There exists a Health Department rule in some states that prohibits parrots from entering certain health care facilities. However, dogs, cats, and llamas are permitted on those premises, but not those nasty parrots. Those filthy mammalian visitors can carry many different insects, worms, bacteria (and worse) which can attack the human body. As far as … Read more
Food safety has made headlines in newspapers and magazines lately due to outbreaks of diseases such as hepatitis, E.Coli infections, and food poisoning, to name a few. Common food poisonings found in humans include E.coli 0157:H7, salmonella, campylobacter and listeria. Leaving fresh food and water in the bird’s cage for several hours may be the … Read more
As new food facts surface and more formulated diets become available for our birds, nutrition remains the most debated subject in birdkeeping and aviculture. Some still question the use of an all-pellet diet, and the need for a greater consumption of water for birds who are on a diet consisting of all dry foods (nuts, … Read more
Psittacosis may not be the most common disease in your flock, but it is the one you need to be most aware of. This is because Psittacosis (or more technically Chlamydiosis or Chlamydia) is the one disease your birds may give to you, and unless recognised, it can be fatal! The Chlamydia organism, which is … Read more
I receive lots of calls and visits from pet bird owners. All of them with the same question, “My sweet bird is beginning to pluck feathers. What do I do?” The first thing I ask them is, “Have you had them examined by your avian veterinarian?” Most of the time, the answer is, “NO.” whenever … Read more
Hand feeding can be a trying time for hand feeder and infant. The most prevalent sources of microbial contamination are food, water supply, other birds in the nursery, feeding and food preparation utensils, and the hand feeder. Prior to the introduction of formulated hand feeding diets for neonates, breeders had to make their own formulas, … Read more
Bird clubs are for education, interaction and friendships. People join for those things. It promotes a standard of excellence for its members to evaluate, for the benefit of their birds, and in a non-judgmental way. There is a danger that can isolate clubs from the community, and even from its members. It can work as … Read more
Jazz is preparing for our next motor home jaunt. That means Mama (me) has had to get busy putting together his amusements. The truth is that he doesn’t find much interesting about the store-bought stuff, which can be construed as a blessing since most of it costs a bundle. It seems that the commercial parrot … Read more
Answer Yes Or No To The Following Questions Your bird eats better than you do. You end up with more “goodies” in your grocery cart for the birds than for yourself. You spend more money on bird food than human food. You’ve had to caution your family not to eat something because “it’s for the … Read more
Recently someone approached me with the question, “What is a Bird Breeder?”Responding to a question of this sort, entails some profound thoughts to answer adequately, fully and correctly, which I am sure I will be unable to accomplish totally. Avian breeders can and quite often consists of individuals or families with only one or two … Read more