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Please bear with me everyone as I am redesigning this site to not only include my co-parenting information, but also my cockatiels that need to be rehomed, and my behavioral, nutritional, and husbandry information and services.... check back soon for updates...

Resource List for Parrots

By Jennifer Bethke, CVT

Books:

Good Bird! A Guide to Solving Behavior Problems in Companion Parrots - Barbara Heidenreich

The Parrot Problem Solver. Finding Solutions to Aggressive Behavior - Barbara Heidenreich

Guide to Companion Parrot Behavior - Mattie Sue Athan

Guide to a Well-Behaved Parrot - Mattie Sue Athan

The Second-Hand Parrot - Mattie Sue Athan

Sally Blanchard's Companion Parrot Handbook: Using Nurturing Guidance to Create the Best Companion Parrot Possible: Aka, the Happy Bappy Fun Book - Sally Blanchard

My Parrot, My Friend: An Owner's Guide to Parrot Behavior - by Bonnie Munro Doane and Thomas Qualkinbush

Why Does My Bird Do That: A Guide to Parrot Behavior - Julie Rach Mancini

General Websites:

www.avianweb.com - Avian Web - Great general bird information site, has a species index, info on health and husbandry of pet birds.

www.thegabrielfoundation.org - The Gabriel Foundation - non-profit sanctuary for birds in Denver, CO. This website has lots of educational information on parrots in the wild and in captivity.

www.birdsnways.com/wisdom - Winged Wisdom E-Zine - online magazine full of valuable informaion to parrot owners

Behavior Websites:

www.goodbirdinc.com - Good Bird Inc. Barbara Heidenreich - great behavior site using positive reinforcement. Not only good for bird with problems, but also great for preventing problems in any bird.

What is Co-parenting?

Co-parenting is a term used to apply to some degree of joint rearing of chicks from hatch to weaning — depending on the situation, the temperament and setup of the parent birds, and the schedule of the person doing the co-parenting. It includes, but may not be limited to, the following three methods:

Supplementing handfeeding morning and evening, handling/playing with the babies, and leaving in the nest box through weaning;

Handling/playing with the babies for a daily period of time (usually 5 to 15 minutes) without handfeeding, and leaving in the nest box through weaning (and even beyond); and

Handfeeding in the morning, handling/playing with in the evening, and pulling from the nest box at or near fledging for handfeeding (and/or co-feeding with parents).

Some smaller aviculturists have been experimenting with variations of co-parenting for many years. Co-parenting can also be useful when first-time parents are not quite tending the babies as well as experienced parents would. The breeder can supplement feeding, also handling the babies for early socialization, while leaving with the parents (provided the parents tolerate this intrusion).

U.C. Davis did a study years ago on orange-winged Amazon babies, basically using method #2. They had rigged up a way to shut the parents out of the box, so there wouldn't be a problem with aggression toward chicks or handlers during the interactive chick play times. Follow-up studies on generations-level effects are being conducted. These hope to discern the adult temperament impacts of the co-parented birds themselves (as distinguished from either wild caught or handfed from an early age) as parents. It may be a few years before results are published.

How to Get Your Cockatiel to Stop Laying Eggs

It is interesting to note when a Cockatiel is alone in the cage, suddenly starts to lay eggs. At first you are amazed, and feel it looks so cute, Then the bird lays on the egg, as if hatching it. They also make cooing sounds while sitting. They then release a loose smelly discharge, that seems to be the afterbirth. Because they sit on the egg, they do not relieve themselves for a few days, but then shoot it out. There seems to be a lot of different people saying different things about getting the Cockatiel to stop laying eggs, but nothing really works, until you can find a method that works for your particular bird, in your own home. These steps should help you to find the method that works for you and your bird.

Steps
- Make sure she is on a healthy diet to make up for all the calcium and protein she will be losing in making the eggs. The proper seed/pellet mixture you give her, should be enough, but including lots of fruits, veggies, and healthy people food is a good start. Some birds do not eat anything else but the seed, and those birds should get some type of calcium supplement. As long as your bird continues to feed, she should be fine.

- Watch to see where the egg is. The bird usually lays the eggs from her perch, so it will be in the corner of the cage. The bird will probably want to sit on top of the egg, or near it for awhile. When doing this, do not remove the egg or that will encourage her to lay more. After about 25 days of this, when she walks away from the egg, you can safely remove the egg.

- Exercise and activity can stop the egg laying. This has been proven, if you give your cockatiel tasks or things to do, such as training the bird to fly around the room and then return to the cage or you, or allowing her to forage for her food by placing it in different areas of her cage rather that just one bowl; it will discourage her from laying eggs. Play with her, perch her on your shoulder when you do the dishes. Cockatiels are fun to play with and teach things to.

- Cockatiels begin to lay eggs as "their Spring" (not always actual spring) approaches, as the days get longer, as there is more moisture in the air and abundant food. Often owners artificially create the ideal breeding environment unknowingly. Here are a few tips to counteract the environmental signals that say, "it's time to breed".

a) Creating artificial Winter by covering or moving your birdcage to total darkness to give your cockatiel a minimum of 12 to 14 hours bedtime (darkness) each night. Even if she is night-terror sufferer (which is unlikely for a good breeder) try to minimize the brightness of the night-light or even try turning it off. When the breeding behavior stops stick to 12 hrs darkness per night.

b) Dietary fat is by far the biggest breeding trigger and branded cockatiel seed mix is usually the culprit. Give only 1 teaspoon of seed mix per day (that's being generous) and make sure there are absolutely no sunflower seeds in the mix because these are especially fatty.

c) Also reorganizing things in her cage can throw her off a breeding cycle -changing the toys around in the cage or moving perches and bowls around

d) Another big mistake people make is arousing their tiels by giving them not just head-rubs, but body rubs. Whatever you do never rub her down the back because this feels just like copulation to tiels and will bring on a cycle instantly

e) Block up any "nesting" sites that she finds if you let her fly around during the day. These can be the dark spaces under the couch, or in a cabinet, etc.

f) Mix up her daily routine: For example - if she comes into the shower with you then try to change shower times if you can, or decrease the showers for a while since any kind of excess moisture in combination with other factors can encourage breeding.

g) Do not over heat her area temperatures above 75 F degrees / 24 C degrees combined with these other points will put her in the mood. This is why most cockatiels start laying when we really turn our heat on in the winter.

Tips
- Place them on your shoulder as you walk around the house, having lunch or cleaning the kitchen. They enjoy companionship, and get bored easily being all alone all the time in a shut cage. Hold them on your finger.

- Buy her different bird toys and switch them around often in her cage,There are many in the pet shop. Get her treats also, to keep her feeding different and healthy.

- Remove all mirrors. And if you catch her humping a toy, or making squeaky noises around it, remove that too. She may be even more cranky because you took away her "boyfriend" but she'll get over it.

Warnings
- Watch to make sure there is no bloody discharge. If there is, contact your local veterinarian. They will know how to advise you.

- 'Never ever push her belly! You could break the egg inside her and kill her!

- The normal number of eggs they lay is 5-9. If she lays anymore than that, she could be in danger from calcium depletion and exhaustion. If she is laying every 3 weeks she might be seriously calcium deficient and should be assessed by a specialist avian vet, who may diagnose that she needs supplemental drops for a while. Please don't buy calcium drops to self medicate her because if she is not calcium deficient you can do more harm than good

- Don't take the eggs away. She will just lay more until her motherly nature is satisfied.

The Well-Bird Check-up - What to Expect at Your First, or Yearly, Visit to the Vet

When you bring home a new bird, the first thing you should do is set up a visit with your avian veterinarian. This exam will help you both to determine if your bird is healthy, and if you should expect any health problems in the near future. Your vet can also advise you on dietary issues.

To Vet or Not To Vet?
Some people don't like taking their bird to the vet's for well-bird check-ups because they believe their bird will be exposed to all sorts of diseases. Other people bring their bird in every year for a check-up, which is the best thing for your bird's health. You can decide what works best for you and your bird, but I do recommend at least bringing your bird in for a new bird check-up, so that you establish a relationship with an avian vet. The worst time to try to find a vet is when your bird is sick and you don't know what to do (this, by the way, usually happens on the weekend at night, when vet clinics are closed!). Discuss your options with your vet. I personally like having a vet in my corner, because birds are a pray species and instinctively hide all signs of illness. By the time you notice your bird is sick, it could be too late. Regular vet exams can help to catch illness and disease early.

Health Guarantee
If you obtained your bird through a pet store or breeder, you should have been given a health guarantee. This guarantee should have stipulated that you have a certain amount of time (a week or so is a good time-frame) in which to get your bird to a vet. If the bird is sick, the source of your bird should pay for any associated costs to get your bird healthy.
The well-bird checkup will most likely consist of the following:

• History. The vet will take a thorough history on your bird. You will probably have to fill out an information sheet to be kept in your bird's file that will include a lot of this information. Your vet will want to know your bird's age, where you got her from, her sex (if you know it), what you're feeding her, what kind of cage she lives in, if you have any other pets in the house, and if you've given her any medications, supplements, etc.

• Physical Exam. The vet will preform a physical exam. He may watch your bird as she sits on a perch in the exam room. He should take your bird's weight and tell you if this weight is normal. He may towel your bird in order to feel her keel bone (the breast bone) to determine if your bird is the right weight, and to see if there are any abnormalities along the body. The vet will also want to feel her abdomin and check her vent (the opening below her tail), nares, and in her mouth, looking for any signs of illness.

• Droppings Exam. The vet will probably want to look inside the carrier that you used to bring your bird in with, and look at any droppings. The vet will look at the color and shape to determine if your bird could have any underlying illnesses. The vet may also take a sample of fresh droppings to look at under the microscope to find bacteria or parasites.

• Cultures and Gram Stain. The vet will probably take a swab of her vent (the opening below her tail) to send to a lab to be analyzed for any viruses or infections. The vet may also take a swab of the inside of your bird's mouth to send off for testing.

• Blood Tests. If the vet suggests it, or if you request it, you vet can draw blood from your bird to be tested for any illnesses such as Psittacosis. A Complete Blood Count will look at your bird's immune system to see if she's fighting anything. A Blood Chemistry panel can look for at other systmes in the body, including mineral and vitamin deficiences. A blood test can also be used to determine your bird's sex if you are interested, though the test can be a bit pricey.

• Possible Vaccines. Unless your bird is very young and you are concerned about Polyoma Virus, your bird most likely will not get any vaccines. There are very few vaccines available for birds, and the Polyoma vaccine is generally only used on young birds.

• Grooming. If your bird needs her nails or wings trimmed, your vet or a vet tech can do that right in the office.

• Question and Answer. You should use this time to ask your vet any questions you might have on diet and nutrition, bringing your bird to meet friends and relatives, caging, etc. Your vet might recommend some good bird books or bird magazines.

Cost
Your vet visits will cost a bit more than your vet visits for your dog or cat. Avian vets are specialists who have studied longer than regular vets, and their prices will reflect that. Prices for well-bird check-ups vary depending on what area of the country you live in, but expect anywhere from $50 to $100. For a brand new bird, your exam might be more thorough, and you should expect to pay upwards of $300 for a new bird exam. You need to factor in the cost of yearly well-bird visits into the cost of your bird, and you should also be prepared for emergency visits, which can be very expensive.

Spay/Neuter
Birds are not able to be routinely spayed or neutered at this time. Unless you are having severe behavioral problems that your vet feels are hormonally caused, there is no reason to have your bird spayed or neutered.

Resource List for Cockatiels

Books:
Cockatiels for Dummies by Diane Grindol

Cockatiels (Animal Planet Pet Care Library) by Ellen Fusz

The Essential Cockatiel by Pamela Leis Higdon

Cockatiel: Your Happy Healthy Pet by Julie Rach Mancini

Cockatiels: A Guide to Caring for Your Cockatiel (Complete Care Made Easy Series) by Angela Davids and Carolyn McKeone

Websites:
http://www.cockatiels.org - national cockatiel society - great website for articles & information on tiels. Also a newsletter is availble with membership.

http://www.cockatiel.org - north american cockatiel society - another great website full of informative articles on everything cockatiel.

http://www.cockatielcottage.net - Cockatiel Cottage - lots of great first aid information and breeding / baby care information. Also bird recipies and fun stuff on cockatiels.

What should I Feed my Parrot?

Parrots eat a wide variety of items in the wild, and for optimum health we should try to do the same in captivity. I good rule of thumb is that a parrots diet should consist of a bowl of pelleted food at all times (brand preferences may vary, I personally use Zupreem products), and a small amount of good quality seed, i.e. Goldenfeast (this is especially important in color-mutation birds such as parakeets, cockatiels, lovebirds, and parrotlets). Also offering a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and people foods will round off a complete diet for your parrot.

WHAT NOT TO FEED: Never give your parrot alcohol, avocado or chocolate - these can kill your pet.

Also avoid caffeine (tea and coffee), large amounts of junk food, raw potato, and rhubarb (including the leaves). Please just use your common sense when it comes to feeding your parrot. Many plants and food items are unsafe, so if you have any doubt, do not offer it.

Personally: In my cages at home I have at least one bowl of pellets (two in each of the cockatiel flight cages) one bowl of Goldenfeast blend (specific to whatever bird is in the cage), one bowl of dry treats (cereal, crackers, millet, oatgroats, seeds, nuts, etc) and one bowl of wet treats (fruits, veggies, pasta, rice, etc). Also there should be at least one bowl of fresh water at all times.
Pellets: A good quality pellet mix should be available to your bird at all times. I personally use Zupreem's line of pellets because I trust their quality and my birds prefer their taste and flavors. There are plenty of other great pellet brands out there though, so find one that your bird likes and will eat. You may need to try one with colors or one without, or even try going up or down a size (a lot of conures eat the cockatiel size and many cockatiels will eat the parakeet size, etc.) before you find the right one for your bird.

Seeds: Give your bird a good-quality seed mix appropriate for their size and species. There are readily available mixes at pet suppliers and supermarkets, but be aware that most ready-mixed parrot seed contains far too many sunflower seeds and these are extremely fattening. For this reason I recommend Goldenfeast's line of species specific blends that use more natural ingredients (foods the birds would actually eat in the wild) and less oil rich high fat seeds. Also, do not buy the seed in bulk - most bulk food is not stored correctly and is thus exposed to many harmful bacteria and molds.

Healthy Seed Options: Try mixing in items from the heath food section of your local supermarket such as: flax seed, soybeans, unsalted unshelled sunflower seeds (limited amount), sesame seeds, unsalted nuts, etc. Also try adding sprouted seeds, beans and legumes to your parrot's diet.

Fresh Foods: Fresh foods are an important addition to your parrots overall health and wellness. Some parrots will not take to fruit and vegetables straight away. Keep trying, as it can take up to a year before some parrots will eat them. Fruit and vegetables are an essential part of your parrot's diet so offer them washed and fresh each day - do not give up! Also, be aware that your parrot's droppings may be runnier than usual with an increased intake of fruit and vegetables

All fresh foods should be - thoroughly washed, in bite-sized pieces, at room temperature, unpeeled, free of cores, stones, pits or pits, and fresh (obviously this will be the most nutritious for your parrot but you can use frozen or canned)

FRUITS (this is by no means a complete list)
apple, grape, guava, kiwi fruit, mango, melon, nectarine, orange, peach, pear, pomegranate, plum, strawberry, tangerine, watermelon, lemon, lime, all berries, pumpkin,

VEGETABLES:
bok choy, broccoli, carrot (chopped or grated), celery, swiss chard, lettuce (but small amounts of dark green lettuce and not too often), peas, beets, spinach, corn, watercress, zucchini, summer squash, winter squash, tomato, potato (regular or sweet), parsley, collard greens, green beans, brussel sprouts, peppers,

People Foods: You don't have to cook a special diet for your parrot, the easiest way to introduce them to people food is to simply offer a small portion of whatever you are eating for lunch or dinner every day. This introduces your parrot to a wide variety of foods without straining you back or your budget.

Cereals: In my experience, Cheerios, Chex, Shredded Wheat, Rice Crispies, Wheatbix, & GrapeNuts seem to be birdie favorites. Any cereal is fine to try, just try to limit the amount of sugary kids cereal you offer and never give any with chocolate in them.
Breads & Baked Goods: Parrots in general tend to be carb junkies, they love breads, muffins, crackers, etc. Try to offer whole grain items, and watch the sugar. (see my personal muffin recipe on the bottom of this list if you like to bake at home)

Other Carbs: Try things like whole grain pasta, rice, quinoa, barley, oats, either cooked or raw, popcorn,

Protein: Items like Meat & fish (both cooked) and dairy products (milk, cheese, ice cream) can be given to your parrot, but should be done spariningly. Remember that birds cannot digest dairy products well, so don't be surprised by some loose droppings after a little milk. Eggs are an almost perfect food though, and can be fed freely to your parrots. You can even offer hard boiled eggs with the shell on as an added source of calcium for female parrots.

Pre-Packaged Foods: There are some great pre-packaged bird diets out there that simulate people food. Most come ready to cook in your microwave. I use Crazy Corn brand at my house because that is what my birds tend to like the best. Other brands include Birdie Banquet, Beak Appétit and others. The easiest way I have found is to cook the entire package at one time and then freeze it into small portions (about how much your parrot/s would eat in a week). This way you don't have to cook as often and you'll always have something fresh and nutrious to feed your birds.

Birdie Bread/Muffins:
1 package Jiffy Muffin Mix (I prefer raspberry over corn)
1/4 cup slivered & chopped almonds
1 cup frozen cranberries sliced in half

Make according to the box directions adding in the extra ingredients (feel free to change the extras to whatever nut or fruit you think your bird might like). I use a mini muffin pan to make individual servings that I can also freeze for later use, but you can also make it into one loaf of bread and slice it up for the birds. If you are trying to introduce a bird to pellets for the first time, this is a good way to do it. Use a smaller size pellet and bake them into the bread, this was the bird will experience the taste and texture of the pellet in a fun and tasty way.