Rosebreasted Cockatoos/Galahs

I received a message from a friend asking for help with her Galah/Rosebreasted Cockatoo’s cage setup. In short, she was struggling for inspiration and trying to deal with several problems. She wanted to know what I would do differently? She sent me a photo of the ‘bare bones’ of her cage setup. Which means that she sent me a picture of her cage without its normal arrangement of toys and foliage in order to make ...

The questions about how to handle the inevitable power outages that East Coasters in the US will be enduring are starting to pour in. I thought I better put something together for you, so that you can get through Hurricane Sandy as safely and stress free as possible.

Riding out the storm

Keep your bird’s cages away from windows that might be shattered in high winds which might pick up debris and use it as a projectile.

Keep cages covered, at least partially, to offer your bird some security. Be ...

Read the rest or post a comment »

How to safely transport your sick bird to the vet

Q: Since birds are so fragile, if my bird has an accident or gets sick, what is the best way to get her to the vet without making things worse? – Bethany F., Jacksonville, FL

A: This is a GREAT question!

Birds are fragile, but they are also remarkably resilient. They tend to heal quickly from injuries when they are promptly and properly treated. With illness it is a bit more complex because they have often been sick for a while without intervention.

It ...

Blue and gold macaws

Everyone, at one point, will experience a behavior problem with their bird. Everyone. Even us. Problems come in all shapes and sizes – from annoyances like begging for food while you are having dinner, to violent attacks on family members. Every owner, at some point, has to admit there is something about their bird they would like to change.

In past posts, I have said that it takes a village to raise a parrot. There have been times when we here at Birdtricks have asked each other for ...

My galahs Merlin & Nemo checking out the day's deposit of fresh grass

There are many different ways of setting up the lower half of your cages and aviaries. Most people (myself included) have some sort of wire grill at the base of their setups.

There are many advantages to this. The main one is obviously that a bird’s poo and waste will fall through the grill, which let’s face it – is a much healthier alternative to a bird eating ...

Read the rest or post a comment »

why punishment does not work with parrots

It wasn’t all that long ago that people used absolutely detrimental training techniques on their puppies. When the inevitable housetraining accident occured, people were advised to rub the puppy’s nose in it. When it got too rambunctious, you rapped it on the snout with a rolled up newspaper. When it barked, you squirted it in the face with water. Ughh!

How could any dog EVER learn to stop pooping in the house with this sequence of events…

1. puppy poops on floor (probably because the owner neglected ...

   Read the rest or post a comment »