden shapes and lava rocks. Change the toys in the cage periodically to prevent your bird from becoming bored with, or too attached to, any one toy.

The Great Outdoors: Periodic exposure to sunlight is a must for most creatures. An hour or two of sunshine in mild weather each week will be a great benefit to your bird's health. He can enjoy his time in the sun, either through an open window or outside in a safe area, if you follow a few, important precautions:

• Keep your bird in a cage when outside to prevent tragic accidents. Never leave him unsupervised.
• Trim his wings before taking him out; the outdoors is sometimes exciting or frightening, and cage doors may come unlatched.
• Make sure that a significant portion of the cage remains in shade; direct sunlight can be dangerous in excess, and birds can die from the heat.
• Avoid allowing contact with wild birds which may carry disease--for example, don't place a pet bird cage near a wild bird feeder, and remove the pet's food (but not water) during his trip outside.

The Birdie Parlor: Grooming

Most birds require (and enjoy!) regular bathing. Baths help to keep the feathers clean and smooth and encourage preaning. Many birds will bathe voluntarily if offered a sturdy, flat-bottomed dish filled with 1-2 inches of water. It's wise to remove food dishes and anything else in the area that shouldn't get wet! Some birds will happily relocate their bathing to the bathroom or to a cage outside (see precautions above). Those who do not like dish-bathing may prefer spraying. Use a mister-type water bottle to thoroughly wet the bird. (Some birds prefer the rain-like feel produced by spaying water up and allowing it to drop onto bird from above.) Still other birds would prefer to join their human friends in the shower--just make sure to keep the soap away. In all cases, bathe the bird early in the day so he has plenty of time to dry.

A concrete-type perch helps to keep your bird’s beak and nails in condition. Place it in the cage in an area where the bird will visit it daily, but don’t make it the highest perch in the cage, or he’ll be likely to spend all night on it. Even with self-grooming, most birds will require regular nail trims, and all pet birds should have their wings trimmed to prevent tragic accidents.
Restraint: The key to administering any kind of treatment is the proper restraint. The bird must be immobilized to prevent injury to himself or to you, and the desired body part must be accessible (e.g. the wing for a wing trim). The easiest and most effective means of restraint is with a bath towel. Place the bird on the floor near a corner. Drop the towel on him so that his head near the center. Encircle the neck firmly but gently with your thumb and forefinger directly under the lower bill. Use your other hand to wrap the sides of the towel snugly around his body as you pick him up. Do not squeeze the neck or chest; this will interfere with his breathing. Always be aware of the bird’s beak, as he may bite or peck if allowed to work free. This method takes some practice, but soon you should be able to restrain the bird while exposing a wing, the beak, a foot, or any other part which you need to examine or treat.
The Wing Trim: Wing trimming is usually a two-person operation. One person must restrain the bird (see above) while the other trims the flight feathers. Extend the wing. Using a pair of scissors, cut the first 8-10 primary feathers so that they are even with the primary coverts (see illus). Trim both wings so that the bird can safely glide to the floor if he jumps off a perch. The feathers will grow back after the next molt, so they will usually need to be trimmed once or twice a year. The main danger associated with wing trimming is cutting a blood feather. These are easily recognized; you can see blood in the growing feather shaft, making it appear dark. If cut, the shaft will continue to bleed until it is removed. Always check for blood feathers, and cut only those feather which have grown out and no longer have a blood supply in the shaft.
The Nail Trim: As for wing trimming, one person restrains the bird while the other trims the nails. Use a human-type nail clipper or a pair of cat nail clippers for small birds, or dog nail trimmers for large birds. Avoid the quick, which can be seen in light colored nails as a pink area (see illus). In nails which are very dark, the quick may not be visible, so take small snips until you get a feel for how short you can cut. Have some coagulant ready (e.g. flour or Quikstop®) in case you accidentally cut a nail too short. Note: If your bird’s nails are very long, it may be an indication that his perches are too narrow.
Beak Trimming: Rarely will birds need their beaks trimmed. Provide your bird with a concrete grooming perch, natural branches, chew toys (rawhide, lava rocks, etc.) and/or a mineral block to help keep his beak in shape. If the beak is very sharp, you can smooth it with an emery board, however, take care not to take too much off. Cutting a beak too short can cause permanent damage to its growth, as well as being painful and inviting bacterial contamination. If you feel your bird’s beak is very overgrown or misshapen, we suggest you bring him to a veterinarian; it may be an indication of parasite infestation or other disease problems.

Polly Want a Cracker: The Diet

"Improper feeding is the chief cause of disease and death in pet birds. A balanced diet is the single most important responsibility that the pet bird owner has."
T. J. LaFeber, D.V.M.

A seed and water diet DOES NOT provide sufficient nutrients for your bird’s maintenance. Although a bird can survive for years on a seed diet, he will be deficient in certain amino acids, vitamins and minerals, leaving him more susceptible to illness. Many high-quality pelleted foods are on the market (e.g. Roudybush feeds), and they make a convenient, economical base for a bird’s diet. Unfortunately, even the pelleted foods can not provide all the essential elements of diet for every species of bird. We suggest a diet of 30-50% pelleted food, supplemented with fresh foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains, sprouts (see China Prairie's website for more info), a few seeds, and/or cooked foods (see recipes). Your bird can enjoy sharing small amounts of any food you’re eating, except for caffeine, alcohol, highly salted or sugared foods, or avocados.
Converting a seed-eating bird to a healthier diet is not always easy. Here are some suggestions for converting a picky bird:

1. Gradually increase the amount of the preferred diet offered, while decreasing the seeds. Once you have seen the bird eat the preferred diet, the battle is won.
2. Layer the foods with a few seeds on top.
3. Allow 2-3 feeding periods (15 minutes each) per day to encourage your bird to "clean up his plate."
4. Flavor the food with fruit juice, bouillon or spices.
5. Birds are social eaters. A mirror, another bird eating or even you eating will encourage your bird to eat. Take him to the table for dinner; offer him part of your own snacks; encourage him to try all kinds of new foods.

Once you have your bird on a balanced diet, he will be healthier, more resistant to disease, and better able to enjoy his full lifespan. Do not attempt to change the diet of sick or convalescing birds until they are well.

The Sick Bird

Birds can hide an illness very effectively. This is common behavior for survival in the wild. When symptoms do show up, the bird is usually seriously to critically ill. One day of illness to a budgie is as grave as 20 days of illness to a human. Bi-annual check-ups can help to catch these problems and administer treatment before they become life-threatening.

The Sick Bird Syndrome

1. Change in food or water consumption.
2. Change in breathing or voice.
3. Change in temperament or attitude.
4. Change in feather or beak growth or development.
5. Change in the characteristics or amount of droppings (a change in diet--more fruits or vegetables--can alter droppings drastically, but they should return to normal fairly quickly.)
6. Listlessness, or sitting with ruffled feathers and/or drooping wings.
7. Sitting on the cage floor (this is normal for some birds).

What To Do Before You See The Veterinarian:
Attach a heating pad to the back side of the cage with clothespins and cover the cage, leaving only the front side exposed. Try to maintain a temperature of 85-90 F. Isolate the bird and cage from drafts and other birds. Lower the perches and locate the food and water dishes on the bottom of the cage for easy accessibility. CALL YOUR VETERINARIAN IMMEDIATELY! If you take your bird to a hospital, try to take him in his usual cage. Do not clean the cage, but remove the water. Your veterinarian will want to examine the bird’s droppings and the normal cage environment. this will help him to evaluate the condition of the bird and make recommendations for proper caged-bird husbandry.

As a bird owner, you should be aware that there are a few bird diseases which can be a hazard to your own health. The most common of these is Psittacosis (also known as Chlamydiosis or Parrot Fever), which can cause respiratory of flu-like symptoms in affected humans. Generally only very young, very old or debilitated people are susceptible to this disease, but other birds of all ages and types can catch the bacterium from infected individuals. Birds infected with Psittacosis may show respiratory symptoms and die very quickly, or they may carry the disease and show no symptoms at all. For this reason it is very important that you quarantine any new birds for at least 30 days before you allow them any contact with your other birds. Your veterinarian can do various tests to screen your bird for Psittacosis if it is suspected to be a problem.

Emergency Care:
Bleeding: Blood loss is a very serious hazard for a bird, so be prepared to act quickly! Keep a bottle of coagulant (e.g. flour or Quikstop®) handy to stop bleeding of nails, beak or cuts. Direct pressure may be necessary to stop the bleeding of larger cuts, and these should be seen by a veterinarian immediately. Growing feathers (blood feathers), if broken, will bleed until they are removed. Grasp the broken feather shaft and pull firmly to remove the entire shaft from the body. Apply direct pressure to the follicle until bleeding has stopped. Following significant blood loss, keep your bird warm and see a veterinarian immediately. You can offer water or Gatorade® to help replace the fluids lost.
Poisoning: Treat the bird as sick (see above). Call a veterinarian immediately. .

Safe Plants	Unsafe Plants
Fruit tree branches (except Cherry)	Philodendron
Nut tree branches	Dieffenbachia
Weeping Fig	Poinsetta
Fiddle Leaf	Avocado
Spider Plant	Castor Beans
Swedish Ivy	Azalea
Maidenhair Fern	Cherry Tree
Asparagus Fern	Oleander
Dry Eucalyptus	Eggplant
Pine Branches and Cones	Hydrangea
	Yew
	Bulbs

This list is by no means complete. Other toxins include lead and other heavy metals, paint fumes, aerosol sprays, Febreze®, some rug deodorizers and Teflon® fumes. (Be sure that your stove burner pans are NOT non-stick!)

RECIPES

Most of the following recipes can be made in quantity and frozen in Dixie cups or ice cube trays. Remove one or two cubes daily and warm in microwave. Feed one or more of these mixtures in addition to the pelleted food, along with fresh food such as raw vegetables daily.

Birdie Cornbread

1 box Jiffy® cornbread mix
2 eggs with shell (wash outside thoroughly)
2 jars of fruit and/or veggie baby food

Mash raw egg and shells thoroughly. Mix with other ingredients. Bake according to box directions. (This recipe may take 5-10 more minutes to cook thoroughly; check for doneness with a toothpick) Cool and cut into squares for freezing. For variety, add any of the following: raisins, corn, peas, granola, nuts, shelled seed, peanut butter, fruit, or whatever you can imagine.

Legume Mix

18 bean soup mix
or Split pea soup mix
Cooked, Colored pasta
Yams
1/3 Cuttlebone, scraped or ground

Cook legumes according to package directions, omitting spice package, until beans are just tender. Add pasta, cuttlebone and mashed yams. Cool and spoon into small portions for freezing. Spice up with a pinch of cayenne, oregano or curry, if desired.

Easy Birdie Mash

2 cups boiled white or brown rice
1 can green vegetables
1 can yellow vegetables*
1/2 cup dog kibble
1 tsp. vitamin/mineral powder

Chop up the dog kibble into granular or powder form. (A blender or food processor works well for this.) Add all ingredients to cooled rice. Mix well and spoon into ice cube trays or Dixie cups for freezing.
*A box of frozen mixed vegetables may be used instead of cans.

Important:
When feeding cooked or fresh foods, be sure to wash the food dish daily. Do not leave cooked foods in dishes for more than a few hours. Most people will have a cup of pellets available at all times, then will offer 1-2 "meals" of cooked and fresh foods daily.