Without a nutritionally balanced diet, which is impossible to achieve with seed only, your birds will lack vitality and good health as well as lustre in their feathering. Eventually they are likely to get liver disease and they will have much shorter lives.

Vitamin A is usually lacking in birds on a seed only diet. In severe cases shiny pink patches on the bottom of the feet are one of the telltale signs. If vitamin A is low in a parrot you can be sure that other proteins, minerals and vitamins are also missing from the diet. According to avian veterinarian, Dr. Rob Marshall, Eclectus parrots need ten times more Vitamin A than other parrots.

In the last issue I discussed the merits of feeding extruded parrot pellets and explained how to train your birds to eat them. If you have managed to convert your parrots from seed to pellets, or if they were already eating pellets, I suggest that you now train them to eat another brand of pellets so that if there is a shortage of supply of the one you are feeding you can always grab another sort. Always make sure that you are feeding extruded pellets.

Even though high quality extruded pellets are a complete diet in themselves I like to add as much natural food as possible, for example, cotoneaster and privet berries as well as

almost any native berries, casuarina and pine cones, gum nuts, hakea nuts (all left on their branches), native flowers (especially for lorikeets), milk thistle and seeding grasses. This is for variety and enrichment. I also like to give them fruit and vegetables for the same reason, especially those that are high in vitamin A, rather than those with a lot of empty calories or with a high sugar or fat content.

Below is a list of foods high in Vitamin A and their approximate values:

Almost all other fruits and vegetables are safe, apart from avocados and rhubarb. Lettuce is not particularly nutritious and tends to cause runny droppings whereas dandelion leaves, spinach or silver beet is a far better choice. Salt, avocado, raw onions, rhubarb, the leaves and stems of the tomato plant, chocolate, dairy products and alcohol can be deadly.

Here is a healthy, nutritious food that can be fed hot and wet, as often as you have the time to do so. It is great for increasing or building the bond between yourself and your birds. It can be made in batches and kept in the freezer. I serve it at least three times a week to all my birds. Serve it hot from a spoon or even better, your fingers. The temperature should be the same as you would have it for a human toddler.

Tropical Toybox strive to give the best quality toys with the parrots safety as their main priority. Some of the products purchased for the toys are imported and have been tested and tried in the USA since the early 1990’s, they would rather do this then take the chance of using materials that might not be as safe.

They are the first in Australia to use the Bird friendly “Paulie Rope” that is imported on a regular basis, also nikel plate or stainless steel hardware and chain is used, also imported is “vegi tanned” leather that has long been recognised in the states as safe for birds and parrots.

It is assured that no expense has been spared to bring you the safest and best toys possible.

The Tropical Toy box toys are bright and colourful for a reason; birds in the wild have an opportunity to explore colourful objects everywhere, such as flowers, buds, nuts and berries. It is important to incorporate this array of colours and textures within there toys to keep them interested. Natural timber has been incorporated within the toys to give it a natural but exiting look.

Tropical toy box motto is “We believe that variety is the spice of life for birds too! Remember, a toy destroyed- is a toy enjoyed.

The Parrot Rescue Centre’s Qualified Avian Vet is Peter Wilson of Currumbin Valley Veterinary Surgery who also specialises in Reptiles. Peter and his staff have saved many of the PRC birds from injury, sickness and stress. The Parrot Rescue Centre and its staff are grateful and ever thankful for the surgeries dedication to saving the lives of sick birds. The surgery is more than a full time job for Peter and his wife Penny who are constantly there for the birds 24/7.

The Parrot Rescue Centre encourages people to make sure that there birds have been health checked, so as to ensure the health and vitality of your bird. Just like cats and dogs, birds too can full sick with bacterial problems, diseases, poisoning and even stress related problems.

If your pet bird looks droopy and unwell, do not wait another second. Birds do not show that they are ill until the last minute, remember they are prey in the wild, so they are very good at covering up there initial symptoms. To contact our vet click here!

When pet parrots do not have enough appropriate “chewable” items, they chew on anything that is available. In a sparse and boring cage environment, often the only thing to chew on is seed. As a result, the pet parrot eats constantly and then suffers from obesity related problems. If pet parrots are allowed unsupervised, free range of the house, they will chew on furniture, wood trim, electrical chords, metal ornaments, lead weights on the bottom of curtains etc., and will either poison themselves or poison their relationship with their owners.

For the purpose of this article, I will concentrate on several recent cases where the pet parrot has ingested/swallowed foreign material. (Most of which was supplied by well-meaning but misguided owners).

One sad case involved a little purple-crowned lorikeet that was brought to the surgery weak, thin, vomiting and near death. Unfortunately, the bird died shortly after being admitted. A subsequent post-mortem examination revealed that the stomach was impacted with coarse, fibrous material that resembled coconut fibre. The owner was contact and confirmed that the “nest-box” provided consisted of a coconut shell with the outer husk still attached.
Another case involved a single, pet cockatiel that was rushed to the surgery in a similar, serious condition. The little bird had been lethargic and vomiting for several days. It was near death when presented and also died shortly after being admitted for treatment. A post-mortem examination revealed that the stomach was impacted with blue, fibrous material. When the distraught owner was contacted, she realised that the bird had been chewing on a certified “bird safe” toy that incorporated blue fibre tassels as part of the toy.

The list continues. Fortunately more observant owners noted the subtle signs of their birds not being well before it was too late. In these cases it was possible to save their pets. Cockatiels, budgerigars, galahs, sulphur crested cockatoos have all been presented and treated for foreign body ingestion. Many of these pets have chewed on the towel covering their cage, the woven “rope” perches sold as being “bird safe”, fibres of carpet and curtains, you name it and your parrot will chew on it.

How can you prevent the pitfalls of foreign body ingestion?
- Provide plenty of healthy, natural alternative for your pet to chew
- Avoid using towels or cloths with loose threads as cage covers
- Don’t buy and toys with rope, chord or tassels
- Don’t furnish your cage with woven, fibre, rope perches commonly sold in pet stores
- Supervise your pets when they are out of the cage
- Don’t allow them to pick at carpet fibres or upholstery

INSTEAD

- Provide them with rough bark perches from Australian native trees (paper bark, bottle brush, melaleuca, wattle, gum etc.
- Treat perches as disposable (they are there to be chewed)
- Provide fresh, green leafy branches from Australian native trees for the birds to chew (not only do parrots wear their beaks _.by chewing this foliage, they also gain trace elements and minerals to enrich their diet)
- Provide gum nuts, seed pods, the “nutty” pods left after a plant flowered.

These are all favourite parrot treats that are healthy and natural

By being a knowledgeable and responsible parrot owner, you can avoid the pitfalls and heartache of your pet dying or becoming seriously ill from chewing inappropriate and dangerous items.

Written by Peter Wilson
BVSc MACVSc
Avian and Reptile Practitioner

To contact Peter Wilson Click Here

Leave your precious birds with understanding and knowledgeable parrot carers.

We provide quality care for your pet birds including clean housing, healthy diet, enrichment, interaction and training (extra fee).

Your bird will not have time to be bored or sad, so stress and frustration will be less likely.

All funds made from bird boarding are directly used by the Parrot Rescue Centre to help with caring and maintaining the sanctuary birds environment.

For more information please contact:

Zarita Garozzo

Parrot Rescue Centre Co-coordinator on:

Ph: 07 5569 2840

Email: zarita@parrotrescuecentre.com

Name: Cockles

Age: 55 years

Sex: Male

About Cockles: Cockles has been passed down from many homes and now has come to the Parrot Rescue Centre to retire. He is an old slow little man with lots of character. He loves to chat to himself and everyone else that comes to visit. His favourite words are PRETTY BOY COCKLES and bobs his head up and down while saying it.
Cockles no longer plucks his feathers, but sadly has done a lot of damage to his feather follicles.
Since being at the PRC there is a noticeable increase in feathers, but because of the damage it is a very slow road to recovery.

It is vital that the PRC have a assessment process for people wanting to adopt a parrot, as many of the parrots that have been surrendered to the PRC have been given away because of behavioral issues.

The PRC does the best they can through the rehabilitation process to ensure that these behaviors are controlled although when re homing these birds we need to ensure the parrot owner has a good understanding of parrot needs and requirements.

These birds do not deserve to be moved from home to home anymore, so if you are adopting a bird from the PRC it is going to be a life long commitment.

Click here for more information and to apply