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Checklist
for Expectant Owners
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- Appropriately sized cage ordered and received
and placed in its' predetermined location
at home.
- Safe toys for the cage, both destructible
and indestructible.
- Safe foot toys for out of cage play.
- Foods (i.e. pellets/seed mix/macademia
nuts for hyacinth/soft foods for parrots/fruits
and vegetables) purchased as recommended
by Avian Adventures Aviary to provide continuity
of diet.
- Play-gym purchased, received and placed
in its' predetermined location at home.
- Knowledgeable about how to help your baby
transition from Avian Adventures Aviary to
your home and what to expect.
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We recommend the following books below because they
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as well as basic care.
| Preparing For
Your Bird's Arrival |
Many people have questions about how to prepare
for their baby's arrival. We encourage you to
do as much reading and research as possible on
all the following areas so that you can make well-informed
decisions. We have supplied links to useful sources
of information that should get you started.
Caging - Any parrot
should be housed in a cage of such dimensions
that the bird can spread its' wings without touching
the cage. This is considered the minimum in size,
any cage smaller than this is too small. In the
case of a macaw the perch must be high enough
from the bottom so as to ensure the tail does
not touch the bottom.
Typical Dimensions:
28D X 48W X 44H — Blue Throated Macaw and
Umbrella Cockatoo (interior dimensions without
dome top)
36D X 48W X 44H — Blue and Gold Macaw, Greenwing & Hyacinth
Macaw
It is important to remember that a parrot's cage
is where it will spend a great deal of time and
should be an enjoyable, interesting and secure
place to be. Toys, both destructible and indestructible,
help stimulate parrots' mind and develop its coordination.
To prevent boredom, toys should be replaced and/or
rotated on a bi-weekly (every 2 weeks) basis.
Perches are also very important. A macaw needs
a larger perch than a cockatoo. To help feet stay
healthy and provide good foot exercise, perches
should be varied in size. Manzanita, although
an almost indestructible wood, is too slippery
for a young bird. Manzanita that has been sandblasted
to provide a more secure foothold is a better
choice. Parrots love and need to chew so they
will need wooden toys to chew on if you prefer
they didn't chew up their perches. Chewing is
necessary for them to keep their beaks trimmed
as the beak grows continually throughout their
lives.
Cage Bottoms - Until
a young parrot is very adept at holding on and
perching it is important to provide a well-padded
cage bottom. Falls can cause injuries and bruises
that can be life threatening. Good padding can
consist of covering the grate or solid bottom
with a pad of newspapers, followed by a layer
of towels and then another layer of newspapers.
The top layer of newspaper can be changed as needed.
Food Bowls - Food bowls
should be easy to reach and get to. Place one
or two on the bottom of the cage. Once you know
where your bird likes to spend time, you can affix
a food bowl near the area where he sits. Food
should never be too far away from a young bird.
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| Feeding the New
Baby |
All our babies at Avian Adventures Aviary, are
weaned onto a daily diet of Zupreme pellets,
a
variety of different seeds (Volkman Super Hookbill
or Super Macaw) and daily fresh fruits and
vegetables.
A warmed dish of Crazy Corn®, and cooked
mixed vegetables are combined together and served
morning
and evening. In addition, macaws are given unshelled
mixed nuts daily (almonds, walnuts, filberts,
primarily). The Greenwinged macaws are also given
Brazil nuts, which are difficult for the Blue
and Gold Macaws to open. Hyacinths are given
unshelled raw macadamia and Brazil nuts daily. Umbrella
cockatoos should get nuts as a treat only as
they require a low fat diet.
Your baby will most likely be able to adapt to
variations of this diet. Our experience has taught
us that this diet typically keeps our parrots
healthy with beautiful, glowing, colorful feathers,
bright eyes and stable temperaments.
Vitamin A and calcium are particularly important
for birds. These can be found in natural foods.
Bok choy, broccoli and dandelion greens provide
calcium. Carrots, red peppers, cantaloupe, apricots,
and sweet potatoes are good sources of Vitamin
A. Favorite fruits are apples, grapes, papaya,
bananas, oranges and apricots (pits are toxic
and should NOT be included).
If your bird continues to receive this variety
and quality of food, supplements are not necessary.
Parrots can eat just about anything and will if
given half a chance. There are a few foods that
they must never have, however. These are 1) avocado,
particularly the seed pit 2) chocolate 3) carbonated
drinks 4) drinks with caffeine and 5) alcohol.
Parrots lack a certain enzyme required to digest
chocolate and it can be toxic for them as a result.
Carbonated drinks are dangers because parrots
have no mechanism for ridding themselves of the
gas from the carbonation upon ingestion. Caffeine
and alcohol are both dangerous to a parrot's health,
as they are not well digested.
Your baby should have food and fresh water available
at all times. A parrot continues growing and filling
out long after weaning has occurred and needs
a good nutritious diet to help it develop.
Specific Dietary Needs
Greenwing Macaws - These big birds need
a high fat, moderate protein diet. A diet such
as what they are weaned onto supplemented with
mixed nuts should address the need for higher
fat content. How many nuts to feed per day will
depend on the individual birds' activity level
and whether they tend to gain extra weight. Average
amounts would be 1 Brazil, 1 walnut, 2 almonds
and 2 filberts.
Blue and Gold Macaws
- The Blue and Golds also need a high fat, moderate
protein diet but not as much fat as the Greenwingeds.
Mixed nuts are a very welcome treat but should
not be given in abundance (2-3 almonds, 2 filberts
and 1 walnut daily should be adequate)
Blue Throated Macaw
These birds need a high fat, moderate protein
diet. A high grade pellet andseed mix, along
with fresh fruits and vegetables will keep them
trim and in good health. They also require nuts
in their diet. These would include 1-2 Brazils,
1 walnut, 2 almonds, and 2 filberts.
Cockatoos - These birds
need a low fat, high protein diet. Nuts should
be given as a special treat only. Eating adequate
portions of fruits, vegetables and pellets
also help keep a cockatoo trim and in good health.
Hyacinth Macaws - Hyacinths
need a specialized diet high in fat and low in
protein. They require saturated fat in their
daily
diet. This can be given in the form of raw, unshelled
macadamia and Brazil nuts as well as coconut.
They do well on approximately 10-12 macadamias
and 2-3 Brazil nuts. In addition, filberts, almonds
and pistacchios can also be given daily.
They should also be
given fresh fruits and vegetables daily and a
high grade seed mix with pellets. |
| Preparing Your
Household |
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It is important to think through where your
baby bird is going to spend a majority of its'
waking hours and where it will sleep. With a
large bird that has a lot of beak power such
as a macaw or large cockatoo, this becomes a
very significant decision. Macaws and cockatoos
like to be where they can interact with the
members of the family on a regular basis and
this is the ideal space for them to be in. They
also need to be able to sleep 10 to 12 hours
a night and need a quiet place to be at night.
An ideal space would be one where they can't
do significant damage with their beaks and yet
can be part of their human flock's activities.
All members of the household need to be involved
in welcoming the baby parrot to its' new home.
A well-socialized parrot can be handled by more
than one person and is a joy to be with. For
that reason each person who is involved in the
parrots' care needs to handle it on a daily
basis. Setting up dependable playtimes that
your baby can look forward to and feel secure
about will prevent future behavioral problems
such as over-dependency, excessive screaming
or feather plucking. Parrots can be taught to
play independently if they have a balance of
nurturing, interactive attention (20 minutes
to 1 hour once or twice a day) that they can
count on.
Other Birds in the Household
- If you have other birds in your household,
they will need time to adjust to a new cage
and a possible relocation of their own cage
prior to bringing your baby home. Upon the baby
bird's arrival, it is very important to recognize
and maintain the hierarchy already established
among your other birds. Birds are very sensitive
to hierarchy and need reassurances that your
new baby has not displaced them. Always feed
and clean the older birds first and do not promote
the dominance of your new baby over all the
other birds.
Dogs and Cats - Usually
dogs and cats that are well fed and well behaved,
know their place in the family, and have a reliable
routine tend to be very accepting of a new bird.
If your animals hunt for food or just for fun,
they may not adjust so well to a bird joining
your household and your bird could very well
be injured or worse, killed. Assessing your
dog and/or cat's temperament is therefore essential
and needs to be added into the equation.
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