December 05, 2019
Sweet potato Patties [recipe]
Directions:
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Author Monika Sangar
www.pdsparrotshop.com
www.pdsnonprofit.org
PDS is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization (tax id #46-2470926)
November 12, 2019
DIY Emergency Birdie Collar [Parrot Health]
DIY Emergency Birdie Collar [bird health]
Living in a Sanctuary and I must say I have done this many times. One of the things that could have helped, which I didn't know exist, was how to make an emergency birdie collar.
Let's face it, these emergency birdie collars aren't going to last long with though beaks and you might need to make more than one depending on your situation.
Emergency Birdie Collar Instructions:
You need to cut a small circle (for the parrot's neck) as the picture below. You can make the hole larger than you need it because you will be able to adjust.
(the clip is there just to show, don't use a clip with your parrot. Use tape to secure)

Emergency Birdie Collar By Juli Ann Sands.
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Author Monika Sangar
www.pdsparrotshop.com
www.pdsnonprofit.org
PDS is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization (tax id #46-2470926)
October 14, 2019
How to avoid parrot scammers
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www.pdsparrotshop.com
www.pdsnonprofit.org
PDS is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization (tax id #46-2470926)
September 02, 2019
Eclectus Digestive Tract
The Eclectus Digestive Tract: Finally Understood
For decades the Eclectus enthusiast has tried and tried to understand the unique dietary needs of their beloved companion birds. We have been told that due to their longer than usual digestive tract they need a high fiber diet, a higher fiber content than other Psittacines that is.
In comparison to other herbivores though the Eclectus parrot doesn’t require near as much fiber though because, obviously, parrots, in general, are much smaller creatures and therefore have much smaller digestive tracts. To say they need as much fiber flowing through their digestive tract as a cow, or a monkey or a human is thinking nonsense. The Eclectus is not truly herbivorous, it borders on frugivore/herbivore because it is a fruit-loving exotic bird.
I personally believe it is not because it has a longer digestive tract that it requires more fiber in its diet, but because it consumes more fruit that it has a longer digestive tract in which to extract all of the nutrients from the pectin fruit fiber. Do you see the subtle difference?
While it may appear that berries and fruit are high in the same kind of fiber that vegetables, grain and legumes are, they are not. The fiber contained in vegetables is mostly cellulose, a non-digestible fiber mostly laxative in action, and the fiber most present in grains is gluten and starch and the fiber most present in legumes is starch. Ah…but the fiber most present in berries and fruit is pectin, a very rich source of vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, essential carbohydrates, plant proteins, and extremely high in antioxidants.
Pectin is a very valuable fiber in Nature and this could be exactly the kind of fiber the Eclectus’ digestive system is equipped to process; this could be exactly why their digestive system is longer than most other parrots. It’s quite possible that more time is needed for the proteases in plant proteins, specifically the proteases in berries and fruit, to break down the proteins in those foods for proper digestion, absorption, and metabolism; ergo the longer digestive tract to allow more time in digestion. When there are not an abundance of other sources of protein such as animal protein, grains, and legumes, the digestive tract may require a longer period of time in which to thoroughly break down the plant proteins for total absorption.
Therefore it is not that the Eclectus requires more fiber, it is that the Eclectus’ digestive system requires more time in which to digest, absorb and metabolize the high pectin fiber diet they are designed to consume.
Next time you perform a research on the kind of indigenous plants that grow in Indonesia, the larger area in which the Eclectus originates from, look for the indigenous foods that are at the mid-canopy level where the Eclectus spends the vast amount of its time. I am not speaking of cultivated crops humans have brought in from other countries and have begun to grow there; I am talking about original, indigenous species of all plant matter. Most of the indigenous foods in the mid-canopy of the forest will be berries and fruit. These are the foodstuffs the Eclectus were originally meant to consume. And this is why their digestive tract is long
Of course, the Eclectus consumes the seed found in the berries and fruit, and they love the macadamia nuts that grow indigenously in their native land, they also consume some amount of tender leaves, grasses, and herbs as well as some amount of insects and larvae they find burrowed in the berries, fruit, seed, and nuts they consume.
But we have to keep things in perspective; the long digestive tract is not there to feed high fiber diets to, at least not the kind of fiber we think about when we hear the term “fiber”; the long digestive tract of the Eclectus is there to efficiently process the high amount of highly nutritious pectin diets the Eclectus is meant to consume.
Author Unknown
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www.pdsparrotshop.com
www.pdsnonprofit.org
PDS is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization (tax id #46-2470926)
August 11, 2019
Sweet Potato Muffins [birdie bread]
Sweet Potato Muffins [birdie bread]
In the USA, sweet potatoes are often miss labeled. For parrots and yourself, you want to use sweet potatoes that have orange flesh.
- Ingredients:
- 3 cups: of cooked, mashed sweet potato plus (including) one Banana mashed
- 2 cups: flour (I did a combination of 1/2 rice flour, 1/2 Rye flour, 1 cup all-purpose, unbleached wheat. You can use any combo or just one)
- 2 tsp: cinnamon ( Ceylon )
- 1 tsp: baking soda
- 1/4 tsp: baking powder
- 3/4 cup: apple sauce
- 3 large eggs (with shells) Or 3 Tablespoons of Flaxseed meal mixed with 6 TBLS water. Let it sit for 10 minutes until thick
- 1 tsp: vanilla
- 1 Tbls: fax seeds and/or chia seeds
You may also add nuts if you prefer. I didn't for my batch.
Directions:
In a large bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder. In a separate bowl, apple sauce, eggs, and vanilla. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and then add the sweet potato/banana mash. Add your seeds and or nuts if you're using themPour into muffin tins/cups. Bake at 350 for approximately 30 minutes.
August 08, 2019
Unweaned Baby Birds
Unweaned baby birds
Before you go out and pick up an unweaned baby bird, realize that there is NO reason why an inexperienced hand-feeder should attempt to raise a baby bird. The idea that you can only form a strong bond with a parrot if you hand-feed them is simply untrue.
Unfortunately, it is only too common for unethical breeders to sell unweaned babies to customers telling them that it’s "for your own good! Your bird will not love you the same way without being hand-fed!” In reality, their motivations are purely selfish. An unweaned baby bird that can be sold faster is a better investment for a breeder, plain and simple. Weaning and hand-feeding are both difficult processes, even for experienced breeders, so the less time they have to spend feeding, housing, and socializing a baby bird is more money in their pocket.
It’s no surprise that a good breeder will not even consider selling an unweaned baby unless the customer can prove that they have extensive experience with hand-feeding and the knowledge to identify and deal with potential problems - if they'll sell an unweaned bird at all. The worst breeders will shove new owners out the door with a little bit of formula and a “good luck with that!” attitude. To them, baby birds are commodities that net the most profits the faster they can churn them out. Luckily for them, too many inexperienced people are all too willing to buying a cute, fluffy unweaned baby, and have little to no knowledge of how to properly care for a bird in one of the most difficult and important stages of its life.
Baby birds die, become permanently harmed, or acquire terrible lifelong habits every day at the hands of well-meaning but inexperienced hand feeders. The causes are many, and most can be difficult to avoid given the finicky nature of baby birds. Some of the biggest problems that can occur with hand-feeding are:
1) Feeding complications:
Aspiration: Food can easily be pulled or pushed into a baby bird’s lungs and cause immediate death or infections like pneumonia.
2) Beak Deformities:
3) Starvation:
4) Overfeeding:
5) Improper Weaning:
Finally, it’s true that in general, the BIGGEST problem faced by inexperienced hand-feeders is the simple fact that they are unable to recognize signs of trouble. They do not know what issues like crop stasis looks like, or what the proper weight of a baby should be, or how to handle a baby refusing formula. Because baby birds are so fragile and vulnerable it can be mere hours to minutes (in the case of aspiration) before a problem is serious enough to cause death.
Given these facts it is apparent that the task of hand-feeding and weaning a baby parrot is best left to the professionals. And if the tens of thousands of adopted birds out there are any indication, even mature adult parrots are still capable of forming strong, loving bonds with their owners. An important fact for all parrot owners to understand is that what creates a true bond is NOT who is providing the formula, or even who a bird first lives and interacts with. In the end, a bird is going to bond MOST strongly to the person or people that put in the time and effort to build a respectful and trusting relationship with them.
Author: Budgiefacedkiller
From Pam Bird
April 11, 2019
Sweet Potato Crisp [Healthy Snack]
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Recipe:
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Author Monika Sangar
www.pdsparrotshop.com
www.pdsnonprofit.org
PDS is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization (tax id #46-2470926)
February 05, 2019
Banana oat muffins recipe [ Healthy Food]
Healthy banana muffin recipe [healthy birdie food]
Ingredients
2 cups flour (whole wheat, rye, spelt or combo of flour)1/4 cup old-fashioned oats plus more for sprinkling on top
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt.
1 cup packed mashed ripe bananas
2 eggs ( if your birds are getting too many eggs, or for vegan parrots, substitute with chia seeds or flaxseed meal) * see note below
1/3 cup Apple sauce
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup walnuts
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease muffin tin with butter or cooking spray or line with liners. Set aside.In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
In another large bowl, beat the mashed bananas, eggs, honey, olive oil, milk, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and mix until fully combined. Do not over-mix. Add nuts at this point.
Divide the mixture evenly into 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle with rolled oats and cinnamon if desired. Bake muffins for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.
*Note substitute eggs. Place two tablespoons of flaxseed meal or chia seeds in 6 tablespoons of water. Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes until it has become a gel.
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Author Monika Sangar
www.pdsparrotshop.com
www.pdsnonprofit.org
PDS is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization (tax id #46-2470926)