Let’s start the New Year off with some resolutions for your companion birds! Here’s to their health, well-being, and to your dedication to your feathered friends.

Tasha, HARI’s model resident Yellow Naped Amazon, is ready to get the New Year started with a few suggestions on a timeless New Year’s Resolution list for all companion birds that will result in a winning strategy for ultimate bird happiness!

Remember, it takes a human care taker to make this list possible! As we roll into the New Year, we want to say THANK YOU to all our supporters and customers. And, we at HARI wish all of you-avian and otherwise, a prosperous and blessed 2012!

Top 10 Avian Resolutions for the New Year!

1. I resolve to watch my weight. Hopefully the human caretakers have invested in a scale and will keep track of my ups & downs.
2. I resolve to eat a nutritious diet that includes Tropican, Low-Fat Bean Tropimix.
3.   I resolve to get a peaceful 9-10 hours of uninterrupted sleep & rest each night.
4.   I resolve to encourage my avian caretakers to take advantage of some of the  educational opportunities to ensure I get the best care!
5.  I resolve to forage for food and interesting objects.
6.  I resolve to partake in independent play and to learn new exciting behaviors that stimulate my intelligence.
7.  I resolve to get regular grooming and keep my feet in tip top shape!

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8.   I resolve to bathe regularly in order to keep my feathers in shining condition!
9.   I resolve to exercise at every opportunity that avails me.
10.  I resolve to acknowledge my place as a companion pet-yet be the utmost ambassador to my wild counterparts in need of protection & support.

World Parrot Trust

Parrots International

AFA Conservation Projects

 Be sure to stay tuned …we have a lot of cool things in progress for 2012!

For more information on the Hagen Avicultural Research Institute, please visit our sites: www.hagen.com/hari or search the HARI Blog Archives for other useful information!

Despite the current disasters such as hurricanes, wild fires, and other maladies of Mother Nature that make international headlines, often the most overlooked disaster for a companion bird goes without notice. This is something that occurs often, yet, rarely makes a headline: it’s a storm of another kind. The kind of storm that can be sudden or perhaps it’s an event that’s actually brewing in the not so far distance. It’s the absence of the avian caretaker. Perhaps this is due to family emergency or unexpected death of the caretaker. Maybe it’s the slow decline of health on the part of the avian caretaker that creates comprises in the bird’s daily care. Unfortunately, a disaster from a companion parrot’s perspective is a disaster indeed…it is the interruption of life from that bird’s normal care.

We at HARI often hear about a pet bird or perhaps a collection of parrots, be it a breeder, a pet store, and even some parrot re-homing facilities in need of assistance due to human related emergencies. With that being said, we’d like to make a few suggestions and reminders for all of the avian community to take charge of their feathered companions before a “storm” actually strikes.

What can you do?

Take Charge!

First and foremost, avian caretakers need to take charge of their own flock. The HARI team encourages pet owners and large flock caretakers alike to keep records and prepare for emergencies. While some emergencies are incredibly unexpected, others are much like the storm in the not so far distance. Life has its challenges for all and if you feel as if the care of one bird or several is getting too difficult, ask for help. You know your bird or birds, and you know who you can count on. Take decisive steps in this matter to avoid someone else making decisions for you and your pets or flock.

Companion bird owners:

Companion bird owners can very easily keep a supply box that includes everything needed for caring for their birds in case of emergency. Keep in mind that should an emergency arise that would give cause of for emergency personnel to enter a household, a simple notice on the refrigerator stating: Pet bird profile located in… let’s say, pantry, cupboard or whatever. This bit of information should include your avian veterinarian telephone, plus contact information for someone that can take over the care of your bird in your absence. Please feel free to review one of our older post , “HARI Approved First Aid Arsenal: Are You Ready?” for list of other items.

Strategies for Bird Clubs:

Bird Clubs usually have a network and committee chairpersons set up for education, speaker, pet bird adoption and other services for their membership. Designate an emergency relief team and protocol. We’re not suggesting that a diehard watch dog team be in place, but perhaps a couple of members that can respectfully network within the bird club membership and be available to members in need.

Set up phone calling trees and encourage membership to have an emergency book on their pets filled out. To get started, make use of the Parrot Profile available from HARI which includes basic pertinent information about a particular bird. An Emergency or Disaster Relief committee might want to organize a presentation on this topic for a regular club meeting. Be sure to include an article on the subject in a monthly club newsletter for members unable to attend meetings.

Strategies for Avian Specialty Retailers & Pet Stores

Some of the best retailers are very familiar with their regular customers and the products they buy for their pets or flock. During the normal course of business it’s easy to lose track of every customer-but usually something will trigger that will make one think, especially when it comes to reordering a particular item because they know ‘so and so’ will be in and need…and then they discover that particular item is still on the shelf. A customer database, especially for routine grooming appointment reminders, is one way of not only creating a database for customer contacts, it’s a great way to keep in touch with the store’s area market and support community outreach projects that benefit the business.

Large Flock management

Whether it’s a breeding facility, a re-home facility or even a home with several parrots, large flock management emergency care is a little bit different. In extreme cases, municipal agencies are the ones who are called to these collections in the event of emergency. And, not every agency is equipped with knowledge of caring for exotic parrots. If the situation is temporary, the birds will be easier to manage without moving them from premise. At any rate, a response team will need to know location of food, particular dietary needs of species, as well other supplies such as nets, disinfectants, extra bowls, that are used in every day operation of a large flock management. Please note that most aviaries are very concerned with security as well as bio-security. Respect for the operation is essential to be of benefit overall. Ideally, the response team should be made up of experienced avian caretakers or facility avian veterinarian educated in large flock management. Efficiently operated large flock facilities will have record keeping system unique to the operation.

These types are record systems are often on computers; therefore, it’s suggested to have a hard copy of some kind that includes a map of facility with the location & identification of each bird, flight, cage as well as location of food, and extra supplies. Contact information for food supplier should be included as well to avoid interruption of the flock’s normal diet.

As avian caretakers, we’re very concerned with the quality of care of all parrot species in the avian community. By this post we’re not endorsing anyone particular group of the avian community, we just want the birds to be protected from storm damage…because it’s not always a Mother Nature
event!

Each year, the HARI Team attends several avian seminars throughout the world and quite often, our Team members are featured speakers at national events in efforts to keep up with and share in the ongoing educational process. When it comes to avian education-whether it is on the bird’s end or the human’s, nothing is absolute. It’s ongoing.

Avian Seminars provide an opportunity to meet other avian enthusiasts and gather information. Local bird clubs and an increasing number of pet supply retailers regularly offer educational events to bring the education awareness to the avian community with closer proximity.While the avian community is a bit tighter with the many internet sites, newsgroups, and even blog sites such as this one, participation in some of these events tightens the avian community bond. It’s often more enlightening to get this information first hand with real people all sharing a mutual interest. And, let’s face it; workshops are not quite the same without hands on experience.With that said, we do encourage avian caretakers to attend some of the conventions or seminars available. Whether it’s one of the larger conventions or seminars listed below, or your local bird club or a specialty retailers, take the opportunity to attend and to support the group. Your Feathered Companion will be glad you did!

AUSTRALIA

Well, not really, if we’re talking about a HARI Fledgling! One of the most chronic ailments in many companion birds is dealing with overweight condition as a result from lack of exercise.  Birds have wings and they’re designed to fly. But, we must be responsible with companion birds and their flying exercise regiments.  And, a quality made flight harness is just the tool required for responsible flying.

The least stressful way of adapting a bird to a flight harness is to start them out as babies.  At HARI, we introduce the flight harness at a very young age-before the chicks even have feathers. This desensitizes the chick to a foreign item. Simultaneously, we continue offer towel cradling, nutritional support, as well as nurturing. This all reassures our chicks that it’s ok!

As the fledgling advances with further lessons in his weaning stages, he will have mastered the idea of ‘getting dressed’ for his flying exercise. Once his wings are grown and he has graduated to advanced levels, HARI staff members spend time with supervised flying regimens.

With proper instructions and guidance, quality flight harnesses are an amazing tool that benefits a companion bird’s physiological and psychological well being.  The mere act of flying burns off extra calories and keep the bird in top physical shape.  There are many other simultaneous brain functions that occur in flying birds that help in behavior situations as well-especially aggression. For further information on the studies of how flying benefits companion birds, we do invite you to download Parrot Life Magazine #5 and read the article “Thinking on the Wing”, by Steve Hartman of The Parrot University at Hartman Aviary.

Who can resist the robust, “big parrot-trapped in a small body” personality of a Quaker? Also known as monk parakeets, Quakers are one of the most popular parrot species for companion lifestyle.

While the HARI flock includes many parrot species, the collection includes this ever popular companion species, the Quaker parakeet. HARI Staff  explains the “HARI way” on weaning and educating the owner so they are well adjusted for companion bird lifestyle.

Quakers: Weaning for Success

At HARI, Quaker chicks are typically pulled from the nest at 2-3 weeks of age. A Chick Information File and Chick Growth Chart is set up for each baby. Health is assessed with a physical exam, initial weight monitoring, and logged into the chick’s file. And, it is this critical stage that Quaker chicks begin their “education” process!  In the next coming weeks, the pupils are introduced to many skills such as towel training, technician handling that includes: grooming, observation of choanal papillae, behavior and more.  But, their first lesson, and most critical for long healthy life, is the weaning process.

Initially, fledgling Quakers are housed in a brooder with clutchmates.  To assimilate the sense of security of their nest box, the brooder is kept dark and covered.  They will soon be ready to make a transition to their weaning cage.

Weaning cages should be well thought out with a very specific set up to make the weaning process as easy and as rapidly successful as possible. A weaning cage can also be the Night Cage for fledglings, as both should not have toys, only perches and food. For a nighttime cage, or “sleep cage” we recommend that toys should not be included to avoid hazardous accidents not to be discovered until the morning. Weaning cages, however, should not have toys for entirely different reasons. When fledglings are weaning their inquisitive minds need to be stimulated with food and nothing else as it is too easy for them to be distracted. Instead of toys the cage should contain several food bowls.

You can sometimes add a plastic or cardboard hut to give a hiding place to the Quakers, but this should be used with caution as they may become aggressive when provided with these shelters. We do suggest though that three sides of the cage be covered with blankets or towels during the day, and that all four sides should be covered at night. This will maintain focus and allow for the birds to sleep. Smaller cages are also better for weaning as it will help minimize distractions. We have had failures based on the size of some of the cages we have placed weaning birds into. A cage with too many toys or a variety of foods distracts the fledglings from the main focus of weaning onto a desired nutritional food,   As the birds get older and are maintaining a proper weight they can then go in bigger cages, or Day Cage, where toys and foraging activities are encouraged.

Let’s look in depth at the various quarters mentioned in the HARI & Parrot Life series Versatile Living Quarters and Lifestyle for Your Parrot, a study of how this can benefit a long lasting relationship with your avian companion.

The Weaning-fledgling cage

This cage should be used for the fledgling-weaning age till the juvenile age and can then be converted to a sleeping-retreat and boarding cage. The size of the cage should be relatively small. If you can envision the full size of the bird with full wing- span and multiply this by two-three you should have a reasonable space. Once perched, the tail feathers should not touch the bottom of the cage.

Although you will be tempted to buy a larger “starter cage”, remember that at weaning age the chick can be intimidated by a spacious environment, and so favoring this small , secure and comforting cage size  will prove beneficial to the young fledglings first steps.

Considerations for the installation of the weaning fledgling “starter” cage

This cage should integrate comfortable perches such as rope perches initially installed at lower heights adjusting daily to the fledglings grip, agility & confidence. Simple (straight not twisted) natural branches (of maple or apple) can also be installed in the weaning cage when the chick is more agile. HARI does not recommend a self-grooming perch for the weaning cage. Fledglings have delicate and sensitive feet and exposing them to a grooming perch could cause the early onset of podo-dermatitis (bumblefoot). It is unfortunate that the most favored perch for a young parrot often has non-slipper properties. Initiating your young fledgling to having their nails groomed slightly by a rotary tool is definitely less damaging than having to use a grooming perch for this purpose in the future.

Toys should not be integrated within this cage. Focus will be on weaning and sleeping thus there is no place for toys, with the exception of an acrylic foraging toy perhaps!

Several food bowls are positioned to be easily accessible for the fledgling, as it must learn to wean from what is found within the cage. A full spectrum light can be placed near the weaning cage and exposed a few hours per day.

A snuggly fit cage cover should be used to shelter the young fledgling periodically during the day. Initially, 3 sides of the cage and top should be covered during the gradual stages of adaptation to a new environment. The fledgling cage should be placed in a retreated space in your home ensuring a quite, non-distracting, non-invasive environment.

White or recycled newspaper should be used to liner the cage bottom .This will allow visual monitoring of the droppings, essential when ensuring healthy weaning supervision & assessment of what is truly consumed by the chick.

At this weaning age we recommend the chicks be supplementary fed within the cage and not removed to a counter to be fed. Exaggerated and prolonged begging for supplemental feedings can trigger the onset of screaming and restlessness if the chick associates the feeding with the caretaker and retrieval from the cage. An optimum diet such as Tropican High Performance Weaning Granules should be offered in this cage along with a stainless steel or ceramic water dish.

Considerations for the installation Juvenile-maturity sleeping cage

As your chick matures to a separate day and night cage, the weaning cage will be perfectly suited for a sleeping cage. Undesirable behaviors can be quickly managed, and ultimately modified when a comfortable and secure retreat is offered that promotes undisrupted sleep. The sleeping-retreat cage should not encourage playing activities, as this is a place to relax and wind down. Birds may accidentally get caught up in toys during the night and have less chance of being rescued since they are not under supervision.

Grooming perches are usually favored as a sleeping perch by older birds, yet this type of abrasive perch should not be used for night perching. Rope or a natural perch should be offered in the sleeping cage. Offering strictly an optimum diet such as Tropican within the sleeping cage will again favor the ingestion of the healthiest food early in the morning, no fruits or veggies should be offered in the sleeping cage for risk of spoiling overnight. The cage liner should be white paper changed daily, facilitating visual inspection of the droppings each morning for health monitoring. A cage cover (without holes as birds can get entangled in these during the night!) should be fitted to the sleeping cage. A night lamp can be placed in the room near the sleeping cage to prevent night freights and trashing.

The sleeping cage is usually favored as a boarding age, or weekend escape to the cottage cage! Choosing a cage model that is suitable for your bird and fits easily in your car is ideal!

Spacious day cage

This cage should be 3-4 times the size of the sleeping cage. This one will most probably never fit inside your car! Realistically, a suitable quality day cage can easily cost more than the purchase of the parrot itself and so allowing monthly financing for this purchase while the parrot is still at its fledgling age can help disperse the cost over a longer period of time,  ensuring optimum living quarters for its lifetime. Catalogue selection of the desired model can prevent storage challenges for the stores.

The placement of the day cage should be in a well lighted, enriching part of the house.  Television, radio, aquarium, mirrors, windows, visual interaction with other pets (compatible with your parrot of course!) can contribute to enriching the day cage’s environment. A full spectrum light should be installed in close proximity to optimize its’ beneficial properties.

Foraging activities, destructible and indestructible toys should be offered in the day cage, foot toys in a toy basket along with a foraging box. Perches of various textures and diameters can be placed within and around the cage. A stainless steel or ceramic water bowl, a water bottle as well as different feed bowls can be adapted to the cage. This cage should be functional, esthetic, easy to clean & of safe design and construction as you will be seeing this one everyday in your living space!

A reliable avian flight harness to promote controlled and supervised flight training such as the Aviator harness manufactured by the Parrot University should be one of the first investments made when adopting your bird. Hopefully the aviculturist had the opportunity to harness train your chick as a fledgling!

An avian transporter is recommended and should be used periodically to accustom the bird to the safe environment it offers and prevent stress when traveling to and from the clinic for routine or emergency visits. Socially well adjusted parrots travel, and the more functional the transport cage is the more likely you will be to travel with your bird! The size for the transport cage should be suitable for the size of the particular species. A perch, water & food bowl, special toy and easily cleaned liner or substrate should also be adapted for longer travels. The transporter should not be left on the top shelve of the backyard shed! It should be clean, adapted for emergency transport, accessible and visible by all, ideally placed near the day cage. A transport cage should be available for every bird in your home in case of an emergency evacuation.

Note: it is favorable to have your companion comfortable within the transport cage but caution must be taken to prevent a parrot from accessing his transport cage by itself too often, taking refuge in it as it would at a nesting cavity.

A training stand is primordial to encourage and reinforce education. The dark ages when birds were displayed on training stands with wire domes are far behind us, we hope!  This is the equivalent of the pupil’s school desk, and should not be misconceived as an activity center. This stand should provide a comfortable and stable perch mounted below eye level. Training sessions are most successful when positioned in a neutral zone, sheltered from distraction.  Various models offer a collection tray underneath, two bowls ideally for water as training sessions can use food rewards, offered as positive reinforcements by the trainer.

Exercise activity centre

Parrot caretakers must be creative and intuitive by offering enriching environmental stimuli while providing gratifying and challenging occupational activities. Such activities may include foraging, stimulating exercise, daily misting to promote preening. With a little creativity these activities can all be possible at the exercise activity centre. A Christmas tree stand to support a natural tree trunk with numerous branches (java, manzanita, apple or maple) can be the foundation for the creative activity centre. Vinyl tiles or acrylic floor panels are recommended to allow the possibility of misting and facilitate cleaning, as this is the place to encourage shredding, chewing & foraging activities. Rope nets can also be used as a foundation to hang an activity center from the ceiling.

A reliable scale and adapted scale perch for routine weight monitoring is also part of a versatile lifestyle, your companion should be comfortable and rewarded to visit the scale perch daily!

Outdoor flight or cage

Combining ingenuity, creativity, and the availability of safer materials for flight construction, outdoor living quarters should be an essential habitat provided for all companion parrots if possible. It is recommended to have a double wire protection built around the outdoor flight to prevent the intrusion of predators and prevent our cherished feathered companions from escaping or having their feed contaminated with small mammal excrements. Various adaptations to the cage should include the construction of a sun barrier and rain barrier as excessive exposure to direct sun and severe rain can be a health hazard.

In part 1 and part 2, we discussed some of the concerns about sharing a life with a parrot and questioned some of the mistakes parrot caretakers have possibly made that have contributed to behavior problems-especially those that stimulate  hormonal overdrive. In part three of this series, HARI staff presents a list of items that should be considered necessities for companion parrots.

Versatile Living Quarters and Lifestyle for your Parrot – Josee Bermingham, HARI Manager and Parrot Life Magazine Editor

Ultimately caregivers should thrive to offer a versatility of living quarters for their juvenile or mature feathered companion. The list below might seem exhaustive although it is quite realistic in numerous homes provided future caretakers are well informed prior to purchasing their initial cage and accessories.

• Weaning-fledgling cage - later used as the sleeping, boarding & weekend getaway cage
• 1 transport cage
• 1 Day cage (for Juvenile age to -maturity)
• 1 Sleeping cage( for Juvenile age to -maturity)
• Outdoor cage or outdoor flight
• 1 Flight Harness
• 1 scale with adapted perch
• 1 Play gym that stimulates exercise , activity & discovery
• 1 foraging environment integrated within the daytime living quarters
• 1 training stand ideally placed in a neutral area of the home
• 1 shower perch or quarters facilitating daily  misting

Recommendations made for parrot caregivers to accommodate their parrot with a  sleeping cage has been in vogue for numerous years, although in the past the explanation favoring the retrieval to a safe, quite and undisrupted sleeping quarter was primordial to promote desirable behaviors and optimal health.

Additional to this undisputable justification, I believe that a rigid, inflexible routine must be avoided from the young juvenile age. As independence is gained (at roughly 6-9 months of age for a medium to large parrot) a single cage dwelling must not be encouraged. Therefore I firmly believe that the day cage must not simply be retreated to a quite location in the home for the nighttime, there must be a distinctly different cage for this purpose, to prevent cage bonding, provide versatility and eliminate the possibility the single cage is associated with a breeding site as the chick matures.

Note: A room devoted to a flock of companion birds usually achieves to promote exercise, stimulate a versatile and enriching environment through the possibilities of adapting various occupational and exercise components. The social interaction with the flock will usually provide a healthier relationship with the caretaker as this lifestyle is less likely to promote hormonal stimuli. It is nonetheless advisable to cover the individual cages throughout the night when the birds have retreated to their sleeping quarters.

Come back for in-depth explanations of our  list of recommendations for Versatile Living Quarters!

Welcome back to a continuation of HARI  & Parrot Life series Versatile Living Quarters and Lifestyle for Your Parrot, a study of how this can benefit a long lasting relationship with your avian companion.

Improvements in the past 20 years for the care of our feathered companions have been proven beneficial, but have we brought on a new era of problems? Could these factors, additionally to the single cage dwelling’s monotonous lifestyle, be contributing to hormonal overdrive?

• Full spectrum lighting offered in excess, daily & throughout the year…are we overexposing –over stimulating?
• Should the only activity center be located on the single cage dwelling’s play top, mimic once again the area guarded surrounding the nest cavity in the wild?
• Caretakers offering an exhaustive variety of foods referred to as “cafeteria style feeding” can mimic the breeding season in the wild when abundance and variety of foods is increased … should this abundance be offered throughout the year?
• Improved diets can provide excess in caloric energy and optimum nutrients year round compared to the variation of availability seasonally found in the wild. Is this contributing to simulate conditions found during the breeding season? Subsequently, the amount of energy expensed by the birds living in a non-stimulating, unchallenging and monotonous environment can be far less than their daily caloric intake, inevitably contributing to obesity.
• Offering shredding or weaning material in the single dwelling cage potentially contributes to hormonal overdrive, interpreted as preparation of nesting material in the” nest cavity”. Shredding activities should be encouraged at an activity center. Our companions should not be encouraged to mark their cage as they would mark their nesting cavity. Offer novelties, distractions and versatility.
• Captive bred, hand fed, chicks that are overly consumed by the human touch can inadvertently mistake their human caretaker as a mate when they reach adolescence. This prevents the development of a healthy relationship. The human caretaker should be viewed as a mentor or leader of the flock and not misunderstood as a sexual mate. The unfortunate outcome of petting parrots near the lower back, down the tail whilst flaring the vent, exchanging foods with a human mouth, petting the beak are inevitably communicating mating courtship. Once again potentially contributing to hormonal overdrive? Birds should experience companionship, foraging, preening with other birds at an early age.
• Probing deeper into the probable causes of hormonal overdrive … is there a possibility that having the same caregiver bring food to the single cage dwelling routinely mimic the mating season when the male brings food to the nest cavity to feed the brooding hen? Perhaps the cycle should be broken, other members of the family should participate & foraging with flock mates (i.e. at supper time while the family is preparing the meal & eating) should be integrated more frequently in the daily activities of your feathered companion.

Come back for more solutions and explanations!  If you have questions or thoughts, tell us in the comments below!