Buying a pet bird is an exciting experience. Pet birds range from singers such as canaries, smaller parrots such as parakeets, cockatiels, lovebirds, and conures, and larger parrots such as cockatoos, amazons, and macaws. Speak with your Global Pet Food Healthy Pet Care Specialist about helping you choose the bird most suitable for you. or your family
One of your first priorities is the selection of the cage and environment. In general the cage should be large enough for the bird to be comfortable. However very active small birds such as canaries and finches do best in a longer, shorter cage as they are more mobile and tend to fly from perch to perch. Parakeets do well in taller or round cages. Cockatiels are active climbers and prefer taller square cages with a few perches or tree branch. The larger parrot species need plenty of room and very large cages. Don’t forget to have adequate perches and some artificial branches to exercise feet and keep them healthy. It’s critical to provide birds with toys. Provide ones that offer your bird different types of activities, both physical and mental, and rotate them regularly. Most importantly, remember that a clean cage is a healthy cage!
The single most important element for a bird’s health is a fresh supply of water and good nutrition. Your Global Pet Foods Healthy Pet Care Specialist can direct you to the proper food. The best diets have a proper mixture of seeds, grains, and pellets fortified with vitamins and minerals that meet the nutritional needs of the individual species. Birds generally need additional sources of calcium. Most good diets are calcium fortified but it is recommended to have a cuttlebone or mineral stone to supplement. Feed birds in the morning with fresh food and water in clean bowls. One of the most fun aspects of pet bird care is sharing human foods and spending mealtime together. This requires some education and research first but if done correctly adding fresh fruits, vegetables, pasta, beans, and even pizza can be a fun way to add diversity to the bird’s diet and really bond with your new pet. And yes, they even like chicken.
