Make sure you get the accommodation right for your new pet bird

Cage or aviary. This mainly depends on the space you have available and whether or not you want to keep just one pet bird or a number of them. All small pet birds will be happy in either, however you must be sure that your new friend has enough space to be given relative freedom. You wouldn’t want to live your entire life in the closet would you? Neither would your pet bird! Space is required to move about and not be cramped.

If going for a cage you need to go for the biggest one you can comfortably afford, but be sure it’s secure so your bird cannot escape, the cage bars need to be close enough together for the same reason. Go for metal, not wood, with a plastic base for easy cleaning.

Furnish your cage with perches of varying thickness and set some at an angle rather than perfectly horizontal, some horizontal, some angled, and even some almost upright would be perfect. The different thicknesses and angles will encourage your bird to exercise and possible save it from a foot cramp. If you can only have one of each of the above that will be fine but a few more is better, don’t overdo it though and leave room for your pet bird to move freely. On the subject of perches; natural wood is the best option, but be sure it is hygienically clean, give it a scrub if you need to.

As a general rule finches need company and parrot type species (budgie, cockatiel etc.) need toys, so incorporate this in your cage; keep finches in pairs or more, and parrot type in pairs or alone with plenty of toys.

Parrot type species love to chew so be certain to assure that anything in the cage is safe.

Your bird needs to have a minimum of enough space to fully spread its wings and height is better than width as most cage birds will climb rather than fly.

If however you have enough space for an aviary then this is by far a better choice as it is the closest your pet bird will get to its natural environment. Lots of room to fly, climb, rummage and explore; plus if kept with others then the opportunity to get away from the others when things get too much.

A group of birds, even of different species, can be kept together in an aviary with enough room for all, but be sure to check the compatibility with other species. As an example lovebirds aught to be kept with birds of their own species as they will become territorial and aggressive towards others. Budgies however can live happily with other birds of a similar size (except lovebirds) or finches, as long as they have room to get out of each others way if they choose.

If introducing your new bird to an aviary colony you must first keep it in quarantine for a few weeks before letting it loose in the aviary with the others, this is to ensure that any issues with your new bird can be addressed before release. A decent sized cage as mentioned above will be fine, or a small aviary separate from the others.

Aviaries, like cages come in many shapes and sizes; shop around for the best deal or better still, build your own (the essentials to building your own aviary will be covered in my next article).

Again make sure that the aviary is well furnished with safe branches, perches, shelter, toys (if required) etc. with no escape routes.

Your aviary can be indoors (in a shed or outbuilding, or in the home) or outdoors (on the garden for example), and don’t worry about the comfort and warmth of an outdoor aviary as most popular small pet birds are very hardy.

These and other bird keeping subjects is covered in my ebook, out now. Email me to get hld of your copy.

Davey’s morning ritual–dancing with his ladder friend *_*
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Mama Palmers MANZANITA TREE Bird PARROT Parakeet PERCH Wood Toy 8" NATURE PERCH

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Selecting The Right Bird Cage

Pets are the greatest friends that a human being can have, offering a great way to pass time for their owners. According to the recent surveys, it has been proved that having a pet improves the general quality of health and life in general for the owner. Like many small animals such as ferrets, rats and chinchillas, birds are kept as beloved pets too, with a lot many preferring these feathered friends as pets because of low costs and cleaner environments. Also, having birds as pets can enhance the grandeur of a house. However giving a bird its own private space is a must to keep them happy. So if you want to keep your ‘winged friends’ happy, buying from the variety of bird cages is crucial.  

There are various models, colors and sizes of bird cages available in the pet shops and many of the amateur owners might have a hard time choosing the perfect cage. So here are some bird cage selection tips that would make you and your bird happy:

Size of the Cage: Large birds such as Amazons, conures, cockatoos or African grays require large bird cages. These cages have bars that are positioned horizontally and not vertically. Such design helps the birds to climb and exercise within the cage. The smaller birds such as canaries, parakeets, parrots and finches do well in the smaller or the parrot cages. The doors for all the cages should be large so that the birds can get access easily. There should also be food and water containers within the cage that can be filled from the outside. The bird cages should also be easy to clean to maintain a hygienic environment.  

Shape and Style of the Cage: This is one of the most vital considerations to be made before buying a bird cage. Recent studies have revealed that round bird cages effect the psychological health of the birds adversely. They cram the birds for room and thus they are not allowed free movement. In time the psychological problem grows into a physical health hazard. When buying a cage angled ones should be chosen over the rest of the others.  

Location of the cage: Normally people like to keep the birds within the confines of a room. But it has to be understood that the bird will be happier in a natural habitat. So if you want to keep it within the room then makes sure that it gets enough exposure to light and heat in desired proportions. The location has to be chosen very judiciously. The cages can be hung or placed on a stand as per the requirement of the owners. There are bird cages available in all styles and shapes. There are wooden cages, stainless steel bird cages and many other varieties available in the market.

Some important questions to ask: You should examine the craftsmanship of bird cages carefully before buying. Examine each and every component of the cage from its structure to size carefully. Here are a few important questions that should be asked:

•    Is the cage solid and well built?
•    Are there any open ends or sharp edges?
•    Is the cage made of stainless steel that will not chip?
•    Is the bird-cage easy to clean and non-toxic?

The health and life-span of the bird depends on how clean and ideal its cage is. Hence it is important to pay attention to the even the minutest of details before buying a bird cage.

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New Zealand 1962 Birds/Health/Parakeet 2v set (n20703)

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Parrot Cages – STOP RIGHT THERE- Don’t Buy Parrot Cages Untill You Read This

Parrot Cages are 1 of the most important thing to take into consideration when you purchase your parrot. There are 2 reasons this is very very important, so this article will explain in persise detail why it is important and the size you need for the type of parrot you have,or about to purchase.

Parrot cages need to be the correct size for these reasons

Firstly a parrot that has space is a happy parrot that is why size is important, they tend to get depressed and cranky in a small cage.
Other reasons are!!!

Parrots to be able to spread their wings and move around.

Parrots have different size feet, so you need to be able to put different size perches in the 1 cage, we recomend 4 different types to excercise their feet.

Important things to remember are when purchasing parrot cages!!! http://parrot-training.us/2010/08/Parrot-Cages-Buying-Parrot-Cages-Has-Never-been-Easier-Every-Size-Cage-To-Suit-Every-Parrot/

The bigger you go the better it will be, aslong as spacing in between each bars is small enough to prevent injury in the event your parrot tries to escape.So make sure the birds head can not fit in between the bars.

The door must have anough space to fit your hand in comforably to not only catch him, but to put him back in his cage.

Parrot cages latch/lock need to be as safe as possible, parrots are extremely smart and they will figure out how to open it.Majority of the time if your parrot has been purchased from a pet shop they will recommend the minumun size so please read the chart below for the correct dementions to insure your little mate stays happy and healthy.

Below is a chart that will give you an idea of what you need

Parrot cages recomended for Small parrots

Finches
Canaries
Parrolets
Parakeets
Lovebirds
Budgies
Cockatiels
Small Conures
similar sized birds need at least dementions such as 1/2″ to 5/8

Parrot cages recomended for a medium parrot

Conures
Lories
Senegals
Ring Necks
Caiques
Mini Macaws
Pionus
Quakers
Small Cockatoos

similar sized birds need at least dementions such as 1/2″ to 3/4″

Parrot cages recomended for a large parrot

African Greys
Amazons
Macaws
Cockatoos
Toucans
Hyacinth
Alexandrine Parakeets
Con
Eclectus

Do you want your parrots to be happy and healthy so he lives longer?

My parakeet cage set up filmed a while ago no updated soon will be a updated cage set up

Villa bird cage with stand 14"x18"x35" black cockatiel parakeet finch

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Giving your pet birds the right food for health and vitality

There are loads of different choices however and you could easily become overwhelmed by the choice available, try not to go for the least expensive as it rarely meets the right balance, but also don’t go for the most expensive as the excessive price is rarely justified to meet your birds requirements. Somewhere in the middle is best.

Make your choice and then stick to it and buy the same mix of the same brand every time, a sudden change in the staple diet of your pet bird will likely cause digestive and health difficulties, if you must use a different mix then it is imperative that you introduce it gradually – half old half new to start and then gradually decrease the amount of the old brand and replace with the new; so don’t allow your previous mix to run out before purchasing the new type.

If you keep a number of birds in a mixed flight or aviary then you might think that you need to purchase different types of seed mix for your different birds. Wrong! This will prove rather expensive and very unjustified. The chances are your birds will try and eat whatever you give them. Look at the content and product information on the seed packaging, it should tell you exactly what’s in there.

For example; budgie mix contains mainly white millet and canary seed, – canary mix contains mainly canary seed, rapeseed, hemp seed and niger seed, – foreign finch mix contains canary seed, Australian panicum and white millet, – parakeet mix contains white millet, sunflower seed, canary seed, red millet, buckwheat, safflower seed and oats, – cockatiel mix contains canary seed, red millet, safflower seed, sunflower seed, hemp seed, white millet, oats, and paddy rice – so looking at the above then a proprietary cockatiel mix will suit all. Notice how canary seed is used in all and millet in all but one, these are staple foods for your bird. However finches and budgies tend often not to bother with sunflower seed but your other parakeets and cockatiels will eat it. So why go to the expense of different seed mixes when one will do?

If you have lots of birds it’s also better value to buy in bulk, you can save a fortune this way rather than buying small amounts at a time. Contact your local pet or animal feeds supplier, and purchase your bird seed mix by the sack load, and if you can’t or don’t want to fetch it most will deliver it for you.

I have been feeding my birds this way for years and never had any problems, even when breeding.

I advise you to give an assortment of alternative foods, such as fresh fruit and vegetables, to add variety to your birds diet and help with their health (this is covered in more detail in a separate article). Green vegetables and fresh tree fruit (avoid the pips or seeds) are good for your birds and easily obtained. Most vine fruits are also OK, plus melon, tomato, bread, unsweetened biscuits. Your birds will also love chickweed, dandelion leaves, and carrots. But see my other article ‘A brief outline of alternative foods to give to your pet & aviary birds’ for more information.

For more detailed information about bird keeping or to reserve your copy of my new ebook coming soon then please email me and be sure to read my other articles.