Parrots are common pets, the content of which is associated with many myths and speculation. In order for the pet to be in good health and to live as long as possible, it is imperative to adhere to the correct conditions for keeping the animal. We will analyze common misconceptions about keeping parrots. How to feed them? Can Parrots Bread? What conditions are ideal and what mistakes should be avoided?
Eating a Parrot
The basis of the diet of domestic parrots is a grain mixture. In pet stores, ready-made balanced feeds are sold. You should not save on them, because the health of the bird primarily depends on nutrition. It is worth buying recommended by breeders feed. Cheap feeds often contain poor quality grain that can be processed with chemicals. Parrots need to be given mineral and vitamin supplements.
What can feed a parrot except food? Parrots can be given vegetables and fruits, sprouted seeds and berries. From fruit, parrots can be given apples, pears, bananas, kiwi. You can not feed: persimmons, mangoes, avocados, papaya. Of the vegetables, carrots, zucchini, beets, and cabbage will be most useful. As a protein, a parrot can offer a boiled egg and low-fat cottage cheese.
Can a Parrot Bread?
Many foods that a person eats are harmful to a parrot. But what about bakery products? Can a Parrot Bread?
You can give a parrot only bread of a certain type and in not very large quantities. Rye bread is dangerous for parrots, because its flesh is sticky, and therefore it can clog bird goiter.
You can give small quantities of white wheat bread, but it is worth remembering that it contains sugar, yeast and salt, which are harmful to parrots. Hot fresh bread should not be offered to the bird. White bread can be dried and offered in the form of small crackers or grated. Often, white bread, soaked in milk, breeders offer birds that have been in breeding to make up for lost strength and calories.
Cell selection
The size of the cage depends on the size of the parrot that you choose to keep. Cages for Corella parrots and budgies should be between 45 x 45 x 60 cm in size. A pallet is desirable in the cage to facilitate cleaning. You can lay paper towels on it or pour special sand on it. The cage should have wooden poles made from fruit varieties of trees. On the rods should be fixed a drinking bowl for a parrot, two feeders (for dry and wet food). You can attach various entertainment and toys that are sold in pet stores.
Place the cage in a place far from the drafts, where direct sunlight does not reach. A place far from the TV and speakers, where there is no vibration and noise and where other pets cannot reach. The temperature in the room should be kept in the region of 18-20 degrees.
From time to time, you need to let out a domestic parrot fly around the room.
Hygiene
Every day, it is advisable to remove food debris and waste from the bottom of the cage, wash the droplets from the droppings and pour boiling water over them. Also, a drinker for a parrot needs to be washed every day and replaced with fresh water. It is advisable to remove wet food after a few hours so that it does not deteriorate and the bird does not get poisoned.
General cleaning is needed once a month. It is advisable to plant a parrot, and disassemble and wash the cage, disinfect it with a 1-2% manganese solution.
Parrot diseases
Even with the right content, the parrot is not safe from the disease. Parrot diseases are difficult to treat, therefore it is important to notice them in the early stages in order to increase the effectiveness of treatment.
Symptoms of a parrot disease:
- change of behavior: the bird becomes lethargic or too active;
- purulent discharge from the beak or eyes;
- refusal of food;
- feathers fall out, their sloppy appearance;
- loose stools or constipation.
Some infectious diseases are transmitted from parrots to people: chlamydia, tuberculosis, salmonellosis. At the first sign of a parrot's disease, it must be immediately shown to a doctor.
Parrot selection and adaptation in a new house
It is best to buy a parrot from breeders who have many positive reviews. So you can be sure that you will get a healthy bird, in addition, breeders give advice on maintenance. Parrots are sold in pet stores, but here you already need to be careful. Very often, pet store workers do not have special knowledge about the proper keeping of animals, and birds are kept in poor conditions. In addition, it is not clear where the parrots came from in the pet store. When buying at a pet store, you need to monitor the quality of the feed that is in the cage, the cleanliness of the pallet, and the appearance of the birds. You can ask various tricky questions to the seller in order to understand how knowledgeable he is about the contents of the parrots. The riskiest option for buying a parrot is in the bird market. Here you can no longer be sure of the health of the bird.
When buying, you need to pay attention to the condition of the feathers of the parrot. They should be bright and smooth. Eyes should not be cloudy. Wax and beak should not peel off. The bird must be active and inquisitive. The ideal age for buying a parrot is 6-7 weeks, it will be difficult to tame a bird older.
You need to buy a parrot in ready-made conditions. Carrying with the animal can be put in a cage and wait until the bird gets out. At first, you should not bother the bird once again. Let the parrot get used to the new house. You can calmly talk with him so that he gets used to your voice. It is advisable to keep the purchased parrot in quarantine from other parrots and pets for a couple of weeks so as not to infect them if the animal is sick.
The rules for keeping parrots of different species may vary slightly, because they live in different natural conditions and also eat differently. Before purchasing a bird, you need to thoroughly study the basic rules of the selected species. In the right conditions, parrots rarely get sick, but if you notice symptoms of a pet’s disease, you should immediately see a doctor.
Thus, we examined whether parrots can bread, how to properly feed them, which cage to buy and how to equip it.