Twas a month before Spring and all through the aviary Not a creature was stirring, Not even a Canary. The nest boxes were hung on the cages with care, In hopes that some eggs soon would be there. The Quakers were nestled all snug in their huts, With visions of nutriberries, chocolate and nuts. The … Read more
Megabacteria is a large gram positive rod shaped organism that causes severe debilitating disease in numerous species of psittacines and passerines in captivity and in the wild. A detailed description of this disease and it causes, can be found in Avian Gastric Yeast Formerly Megabacteria Part I. Transmission and Diagnosis Transmission of Avian Gastric Yeast (formerly … Read more
Socializing is one of the most important things that you can do for your tiel chicks. It is a critical part of your tiel chicks early development. By socializing, you seek to develop a secure, friendly, tame pet who is self-confident and a content member of his human flock. As a responsible breeder it is … Read more
Many parrot keepers raise happy, healthy, well-adjusted parrots. What is their secret? How do they create happiness initially in their flocks and then continue to keep their parrots happy? Does parrot happiness lead to more beautiful parrots and to more enjoyable, fulfilling relationships between the parrot and the keeper? I find that they get their … Read more
Let me begin with saying that Quaker parrots are thieves!! They try to steal your Hershey kisses and before you know it, they have stolen your heart instead. I know, because I am just one of many in a trail of Quaker slaves across America! This is my story… My husband and I sat down … Read more
A readily accepted fact is seed-only diets lack the proper nutrition for optimum health and life longevity in birds.There are countless variations and modifications of base diets, most of which are heartily recommended, as well. The recipe I personally use and recommend contains wholesome ingredients such as whole grain brown rice, pasta, legumes, a variety … Read more
In this article you will find detailed information on how to handfeed your cockatiel chicks, the dangers of aspiration while handfeeding and the danger of overstretching the crop. Other issues that are dealt with are how the crop functions, sour crop, crop burns, and crop stasis, dealing with chicks that refuse to eat or that … Read more
One of the major decisions facing any breeder is deciding what type of nest box will work best for his breeding birds. In the wild, the choice of a nesting site is not a problem. Parrots are cavity nesters and will nest in tree cavities or in the hollows of large limbs. The exception to … Read more
One of the most important things in maintaining our bird’s health is bathing. Bathing is natural to birds. It helps them in maintaining the quality of their feathers, keeping clean, removing dust, dander, loose feathers and debris from new feathers, moistening the skin, maintaining the insulation properties of their feathers and much more. Breeding birds … Read more
It was a slow summer day in our veterinary clinic in southern California. Our veterinarian was out for the rest of the afternoon and the other technicians and I had housekeeping and nursing duties to attend to. Our receptionist came into the back and said, “Lisa, I have a call you need to take”!On the … Read more