How to Care for a Bird

Thứ bảy - 27/04/2024 01:14
Birds are extremely social by nature, and thrive on company, nurturing, and frequent interaction. Many species of birds make fun, engaging pets. If you're considering bird ownership, the care requirements include providing good housing,...
Table of contents
ARTICLE

Birds are extremely social by nature, and thrive on company, nurturing, and frequent interaction. Many species of birds make fun, engaging pets. If you're considering bird ownership, the care requirements include providing good housing, nutritious food, and keeping an eye on the bird's health. You'll also need to provide plenty of enrichment and interaction, to keep your pet bird happy and alert.

Part 1
Part 1 of 5:

Housing a Bird

  1. Step 4 Ensure that placement of the cage is somewhere warm and comfortable.
    Cages should be kept indoors, and in a room with frequent traffic. Birds are social animals, and will become unhappy if isolated in a room. Also remember that you'll be cleaning out the cage frequently, so hang it somewhere that you can access easily.[3]
    • Birds in hanging cages can often be transported outdoors to hang under a porch or similar place for daytime fresh air. Always remember to bring the bird back in before cool evening breezes and night air arrive.
    • The location of the bird's cage will also be affected by the bird's personality. While a very social bird might love being the center of attention and seeing constant human traffic, a more nervous bird might be happier kept somewhere quieter and away from hustle and bustle (but still being able to interact with the family). Nervous birds may do better in the corner of a room or in an area with the back of their cage partially covered.
    • Avoid placing a cage in front of a window permanently. The bird will be on the constant lookout for “enemies,” which can cause it to feel nervous. Putting a cage against a wall can give the bird a break from worrying about predators.
  2. Advertisement
Part 2
Part 2 of 5:

Feeding Your Bird

  1. Step 1 Give your bird varied types of food on a daily basis.
    As a rule of thumb, a healthy diet for most bird breeds consists of 75% pellets and 25% human table foods. Since precise dietary requirements are dependent on the species, talk with an avian veterinarian to see what type of food your breed of bird needs. Over time, you'll begin to see patterns emerging in the types of food that your bird prefers.[4]
    • Ensure that you have correct feed for the species of bird. You must find the correct food for your bird, as some birds are picky, while others have very strict dietary requirements. Usually the bag/can of food will have a label telling you which breed of bird it is for. If you don't know what the best food choices are, ask the breeder, the retailer or leave a question on a specialized forum of people who care for this species of bird.
    • Bird pellets, crumbles, or nuggets can be a good way of ensuring adequate nutrition for your bird. These tend to combine healthy seeds, vegetables, fruits, and grains, so the bird can eat a nutritionally balanced diet. These are preferable to a seed mix, which allows birds to pick out tasty seeds and leave the healthy ones behind.
    • Feed new seed daily; always empty out the eaten shells the same day too, as this keeps the seed fresh and clean.
  2. Advertisement
Part 3
Part 3 of 5:

Providing Your Bird with Toys and Perches

  1. Advertisement
Part 4
Part 4 of 5:

Socializing with Your Bird around the House

  1. Advertisement
Part 5
Part 5 of 5:

Taking Care of Bird Hygiene and Health

  1. Advertisement

Warnings

  • Avoid throwing chewing gum anywhere near the bird or outdoors. Both wild and tame birds think that chewing gum is some kind of food particle and tend to swallow it, only to be choked by it and die.
    Thanks
    Helpful 58 Not Helpful 3
  • Do not encourage birds to land or play anywhere in your yard or garden where they might be attacked by your pets.
    Thanks
    Helpful 20 Not Helpful 0
  • Birds can nip and bite and in some cases, sexual maturity can cause a bird to become aggressive and challenging. Make use of towels to handle difficult birds, to prevent you from being bitten and distract a biting bird as much as possible. If the bird attempts to bite, cease interaction in relation to the activity to led to the biting and interact in a different way. Do not reward biting. If you are having severe problems with a bird behaving aggressively, talk to your veterinarian.
    Thanks
    Helpful 44 Not Helpful 5
  • There are some foods that are not suitable for many species of birds. For example, don't feed the bird any alcohol, chocolate, or avocado. Each of these contain chemical components that can be toxic for the bird.
    Thanks
    Helpful 10 Not Helpful 1
  • Birds can be loud and bothersome. However, sometimes the bird's loud sounds can mean that something is wrong. For example, a short, loud sound repeated often could indicate that your bird is experiencing discomfort. Always listen to the sounds your bird makes and know its normal sounds, so that you can better determine whether different sounds are signs of something serious.
    Thanks
    Helpful 9 Not Helpful 2
  • Keep cords (electrical, blinds, curtains, etc.) away from bird cages. Birds are naturally curious and use their beaks to explore and will chew on anything they can reach. Electrical cords can result in electrocution if chewed, while blinds or curtain cords could cause strangulation or amputation.
    Thanks
    Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
Advertisement

Total notes of this article: 0 in 0 rating

Click on stars to rate this article