Common mistakes made with pet birds
You might like to think that you always have your bird’s best interest at heart but there may be some very common mistakes that you’re making that can harm your feathered friend.
So what are those common mistakes?
How about water deprivation? Sure you fill up the water bottle every day but are you checking to see that it is functioning properly? Water bottles malfunction all the time so make sure that your bird is really getting adequate water.
Are you clipping your bird’s wings? This is something that you should treat seriously if you give your bird freedom outside the cage. Birds with unclipped wings have been known to meet their deaths in rotating fans, boiling water, fireplaces or through open windows. You get the picture.
Don’t leave your bird to the mercy of other pets, even other birds! You should never leave your bird outside the cage unsupervised, not even for a minute, when you have other pets around. Dogs and cats are obvious culprits but other birds can be just as dangerous. Have you ever seen two birds fight? It ain’t pretty and the bleeding that results can be fatal.
These are just a few of the dangers just to get you thinking. Other common mistakes are sleeping with your bird, heat exposure and exposure to toxic fumes and diseases.
Knowing the dangers is one step that you can take to avoid them but when all else fails you will need to resort to your first aid kit, emergency plan and easily accessible emergency numbers in case something happens.
The proper diet for a pet bird
It makes good sense to feed your bird well.
Birds in the wild find natural ways to balance their diet but your caged friend’s nutrition is completely up to you.
Nutritional deficiencies are a leading cause of disease among caged birds. It’s not that owners intentionally feed their birds the wrong diet. It’s just that many of them are not informed.
Birds need vitamins, minerals, fat, protein and carbohydrate and they need a lot. Why? Simply because a bird’s metabolism is abnormally high and so their nutritional requirements are greater than other pets.
Don’t think for a minute that the seed that you are giving to your bird has all that he needs. Seeds lack certain vitamins, minerals and amino acids and are usually high in fat.
Pellets contain much of the vitamins that are missing in the seed but if your bird is a picky eater you can purchase the pellet-seed bars.
Fruits, vegetables, eggs, cheese and meat are all examples of foods that you can give to your bird in moderation to ensure that he has a balanced diet.
Don’t forget the liquid! A clean, fresh supply of water is essential for maintaining your bird’s health so don’t forget to check his water supply.
Your bird may want to eat everything thrown at him but you need to watch out for the harmful foods like chocolate (yes it’s bad for birds too), fruit pits, onions, apple seeds, salt and junk food.
Give your bird a balanced diet and give him the gift of a long and healthy life.
Be good to your bird and keep on flapping!
