jdiprofio

Hi FairY...I will, however, Kim will be answering questions that others ask. I will do my best. I hope you can make it as well. Cheers, Joe Post edited by: jdiprofio, at: 2007/03/20 02:55<br><br>Post edited by: jdiprofio, at: 2007/03/20 02:58

Hello Everyone!! Just letting everyone know, that some of my members on Parrot Haven are now hosting freindly get togethers on the Parrot haven live chat. There is one tomorrow night march 20th. Also, Kim Bear will be hosting her once a month Q&A session on March 21st at 7pm Central. It will only be one hour, so bring your questions and have a great time. I also understand that some bird clubs will be holding there meetings online in the Parrot Haven live chat. Log in to www.parrothaven.ca and go to the forum to find out dates and times of these chats. All you need to do to participate in any chat sessions, as always free of charge, is to log on to www.parrothaven.ca On the left hand menu you will see Parrot Live Chat...click there and create a username and password...thats it...your in. Also visit our parrot forum and photo gallery. Cheers, Joe Di Profio _________________ www.parrothaven.ca

Hi All, Just a quick note. There is a substancial difference in the structure and design of the bird lung and the human lung. The parrot lung has many little sacks in it. These sacks hold the poisonous fumes (gases) that are emitted from many substances, such as tephlon. That is why birds are affected more dramatically and quickly than humans. Cheers, Joe

Falconeer, While I understand your frustration with your bird's fluctuating moods, I can assure you that locking him in his cage for a week will not help this. If anything, it may make it worse. Your objective with any new parrot is to bond with the bird. This will require patience and understanding. Firstly, if he turns on you growling or biting, show no reaction at all. Turn your back and leave the room for 15 minutes. Do not yell or get excited, as this will only show him the attention that he wants. At the very most, put him in his cage and shut the door quietly and walk away for 15 minutes. DO NOT MAKE A SCENE. It is very important that you understand that these birds are in a lot of cases not many generations from wild. They still have many of their instincts from the wild. You will need to learn to read your bird's body language. They always have a tell. If they are getting aggitated, they may puff up, growl,stomp. In the case of a Macaw, their cheeks will turn redish when they are stressed. Other birds like Cockatoos will stomp when they are angry. Every bitd is different, but you will need to watch for your bird's signs and respect them. It is a game of respect between the two of you that will bond you. Over stimulation is another issue. If you notice your bird's eyes when he/she is excited, you will see that they do what is called pinning or flashing. The eyes will actually give the appearance of flashing as the pupils dialate and expand rapidly. This will happen when the bird is stimulated..over stimulation may cause your bird to bite. Yes thats right, if your bird gets to happy..it may bite. They just have issues controlling themselves when they get to excited. You will often see this behaviour with a puppy or kitten. Again, watch for the signs. Your bird needs to feel safe. He needs to feel that you are the provider of all things good. With that said, you should also know that as your bird ages, usually around 4 years of age, he/she will come into sexuality. This is a confusing time for a bird, not unlike humans. They become very hormonal and often unpredictable. Some become nasty to the point of scaring their owners. That stage will require you to be even more patient. I am sure that with love and patients, like all things in life, you will bond with BooBoo and have a freind for life. Cheers, Joe www.parrothaven.ca Post edited by: jdiprofio, at: 2007/03/16 14:16 Post edited by: jdiprofio, at: 2007/03/16 14:46<br><br>Post edited by: jdiprofio, at: 2007/03/16 14:47

Hi There - Personally I believe that a balanced diet is the key to any healthy being. I feed my birds both a seed, nut and fruit mix and good quality pellets as a catch all solution for any vitamins or minerals that they may miss in their regular diet. I also feed them a variety of fruits and vegetables a few times a week. Birds like Cockatiels are generally seed eaters. It has been said that with certain mutations of these birds, that a pellet diet may be bad for them, as they may be predesposed to liver issues when on a pellet only diet. Always wise to read up on these sorts of things regarding each species. Also a good bet is to locate an avian vet and ask he/she what the best diet for your bird is. I hope this helps in your effort to becoming well informed prior to becoming a parrot owner...:cheer: Cheers, Joe www.parrothaven.ca Post edited by: jdiprofio, at: 2007/03/16 13:22<br><br>Post edited by: jdiprofio, at: 2007/03/16 13:22

Hi there, It is reccomended never to use tephlon coated pots and pans near parrots. At the very least keep the birds well away from the cooking area if you must use them. I have used them and both of my birds are fine, but the birds are in a seperate room and the house has a air exchanger. One other note that is important. If you have a self cleaning oven...DON'T USE IT WITH THE BIRDS IN THE HOUSE. Again, the fumes are lethal to parrots. Cheers, Joe www.parrothaven.ca

Hey there, Just a few words on the training diets. A strictly pellet diet is not good for many parrot species... many mutations will develop other health problems because the pellet are formulated for all birds, not by species. Some of the inbreeding to produce the beautiful mutation left the birds at a greater chance of health problems. I do know that lutino cockatiels (and yellow pacific parrotlets) are prone to kidney problem if they eat too much pellet based diet. I personally believe that a diet as close to their natural diet (and this varies as different parrot species are from different parts of the world and thus eat different foods) is the best, with pellet supplementation to suffice as a catch all for any nutrients that may missed in the diet fed. I have an issue with starving any living being in order to make it submisive. Always be careful when ordering these training programs, in that every bird is different and the training methods vary in effectiveness with each individual bird. A well balanced diet, plenty of sleep and much repetition will be all that you need to train most birds. Along with a few special treats of course.. Cheers, Joe www.parrothaven.ca<br><br>Post edited by: jdiprofio, at: 2007/03/13 21:23