8 Simple Tips For Keeping Your Pet Birds Healthy
Pet Birds can live long and healthy lives, if they are properly cared for. The first basic is nutrition.
8 Simple Tips For Keeping Your Pet Birds Healthy
1. Birds need to eat a nutritionally sound diet in order to live a long life. Improper feeding can lead to malnutrition and disease resulting in a shorter lifespan. Start off by feeding your bird right from the beginning.
2. Parrots and birds of the parrot family can eat a variety of different kinds of foods. Seeds should not be a parrot’s only food. This is a mistake many new bird owners make. Seeds contain mostly fat and not enough protein and very few vitamins.
3. Birds can eat most table foods but it is best to stick to healthy items including items containing whole grains, pretzels, and whole wheat pastas and bread. Foods high in fat should be avoided. Never feed them avocados as they are toxic to birds. Just because they can eat most table foods, this does not mean that table foods should be a staple of their diet. A quality bird food mix (specific for your type of bird) is best for the bulk of their diet with the additions of healthy “table food” and occasional treats.
4. Good sources of nutrition for your bird include beans and legumes as well as various vegetables and fruits. Some birds resist new foods at first while others are open to trying many new things. Although it may take some time keep trying to introduce your bird to a variety of healthy foods.
5. Changes to a bird’s diet should be done slowly and progressively over time. Provide fresh foods twice per day for approximately an hour each time. Be careful not to leave fresh food in the bird’s cage too long as it will develop bacteria which can make your bird sick.
6. Your bird should be fed two times per day. This will result in your bird getting hungry which will make it more active. Also, a good appetite can make it more likely that your bird will try new foods. Feeding at set times twice per day will also allow you to be able to monitor how much your bird is eating. If your bird is not eating well this can tell you that it is not feeling well or has a health problem.
7. If your bird is a picky eater and you cannot get it to eat a varied diet you can try warming or cooking the vegetables. Take away seeds except at meal time until your bird starts eating healthy foods on a regular basis.
8. Keep your bird’s water dish filled with fresh, clean water at all times. Bird bowls can become very dirty and should therefore be cleaned each day with hot soapy water. Once every other week you should clean your bird’s water dish with a solution containing bleach. Also make it a point to pick up some water soluble bird vitamins at the local pet store and add vitamins to your birds water daily.
Birds make wonderful pets for the whole family and they can live a long time if taken care of properly. Proper care of birds includes maintaining a healthy diet of seeds, vegetables and fruit.
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Terrific advice. Thanks for sharing.
Good points! We used to own birds…amazon blue front and an African gray.
I don’t have pet birds, but I’ve always found them neat to watch. This would be a good guide.
I enjoy pet birds. They are so joyful and seem happy. Love listening to the churping.
Thanks for the ideas! Birds are amazing.
Love my bird but if he is in a mood he will swear at you .
I love birds and have owned several in the past. I raised an Indian Ringneck from a featherless chick and he grew up to be an amazing companion.
We had two budgies when my son was small, along with a couple of guinea pigs and a dog. Now its just hubby and I and no pets.
Such beautiful birds. I want one!
I love birds. They are so beautiful
I’ll pass this on to my bird-loving family. Thanks.
This would be a good guide for bird owners.
My grandma had pet birds for years when we were children she has been the only person I ever knew who had pet birds.
I don’t have pet birds but these are great tips to know. Perhaps I will get a pet bird someday!
They are to cute!
I have a friend who has cockatiels and she might like to read this.
I was neve3r good at caring for a bird 🙁
Great advice! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I couldn’t imagine having a bird as a pet. My friend has one and it poops EVERYWHERE, and they don’t seem to manage it very well and keep it tidy and cleaned up it’s a disgrace, so these are some very helpful tips I can just pass along to them.
Interesting read. I had a pet bird many years ago.
Great information
I don’t have pet birds now, but many years ago I had finches. Birds are awesome
I hd a macaw for several years. I was just fostering him for a friend. I loved him and cried when they came to get him.
Never knew avocados were toxic to birds,good to know
I have never had a desire to own a bird but I love watching them, especially the breads that talk.
I’ve always wanted a pet bird, so beautiful!
I have pet birds. They are zebra finches. Some of this info I did not know so thank you!
These tips for keeping your pet birds healthy are very helpful. Thanks for sharing!
This is great information. Birds seem like such fun pets to have. I like looking at them in the pet store.
I have 2 birds so thanks for the ideas!!!
Thanks for the information! We just got two lovebirds…
wonderful tips