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!

The most challenging situation arises when the bird is overweight or suffers from respiratory conditions. We recommend that these challenged birds be sprayed down to cool the body temperature. It is imperative to follow the below listed guidelines when dealing with any broken blood feather!

You’ll need the following supplies plus another person to assist, especially for large birds.

• Tweezers or proper sized hemostats or forceps depending on the size of the bird.
• Towels
• Velcro
• Quick stop, clay paste, school glue or other coagulant
• Spray bottle (to cool down overweight bird and to view the questionable feather)
• Water source for hydrotherapy

1. After restraining the bird safely, use hydrotherapy technique to get a clear view of suspect feather.
2. Determine how damaged the feather is. If the blood feather has matured to more than half the feather being emerged from the shaft, then it can be saved with white paper glue ,corn starch, or clay paste therapy. If the broken feather is bleeding significantly, it should be removed.
3. The trick here is to remove the feather in one swift movement as failure to do this properly will result in complications and profuse bleeding. To avoid this, get a good grip on the shaft of the feather by placing the forceps perpendicular to the growth of the feather. Only grip the shaft, and not the flesh. Apply proper pressure on the skin for approximately10 seconds (where the feather shaft emerges), pull the feather shaft in one swift movement. You should have the feather, complete with inferior umbilicus intact, in the forceps. If the feather follicle site continues to bleed after applying pressure once the feather is removed, consider a coagulant to stop the bleeding and seek veterinarian help. This is a situation that may require stronger methods of blood loss control performed by a qualified avian veterinarian.
4. Check the rest of the bird’s feathers for potential hazards. In flight feathers, especially, the other wing could have a “mirror image” at about the same stage of growth as the feather that was just pulled. In clipped birds, it is recommended to leave adjoining flight feathers in full flight condition to cushion the new growing and emerging feather.
5. Consider re-evaluating the feathers in about a week. Check for any further new blood feather developments.

Primary feathers located on the birds’ wing are usually the culprit in terms of broken blood feather emergencies. In this photo, the tail feather is the suspect. Note the shaft has partially emerged feather and the keratin based shaft is full of blood.

After determining that the bleeding feather needs to be removed, you must ensure a proper grip with hemostat forceps. Apply pressure to the skin at the base of the feather to be removed. Failure to do so could cause pain and rip the skin surrounding the blood feather. This can cause further complications and profuse bleeding. It is recommended to place the forceps perpendicular to the direction of the feather when gripping the feather and pull swiftly. Placement of the forceps in a vertical alignment with the feather, then pulling, can cause the feather to tear.

The pulled feather must be intact, complete with the rounded base or the inferior umbilicus (A). A broken feather shaft left inside the bird can result in a feather cyst or infection. Once the feather has been removed, apply pressure at the feather follicle site (B) for about 10 seconds to ensure the bleeding has stopped. After successfully removing the blood feather, clean the site, return the bird to a clean cage and monitor him closely.

A First Aid technique in hydrotherapy and clay poultice for wound management

If you’ve been caring for companion birds for any length of time, it’s surely happened to you. And, as the odds are typically stacked, blood related accidents usually at the most inopportune moment!  When it comes to discovering a parrot in a blood bath, there really is no opportune time is there?

Unfortunately, many avian caretakers sooner or later find themselves in this situation. And, unless your avian veterinarian lives next door, it’s better to be prepared and know what first aid method to utilize as soon as possible. Blood accidents can happen at any moment and it doesn’t matter if it’s a single bird or a pair of breeding birds. The thing to remember is to act quickly and calmly. First things first;

1. Inspect the bird for source of wound or wounds.  You can do this with your practiced towel restraint method.  If the injury is from another bird, especially in cage mates, be sure to check the bird for injuries as well.
2. After assembling your HARI Approved First Aid Arsenal, and finding the location of the injury, begin treating the injured bird with hydrotherapy techniques.

Why hydrotherapy??

Many of us automatically practice hydrotherapy when we experience a scrape or cut on ourselves. We run over to the sink and run water on or grab a wet cloth to sooth and wash away the blood. So why the fancy name?  Aside from  allowing a better view of the wound, running warm soothing water  removes dirt and debris.  The action of allowing running water to flow onto an injured site will naturally and painlessly remove the dead cells and dry blood from a wound. The movement of the water will also trigger in immediate cell tissue repair response, decrease inflammation and activate circulation and encourage vascularization. This increased blood flow carries nutrients to help repair the damage. In fact, hydrotherapy is beneficial for birds with challenges in skin conditions such as feather plucking and Amazon Foot Necrosis.  Be sure the water source is clean and of cool to warm temperatures.

Now-stop the blood flow!

Sometimes this easy-and sometimes it’s not!  Typical injuries on parrots, and especially finch species, for that matter are often difficult to bandage as traditional bandages are complicated to apply. And inevitably,   the patient, in an attempt to rid the foreign object, can complicate the severity of the injury or delay the healing process.

Here are some HARI suggestions to help …

	Some wounds on birds are often challenging to keep bandaged as seen with the macaw that suffered a bloody injury just under the nail bed.  Traditional bandages are difficult to apply and the bird only tears them off-an instinctive action that complicates the injury and delays the healing process.
	Treatment starts with Hydrotherapy and is then followed with clay poultice. Use cotton tip to apply the clay mixture.  The clay poultice will dry and promote the healing. If the bird picks at the clay “bandage”, ingestion of dried clay will be ok. Repeat hydrotherapy and clay poultice applications as often as necessary. Consult Avian Veterinarian if needed.

Stayed tuned for the next in our series on First Aid: Removing broken blood feathers.

An avian veterinarian should always be consulted as soon as possible should your bird present health concerns. The list compiled below includes recommended products you should have easily accessibility, although their use requires fundamental education of their potential benefits and contra-indications and proper dosages. Should symptoms be alleviated with their use, we still strongly recommended that an avian veterinarian be consulted nonetheless as soon as possible. Here are 2 different reference books that we recommend you could add to your bird library.

First Aid For Birds: An Owner’s Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet  Julie Rach Mancini, Gary A. Gallerstein

Holistic Care for Birds: A Manual of Wellness and Healing David McCluggage, Pamela Leis Higdon

• Pet status file with weight monitoring chart
• First aid reference manual
• Emergency contact info for a specialized avian veterinarian, a reliable animal veterinarian with whom you have built a trustworthy relationship that can contact a specialized avian veterinarian for advice , an experienced handler or aviculturist
• A small cage or aquarium that can be adapted for use as an intensive care unit until a veterinarian can be consulted
• Scale  and scale perch for weight monitoring
• Restraint towel and Velcro strips
• Pen light- to monitor pupil dilation and for the monitoring of papilla of the choanal region
• 5 1/2  size Hemostats for the removal of blood feathers
• Ripley Miller leg band removal pliers (exclusively from L&M Bird leg bands for smaller Psittacine and hooked-billed species leg bands)
• Cutters for the removal of sturdier leg bands and potentially cage wire if entrapment arises.
• Sharp/blunt sharp scissors (to free birds that have caught leg or neck in rope toys….and bandage material
• Small battery operated  rotary-Dremel tool with white or light blue stone ( manicure Salon Shaper is the best for use on birds)
• Tweezers
• magnifier
• 5cc syringe
• 1 cc syringe
• Heating pad

• Transporter or Pet Carrier
• Hand sanitizer
• Hand feeding formula
• Fresh millet
• Nylon dog bone for the inspection of the oral cavity of a parrot, a small paper clip can be used for the inspection of a small cockatiel, lovebird or budgie sized bird.
• Bird or fish net for birds in flights suitable for the species size
• Roll of white paper towels ( to use in bottom of cage to monitor droppings)
• Coffee grinder (to grind formulated granules into formula for syringe feeding )
• Sample size bag of fresh food in case of emergency evacuation or hospitalization
• Oxyfresh Cleansing Gele’
• Sample bag –“Ziplock” style: to conserve feces samples and feathers with abnormalities(stress bars, off colors, damaged feather due to feather damaging behavior)
• Clamp and fixture for heating lamp
• Silver nitrate sticks (for bleeding nail only never apply on skin)
• Nail Safe Styptic powder (for use exclusively on nails)
• Misting-spray water bottle

Bandaging material

• Vet wrap roll
• Cosmetic wedges Latex free (used for Human application and blending of make-up)
• White bandage tape
• Steri-strip Skin closure ( Nexcare)
• Cotton tip applicators
• Thin sanitary pads individually wrapped for bandages
• Coffee stirrer plastic sticks  for splints

Water soluble ointments such as:

• Calendula Gel
• Oxyfresh  Pet Gel
• Aloe Vera 100 % pure gel

Other Ointments and Aids

• Hydrocortisone cream ( concentrated for young  or breeding birds)
• Hibitane® ointment

• Vitamin E gel
• Packets for sterile lubricant – or better yet a small vial of olive oil both for use topically on the cloaca for emergency treatment of egg retention
• Calcium Gluconate or liquid calcium (without sugar) for oral administration in case of egg retention (used ideally in conjunction with lubricant on the cloaca and an increased humidity in the immediate environment.
• Rehydrating solution such a Gastrolyte® oral rehydration salt or Pedialyte ® Freezer Pops.
• Liquid Aloe Vera gel ( drinkable Aloe see Parrot Life for therapeutic virtues)
• Camilia® for pain relief (“Boiron” single dose homeopathic medicine for teething babies)
• Living World Clay-Cal
• Activated charcoal  Digestive aid Art:B-2456
• Bentonite Clay paste Tube ( Argiletz)
• Bentonite – green clay powder ( Argiletz)
• “Traumeel” tablets ( Heel)
• Oculoheel® Heel homeopathic eye drop preparation
• Bismuth subsalicylate liquid ( Pepto Bismol®)
• Gentian violet 1 %
• Apple cider vinegar unpasteurized with “mother”
• Nutri-cal ® nutritional high calorie dietary supplement paste
• Grape fruit extract tablets
• Saline Nasal Spray
• Chamomile infusion bags

Additional items for the Aviculturist & Retail Bird Department

• Collection  jar 10% neutral Buffered Formalin ( in case something needs to be preserved for histopathological examination)
• Culturette (collection swab to be brought to your avian veterinarian for isolation of bacterial and fungal infection)
• Feeding tubes for crop washes of neonates ( Tyco health care Kendall Sovereign)

With the emergence of hand fed babies over the past three decades, the aviculturist or nursery caretaker has focused on nutritional and physical health only. Unfortunately, the lessons that would be considered behavior related or under the responsibility of the new caretaker come too late in the developmental potential of the young parrot chick.  These lessons should be taught at this very limited, yet inquisitive stage that begins with the emergence of feathers.

To insure a fledgling’s success as he transfers from the nest box to his life as a companion or pet, he must learn weaning, grooming, independence, plus other  valuable lessons that will help him to be a companion parrot. It’s critical for their success. And, as mentioned before, the HARI Weaning for success philosophy in raising the Quakers is applied to all species of Psittacines raised for companion lifestyle at HARI.

Before we get to the next lesson, it might be helpful for the human caretaker to take a moment to view a foreshadowing of future lessons. Take a look at the Primary  Lessons  Check List used at HARI.

And, if you’re still not sure how critical this aspect of raising a parrot chick is, we invite you to also check out the Episode #49 of Wing N Things at Pet Life Radio. HARI facility manager, Josee Bermingham, explains the Theory and Philosophy of HARI’s “Seizing the Moment” with Avian Enrichment Specialist, Robin Shewokis.

In addition to learning to eat a nutritious diet, further lessons include towel training, basic commands such as “step up and step down”-particularly useful in daily weighing on scales adapted with perches. Quaker fledglings learn to enjoy daily misting, flight harness introduction, independent foraging and more.

Why? The moment to offer guidance to these Quaker chicks begins with the pre-fledgling stage and the Nursery caretaker must take advantage of this limited to time span as the chick grows physically and mentally. If baby parrots are started on these life skills at an early age, they will transition into companion lifestyle with greater success.  This is good for the future human companion and excellent for the Quaker!

Let’s start with the Towel Training:

Towel training is simply getting the Quaker accustomed to the touch of a towel-which perpetuates into further life lessons.   The towel is introduced at an early stage for HARI Quaker chicks, usually at the Early Pin Feather Stage.  A warm wet towel can be applied to a pre-fledgling during the emergence of back and wing feathers.  This exercise in desensitizing the chick with the touch of the towel softens the feather shaft to soften the emerging feathers and promote easier preening, a skill that is traditionally taught by the parent bird. This soothing ritual will gradually be replaced with a dry towel as the chick ages. This can also be viewed upon as towel cradling.

At this same stage in weaning, Quakers chicks are introduced to the flight harness. Daily inspection of the chick’s body and preening session can be combined with the placement of the harness despite the fact it serves no purpose at this age as the chicks are not yet flighted.

Nutritional guidance coincides with each life lesson as the nursery caretaker nurtures the pre-fledgling with soft praises and simultaneously offers Tropican High Performance to the chicks while introducing new skills.

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.

The success of one method over the other depends on the number of birds, the compliance level of the owner, and most importantly, the consistency of the caretaker. Usually a diet change is necessary to prevent malnutrition in parrots, and a veterinarian is usually the instrumental party to a bird’s diet change. Here are some suggestions to get your birds on a healthier diet!

A simple and safe way to convert most pets to a better diet is to start by cleaning the cage each evening, and leaving ONLY Tropican in the feeders (you may sprinkle some on the floor or place a small dish on the floor as well). The following day (usually mid morning to start with), add some of the birds regular food on top of the Tropican. Birds that like fruits and vegetables should have the dry Tropican sprinkled right in with favorite items such as oranges and fresh cut corn. Some birds will start on this moistened form more easily. Sprinkling seed kernel such as shelled sunflower on Tropican will also help some parrots get the idea (i.e. you don’t have to take a shell off all foods!).

Every evening, all of the remaining food should be removed and replaced with fresh Tropican. Seed may be added later on the following day. (As long as seed is provided sooner or later each day, safety is maintained). Most birds are powerfully motivated to search for food each morning and sample Tropican within a few days. You can tell when your pet is eating the new food as their droppings will become a paler color and Tropican will usually be found in the water dish.

Once your pet is eating the Tropican well, keep seed OUT of the cage. Seed can still be given of course, but as a treat fed by hand. Feeding high water content items such as oranges, fresh corn, green peppers, spinach, broccoli, and berries will not unbalance the Tropican diet significantly as the majority of calories will still be taken in from Tropican.

Your bird is sure to enjoy an improvement in feather quality and overall health on such a modern diet. Just ask your pet retailer or avian veterinarian!

Every Other Day Method

Since birds are creatures of habit, they will usually look to their dish for their favorite foods. The owner should place only the new diet, Tropican, in that very dish. In a separate dish, on alternate days, offer the old diet. Always keep Tropican in the bird’s regular food dish. Once the bird is accustomed to the Tropican and the owner can observe the bird consuming the Tropican, the old diet can then be given every two days, then every three days and so on. This method of conversion usually takes about two weeks. If the attempt to convert a bird to Tropican fails, continue with the old diet for two weeks, then repeat “The Every Other Day” method. Even the most resistant bird usually converts after the second attempt. The main thing to remember with this method is to never mix the seed with the Tropican. This promotes picky eating. Once the bird is successfully converted, then the old diet, most commonly a seed mixture, can be offered as a treat or as an incentive for behavior modification.

Flock Conversion

This method of diet conversion plays into the natural instinct of a flock of birds’ desire to survive. A “flock” can be an entire aviary or it can consist of a multiple bird household. Parrots in the wild will eat together. If one bird finds food, he usually calls out to the others and they share food. If a bird chooses not to eat in this situation, he is usually sick and he will not survive. While our domestic pets may be a generation or two removed from this actual behavior, the instinct is still there. Pets or breeders do not have to see each other eat, but they should know that others in the “flock” are eating and they will all soon eat. The caretaker should feed Tropican to everyone in the “flock” at the same time. Offer only Tropican. Out of curiosity, one or two members of the “flock” will pick at the new food while others may show some resistance. In most cases, the ones who start eating it will send vocal signs of eating, and the others will follow. “The Every Other Day” method can also be used with this method of conversion.The caretaker needs to observe the resistant members for signs of starvation. In an aviary situation, this might be a bit more challenging depending on how the birds are housed.

Tropi-Mix Method

For birds that are resistant to above mentioned conversion methods, try moistened Tropi-Mix.  (1 part Tropi-Mix to equal part hot water)  The hot water softens the fruit, corn, legumes, and most importantly, softens the Tropican morsels in the Tropi-Mix.  The softened Tropican coats your bird’s favorite seeds with the nutty Tropican flavor, therefore the bird becomes better accustomed to the flavor.  Since all of the nuts and seeds in Tropi-Mix are already hulled, this can help break the bird’s habit of hulling seeds.  Be sure to remove moisten food from your bird’s cage after one hour. As your bird eats more of this mix, add a higher ratio of Tropican to Tropimix for ultimate nutrition!

Enrich and Forage

This method plays into the instincts of most parrot species and can even be used in combination with Flock Method.

Place a morsel of Tropican, dependant on the size in appropriately sized foraging toy, such as a puzzle box, or Living World Learning Block center. Most parrots natural curiosity takes over!

Keep in mind that not all species forage in the same manner. Cockatiels, and often African Greys, for instance, are ground foragers. If such is the case, have a table top tray with various items that are bird safe; toy pieces, appropriate size stones, and sprinkle Tropican in the mix. As your bird investigates the items on the tray, he’ll soon find something edible-the Tropican! Often when our parrots work at getting their dinner, they embrace that morsel even more!

Welcome to the Avian First Aid segment! We will be featuring some of HARI’s suggested components of an avian first aid kit arsenal-with a first look at Aloe Vera and its uses with our avian companions. Parrot Life Magazine, Vol. 2 (PDF) features the article in full along with helpful charts on using Aloe Vera with Avian Conditions.

Aloe Vera By Josee Bermingham, AHT

Underutilized here in North America there are convincing reports, trials and research that confirm its potential for use as a safe and non-toxic remedy. In my entourage, people are aware of the topical gel’s therapeutic effect on burns, yet very few are familiar with the tonic drink and gel as a natural remedy for many other ailments. Its secrets have yet to be revealed in the avian medical community as well. Over-the-counter, non-toxic and inexpensive, it’s readily available, especially if you keep a plant at home and at the cottage in case of emergency! The history of Aloe Vera for centuries used by civilizations throughout the world is fascinating.

The oldest documented usage of this plant dates back to 1550 B.C in the Egyptian Book of Remedies. It was an Egyptian tradition to offer this plant at a funeral ceremony to accompany the Pharaoh to his last rest in the Valley of the Kings. A reference in the Bible claims that this plant was cultivated by God to give men a means of healing themselves.  “Aloe Vera Myth or Medicine?” provides some additional information pertaining to its properties, research, and different usage by humans and animals alike.  This miraculous plant should definitely be part of every avian first aid kit.

Some claim it has fabled medicinal properties. Yet according to Dr. Peter Atherton, “Evidence of its therapeutic power dating back to 70-90 AD; Kings and Queens, Pharaohs, Indian, Chinese, Greeks Romans alike have used this miraculous plant for therapeutic armory.” Dr. Peter Atherton’s recent book THE ESSENTIAL ALOE VERA can be purchased from Mill Enterprises. I recommend its uses as a complementary or alternative medicine especially when other known therapies have failed to be effective, or a natural remedy with no known toxic effects are preferred to use.

Recommended Avian Dosages

• Aloe Vera Gel can be offered in a small cup. Many birds readily enjoy this.
• Oral dosage: have your avian veterinarian evaluate this dosage with you based on your pet’s weight
• Topical Spray: 1 part pure Aloe Vera Juice to 3 parts water. Rinse with water in a few hours later.
• Wounds and bits: apply open section of mature plant and wrap as a band aid under bandage
• Nasal flush: 1 mil pure get in 10 ml lactated ringer’s solution.

Caution: Despite its extremely safe usage it is advisable to discuss and advise your avian veterinarian, nonetheless!

Myth, reality and its undeniable therapeutic powers to relieve numerous health conditions are amongst its virtues. However, do not consider this a miraculous therapeutic agent for all illnesses that have not been medically evaluated. Should diarrhea, apparent discomfort or adverse reaction occur, discontinue its use immediately. Aloe Vera is not a permanent cure for arthritis, inflammation and immune system deficiency. Symptoms suppressed by this treatment will often return once the oral gel is no longer given.