Sharing Thanksgiving Dinner With The Birds

Photo of Cody, umbrella cockatoo, by sandi

I don’t know the exact hatch dates of any of my birds, so we celebrate their birthdays collectively each year on Thanksgiving day. Since I also don’t know the hatch dates for Jamie and Dave’s budgies, Nikko and Visa, who are in my care, they will celebrate with us tomorrow.
I  chose Thanksgiving day as their pseudo-hatch dates for two reasons: 1) because I am so very grateful (usually) for their presence in my life, and 2) because there is always yummy treats to ...

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Converting Your Bird From An All Seed Diet

It is my firm belief that providing a proper diet is our #1 responsibility to our birds.  As long as we keep wild creatures in a cage, and at our mercy, it is imperative that we at least give them that which they need to maintain their health, both mental and physical.
Many of us have parrots who have come to us with serious diet issues whether they have been re-homed or have come from a pet store. In this age of information there are still many, many parrots living on an all seed ...

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Judging The Right Weight For Your Bird

Congo african grey

Obesity in parrots is one of the most common health concerns we owners face, maybe second to certain vitamin deficiencies. It is a serious concern and one that will affect the health and well-being of your parrot in the years to come.
I have found that many parrot owners really don’t have any idea what their bird’s healthy weight should be. There are lists out there that will give you the approximation for your bird’s species, but few of them take into account that each bird is an ...

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Crushed Egg Shells and Gravel in a Parrot’s Diet?

Blue throated macaw

There was a question following one of my recent posts that I thought would make an interesting topic for a new blog post.  I had made a reference to adding crushed egg shells to an omelet I was preparing for my birds.  I do this often because of the added calcium provided by the shells of the eggs, which are made mostly of calcium.  This is particularly a good idea for parrots producing eggs during breeding season.

It was asked if the shells weren’t harmful to the bird’s throat ...

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Breakfast With The Birds

Camelot Macaws, Blue Throated Macaw

I woke up really early this morning and decided to make a nice breakfast for myself and the birds. I was in the mood for an omelet and I was plotting how to make the perfect meal to accommodate everyone as I came down the stairs.

Once in the kitchen, I steamed some veggies and warmed up some left over brown rice.  I grated some cheddar cheese, which is something I only offer to my birds on occasion. I beat the eggs while the pan was heating ...

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