Should I Feed My Indian Ringneck Parrot Apples?

Tales of The Apple Thief

So…

I made myself a treat, sliced up an apple. I cut small pieces and gave some out to several parrots as a treat-

I come back to my plate and Milo — my Indian Ringneck (Psittacula krameri) has helped herself to a full slice! Geez!

Can parrots eat apples? Yes. Should they? Well, yes and no.

Apples are now genetically modified to be sweeter, as per Tony Silva; this means that giving apples to a parrot is like giving them candy. As it pertains to humans, nutritionist say apples offer the least benefits of just about any fruit, so it only stands to reason that they aren’t the best choice for a parrot either.

But — better than too many seeds!

Well, I guess Milo sneaked a holiday treat. Good thing she doesn’t believe in Santa or she’d be on his naughty list!

What Are Indian Ringnecks Like?

Smart.

There is a reason they are becoming a “pest” and being outlawed in some countries. It could happen here in the US as well. Indian Ringnecks are notorious for consuming significant portions of farmer’s crops in Europe and I understand it is happening in the US too. They are adaptable in their eating and their methods, which makes them great survivors who take over towns like London.

How Typical! Indian Ringneck Characteristics

Milo is a super keen, typical. She is independent and, true to the Asiatic family of psittacines (parrots), she doesn’t like to be touched too much. She’s also in charge! If you missed her crown declaring her right to boss others around, she’ll tell you to look more carefully!

Sexually Dimorphic? Yes, you can see the difference between the males and females because the males have a colorful ring around their neck, a ‘necklace’ that Milo doesn’t have, even though her name is typically for males. Milo is a “Blue Palid” Indian Ringneck – other phenomenal color mutations include greys, lilac/purples and indigo blues, in addition to green (their customary, natural color) and green mutations, like “Dilute Green.”

In Indian Ringnecks the male is said to be a fantastic talker, the females not usually. Milo follows this generalization and, even though I’ve had her since she was 4 weeks and finished her hand-feeding, she doesn’t “speak” English. Of course, Indian Ringnecks speak in a cute “parrot” voice as they are not able to accurately copy sound the way African Grey parrots can.

This family of parrots is your best choice if you don’t have a lot of time to spend with your parrot, because they do their own thing. They’ll come over and let you know when, and if, they want attention or petting. Now, don’t get me wrong, I know this sounds kinda cold and I know you might be wondering if she’s a good pet parrot. She is. Parrots are much more than pets, they are true companions. They talk to you, keep your secrets and truly keep you company. You’ll find that your parrot will come to fit you like a glove, if you spend the time bonding with him or her. Nevertheless, you have other things like work, chores and things to take care of. You can’t spend the time with your parrot that most flock-mates spend together. For this reason, I recommend getting two. They fulfill in one another things that you simply cannot: they preen each other, feed each other and sleep together. If you spend time with your two parrots, they will still want to bond with you too.

For Whom Are Indinan Ringnecks Good Companions?

This means that an Indian Ringneck, which I find to be on the quieter side of the parrot family, makes a great companion. He, she or they (if you get two) will give you plenty of space to do the things you need to do without going without; but they will also be intrigued and interested in you when you have the time and inclination.

Would I recommend an Indian Ringneck? Yes! Whether you work from home or not, as long as you like parrot-free time to sleep, cook, take care of things… then an Indian Ringneck could be the perfect companion(s)!

Kalyn hand-raises Indian Ringnecks in West Palm Beach, Florida — the same birds in these stories. You can meet them on the Indian Ringneck page.

🦜 Kalyn: Author, Parrot Bliss Bond, runs a FB page at https://www.facebook.com/ParrotBliss/ and a parrot-lover!
Send questions about your parrot via FB or buy Kalyn’s book on Kindle today!

🦜 Z&H – AGs That Pluck, Going To Try CBD Oil

The 🦜 Z&H Chronicles will begin!

So, Zeus & Hera — African Grey’s, of course — pluck.

When I got them, they were this way- and I see less missing feathers than there used to be. I believe they have improved – but still, pluck.

Time for CBD!

I gave some of our CBD (we sell CBD for parrots and cats/dogs) to Tony Silva, who is a world-renowned parrot expert. He said it’s helped with his Hyacinth macaw and that when I visit soon I’ll see how good the macaw is looking.

Yay!

We used CBD on Tink, because our sweet Green-cheeked Conure has seizures due to nerve damage (from before we had her). Now I’m going to track use on Zeus and Hera.

🦜 Z&H

In the photo: Zeus and Hera are now in “smaller” cages, each has there own because Zeus was pulling Hera’s feathers out! Poor girl was going to be bald soon – agh!

I put there cages outside in the morning to let them relax in the chill breeze, light rain today and so that they can enjoy the fresh air, as they watch the sky and pond. Their cage doors are opened; sometimes they come out or not. Eventually they usually do. Hera walks around outside or comes in the sliding glass door and looks for a box, or a book, to shred. All in a day’s shredin’

They have each had their own space for about a month and the time apart must be making their hearts grow fonder because they started feeding each other last night (but then went back to their own cages to turn in) and today Hera went over to Zeus’!

Ah, young, feathered love!

The Pocket Parrotlet, Bun, & Why He Should Hate Seeds

Bun’s Siblings & Why He Should Hate Seeds

This is Bunny! We named this Parrotlet in the spirit of abundance because we’re reading a book on shifting your mindset to attract more money-

Bun, for short, is the littlest tike we have right now. We had a couple clutches before him that taught us that the parents can’t have seeds to feed their babies, (because it’s too dry, hard for his new body to digest). Seeds equal bad news…

Let me back up a little…

Mixed Messages

I’m very into my parrots – and I go out of my way to do what’s best for them. I also have ‘teacher’ in my bones- so I’m writing a book on how to have a blissful parrot-bond; I’m currently wrapping it up and hoping to have a forward from my fav parrot expert! Then I’ll publish it and offer it on my site 🙂

All parrots are different and they all require some differences in their diet. Sometimes, it is important to know the slight, but significant, differences — for example, I read that Eclectus parrots can’t have eggs, which is common for breeding pairs of parrot-parents.

My research is challenging because, as we all know, you can find contradictory information online about anything. Several seemingly-reputable sites online said that Parrotlets don’t do well with pellets and should be given more seeds. My vet agreed that Parrotlets should have seeds – after a lot of veggies and some pellets. For this reason, I cut back on pellets…

My Head Is Spinning

🦜 Parrotlets are the smallets parrot ‘in the New World.’ They generally weigh around 30 grams, which is about 12 pennies. Their size has earned them the nick name ‘pocket parrot’ and their beautiful blue variations (they are mostly greens in nature) ring “blue bird of happiness” to me.

I try to feed them well. Ugh!

So, based on my research, I allowed my Parrotlets to have seeds. Fresh veggies and seeds.

Of course, I figured it out — seeds were not working. It’s just not natural for their diet to have so many seeds; in nature this would never be.

When I’m hand-feeding parrots and when they get closer to weaning, I like to put them with Parrotlets that recently weaned, if I have any. This way their older ‘siblings’ model eating, perching and help them along.

I placed Bun with Annie, who I had just ‘rescued’ because I had figured out that feeding the parents seeds was the problem. Her crop (and her siblings) was packed with seeds, so I had to pull her (take her and her brother out of the nesting box), removing her from her parents, so that I could try to correct this. She was only 5 grams, her brother was 4, and it wasn’t easy. I like to wait for the babies to be old enough so that they have made it past a super-delicate stage and they aren’t eating 10 times a day! But I did it, I fed Annie and her brother as often as needed and did all I could to get her past the problem. It worked!

Well, Annie decided to help me feed Bun, and fed him seeds! This made his crop rock-hard and engorged. She fed him a lot! I had to flush his crop, which I don’t like to do. This means that I put some warm water, maybe with a drop of apple cider vinegar in the water (so that very, very little vinegar goes into the Parrotlet). The mix goes into his crop and then I hold him upside-down to, basically, induce regurgitation or vomiting. Yes, this can be as dangerous as it sounds, a parrot can choke or aspirate. Nerve wracking!

I removed Bun, which I don’t prefer to do even though he was with his brother. I fed them for a few days and then put them back in with Annie. Problem is that my fav expert told me that the seeds I feed my Parrotlets (and other little parrots) should be wet, meaning semi-sprouted or sprouted. Annie, however, is young and I saw that she and the two other young Parrotlets, Chickoraff and Chuck, that were in with her, didn’t know how to eat the pellets yet. Sprouting takes time, so I didn’t have wet seeds to offer. The good news is that they were more willing to eat their fresh veggies than usual. The bad news is that I had to give them some seeds… Can’t let them starve. Parrots have to be transitioned…

So, tonight I had to try to flush Bun’s crop — again! “Hurry!” I say to the seeds I’ve got in water, “Sprout!” Just waiting on them! Bun, poor thing! One of the things that I love about parrots, which is true of animals in general, is that they don’t complain. It was tough getting some seeds out of Bun’s crop, I had to hold him upside down several times. It’s stress on a body, but he just made the best of it. His mates all crammed themselves into a coconut in their cage — so cute! — and there is no room for Bun. Plus, the coconut is suspended in their cage, like a hole in a tree for them, but Bun isn’t climbing yet. He’s still in a ‘in the nest’ stage, so he’s not out and about. Parrots go through stages, of course. It’s magical to watch: Bun has started to come out of the plastic box that is on it’s side and offers him a “nest.” (Note, Bun’s ‘floor’ must be solid and maintained clean, so he receives new bedding with each feeding; the solid floor is because baby parrots can’t yet navigate a wire floor.) This morning he saw me and ran out of the box and to me because he saw that it was feeding time! Melt my 💙! Soon Bun will start to flap his wings more often and then he’ll start to perch on a piece of dry vine I have at the bottom of the cage for him. Then he’ll start to climb up to higher perches as he starts to eat and fly.

I love watching Parrotlets fly. They remind me of humming birds because they hover for a second and you can hear their wings hum. They are small, but they still belong to the hookbill family, or the parrot family, which is called ‘hookbill’ because their beaks ‘hook’ over. This translates to mean that they bite. So, befriend these little blue parrots of happiness and you might not get bitten and you might be able to put one in your pocket.

Why Are My Parrot’s Feathers Dark At The Ends?

Feather-Mystery

The Trials & Tribulations of Lorenza (My Yellow-naped Amazon With FLD)

I’m trying to research this, but not finding the answer so far…

On our visit to the vet about a month ago, our vet said that last year Lorenza’s feathers were worse, that they are growing out without the feather fungus.

I’m like, “Say what?” because she never mentioned this before. I had thought her feathers didn’t look ‘right’ but she had not addressed it on the last visit. So, I’m going ‘I think I missed 3/4ths of this conversation!’ Ugh!

Alright! I think I just solved the mystery! Diet/too much fat.

It looks to me like Lorenza’s feathers also indicated FLD (Fatty liver disease). — You can read my blog on Lorenza’s FLD HERE, where I talk about the symptoms and what we’ve done for her) I don’t know if she’s molted all her feathers, but it’s been a year (so I would have thought that they would have all molted by now). Maybe she did, maybe her body is still “catching up” and unable to produce good feathers. I guess we’ll see.

The vet said that her numbers are now normal (the FLD indicators), so I know her diet is fine. Confessions: She’s a monster when it comes to eating. She wants sweet fruits, meat and eggs. Not good! I give her limited fruit – I’d feel comfortable giving her more if she ate anything green! Meat she steals: someone left a rib on the counter, then it had several beak-sized bites taken out of it. Fortunately, meat on the counter or in my house is uncommon. She also gets eggs, which are the ‘perfect food,’ but only a couple of beak-fulls. Fortunately, she’s really good at eating her pellets. I think that’s her saving grace!

She’s as bad as you and me around our favorite treat… but, she’s my buddy and I love her. So here’s to her outliving me!

A Seedless Diet

Most commercial parrot mixes have seeds. Ugh. I don’t think vets would approve…

Here’s a few facts you should know about feeding your parrot seeds:

Seeds are like french fries – they are fatty, don’t satisfy your need for nutrition and can get expensive.
Seeds with vitamins are a great marketing idea, but a poor nutritional provider for your parrot because the vitamins are on the shell, which your parrot doesn’t eat.
Small parrots needs seeds as part of their diet, about half seeds, half pellets and 30% to 40% fresh foods. Check with your avian vet as to what your species of parrot should be eating.
Seed mixes let your parrot eat the seeds, ignore the pellets, and, in this way, waste your money.
If you have an Amazon, like me, or a cockatoo or eclectus, then seeds shouldn’t be a part of your parrot’s diet. Try using nuts for treats or dry fruit, like papaya, which provides beta-caratine (which they need a lot of).

To Drive The Seedless Point Home:

My parrotlets, the 2nd smallest parrot species, were burning through their seeds and then begging for more food. I asked my vet about this. Her first suggestion was that something might be wrong and that I should do a gram stain (a test for bacteria the vet runs). I said it was a recent development and they didn’t seem sick – then we figured out that the cockatiel mix I was feeding them had sunflower seeds. The vet told me to use a parakeet mix instead because the cockatiel mix includes sunflower seeds. Parrots get addicted and then that’s all they want to eat — and they basically go without nutrition while getting fat.

And So Lorenza’s FLD Saga Continues

All in all, I’m thrilled. My Lorenza acts like a parrot now, which she did not do when we first got her. She gets down from her perch and looks to see what trouble she can cause. She climbs the parrotlet’s cage to see if she can go up to it- I always stop her. She walks around the kitchen looking for wood on my cabinets that need to be stripped. I stop her before she does real damage. She walks around on the couch looking for our Chihuahua’s but to bite, just because!

All because she no longer has a poor, seed-based diet.

Can Taking Seeds Out Of Your Parrot’s Diet Make Them Happier?

Keeping A Happy, Healthy Parrot

On my list to research:

Berries

Herbs

Senegal diet

I’m always researching…

A LOT of people say seeds are ok for a parrot to eat- some same ‘fancy’ seed mixes are ok, but I put a lot of weight on my vet’s word, which matches my expert’s (Vet is Dr Susan Clubb, her contributions to avian medicine and her recognition is vast; expert is Tony Silva and he’s literally ‘written the book’ on parrots)

For example, I read online that dairy is part of a parrot’s diet, which didn’t sound right to me. Dr Clubb shook her head… “I figured,” I said, “but I read it so I wanted to confirm with you that parrots don’t hang out with cows and consume dairy products!’

What Would My Parrot Find To Eat In Nature?

A lot of ‘what to feed your parrot’ can be logical. Just ask yourself, what would my parrot find to eat in nature? I think that 9 out of 10 times (or more) the answer would be leaves, greens or veggies. They may find seeds every now and then, but not endless sunflower seeds – this just leads to fatty liver disease. My ‘pet’ parrot, Lorenza (YeIlow-naped amazon) I adopted a year ago. She was already about 10 years old. Within a couple weeks my daughter and I saw several signs that told us that something was wrong with her. She was lethargic compared to our other birds and didn’t move around much; her droppings seemed ‘wrong’ or ‘off’ in color and in the couple of weeks that I had had her, her feathers seemed to get brighter and it felt like she lost weight. Sure enough, Dr. Clubb diagnosed her with FLD, fatty liver disease.

Just like people, a sick parrot gets cranky, moody and isn’t happy and fun. Sure, Lorenza used to cause no problems at all and now she chases other parrots off, but I’d rather have a spunky parrot than a lumpy, feeble one.

Parrot Seed Mixes Are Less Advantageous

Pet stores everywhere sell “parrot mix” with seeds, but don’t be fooled. The seed’s shells take up a lot of space so that you go tough a bag of mix with seeds faster than a bag of pellets. Also, with less nutrition to offer, seeds don’t satisfy a parrot’s hunger. Small parrots, like my parrotlets, require seeds (same as budgies and cockatiels – Dr. Clubb says to feed them about half seeds and half pellets – PLUS fresh foods/veggies). I had been feeding my parrotlet seeds, but i was having to refill their food bowls half way through the day. Twice the work! It was unreal. They were eating twice as much! I asked Dr. Clubb about it and she asked what I was feeding them. Cockatiel mix, I answered. “Feed them parakeet mix,” she said. It doesn’t have the fatty sunflower seeds. So I switched.

I’m always looking to improve what I offer my parrots and to make sure that they are doing well, are healthy and happy as best I can. Switching the small guys to a budgie seed mix, pellets and fresh foods seems pretty good. I love watching them bolt to their dish when we put the veggies in for them in the morning.

Lorenza, My Yellow-Naped Amazon Who Has Fatty Liver Disease

I also love seeing my parrot (Lorenza) turn more and more into a healthy bird. I’m not sure whether or not FLD can be cured, it seems to be a condition that she will always be prone too, but it lights me up to see her feeling better. I’ve never seen her dunk her head and get so wet like she did when she took a bath today; last year I’d never seen her open her wings when I first took her to the vet – today she opened her wings to let me spray her, adding to her bath.

Health and vitality are beautiful on any beastie, human or parrot. Diet is easier to do right than having to pay a veterinarian later on or having to pay emotionally for an unhappy parrot, so research and talk to your vet about a proper diet for your parrot. You may not think anything is wrong, but you won’t know until it’s too late. Many parrots, for example, are vitamin A deficient, but by the time you know something is wrong, it’s very wrong. So feed them well so that you can enjoy your companion for years to come.

Tony Silva, Parrot Expert Extraordinaire

What An Opportunity

We live in very unique and interesting times that afford us quite a bit. Ours is an era in which things come in two days on Amazon, information doubles and triples all the time, and exotic parrots from around the world are readily available at your favorite bird store – everything is at your fingertips. Including experts.

Tony’s Parrot Farm

A couple of weeks ago my daughter my husband and I went to visit Tony Silva. He must be the original Amazon because he is the Parrot Man. We showed up as strangers meeting in person for the first time to spend some time with him, his parrot farm and to learn more about parrots, a passion of mine. Tony was dressed in work clothes and sweating from having been working outside on his parrot cages: a dedicated, down to earth man. I say that Tony is the original Amazon because, like the online company, his customer service is cutting edge, and he doesn’t have customers! He just gives help: he has taken time to reply to me on Facebook, someone he doesn’t know- he answers questions, signed my copy of his book and hosted us at his house. Even my world-renowned vet says that it’s amazing the way he shares his wisdom. As much as I would like to be special, he helps me just like he helps anyone else.

It’s taken me a while to write this blog because digesting everything that I saw and everything that we talked about has been quite a bit to chew on. For example, I guessed that Tony would have some amazing parrots that I had never seen before; I wasn’t let down. He had amazing parrots and many of them. His Major Mitchel cockatoos were stunning, their pink and peach crowns impressed me so much so that I think I need to print a picture of them for my wall.

Parrot Nutrition Wisdom

Now I pride myself on being pretty nutrition savvy, but Tony knows foods as they pertain to parrots as well as he knows all 402 parrot species, most of which he has bred.

“Oatmeal?” I ask.

“Empty carbs,” he answers without blinking. I’m a little thrown. I consider oatmeal ‘healthy’ for humans and most healthy things for humans, such as kale and broccoli, are also highly beneficial for parrots. I may have to research oatmeal and see whether or not it is benefiting me.

“Peppers? I know they are a fruit, but I’ve heard they are good for them,” I pose.

‘Only hot peppers. They have capsaicin, the sweet pepper do not. The capsaicin is anti-bacterial…’

He’s so right: “Capsaicin and gingerol analogues inhibit the growth of efflux-multidrug resistant bacteria and R-plasmids conjugal transfer.” (Source https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31022566) Next I’m going to have to ask him about feeding ginger, which has the gingerol, to my parrots.

Tony On Fruit For Parrots

Fruit & Seeds

One of the most frequent questions I receive on my https://www.facebook.com/ParrotBliss/ page is whether or not people can give their parrot fruit as a treat – I can also tell that one of the biggest quandaries is on seeds, but people don’t always ask about how to transition their parrot off of seeds or about whether they are part of a healthy diet.

I cringe when I see bags of sunflower seeds for sale at parrot stores because, unless these are sprouted, the lack of nutrition in a seed-only or seed-heavy diet is huge. It is a life-shortening sentence and a recipe for an unhealthy life, especially for larger species like Amazon parrots who are prone to fatty liver disease.

My Flock’s Diet

I like to learn about and research parrots and anything pertaining to them. So, fruits and seeds are not a parrot of my flock’s diet coming from me. My husband and daughter are the ones that give these as treats and training rewards. In limited amounts I’m ok with these, but I thought I’d take the opportunity to ask THE expert, the Parrot Man, Tony about giving fruits to parrots.

Why Ask Tony?

Before I post the video I took and tell you what he said, let me frame his expertise for you. In life, I’ve learned that I don’t know everything and can’t, so I look for experts who have done the research and I listen to what they have to say. I digest what they share and, this way, I tend to be savvy about topics that are important to me such as parrots and diet (for humans and parrots).

Tony has developed himself as an expert, arguably the world’s parrot expert, over the last 40 plus years. He shared a video on Facebook/Instagram in which he’s promoting his new book, Macaws (available here http://www.psittaculture.eu/product/macaws-macaws-in-field-and-aviary-by-tony-silva-book-english-2019/?fbclid=IwAR3RM8m31VPsjAbnEUTmCqDm0HrOKx2n-MrdnBS5M_T2-RXezESkv9hZ8KU In the video he tells a story about when he was young and would cut out of school to take grapes to a local pet store that had macaw parrots. He says that the owner explained that macaws only mate while flying in the air.

Really? Wow! Did we used to believe such make-believe myths about unknown species. Yeah, I think so.

Tony has bred all the Macaw species save one and where others can’t breed difficult species, Tony can and does. He has researched parrots in the wild all over the world and has studied them meticulously. Everywhere I go people speak highly of his character and parrot-knowledge and wisdom.

Yes, his perspective should influence parrot diets everywhere, if you want a happy, healthy parrot.

Apples Ok?

I love an argument based on observation because it is clear of bias. Tony’s study of wild parrots provides hard evidence of a parrot’s natural diet.

Simply put, he says, parrots eat green, un-ripe fruit in the wild. Apples, he said, were more bitter when we were kids because they are now grown to be sweet, or more sell-able. In the wild, parrots avoid larger animals, like monkeys, who eat ripe fruits, so parrots naturally eat green: green vegetables and green fruits.

Ripe fruits, as you know, are high in fructose, or fruit-sugar, which a parrot’s digestive system is not built for.

A parrot’s diet, Tony says, should consist of 60% pellets and 40% vegetables. This 40% should also include some vegetables high in Beta Carotene, like sweet potatoes, carrots or pumpkin. He also stressed the importance of not making their vegetables into chop, because it is prime breeding grounds for bacteria.

Not an issue for me, chop doesn’t look appealing to me, so I assume it isn’t for my parrots either. I cut kale and their vegetables with a knife and serve them up!

Lasting Impressions

He’s remarkable. I wish he was an app because I always have questions popping up in my mind. Blueberries? I’ve heard they are good for parrots. Ragged feathers, does it mean anything? Darker-than-normal feathers? Little 3 inch pumpkins they sell for halloween? Because my parrots had fun playing with these, but shall I get more for them? Seeds for small species, should I rotate parakeet and canary seed-offerings? There’s a new question every day!

I often refer to my copy of Psittaculture: A Manual for the Care and Breeding of Parrots by Tony – as my bird-bible (available at https://www.psittaculture.eu/product/psittaculture-a-manual-for-the-care-and-breeding-of-parrots/) because it has every species in it and is thick, hard to lug to Starbucks, but I do anyway. I’m a writer- and the current trend of writing short books suits my style. In this age though, how often do you find a complete book with a full breadth of information? You find it from the man who helped breed the almost extinct Spix macaw, The Parrot Man, the one who has been Director at Parque Lorro, a zoo in Spain with the greatest collection of parrots.

What Feathers Do I Trim on My Parrot?

Wing Trimming: What Feathers To Trim on Your Parrot

It’s controversial, but our parrot’s feathers get trimmed when/if they are flying into windows, being tamed or they are flying (sometimes the babies I’m hand-feeding do this) onto the cage of bigger birds that could bite them!

3 Layes of Feathers

It is VERY Important to know that you DO NOT trim the upper layers of a parrot’s feathers. The bottom ‘fan’ of feathers has ‘the most’ feathers – in the photo you can see that Luna Love’s feathers have a hole – a space where her feathers hadn’t grown out all the way. This is the row you trim, but it’s not common for people to trim more than 4 to 5 feathers from the furthest point (where you see the right-hand thumb). The feathers can be trimmed lightly, meaning you just trim a quarter inch to half an inch -depending on the size of the bird’s feathers, of course – so that the bird can GLIDE as opposed to flying up.

Trimming can be very perilous – trimming the upper feather rows or trimming a blood feather that has blood for growing the feather in it, can cause a bird to bleed to death. Be sure that you understand what part of the wing’s ‘fan’ to trim.

To further clarify, do you see the jagged feathers under the right-hand thumb? They ‘look cut’ because they are. Again, you generally don’t have to trim so much, this was a pic of Luna Love (cockatiel) half a year after I got her (bird shop trimms A LOT of feathers), and hers’ were growing out.

How Do You Handle A Jealous Bird?

Yes, Parrots Can Get Jealous & Aggressive!

Let’s say you have two or more birds and they get jealous of one another and don’t let you hold the other. What do you do?

My daughter has a Crimson conure, vibrant colors, but she DOES NOT like for my daughter to hold other birds!

Birds have social structures and there is always someone at the top of the ‘Pecking Order.’ This bird gets priority access to food, to a better perch and they get to say whether you can be with another parrot or not.

In this video I am holding Kailani, my Catalina Macaw- even though she is ten years younger than Lorenza, my Yellow Naped Amazon, Lorenza doesn’t get defensive in any way. On the other hand, Lorenza pulls rank next to smaller birds – size does matter with birds and heavily influences the pecking order. Emerald, our Hahn’s Macaw, is smaller and was given to us a couple of months ago, so Lorenza generally does not tolerate Emerald being on the same chair that Lorenza and I are on. In the video Lorenza and I head to Emerald’s open cage, but she quickly goes and hides in her cozy.

If you are at the top of the pecking order then you should be able to hold any bird you like without other birds making too much of a fuss, if at all. On the other hand, if one of your birds ‘doesn’t allow’ you to hold another, this bird thinks that he/she is the top dog! If that is the case, try working on training your bird. This can help establish you as the ‘leader.’

Calcium Is More Important For Your Parrot Than You Might Guess

Parrots & Calcium

Me? I thought of calcium as something that kids need to drink to have strong bones and something older people need to keep those bones strong!

Parrots have hollow bones, part of keeping them lightweight. I never thought much about parrots needing calcium and I was surprised to find that they need it for several reasons!

Bones, Feathers, Blood Clotting & Egg-Laying

Meet their need for CALCIUM!

I’m always touched at how sweet parrots are to each other: they feed each other, they preen each other and they cuddle!

Unless they are biting another’s toes! And making them bleed. Parrots are notorious for not having a lot of blood and can bleed out easily. The ability to clott is a must!

“As for minerals, calcium is the most important for birds. Calcium is needed for strong bone formation, blood clotting, feather growth, and healthy eggs. Birds canreceive calcium through supplements, cuttlebone, and mineral blocks.”

Source: https://www.greatcompanions.com/product/important-vitamins-and-minerals-for-pet-birds/

“To absorb calcium, vitamin D3 is needed, which can be acquired through sunlight naturally, or in pellets as a supplement. Let your parrot enjoy some safe time outdoors or provide access to a full spectrum light. Light filtered through window panes is not full spectrum.”

Source: https://www.phoenixlanding.org/nutrition.html

EGGS

Based on my research the best way for a parrot to absorb calcium is to provide calcium itself, like sprinkling baked egg shells on their food. Supplement vitamins are great, but egg shells are CALCIUM and parrots benefit greatly. I sprinkle these daily on my flock’s breakfast (fresh foods, mostly veggies) and they disappear…

I eat eggs every morning – they are an inexpensive food that has everything the body needs except vitamin C. When I’m low on egg shells for my parrots, I keep my egg’s shells, wash them out and then bake them around 100 degrees for 20 minutes. I don’t let them get tan/brown, just dry, dry. They take on a crisp crack when I break them in my hand. I place them in my mortar and grind a little with the pestal until they look like confetti. I like to either make the calcium a powder, if I am baking cookies for them, or I like for it to be large enough for them to ‘bite,’ which they do!

Of course, if I have mating parrots, I add a dish and provide additional calcium for the hen to feed on, and she does!

Can Conures Eat Fruit?

Don’t Just Feed Your Parrot, Maximize Their Mood & Health

I receive questions on a proper conure diet often, including can you feed your conure fruit-

Conure diet – yes, you can feed your conure fruit. However, the strongest diets for conures are made up of 60-70% pellets and the rest vegetables, especially the beta-carotene veggies, such as carrots, sweet potato and pumpkin – as per my favorite expert, #TonySilva

This is because in nature conures don’t get the access to fruit – larger animals, such as monkeys, or larger birds, such as macaws – are the ones that get the fruits.

Conures, like many – or all – parrots, need the beta-carotene. My parrots receive vegetables daily, including carrots and a sweet potato once or twice a week (right now, looking to refine my parrot’s diet again).

My recommendation is that you reserve fruit and seeds for “special times” when they are with you and/or doing training.

Smart Parrot Keepers Control Biting In Creative Ways

A lot of people have issues with their parrots biting them. Of course, training can help with this; another easy thing is to be sure NOT to give them an unhealthy diet (which can make them cranky if they aren’t feeling well) and NOT to put fruit and seeds in their cage (medium-size parrots – smaller parrots like parrotlets, budgies, love birds require seeds as approximately half their diet).

Effortlessly create a strong and positive association to yourself by being with your parrot when they receive fruite/seeds. This way it is not a part of their regular diet and it’s a “treat.” Now being with you is a treat too. Of course, they may not want to go back in their cage then, may just want to be with you!

Pellets?

I’ve gone back and forth on pellets and I’ve consulted Zupreem to ask about their parrot pellets, I’ve asked my vets (including my father, a university veterinary professor) and experts- and they all agree:

Feed your parrot 60-70% pellets!

I’ve heard that pellets were created for chickens and that they are formulated by avian experts for parrots – and, you know how it is on the net, you can hear contradictory information, it doesn’t even require a lot of searching! So, I study my experts/vets and learn about how wise and how invested they are in the well-being of parrots. Then I know who to listen to. For example, my vet, Dr. Susan Clubb, breeds parrots so her advice is SOUND! My other favorite expert, Tony Silva, has dedicated his life to parrots and knows more about them inside and out than probably almost anyone else. He knows them from a scientific and experiential angle.

When I acquire a new parrot they don’t always have the same sheen as my flock. Given a couple of months and our diet of fresh foods (veggies mostly, grains, and minimal fruit/seeds) and colorless pellets, my flock always looks great. Their feathers grow beautifully and I enjoy happy, blissful parrots.