December 05, 2019
Sweet potato Patties [recipe]
We all want our feathery friends to obtain enough vitamins and especially vitamin A since parrots need a lot of it. When I was researching for my article about Vitamin A deficiency in parrots, I discovered they need as much Vitamin A as humans, daily.
For this recipe, you can substitute sweet potato for carrots and/or pumpkin. Remember we want that orange veggie to give us the maximum amount of beta carotene.
Directions:
2 Sweet potatoes: cooked and mashed
1/2 cup Cooked Quinoa
1 tsp of each: Coriander, cumin, red chills, garam masala
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
Mix everything together and form patties.
Brown patties in a skillet and coconut oil until brown OR put the patties on a greased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
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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]
An emergency is usually the case when we need to find something, or know something, and we are usually panicking while franticly trying to find answers on google.
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.
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.
If your parrot suddenly gets hurt and you need them to stop picking at the wound OR your parrot mutilates. Your vet isn't close or even better it's the weekend and they are closed. An emergency birdie collar will help the wound to start healing and not get worst until you can get your bird to the vet. Or your parrot picked and broke off his/her collar and you are waiting for a replacement. A lot of damage could be done in a few days and all the months of hard work of healing can be undone.
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.
But I love DIY information which could be valuable and handy to know how to use it or make it in an emergency because it will save a life.
Emergency Birdie Collar Instructions:
Step One:
First of all, find a plastic lid.
You will also need scissors and painter tape or any other paper or Linen tape.
Step Two:
You can cut off the excess rip on the lid.
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.
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.
Starting from one edge, cut a straight line to the center. Then cut a circle in the center on the lid.
Step Three:
Using your tape, tape the whole collar, top all the way to the bottom. Making sure no sticky edges of the tape are revealed. Leave one corner of the lid untaped. This is where you can adjust your collar neck size.
Step Four:
Now you can use the emergency birdie collar. You can adjust the neck size to your parrot neck and then tape to secure where you need it to be. Make sure it not too tight, but tight enough so they don't escape.
(the clip is there just to show, don't use a clip with your parrot. Use tape to secure)
(the clip is there just to show, don't use a clip with your parrot. Use tape to secure)
As you can see, it won't take long to make an emergency birdie collar. This will buy you time to get to the vet or buy a more durable collar.
Emergency Birdie Collar By Juli Ann Sands.
Emergency Birdie Collar By Juli Ann Sands.
For Fleece, collars contact Juli Ann Sands. She will help with any issues and has many different designs depending on the individual situation.
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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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If you see Macaws, Cockatoo's, Amazons, African Grey at extremely low prices or free if you pay for shipping etc. These are most likely scams. And many will try pulling at your heartstrings with sad stories of why they are selling their beloved bird or giving them in adoption for “free”.
Many will state they breed large number of different species. And I mean large number. Anyone can set up a web site or Facebook page stating they are a breeder. Many scammers will “steal” pictures from others. So you can copy these pictures and google them. You can find many pictures used by many scammers.
Beware of bad grammar, spelling errors, inconsistent information being given.
If you are being given veterinary paperwork – look up the veterinarian and contact them to see if this bird has actually been seen by the vet.
Many scammers will use strange shipping methods or companies that are also fraudulent. Make sure when shipping they are using a legit shipping company. Even contact that company with any shipping information they have given you to check to see if this breeder is legit. When shipping with airlines - once you book a flight the seller is given a way bill number etc right then. You can use this to contact the airline - if they say they will give you this info once they deliver the bird to the airline. Again this is a scam.
Most ethical breeders will NOT sell unweaned or fertile eggs either.
If they show pictures of Palm tree’s etc in the background - most likely a scam.
Buy from a good reputable breeder – ask for references. Join groups, clubs from your area and ask for a good ethical breeder. Well-respected breeders are known by other breeders and avian clubs. And reputable breeders' names get around by previous happy clients.
Ethical breeders are more than for you to go to their home and meet them and view any pet birds or babies they may have. Most breeders do not allow anyone to view their breeding birds for a variety of reasons such as biosecurity and strangers can upset breeding birds.
If they are unwilling to give you their location, address and legit phone number, walk away.
Ethical breeders are willing to work with you, give you information, tips on care, diet, behavior etc. Many are willing to work with you over a period of time and not “rush” a sale. If they start sounding rude etc with any questions you have and if they state they are 100% legit. Walk away.
DO NOT send money via Western Union, PayPal (If using pay pal do not send money stating they are a family or friend [Unless you know the breeder is really legit] {David's Tiel's Aviary}). There"s another method to send payments and its safe via Facebook pay.
DO YOUR HOMEWORK. Research! And if it sounds too good to be true, then it is.
BY: THE BIRD CAGE AVIARY· (Christine Clark Ham)
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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?
The Eclectus originates from an indigenous region that supplies an abundance of berries and fruit in the mid-canopy of the forest where the Eclectus prefers to spend most of its time. The Eclectus’ digestive tract is very efficient in digesting and absorbing nutrients from plant matter, especially the berries and fruit it consumes in the wild.
The digestive tract of the Eclectus is so efficient at absorbing nutrients that it can actually over-absorb nutrients from highly processed diets. This is one reason why the Eclectus does not do well on highly processed diets laden with synthetic nutrients; this species is one of the first species to begin showing problems with over-absorption of laboratory-produced nutrients, even though we are beginning to see this “HyperVitamin-Absorption Syndrome” in many species.
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
by design, so their digestive tract has plenty of time in which to digest, absorb and metabolize all of the nutrients contained in the pectin of those berries and fruit.
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.
Wholesome
Nutritious
Nourishing
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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)
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.
Crop burn: Formula that is even a few degrees too warm can literally sear a hole right through a baby bird’s crop. If the bird does not die from the subsequent infection, life-saving surgery is often risky and expensive.
Crop stasis: On the other hand, formula that is a few degrees too cool can cause the baby bird’s crop to shut down. Food does not pass through it and can become impacted/rot causing bacterial or fungal infection.
Poor sterilization: Feeding utensils, syringes, mixing containers, and improperly stored formula all must be properly sterilized. If not sterilized properly after EVERY feeding, all of these can harbour and encourage dangerous bacterial growth.
2) Beak Deformities:
Too much pressure during syringe feeding or beak cleaning can result in serious and permanent beak defects like scissor beak, overbites, etc.
3) Starvation:
Weighing baby birds daily is extremely important to ensure they are not losing dangerous amounts of weight from underfeeding. It’s also critical to ensure that a baby is gaining enough weight and thus developing properly. Knowing just how much to feed AND how often is crucial because some chicks will not beg even when they are hungry. A novice may assume that a chick isn't hungry if it refuses feedings, but this can happen for something as inconsequential as a change in the brand of hand-feeding formula or the incorrect formula temperature. Additionally, others may fight being hand fed even when they are starving because they haven’t learned how to eat from a spoon or syringe. Finally, during the weaning process a young chick can sit in front of a bowl of food and starve to death as many chicks will refuse weaning foods if they are not being fed enough formula (i.e. if they are being force weaned).
4) Overfeeding:
Many younger chicks will continue eating until the feeder stops feeding them rather than backing away when they are full. Overfeeding can lead to an impacted crop which requires veterinary action to correct. It can also cause the crop to become unnaturally stretched over time and result in folds or pouches that trap formula, allowing it to rot and grow bacteria. An inexperienced feeder may not be able to tell when a chick is full, and so cannot accurately judge when to stop feeding.
5) Improper Weaning:
Baby birds that are not properly weaned will not learn the behaviors that make them enjoyable companions. The novice owner has no idea how to react to a screaming or begging baby and so this undesirable behavior can easily become the norm for that baby as it learns to beg or scream incessantly into maturity. Others inadvertently teach their baby birds to bite by improperly responding to the first inquisitive attempts of a baby to investigate with its beak. Even teaching a baby to eat a variety of foods can be challenging for those who have no experience doing so. Remember, weaning is a process, not an event. The beginning of the weaning period varies widely among species. All babies are individuals and wean slightly differently from each other. If these differences aren't accommodated, the chick's behavior and demeanor can be adversely affected. The bird's attitude toward food, his emotional development and his natural progression to food-independence will be retarded.
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.
So please, never ever consider buying an unweaned parrot. If you show up at a pet shop/breeder and the salesperson is trying to convince you to take an unweaned bird, it’s okay to say no! Even if you have put down a deposit OR were falsely told the baby was weaned, it is always better to stay safe and NOT encourage unethical breeding practices by giving these irresponsible breeders your money. Say no to unweaned birds, and help save the lives of thousands of baby parrots every single year.
Note :- due to a recent influx of posts from people who need help hand-feeding baby parrots, we've opted to make this post to explain what can go wrong when inexperienced people purchase unweaned birds. /u/budgiefacedkiller generously volunteered her expertise to write this PSA.
Author: Budgiefacedkiller
From Pam Bird
Author: Budgiefacedkiller
From Pam Bird
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www.pdsparrotshop.com
www.pdsnonprofit.org
PDS is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization (tax id #46-2470926)
April 11, 2019
Sweet Potato Crisp [Healthy Snack]
Sweet Potato Crisp
[Healthy Snack]
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The most enjoyable thing to do is to enjoy a treat with your parrot. It helps us bond with each other, creates a flock environment, and creates a healthy relationship. I know what you're thinking, that's a lot to ask from a sweet potato crisp recipe. But trust me on this.
Recipe:
I got two sweet potatoes, cook them any way you wish.
Mashed I had around 9 oz.
Sweet potato has a lot of moisture. So first I got 5 almonds and 1 tsp of flaxseed and grind them in my spice mix. Add to sweet potato.
One tsp of chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp hearts, millet, sesame seeds, Ceylon cinnamon, and red chill flakes.
You can add more or less or anything ingredient you wish or your parrots needs.
I greased a small cookie sheet, 11 by 14.
I took the mixture and spread it thinly on the cookie sheet.
Then baked at 350 for 50 minutes.
It's a very healthy treat for humans and parrots.
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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.
__________
Author Monika Sangar
www.pdsparrotshop.com
www.pdsnonprofit.org
PDS is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization (tax id #46-2470926)
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