Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 4: Prepare a home for a parrot
• Method 2 of 4: Feeding your parrot
• Method 3 of 4: Keeping your parrot healthy
• Method 4 of 4: Training and socializing your parrot
• Tips

Parrots are highly intelligent birds and can make great pets, but there are a few things you should know about parrots and their care needs before deciding to get one. First, parrots are still naturally wild, not domesticated (like dogs and cats), so they have retained many of the behaviors and instincts of their cousins ​​in the wild. Second, parrots are not all the same species, so you will have to learn the traits of your particular parrot when you get one. After all, parrots live much longer than most other pets: smaller parrots (cockatiels or sparrow parrots) can live 20-30 years, while the larger ones (macaws, amazons or cockatoos) can live up to 60-80 years.

To step

Method 1 of 4: Prepare a home for a parrot

1. Choose a suitable cage. Square or rectangular cages are better suited for parrots; they don't feel safe in round cages that have no corners. Make sure your cage is large enough for your parrot to move and climb comfortably in it. Cages should have enough space for seating, toys, food bowls, water bowls and resting areas. Choose the size of your parrot cage based on the size of your parrot:
   • A minimum of approximately: 60cm wide x 60cm high x 60cm deep for smaller parrots.
   • A minimum of approximately 150cm wide x 185cm high x 110cm deep for larger parrots.
   • Distance between bars: 1.25 cm for smaller parrots.
   • Distance between bars: 10 cm for larger parrots.
2. Place the cage in a room where it can make contact. Parrots are social creatures. In the wild, they stay with a group and maintain constant contact with their group mates. If they are kept in isolation, they can develop separation anxiety. Parrots like to be in rooms where their human group hangs out.
   • If you have other animals, it is best to place the bird cage in a room that can be locked when you are out of the house. Make sure to keep an eye on your other animals around the bird and keep them out of the room if they are causing stress to the bird.
3. Keep temperatures even. Birds can handle many temperatures, but the ideal temperature for your parrot is between 18 and 30 degrees Celsius. Avoid leaving your parrot in a cold room or setting your thermostat low at night in winter. Temperatures below 5 degrees can be dangerous for birds, especially if they are lean. Fuller birds can develop heat stress at temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius. If you need to keep your parrot in higher temperatures, make sure there is adequate air circulation.
4. Place your new parrot in its cage for the first time. First, close your doors and windows in case the worst happens. After that, you need to determine how friendly or aggressive your new parrot is. Slowly open the transport cage and slowly insert your hand towards the bird. If he doesn't respond very much, you can continue to move your hand towards him. However, if he opens his beak and snaps aggressively at your hand, then you will have to use the second method here.
   • With a non-aggressive bird, move your hand farther towards it and aim your fingers (or arm, in the case of a large parrot) vertically slightly above the feet. If he's already trained to step on it, you can say “step up” and he will step on your fingers (or arm). Slowly take him out of the transport cage and take him to his new cage. Orient the bird so that the perch in the cage is parallel to your hand and slightly above its feet. He then has to step on the baton, and you can close the door and let him get used to his new home for a while.
   • An aggressive parrot, or one that doesn't know how to transfer, will have to be grabbed to put it in its cage. This will not affect your relationship; the parrot will get over this. However, you have to feel confident and do this quickly and not let him go; as he flies around the room his fear will escalate and he will be harder to catch. It is best to use your bare hands, but if you are scared you can wear thin leather gloves or use a towel. Try to grasp him by the neck, just below the head (not only is this safer not to get bitten, but it also restricts his air circulation less than grabbing his belly). However you handle him, get him to the cage quickly without letting him go.
   • Regardless of the method you used to put him in the cage, you will need to give him space for a while. He can be expected to eat and drink less than usual for a few days, but make sure he has access to trusted food and water. Give him some time to relax and get used to his new home before you start giving too much attention.

Method 2 of 4: Feeding your parrot

1. Vary your parrot's diet. Parrots need a varied diet with a wide spectrum of nutritional value. It is best if they are not kept on a diet of seeds and pellets only, although the birdseed and pellet mixtures at the pet stores are good to use as a basis for their diet. Here are some basic ingredients to supplement these blends:
   • Feed fresh fruits and vegetables. Rinse them well, just as you would if you were preparing them for humans. Many parrots like grapes, bananas, apples, carrots, berries, vegetables, all varieties of cooked pumpkin, peas, green beans and more. Make sure you don't overfeed the fruit because of the sugar content.
   • Some species of parrots like macaws like to open the shells of nuts so they can take out the food. Try feeding your parrot pistachios, pecans, and macadamias.
   • Do not feed parrots caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, sugary or salty snacks, fatty foods, raw or dried beans, rhubarb leaves, dill, cabbage, asparagus, eggplant or honey.
   • Never give a parrot avocado or onions! These are both poisonous to parrots. Avocado can cause acute cardiac arrest and death in a parrot.
   EXPERT TIP

   Enter the correct amounts. Small and medium sized birds should have food and water bowls that hold at least 600ml. Large birds should have food and water bowls with a capacity of at least 900 ml. Weaned babies and small birds need extra amounts of food because of their faster metabolism and activity level.

2. Have a water bowl large enough for your bird to bathe in. Birds will drink from the same water they bathe in, and that's fine. Make sure you don't put vitamin supplements in the water, even if the manuals say so. The reason for this is that birds don't drink that much, so you don't know how much they are taking in, and because it can cause bacteria to quickly form in the water.
3. Avoid using pans and non-stick cookware when cooking. This is especially important if you keep your parrot in or near the kitchen. The chemicals used in nonstick cookware can be deadly to parrots when heated above a certain temperature.
   • Secondhand smoke is also very bad for parrots, just as it is for humans. If you smoke and have a parrot, avoid smoking in the house.

Method 3 of 4: Keeping your parrot healthy

1. Take care of the bottom of the cage every other day. Remove any faeces and throw away any caps, pebbles, broken toys, etc. It is best to clean up locally once a day (quick-to-clean mess - poops on sticks, etc.).
2. Clean and replace the food and water bowls every day. Remove the food and water bowls daily, clean them and refill them with fresh food and water.
   • Remove foods that rot quickly, such as boiled beans, immediately after feeding. Parrots can be particularly susceptible to infection from bacteria, so it is imperative to keep the cage clean.
   • Make sure to use a bird-safe disinfectant for cleaning the cage every week - you can buy these at the pet store. Normal disinfectants can be too strong and can harm your bird.
3. Visit the vet on a regular basis. Some parrots are perfectly healthy throughout their lives, but usually if your parrot develops a health problem, it could have been remedied with a preventive vet check. Make sure your vet is one that specializes in birds or you will waste your money. Annual health checks should be scheduled.
4. Watch for health problems. A healthy parrot is alert to its surroundings, usually stays upright and is active. If your parrot starts to act sick, see a vet. Some signs of a sick parrot are:
   • Distorted, receding, or ulcerated beak
   • Difficulty in breathing
   • Spots around the eyes or nostrils
   • Changes in stool texture or appearance
   • Loss of weight or appetite
   • Swollen eyes or eyelids
   • Feather problems, including chewing, plucking, or thinning
   • Head down, listlessness, being overly calm

Method 4 of 4: Training and socializing your parrot

1. Learn to approach the cage correctly. Approach your parrot's cage slowly and without making loud noises at first. With a fearful bird you can also avoid eye contact in the beginning, so that it does not feel like it has been picked by a hunter. If you notice the parrot trying to bite you, raging in the cage, or showing in other drastic ways that your presence is not making it comfortable, then you will have to let it get used to you:
   • Get out of the room and out of sight. Go back in, and the moment he reacts uncomfortably, stop and stand where you are. Stop approaching him and wait for him to settle down. Then start walking closer. When he starts again, stop and stand still until he calms down. You may need to do this regularly until you can get close to the cage.
2. Decide what treats are for your parrot. Training your parrot is necessary to give it the socialization it needs. To determine which foods are his favorite treats, try feeding him some nuts, fresh and dried fruits and seeds. A new parrot may be uncomfortable with some of these foods, so give it a few days to determine which ones are its favorites. Once you discover a favorite, don't give it as part of his daily meals, but keep it for training.
3. Use target training to get your parrot out of the cage and back in it. The first step of target training is to let the parrot eat the treats from your hand. This can take from a few seconds to a few weeks. Just go to the side of the cage and have a treat in your hand. Wait for the parrot to come to you and eat it.
   • Once your parrot is comfortable eating treats from your hand, you can introduce the clicker. Start clicking the clicker just before offering a treat from your hand. Do this every time so he gets used to hearing the click before eating a treat.
   • Use a large stick (chopstick or dowel) to move your parrot to certain areas of the cage. Start by introducing the stick, letting the parrot get close, and give it a click and a treat. Train the parrot to move towards the stick by making the click every time and giving a treat. If he gets disinterested in the stick, he may be full and you will have to wait a while for him to get hungrier and resume training.
   • Use the pointing stick to teach your parrot to step on your hand or a stick in your hand. Ultimately, you should be able to remove your parrot from the cage to continue training and / or to clean the cage.
   • Keep all your training sessions short (about 10 to 15 minutes at a time) and try not to exercise more than once or twice a day.
4. Tame your parrot to allow it to be stroked by you. Many parrots enjoy being stroked and touched. The first place to start is its beak. Once he's comfortable with your hand near his mouth without trying to bite you, you know he won't mind if you touch him. Slowly bring your hand to its beak. If it looks like it is about to bite, stop immediately. Keep your hand still until it calms down. When you bring your hand near his beak without him trying to bite you, pull your hand away and give him a treat.
   • Begin to touch his body in the same way. Move your hand slowly towards his body. If he comes across as irritated, stop and wait. Work towards it to pet it. Once you can pet him, give him a treat.
5. Talk to your parrot. Some parrots are better “talkers” than others, but all parrots have the anatomical capacity to mimic human speech. No matter how well your parrot learns to copy you, talking to him is an important part of his emotional health, so make sure to talk to him often.
   • Tell him certain things: When you give him certain foods, you can say "apple" or "banana".
   • Associate certain words with your actions. When you walk into the room, say Hi Alex (or whatever your name is) or Good morning!. When you leave the room, say "day by day!" or "Good night".
   • Your parrot will also enjoy hearing you have a conversation (even if it is with him and mainly one-sided), hear you sing, listen to the television while you watch, or listen to the music.
   • Some parrots pick up a lot of sayings, so be careful about swearing or yelling around him unless you want him to keep repeating inappropriate language.
6. Choose good toys for your parrot. Toys provide mental stimulation and relief from boredom. You can offer toys with various textures, colors and sounds. It is a good idea to rotate the toys on a weekly basis so that your parrot does not get bored with the same toys every day. Here are some things to keep in mind about parrot toys:
   • For small birds, choose small, lightweight toys and mirrors.
   • Larger birds like to manipulate thicker toys with their beaks, tongues and legs.
   • Birds love to chew. Part of their natural behavior is to tear things apart. Make sure to check the toys regularly for damage, and throw them away if they are cracked or break into small pieces that could injure your parrot.
7. Learn parrot body language. In general, a parrot with an upright posture and smooth feathers is wary or anxious. Loose, slightly tangled feathers indicate happiness. A bird sitting on one foot with expanded feathers cannot feel well. All feathers extended as far as possible usually means he is courting or preparing for a fight. Extending one wing, then the other, or a slight wiggle of the tail feathers means he feels happy and healthy. Some contented birds even wiggle their tongue or move their beaks up and down when they see something they like.

Tips

• Many parrots like a light mist every now and then - use a spray bottle with a little warm water in it and mist it to help keep it clean.
• Remember that birds moult every now and then and it is normal for your parrot to lose some feathers. If his feathers start to look uneven, or there are bald spots, take him to the vet.
• Realize how much time your parrot will need. All parrots are fairly high maintenance, so make sure you have the time and energy to provide it.
• Parrot forums are a great way to gather information and talk to other bird watchers.