How to Choose a Breeder to Adopt a Parrot From?
If you are interested in owning a parrot, you likely already know that these birds are investments.
They are very intelligent, have fairly complex needs, and can live more than sixty years.
If you want to make sure that you have a companion that will keep you company for the better part of the next century, you need to look into where they come from, and this is where parrot breeders come in.
A parrot that has been hand raised from the egg, who recognizes and is social with humans, is going to be a much better pet and companion, so how can you make sure that you find a good breeder?
Check out some of the qualifications of finding a good parrot breeder.
First, make sure that your parrot breeder is one who comes highly recommended.
Most breeders have websites these days, and even if they do not, you should be able to find news about them on the Internet.
Look at the people that they have sold birds to; where those people happy with the parrots that they received and were they pleased with the attitude of the breeder?
Did they receive a bird that had a good constitution and was their bird well socialized?
Looking into the people who have worked with the breeder before is very important.
It is always important to make sure that you are going to be able to visit the breeder before you make your purchase and selection.
A good breeder will be happy to show you around the animals that he or she has, and these animals should impress you as being very healthy and happy.
If they are secretive and will not let you meet the parents without a good reason to be so, it is time to consider taking your business elsewhere.
A good parrot breeder is going to be one who knows all of their birds personally, and they will know about individual birds’ likes and dislikes.
If you notice birds that are plucking out their own feathers or obviously unhealthy, it is time to find another breeder.
Ideally, the breeder will also have let the baby parrots learn to fly before they clipped their wings.
A baby bird should know how to fly, maneuver and land before their wings are clipped for the first time; this is essential to making sure that your parrot will have the coordination and muscle tone that is necessary to keep the bird healthy well into old age.
The healthier the bird is as a chick, the better a chance it has to live a long and happy life.
Most good breeders will also not sell birds long distance.
Shipping the bird or requiring it to travel can be hard on a tropical animal, and if the bird is local, the transition will be much easier.
They should be inquisitive about your life and they should be doing their best to make sure that you are going to give their parrot chick a good home!
Take some time to make sure that you are going to be getting a good parrot from a good parrot breeder; this can make a huge difference.
Considering an African Grey Parrot?
An African Grey parrot is a wonderful pet bird to raise if you are looking for a mid-size parrot that can develop an extensive vocabulary.
This handsome bird is grey in color with a tail in a red accenting color.
This bird hails from Africa, hence giving him his name.
This amazing creature is extremely smart.
This Parrot can be one of two types of this species.
There is the Timneh African Grey parrot, which has a dark grey coloring and maroon colored tail feathers or a Congo African Grey parrot, which is a lighter colored grey and red tail feathers.
The male African Grey parrot is generally 12 to 14 inches long; the female is approximately 10 to 12 inches in length.
The female species of this parrot will generally appear to have a slimmer neck area. The male species can be detected by a wider head.
This parrot generally does well with a committed owner who will provide love and attention to him on a continuing basis.
This parrot generally lives a very long time and may be with his owner for up to 60 years making this a life-long companion.
This parrot will become frustrated if his needs are not being met and tends to exhibit behavioral problems if this occurs.
This parrot is best suited for an adult, as opposed to children, because of this.
Signs of a frustrated African Grey parrot will become evident in the form of biting other people, incessant talking and noise making and/or plucking their feathers out.
Ultrasensitive to changes, the African Grey parrot is a great learner and will have either good behavioral habits or bad behavioral habits.
Time must be spent with this parrot to reinforce the good behaviors and eliminate the bad ones.
These parrots can become bored rather easily and stimulation is necessary in his surroundings.
However, too many changes will overwhelm him and may cause undesirable behavior issues.
A routine for your African Grey parrot will bring out the best in him.
The African Grey parrot does have some strangely unique quirks and can become quite opinionated in his ways.
This will be apparent in a rather shocking attitude problem.
This can be remedied, however, with time and attention.
His nature should improve with all of these actions implemented as part of his daily life and routine.
A highly affectionate creature, the African Grey parrot will respond to his owner with his attention and dedication to you, his owner.
Reciprocating affection should be given by the owner, but needs to be done cautiously as this parrot does not relish an overabundance of outpouring affection and if overwhelmed by affection he may react negatively.
A wonderful pet that will give you many years of enjoyment and love, this parrot is a delight to raise.
How Should You Feed Your Parrot to Improve His Health?
When you adopt a new pet, it’s a good idea to learn as much as you can about them so you can provide the right care.
A parrot is a pet like any other that needs a lot of love and attention in order for them to grow into a lovely bird.
There are a few things that you should know about feeding your parrot.
Many people think that it isn’t a difficult procedure and even if you haven’t done it before you should be able to do it with ease, but the truth is that with a few tips and words of advice, you could do a better job at keeping your pet happy.
First of all, it is important to keep your parrot on a balanced diet of grains, fruit, cooked meats and vegetables.
Whatever healthy food you are eating, you can feel free to share it with your parrot as they are sure to enjoy it too.
You should also determine the correct amount of food by feeding your parrot small portions of different types of foods.
Every time you notice that the parrot doesn’t eat the full portions, you should decrease the next portion until your parrot eats the whole portion. This is how you determine what is the right amount of food for your parrot.
You should let them try small portions of different foods instead of feeding them large amounts of the same thing all the time.
You will eventually learn what their favorite foods are and what they don’t like.
You should also make sure that you keep your parrot’s food fresh at all times. Check their food everyday as mold and bacteria can grow on their food which will make them sick if it is consumed.
You do not want your parrot to eat old food. Caring for a sick parrot is not a fun job.
Change your parrot’s water everyday. They need clean, fresh water everyday. Some parrot owners change the water twice a day, just to make sure.
Your parrot will love treats, like nuts and seeds. But don’t overdo the treats as you need to make sure your parrot is getting the nutrition they need.
You could give your parrot a treat twice a week, but keep it at the same routine all the time.
For example, if you give them treats on Monday and Thursday you should keep this routine every week and you will notice that they will eventually know when their treats are coming.
Feeding your parrot all the healthy things you eat is okay, but there are a few foods and drinks that are extremely dangerous for parrots and should always be avoided. These are alcohol, chocolate, avocado, lima beans and kidney beans.
Which Parrot Will Suit You?
Choosing a pet requires some consideration from any would be pet owner.
You need to think about the amount of time, energy, space, and love you have for another living thing, before you can even contemplate buying a pet from the pet store.
This is especially true for parrots.
You may need to make some changes before you bring those adorable birds into your home.
The first and most important thing you need to consider is the amount of space you can give up in your house.
A confined environment can hinder air circulation and as such can prove fatal to your health and that of your parrot.
Further, placing a parrot in a confined environment can be very stressful for them.
The parrot should be able to spread its wings and move around whenever it feels like.
For that reason, it is important for you to have a sizable cage.
If you already own a cage that is not space friendly, go for a smaller parrot.
If you are living with other members of the family, it will also be important to look into how well the parrot will be able to blend in with them.
You will need to find out whether there are any members of the family who are allergic to birds or who dislike the noise the parrot makes.
Always consult the members of your family before you head to the pet store.
The next question you need to ask yourself is how much noise can you tolerate?
Parrots are generally noisy and are equally entertained by loud noises.
Again, larger birds make louder sounds.
If you are a peace lover, then a parrot is not the pet for you.
Your time will also come in handy because you will need to look into the health, feeding, and general well-being of your pet parrot.
You will need to be in a good emotional and financial position to take care of the parrot. Most of them, and especially the larger birds, require a considerable amount of love and looking after.
Most individuals choose parrots because they would love to have someone to talk to.
Decide on whether you want a talking parrot or not.
If yes, then the best species will be the African Grey Parrot. This bird is known for its ability to understand what it is asked of it.
If you do not wish to interact so often with your bird, then go for the smaller birds as they talk and interact less with people.
Once you have decided on the best bird, it is time to look for that particular parrot that suits your expectations.
Do some research over the internet or in libraries to find out the different kinds of birds that are available for domestication.
Go into the nearest pet store and check out which parrots can be bought. This will give you the chance to select the kind of parrot you are happy to have in your house.
