Lob-sided?

Does your budgie hold his head to one side, and walk around himself? There may be a number of reasons for this: Parasitic infections such as toxoplasmosis can induce sever symptoms, such as blindness, head tilt, circling and paralysis. Vitamin E and selenium deficiencies can be a chronic deficiency in adults, and can cause weakness and head tilt amongst other symptoms. Also, an ear infection could be the cause; a bird's ears open near the eyes and are well hidden by the feathers. If you part the feathers, you may be able to see the opening, which should not be swollen or have a discharge. If there is a bacterial infection, the tissues will become swollen and the opening is no longer clearly visible. Without a thorough vet examination there is no way of checking which of these illnesses your bird has, and several possible causes are extremely dangerous indeed. So make sure you get to the vet!

Pecking Budgie

It is often difficult to properly care for, let alone bond with, a budgie that attacks your fingers whenever you get near to it, or its cage, as it won’t allow you to clean the cage, feed it and change water, or take it out of the cage. My advice to you would be to try and give your little bird small treats every time it comes near to your hand, either from your fingers or cradled in the palm of your hand. This should teach your bird to ‘trust’ your hand and see it as a threat to its territory. After several weeks, you could try only giving your budgie a treat when she doesn’t peck at your hand. It is however important to realise that this is certainly a tough problem to solve, as some birds are just adverse to human contact, and this may therefore be a problem you may not be able to solve.

Nitty Gritty

The other day I was asked whether it really is necessary to include grit products into your budgie’s cage. I have heard that in the wild they snack on stones, but wasn’t too sure of the answer. Well, actually…it’s not. In the wild, budgies need some kind of grit to help them digest all the foods they eat, but domestic budgies are generally fed foods that are easily digestible like seeds, pellets, fresh fruits and vegetables. This diet makes the need for grit obsolete. However, it usually isn't harmful for a pet budgie to be offered grit every once in a while, although you must be sure not to leave it in the cage. Budgies have been known on occasion to over-indulge on grit, which may lead to digestive problems and in extreme cases these digestive problems may most certainly lead to your budgie’s death. So make sure to take care!

Don’t lay an egg!

There are several triggers to egg laying in cockatiels - possibly the most important being daylight hours. If the bird detects a lengthening of the daylight hours then this will trigger her to start laying eggs. You can help suppress this by keeping your bird covered or in a shaded/darkened room for at least 12 hours a day. Also, since your bird is more inclined to lay eggs when feeling safe and secure, she may feel less comfortable if there are frequent but subtle changes to her habitat, such as moving her cage furniture around. It is quite common for cockatiels to lay eggs. They will normally lay a clutch of 3-5 eggs at 48 hour intervals and then depending on how maternal the bird is feeling they will normally incubate them for one to three weeks before accepting they are not going to hatch. Make sure that she has a good supply of calcium as well as protein, vitamins and minerals to replace those that have gone into the egg production and ensure that she gets plenty of exercise between hatches to keep her fit.

The Birdcage

Birds truly are lovely pets to keep as they require little maintenance and bring much joy to their owners. However, it is always important to remember that these sensitive little creatures are pets too, and that they require all the love and attention they can get. Birds are social creatures that so it is a good idea to put their cage on a table outside, or hang it from a tree, so that they are able to interact with other birds. Throw some bird seed out underneath the cage to attract some birdlife and intern stimulate your budgie or parakeet’s social side. This tip goes for any pet: do not keep your bird in a smoke-filled room! Animals may exhibit signs of allergy to cigarette smoke and constant exposure to it certainly is NOT in the best interests of your bird (or any pet for that matter). And finally, make sure that your bird’s cage is suitable big enough for it at least to be able to jump and flap around in. All animals require enough space to remain active and stimulated in.

What to feed your Budgie

Although wild Budgies eat grass seeds almost exclusively, it is recommended that captive birds' diets be supplemented with fresh fruits and vegetables, sprouted seeds, pasta, whole grain bread, as well as pellets formulated for small parrots. Adding these foods provides additional nutrients to your budgie’s diet. Initially your bird might be quite picky, but patience and perseverance should pay off. Involve the kids when making a budgie food mix. It is easy and fun. Mix some berries (don’t include the stones if using cherries) and some pellets together for your pet, or scour the internet for some ‘bird biscuit’ recipes and use cookie cutters to shape them. There are a number of foods that are considered toxic to these little birds and they include: avocado (and their pits); chocolate; alcohol; coffee; peanuts and canned veggies. So do steer clear of these foods in order to ensure that your budgie lives a long and happy life.

The African Grey Parrot

A family relative of mine has what I think is the most tame parrot in the world. The parrot she has is called an African Grey - its wings are grey with red tips or edges to it. Like most parrots, the African Grey is highly intelligent, and can repeat sounds and speech patterns. This particular parrot, however, has been with its owner since a very young age so they’ve had a long time to bond with each other. So tame is this parrot that it allows its owner to place it on its back and tickle its stomach! I’ve never seen anything like it. Most people can barely go near the parrot for fear of being bitten by its powerful beak. But the parrot loves and trusts its owner so much that it always allows her to do anything to it. Such is the trust that our pets can give us.