How to Tell If a Bird is Sick

This is a very important thing to know when having a bird. You always want to know if your bird is in good health or not. If you notice that your bird is sick then you want to take them to the vet right away, so they can get better and so that you don’t have to worry about their health. They generally should be pretty healthy most of the time, but it is those sudden times that give you a scare, and you might want to know what to look for.

There are many symptoms a sick bird may have, and once again if they show any symptoms then you want to take them to the avian vet right away. Some birds when they are sick might act differently and puff up their feathers. Puffing up is a normal behavior when they are sleeping, but it is not normal for it to be constantly, so when they do this they are showing they might be sick. A bird might also bob their tail when breathing which means their breathing may be irregular which also shows sickness.

Some other signs may be if your bird is resting more and not as active. Their body will be wanting to get more sleep to try and fight off their sickness and it be apparent if they are trying to rest or are sleeping more then they usually do. They might also have bad posture at rest and be having their eyes half closed for a while. This is another sign that they are trying to get more rest and tat they are possibly sick.

Birds may also have strange discharge as a sign of sickness. They might have discharge or wetness around the nose. This will normally be seen at the top of the widest part of the beak or at feathers near beak. The bird might also not fully digest or throw up food. This can be a courtship regurgitation, so just be careful wit this sign because the bird might not actually be sick. The bird however can definitely be sick if their poop has any undigested parts or is runny. There should always be a constant color and consistency of their poop, so it is important to check their pop to make sure they are not sick ever. Their should never be fully undigested seeds in their poop.

Other signs can be feather plucking which can be from boredom or skin irritation. Other signs can be if the feathers are poorly preened. This is bad because fathers are very important to their survival and they always take a good job of taking care of their feathers. They take pride in them and it shows they really aren’t feeling well if they aren’t taking care of their feathers. They might also show weight loss which means they aren’t eating much. This is important because it can be dangerous if the bird doesn’t have much reserve in them and is a direct sign of them being sick.

In general always monitor your birds and if their is anything unusual you can always google it, but I would suggest taking your bird to the vet, who will know what is going on. They will be the best person to talk to if you are worried about your feathered friend and the key to keeping them healthy.

Sources used:

Some Sick Bird Symptoms

May 21, 2019 0

How to Take Care of Bugs in Bird Seed!

I have had many instances where I have come to feed my birds and I open their food bags to find bugs growing in their bird seed. It is the last thing any bird owner would want, and you certainly don’t want to expose your precious birds to the bugs. Luckily there are many ways to prevent this from happening or to get rid of the bugs. There are also several types of bugs that could appear in their food.

The types of bugs that are most commonly found in bird food is Weevils, Indian Meal Moths, Cigarette Beetle, Ants, and others. Most of the bugs will either be in the bag before, during, or after seed processing. The bugs tend to be safe, but it still isn’t good to have them in your bird’s food.

The first step to getting rid of the bugs is to throw out the old food because you don’t want anything else to get infested with them. Another step is to freeze any unopened food. That means if there is any food that is not open at all then to freeze it when you bring it home because the bugs won’t like the cold temperature. With this buy new bird food and get an airtight container to put it in s that no bugs can get to the food since it is sealed off. You want to pour all of this new food into the container to prevent the bugs from getting in immediately and to kill off any bugs that were already in it.

Another thing that you would want to do is clean everything in the bird’s cage because it needs to be clean to kill off any bugs that may be in the cage. Also it will help eliminate the chances of their being an infestation in the future. You will have to clean your birds entire cage with a bird safe cleaner. Wipe down every toy, perch, and surface of the cage. This is to keep the birds safe, and to help keep the bugs from coming back.

Some other helpful tips are that the moths can die with heat, so heating up the food should help kill off the moths. Also buying vacuum packaged food means it is less likely to have bugs already in the food, thus helping with the problem. ALso generally don’t buy any open food or bags with holes or rips because it is more likely to have an infestation. The food sold in stores hat is loose should also be avoid because it is already more likely to be infected with bugs.

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April 30, 2019 0

How to Tell if Your Bird is Male or Female

There are several ways to tell if a bird is male or female. It is best to take your bird to the avian vet for a true gauge on if they are male or female, but their are some ways that you can tell from home with certain species. There is a variety of ways with just bird species alone. You also tell by the way they might act towards another bird.

Cockatiels

Female cockatiels tend to be reserved, but very sweet. The male cockatiels are typically the ones who are loud and chirping. Another way to distinguish them is by color. The males tend to be brighter than the females. For example grey Males tend to have a brighter orange cheek then the females.

Canaries

Theses birds are known for their singing However it is typically the male bird that would burst out into song. The female tends to be more reserved and will sing some, but not all the time.

Parakeets and Budgies

An easy way to tell if this bird is male or female is by the cere which is a bump on top of their nose. An adult male will have a blue cere. An adult female will have a pinkish-brown cere. This is only true about adult parakeets, because young parakeets will have a blue cere regardless of gender.

Zebra Finches

Males will be more colorful than the females.

Behavior

Another way besides the gender is if a bird is acting a certain way towards another one. For example they might spread their feathers as if they are showing them off. They might also screech or sing songs trying to get their attention. This means they are a male bird trying t mate with a female, which is another easy way to tell their genders.

April 2, 2019 0

Getting a New Bird!

My family recently got a new bird, so I thought I would go over getting a new bird and some important steps that come with it. It is very important that the bird works well with your family and is in the right level for you. There are three levels of birds, beginner, intermediate, and advanced. They all require different amounts of care and needs, so it is best to get a bird that you can suit the needs for it. And as you go up levels, the more the bird needs. If you have never had a bird before then get a beginner bird, not a advanced or intermediate because they require much more care.

It is also very important to choose a bird that is assertive and pays attention. When in the pet store and choosing the bird, you want to make sure the bird is paying attention to you and seems attentive. If they are hiding and ruffled or sleeping, they may not be good fit for you. When they are active, and being alert in the store, the more likely that they aren’t sick and will also be friendlier and more active when at home too.

Another thing to keep in mind when getting a new bird is having a home for them. They need to have a proper sized cage for their species. They will need to have perch space, and plenty of space to move around. They also need to have space for plenty of toys because they also need toys. Toys are needed to stimulate their minds and to keep from their beaks growing long.

Another part of having a new bird is making sure they get a proper diet. They should eat seeds that are designated for their species. They will also need to have fruits and vegetables that they can eat. This will all need to be in proper feeders or containers that are kept in cages at all times. Water is also essential to have in the cage at all times. The water needs to be in either a container or feeder as well.

Once all of this is set up, you can bring your bird home and put it in it’s new home. They will need to get used to their surroundings before you try and take them out. It is best to wait 24 to 48 hours before even putting your hand in their cage, because it will stress your bird out. Once this time has passed, it would be time to start training your bird. First try introducing your hand to them, then start trying to teach them how to step up by pressing your finger under their belly. Treats can be very helpful in this process. The birds may bite you, but it something that will stop once they are used to you, you just have to give time and patience. These are steps that are very important when getting new birds, but enjoy your new feathered friend.

March 19, 2019 0

Having a Clean Environment

It is very important to have a clean environment for your bird. They need to be in a clean cage with plenty of food and water at all times. They also need to be in a room with not to much direct sunlight because they will overheat if put them in direct sunlight. The cages should also be in an area where people will come in, so they can talk to them and interact. The cage should also be kept in a spot safe from animals.

Their environment should also not be to cold. If it is to cold the birds risk getting sick. It is also similar is it is to hot. The birds could overheat and they could get sick or die. It is very risky for this. The birds should also never be kept outside for to long because of these reasons.

The birds will be fine with all of these requirements. They do need to be safe when taken out of the cage as well. They need to be in a space with no open windows and with the same conditions as prior said for where their cages are. It is best if you can take out the birds where their cages are. The room should also be pretty easy to clean up because the birds will poop a lot and you will want it to be easy to clean up. The birds should be able to also come out with nothing their to harm them when coming out. This means no sharp objects, pins or any other item that could cause harm to the birds.

The quality of the air around the birds is also very important to monitor. It is important to not introduce to many scents to the birds at once, so no really strong smells or clashing scents for it it will confuse them. The air can also not be to cool or warm. There can’t be to many drafts near the cages.

Overall the birds need to remain safe anywhere they are. They have to have a special set of living conditions to remain safe and stay healthy.

January 15, 2019 0

Training to do Tricks!

Have you ever wanted your bird to do a trick or say something? Here I will be providing some tips to help teach your birds how to talk and do tricks. It will take a lot of time and hard work, but it will pay off by watching your bird do amazing things!

To get a bird to do a trick, it will take a lot of preparation and repetition. First, start by

introducing the trick to the bird. Show the bird videos or have the bird do the trick with you. Another way to introduce the bird is to guide it through the trick with your hands. This process can take a very long time, because your bird will have to take quite a bit of time to get used to the trick. For example my conure, Hershey has been working on a trick for about half a year, but she is just now really getting the concept. The trick I have been teaching her is hanging upside down. I flip her over and she will climb back up to the top of the hand.

Teaching your bird to talk takes a very long time. It takes a lot of repetition of the words, noises, or phrases for the bird to finally learn the words. For example if you are teaching a bird to say hello, you wold need to repeat hello to them every day. The first thing I taught my birds to do is make kissing sounds. They can both make the sound, and now they make it whenever they want lots of attention. My cockatiel, Snickers, also knows how to say Pretty Bird from me repeating that phrase to him so many times.

You can either teach the birds by word of mouth or play a recordings or phases from a device to teach the bird. The birds will imitate what you sing or say, so be careful. A bird can pick up bad words even if they only heard it once. Your birds will then continually

repeat phrases, once they know them. A helpful tip for teaching songs is knowing how to whistle. This gives the birds a good way to really hear the song and mimic it. My cockatiel, Snickers knows how to do a whistle that goes “Wooo-Woo”

Have fun training! Birds are great and will always be fun to be around. They will learn tricks and sing songs for your enjoyment. Just work with them for awhile, and they will know their tricks and songs to entertain you with.

October 23, 2018 0