TheTameParrot.com - Say “BYE” To Your Parrot Problems

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Once upon a time my wife and I decided to open a bird aviary. We intended to raise a wide assortment of birds. At that time we already had about 6 breeding pairs of cockatiels, so that made us experts, right?

We build our aviary, loaded it with cages and away we went. But we forgot an important piece of equipment! A bird brooder.

Not thinking it was a big problem, we began to shop around to buy one. We got a severe case of sticker shock! A decent brooder is not cheap! At least $!50!! And I needed several! All of these electronic gadgets were outrageously overpriced, in my opinion!

A brooder is a box or some sort of container that supplies warmth and humidity to your baby chicks. It must be able to circulate the air around the bird. It had to be easy to clean and maintain accurate temperatures.

We managed to locate a couple of very old and antique looking human baby incubator that came from the intensive care unit from a hospital. The thing was at least 30 years old, and it was hard to believe they would put babies in it! But it worked great for us.

I look it over to see how it worked, and was totally amazed at its simplicity. It had a regular light bulb supplying heat, a fan that passed air over it and circulated it, and a pan filled with water. The light bulb would heat the water, creating steam/humidity, and the fan circulated it.

Now how simple is that? I could build one! So I did some shopping.

I needed a case or some type of box. I wanted it to be plastic because it had to be easy to clean, wouldn’t rust, or have any sharp edges. I needed to figure out a way to put a door on it, so we could observe the babies and have easy access. Where the heck was I going to find something like that!

I quickly located the perfect box! Van Ness sells a “sifting enclosed cat pan”. It measures 19 inches high, 15 inches deep and 10 inches wide. The “sifting” part means that there are two pans and a screening tray, and this is supposed to make it easy to clean your cat’s litter.

But this works absolutely great as a brooder! Disinfecting your brooder is critical. Remember, where you combine heat, humidity and bird droppings, you have created a great place to grow all sorts of nasty germs and bacteria. The brooder needed to be cleaned at lease twice a day. Having a brooder that can quickly be disassembled for cleaning without disturbing the babies is perfect!

The height (19 inches) made it perfect for larger birds. The electronics would be mounted to the roof, out of their reach.

I quickly planned my design out. This was going to work ten times better then my antique human brooders!

If this sounds like something you want to build, it’s very easy to do. But I would urge you to find someone experienced with working around electricity. If you don’t wire this up right, you can toast the wiring, blow fuses, and get yourself hurt.

BUYING THE PARTS

I drew up my parts list and went shopping. I started at the pet store.

Covered Cat Litter Box. This can be picked up at most of the large pet stores or department stores. Van Ness is a major brand carried by all of them. If they don’t have it in stock, it can be ordered. Last resort, search the internet.

Black Basking Light bulb. If you raise reptiles you know all about this. It’s a simple 60 watt light bulb painted a very dark blue. It radiates heat, and puts out a dark blue light. This will not disturb the babies, and supply more then enough heat for my brooder.

Then it was off to the hardware store.

I needed a light bulb socket. They have one that is very small, made of ceramic, and once mounted takes up only a small space. There are two screws for attaching the wire.

Dimmer Switch. I wanted one with a dial to adjust the voltage to the bulb, and when you push in it would turn the light on or off. By turning the brightness of the bulb up, it radiates more heat. Turn it down, and you get less heat. Simple, huh?

I picked up an inexpensive extension cord to supply the power. It’s much cheaper than getting a plug and wire and making it myself. I also picked up a package of machine screws and nuts to mount all of this stuff inside the box. You will also need a spool of hookup wire. Also grab a box of wire nuts to connect all of the wires together, and a roll of tape to cover up any exposed connectors.

I needed a fan. Something like a cooling fan from a computer would work, but it would require me to build a transformer to convert power to 12 volts DC. What I found was a 120VAC fan that looked like a large computer fan. This is available at your Radio Shack Dealer. This fan would be used to blow air over the light bulb, and then circulate the heated air around the brooder. I didn’t need a lot of air flow, but it had to be sufficient to do the job.

I got a stainless steel food dish and sponge from my aviary to use for humidity. By putting the sponge into the dish, then filling with water, it would “wick” the water to the top of the sponge and evaporate. This would work until I found a better method.

To really make this work, I needed to be able to control the temperature using an electronic thermostat. It had to be fairly adjustable for accurate settings between 98 and 105 degrees.

Most home made brooders used a “wafer” thermostat. This was a mechanical device where a metal disk would expand and contract in response to temperature changes, and would operate a relay to turn off the heat source. It was accurate, but only for a couple of months. Then it became very unreliable.

Every electronic thermostat I located was either not suitable for what I wanted, or was far too expensive. I finally had to settle for a reptile thermostat made by Zoo-Med. The sensor went into the box, and the controls were on the outside of the brooder. It was fairly inexpensive but not as reliable as I hoped. We ended up placing a temperature alarm inside the unit to signal of the temperate was getting too high or low.

One more optional addition…I added a 120v outlet plug. That way, I could daisy chain additional brooders, plug in an auxiliary light, or any other gadget I needed. Having a plug readily available was handy.

ASSEMBLY

Now comes the tricky stuff. You don’t have to be an electrician to build this but it helps to have an understanding with electronics.

You want to mount the fan near the top of the brooder. Try to mount it so there is a little bit of space behind it to supply air.. Mount the light bulb/socket so that the bulb is in front of the fan. The fan is wired so that it runs constantly. The light bulb is wired through the dimmer switch. Mount the dimmer switch to the top front of the box. With some experimentation you can determine the temperature settings, and mark them next to the dial.

If you go with the thermostat idea you need to wire the bulb so that it’s controlled through the thermostat. There are several ways to do this, so use your own judgement.

Buy a good thermometer and tape it to the front of the door. You need to constantly monitor the temperature to ensure it does not go outside the 98-105 degree range.

The only problem I have had with this box is when the birds get very big. They may be able to reach up to the electronics, or mess with the fan. You may wish to experiment with a method of covering the top with a screen. With this box, I only had this issue when I was raising the large Macaws. But by the time they are big enough to reach the roof, they are fairly feathered out and we can turn off the power. The box kept out drafts and the bird did fine.

The entire cost of this project is about $60 (without the electronic thermostat).

>>Check out my ebook at http://www.TheTameParrot.com/cb/ - I believe every parrot owner should have a copy of this. Discover more about getting the perfect bird to fit into your home in “The Easy Parrot System”

Jerry & Sapphyre

I’d love to hear your own technique and experiences in building a brooder. Or if you’re planning of building one, please ask away in the comments box below. Thank you!

When people call me looking for a new bird, I ask them if this is their first bird. If it is, then I will try to educate them on the importance of proper bird care and the long term commitment that they require. Since some birds can live past 56 years, you will need to make sure that it is the kind of pet you are really looking for. Here are some pointers you should check out before investing in a new bird.

Get a young bird. It is best to get a very young bird. Training will be easier on both of you. I really believe it is better to purchase your bird from a breeder. There are good and bad breeders, so you need to do some research. Ask local vets if they know any reputable breeders. Visit them and see how well they care for the birds. If the place the birds are raised is an unhealthy mess, that’s a good clue to walk away.

>>In my e-book “The Easy Parrot System”, I talk about the questions you should ask your breeder and what precautions you should take. Get hold of the e-book from: http://www.TheTameParrot.com/The-Easy-Parrot-System/

Let the bird pick you! No joke! If you pick out a bird that you like, it doesn’t mean it will like you. There is nothing worse then getting a bird that dislikes you. Birds have personalities! They pick out people they like and they may be aggressive or shy away from someone they don’t like.

Always have your bird vet-checked at least once a year. It’s amazing how folks have their car checked out regularly, but totally ignore their bird! Since birds are very good at hiding when they are sick, you may not notice it until it’s too late. Learn how to identify the signs that they are not feeling well.

Be sure you get the proper size cage. It should be large enough for your bird to get some exercise their wings. It must have enough perch space. Watch the bar spacing and door openings. Birds will get their heads caught between the bars if too wide.

Birds love to play with toys! Load up on lots of them. Stay away from rope and cloths toys that will easily become frayed and get tangled around feet and toes.

Large birds like to chew. Unless you want to replace wooden perches every other week, get some wooden blocks. Hang them on chains and the birds will love them! If your birds are allowed out of the cage, they must be closely supervised. Wooden windowsills, furniture, and cabinets are their favorite treats!

Keep your bird’s wings clipped. If you are going to have it for a pet you don’t want him finding out what a ceiling fan feels like. It’s not uncommon for a bird to get out of its cage and fly out an open door or window. If a bird gets loose out side you may never get it back. (We have had it happen to us before.) Other dangers are flying into windows or into the kitchen where you are cooking on hot stoves. We have had some close calls there too. There are pros and cons about wing clipping, but our birds have to be clipped. I am not taking any chances on loosing one again.

Pay attention to your bird’s eating habits and behavior. Watch for changes. When a bird gets sick, they have a tendency to hide their illnesses. But the time the bird shows that it is sick, it may be too late to get it medical help.

It is important that you carry info on you that would tell an emergency official that you have a bird or birds at home that needs some one to check on them. It would be terrible to be in a bad accident and no one knows you have pets at home depending on you.

You should always have arrangements made for someone to take are care for your bird should you die. It isn’t a pleasant thought but remember that bigger birds have a long life span, and you want to make sure that you do have someone who will.

>>Check out my ebook at http://www.TheTameParrot.com/cb/ - I believe every parrot owner should have a copy of this. Learn more about getting the perfect bird to fit into your home in “The Easy Parrot System”- What Every Bird Owner Must Know

***QUESTION***

“How do I stop my blue fronted Amazon parrot from screaming? Whenever we leave the room, she screams. We’ve tryed spraying her with water, clapping our hands loudly, etc. We are about to look for a new home for her if we can’t get this behavior under control.”

Barbara F.

***MY COMMENTS***

From that one paragraph you wrote, I can already see two big mistakes that you are making. I’ll get to those later…

Firstly, let me differentiate between constant ear-piercing, nerve-racking, blatant screaming (that needs to be tackled) and a parrot’s “call to the flock” (which you should not attempt to stop)

It is important to understand that most parrots “call to the flock” several times per day, usually in the morning, around noon, at dusk, which is a completely natural behavior since birds are social animals.

You cannot, and SHOULD NOT, attempt to stop this natural process. This flock calling is a parrot’s way of determining which flock members are present or not present and it’s just checking up on you because YOU are part of the parrot’s flock!

Now, onto the annoying, ear-piercing screaming that drives you crazy…

Before attempting to resolve any screaming problem, you must ensure there’s NO medical reason involved by seeking medical evaluation by a certified avian veterinarian.

Now, there are LOTS of different reasons why birds may scream - just like a human child. If you hear your kid screaming upstairs, you can’t just pinpoint exactly what’s wrong with the child, right? You have to investigate…

In this article, I’m going to tackle one of them -

Something to consider is whether YOU have taught the bird to scream. Barbara, you mentioned that you clap your hands loudly in order to hush her up. What you’re actually doing is encouraging this screaming behavior…

“WHAT ARE YOU SAYING, DANNY??”

You see, when a parrot screams and the owner reacts by screaming back at the bird, the bird learns that screaming is an ACCEPTABLE form of communication.

The bird owners react by screaming back, throwing items at the bird, dousing the bird with water, etc. This human reaction is negative, but reaction none the less, which is exactly what the parrot wanted to begin with! As a result, some parrots become confused and don’t know how to behave, but since they’ve learned to scream, this is how they react!

You need to understand that some parrots scream as a way to get ATTENTION!

By the way… don’t use water as a punishment… And then you wonder why the parrot doesn’t want to take a bath.

Basically, if there is a lot of screaming or noise in the home, a parrot may feel it is acceptable for it to scream in order to be heard or that screaming is a natural part of life.

Interesting little creatures, aren’t they?

A VICIOUS CYCLE IS CREATED

The cycle must be broken in order to change the negative behavior. Reward your bird when s/he doesn’t scream and never reward your bird when it does.

A reward can be as simple as a look from you.

You must…

COMPLETELY IGNORE THE SCREAMING BEHAVIOR!

Go outside, use ear plugs, lock yourself in a room or go out of ear range if you must, but do NOT reward screaming behavior by showing your bird any reaction to it.

However, shower your bird with attention and love once the screaming stops.

Try the techniques I’ve shared and let me know how you get on with your parrot.

If you have read any of my articles, you will find one thing that I constantly say - Most problems that develop with birds can be directly traced to a poor diet. It’s no different than with humans. Too much of one food type and not enough of another will always result in health problems.

You know this! You were taught this in school! They drilled that silly pyramid food chain nonsense into your head right from kindergarten! But it never occurs to you to apply this logic to your pet birds!

Birds have the same nutritional requirements as humans. And if you feed your bird that way, you will never have problems.

THE EVILS OF AN ALL-SEED DIET

One of my recent bird rescues involved a pair of Blue Front Amazons. The owner had been put into hospital, and from there she would be going into a nursing home. The family was at a loss of what to do with the birds. They knew this was a proven pair of breeders that regularly produced babies, so they thought they would give it a try. They kept the birds for several months and did what any uneducated bird owners would do…give it an all-seed bird diet. It was quick and easy, and didn’t cost them much money!

As time went by, the bird’s attitude changed. They became less active, and never did lay any eggs. It became a burden on them to keep unproductive birds, so they turned them over to us.

My wife is the medical expert of our aviary, and immediately noticed the signs of a sick bird. Black tips on the feathers, no energy, some respiratory problems, and a low body weight.

One of the most common diet related diseases in birds (especially Amazons) is hypovitaminosis A, or Vitamin A deficiency. This is mainly caused by a poor diet, especially if the only food the bird gets is seed. Bird seed only has a trace of Vitamin A in it, making it a terrible diet.

Birds that develop ‘hypovitaminosis A’ develop a variety of health problems, especially a much lower immune system, and poor reproduction. As the disease develops, the bird will show countless sighs of illness.

I knew right away what the problem with our rescued Amazons was…..now all we had to do was move fast to cure it.

Dianna is is a Blue Front Amazon with low body weight caused by a Vitamin A deficiency.

Analissa is a Double Yellow Head Amazon she came to me with a severe Vitamin A deficiency and had E-coli infection. Most of her feathers were black tipped and the feathers on top of her head were suppose to be yellow

You can see from the photo the black coloring on the front of her head.

This photo was taken of her about 6 months after medical treatment and a change in her diet.

A BIT MORE BACKGROUND

Body chemistry is a very complicate thing….it is a very delicate balance of minerals and vitamins, and they all work together. Calcium and Vitamin D are both needed for proper digestion. It is much the same with Vitamin A…a protein-deficient diet will effect the bird by inhibiting its ability to absorb Vitamin A. Again, a balanced diet is important.

If caught early, this disease is easy to cure. In its later stages, long term medical care may be needed. So it’s important to be able to identify the symptoms in their early stages. One of the easiest signs to see is poor feather color. In Amazons, this will show up as a darkening of the tips of the feathers. Hypovitaminosis A will have a lot of effects on the respiratory system, so look for sneezing, wheezing, or nasal discharge that will become crusted and plug the nostrils. The bird will begin to lose energy and may become a bit lethargic. He will slow his eating and begin to lose weight. In the later stages you will notice a foul smelling breath, and patches of white in the mouth.

TREATMENT

If you begin to see these signs, take your bird to a vet. He will do a simple CBC Blood test that will quickly identify the deficiency, and will give you some additional advice on how to proceed. NEVER treat your bird with human vitamins or medications without first consulting your vet.

You must change the bird’s diet and begin to include foods rich in beta carotene. Some of the best sources for this are any carrots (especially carrot juice), canned pumpkin, sweet potatoes, kale and spinach. Dandelion greens are another excellent source. Keep these foods in their cage along with their other diet, and encourage them to eat it.

There is a product on the market called Sirulina. This is readily available on line, and in some of the better pet stores and health food stores. Spirulina is an edible blue-green microalgae sold as a dry powder. It is rich in Vitamin B12, and has 20 times more Vitamin A then carrots. Feed this to your bird for 3 weeks, and you will begin to notice a dramatic effect.

The long term treatment is to ensure your bird has proper nutrition. If you can’t adjust its diet, begin to feed it a good vitamin mix. Pay attention to the label and make sure it has a good amount of Vitamin A. I am particularly fond of Nekton-S, but any good mix will do. Lafeber has a good multi-vitamin mix that is not that expensive and will do the job.

Don’t forget that sunlight is also an important part of the bird’s treatment. Try to give the bird a few hours a day in front of the window. A much better method would be to purchase a bird lamp with a full spectrum light, and allow the bird to get 12 hours of this light per day.

Do you have any super-secret bird recipes that you’d like to share? Or have any questions on your bird diet? Please post your questions, feedbacks and comments below. Thank you!

Recently I was asked an interesting question by a parrot owner. For many years she was making her own bird toys, and recently began using scrap leather and leather shoe laces. The bird loved them! They wouldn’t destroy them as fast as the wood blocks she used before.

But she heard that leather was dangerous for birds. Was that true? If so, why were all of the bird toy manufacturers using them?

Well…yes and no. Most leather is made by a tanning process that uses some very toxic chemicals. There are dozens of different methods, each one used to produce different colors and texture effects. The two most common methods are Chrome tanning and vegetable tanning.

Chrome tanning is most commonly used in the manufacture of leather for shoe uppers, garments, leather bags and upholstery. It involves placing the leather in rotating drums filled with trivalent chrome, and “washed” for about eight hours. After a thorough washing, it goes into another bath of an alkaline chemical. The type depends on the purpose of the leather, but most common are bicarbonate or sodium carbonate.

During the manufacturing process there are usually bits and pieces of leather left over, and these make their way into many bird or animal toys.

These are definitely not something you want your bird to be eating and playing with!

With vegetable tanning, the leather does not use any toxic chemicals. This leather is commonly used in belt leathers, luggage, shoe soles and saddlery. Instead of strong toxic tanning chemicals, it involves the use of tannic acid. This chemical is extracted from the barks of trees. The disadvantage of this form of tanning is it takes several times longer to treat the leather.

Most vegetable tanned leather manufactured in the United States is safe to use with birds. However many companies outside of the US will use formaldehyde to further preserve the leather for export. This is obviously dangerous for animals (and humans). So it is recommended that you verify the source of where you get your leather.

Vegetable tanned leather can easily be located with a quick search on the Internet. I was able to locate several sources in the US and Europe. Many are included in do-it-yourself bird toy kits at a very reasonable price. It makes great toys, and is much safer then using rope, as it does not shred and produce threads that can become tangled around tiny toes.

>>Want more great ideas bird toys? My ebook “The Easy Parrot System” shares some ideas buying and making your own bird toys. Find out why rope toys can injure your bird! I also give you my secret source for super-cheap toys that are certified safe by the government! The Easy Parrot System - Toys