Archive for January, 2010
Things to Keep in Mind Before You Get a Pet Bird
Pets always make a great companion for life, they keep you cheered up through out the day if you take good care of them. They can be any one of these dogs, cats, fishes, birds like parrots, finches, budgies, reptiles like turtles, gecko lizards, rodents like rats, mice, ferrets, hamsters, guinea pig etc. Most of this are very cute and at first site anyone would like to adopt these. But think before you get any pet, especially birds because they need more attention than any other pets, as well as they are more sensitive.
Here are some of the points to ponder before getting one. First think if you are ready to commit yourself for the next 10-15 years, that is for the entire life time of a bird. Some pets can also live up to 20 years.
Are you a frequent traveler? If yes then pets are not for you because they need to be taken care of all the time, they cannot adjust to sudden climate change, so they need to be kept at a same place. Some pets health worsens even if you change their cage location.
Are you a person with no patience? If yes then again pets are not for you, because they need long time to get adjusted to you or the place where you keep them. It varies from pet to pet. You might lose interest in them if you have no patience and you might not take good care of them.
Are you a very busy person? Then again pets are not for person like you, different pets need different amount of your time, find out if you will be able to give them your time, you should not become a pet killer ultimately.
Are you allergic to pet fur? Some people will be allergic to pet fur or hair, if you are one among them then do not get pets, just like humans pets also shed hair which might effect your health. Once you get them you cannot blame them for your allergic nature neither you can kill them for causing allergy to you.
Is your job not a permanent one, you keep relocating every now and then? In this case also you are not a person who can keep pet, the reason is same as point number one.
Do you have very small kids or infants? If yes then wait till they grow up, infants or kids do not think before swallowing or licking something, pet hair or fur is not considered good for kids and infants. So if you are sure you can clearly isolate your kids from your pets, only then keep one.
Do you live in a unsafe house? Unsafe with respect to pets. Is your house exposed to prey animals like fox, snakes, vultures etc? then provide a very strong cage to your pets, if you cannot provide then, they are not for you. You don’t have to feed your loved ones to these animals.
So these are some of the points to be kept in mind before getting pets. All the best. Always keep your pets safe and healthy. At least give away your pets to someone who can take care of those if you cannot take care of those.
Where can I find a Parrot Cage Online?
I am looking for a parrot cage online with free shipping but I need the cage to have non toxic bars and free shipping. I live in the united states so it would have to be shipping to the states.
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Choosing a Pet bird, Proper Bird Care and right Bird Cages
Many of us might have noticed that birds are most active in the morning and evenings. They are either searching for or eating food, or are talking to each other. There daily routine is very similar to that of humans and other creatures, and that’s precisely the reason why birds are very popular as pets. Since most of us are living in urban areas, we have lost touch with nature and animals, unlike our forefathers who had a very strong connection with nature.
Parrots: Excellent as Pets
Parrots have always been excellent as pets since they are loving and affectionate by their very nature. They are also capable of imitating our speech, which attracts humans towards them even more. The pet birds and bird cages industry has been comprehensively changed due to hand rearing techniques, thus making the local pet bird supplier a very good source of knowledge during the process of change of pet bird ownership.
If you are looking to buy peach faces, canaries and budgerigars, pet shops are an extremely good place to go to, and be equally selective while buying bird cages. If you want hand reared pet birds, you should go to specialized bird shops. Make sure that you select only clean shops having healthy birds, and which come with a squeaky clean reputation.
Hand Reared Birds are Excellent Pets
Hand reared Parrots have proved to be extremely good pets. Larger birds create more noise and are more demanding compared to smaller birds. At the same time, they are more talkative and become better life long pets.
Intelligent, Quiet and Don’t Bite
Most people like birds, which are intelligent, quiet, and don’t bite. Just make sure you provide them with lot of space in bird cages. The popular pet birds include Grass Parrot, King Parrot, Regent, Princes Parrot, Kakariki and Budgerigar among others. Specialized bird shops will provide you with most varieties of pet birds and bird cages.
Budgies as Pets
If you are more than six years of age, you would love a Budgie as a pet bird, because they are superb as talkers and may turn out to be life long companions. If you have selected a young weaned Budgie, you will find they are easier to tame. A young Budgie can be easily identified due to the presence of black horizontal lines on their body from forehead towards the beak. There are no such horizontal bars in the older Budgerigars. Male Budgies are more popular as pets. But, when they are young, it is difficult to find out their sex. If the bird shop owner or staff is experienced, he or she will be able to choose the right male Budgie and right bird cages for the pets.
Cockatiel: Friendly and Relaxed
Cockatiels are also very popular as pet birds amongst youngsters. It is well renowned for its friendly and relaxed nature. It can start imitating speech very quickly. Again you need to select a young male bird. Male cockatiels can be easily identified due to their orange cheek patch. The tail patterns of male and female birds are different, so we can easily distinguish between the two. A female Cockatiel is not a popular pet bird due to egg laying activity and egg binding. You need to take great care till a young Cockatiel starts eating independently. These birds are known to be healthy, but they still require a regular health plan and spacious bird cages.
Nyjer Seed Bird Feeders Attract Goldfinches Like Crazy
Attract goldfinches as well as purple and house finches, pine siskins, and redpolls to your backyard with a nyjer seed bird feeder. You can choose one of the new wire mesh thistle feeders or one of the traditional thistle tube bird feeders. Then there’s always the old thistle sock bird feeder.
Nyjer, nyger, niger and thistle are all names used to refer to a small black seed cultivated in India and Ethiopia for over a thousand years. The true niger seed comes from the Guizotia abyssinica plant which is an annual herb grown for its edible oil and seed. It is NOT a type of thistle and is not a weed. As a matter of fact, it is now grown in the United States.
Niger seed probably got confused with thistle because goldfinches are known to eat thistle seed and use the downy fluff from thistle plants for their nests. In an attempt to differentiate these two terms in the mind of the public, the Wild Bird Feeding Institute trademarked the name Nyjer in 1998. I don’t think that this was successful however because most people still think Nyjer seed is some kind of thistle and a noxious weed if allowed to grow.
When you purchase Nyjer seed, many companies still use the word thistle on the package which has the unintended result of confusing the public even more. This bird seed is imported from India and Ethiopia and by USDA regulations must be sterilized, not to keep the niger seed from spouting, but to keep other noxious weeds that are incidentally mixed in with the niger seed from sprouting. You can now get non-sterilized, American grown niger seed right here in the United States.
Because Nyjer seed is so expensive (over a dollar a pound in 2008) it is important to feed this seed in specially designed feeders. A good Nyjer seed bird feeder will allow several birds to feed at once without excess seed being wasted. The thistle tube bird feeders should be your first choice in my experience. Small slits in the polycarbonate tubes of these feeders only allow the finches to pull out one seed at a time. This limits the amount of wasted seed.
The Nyjer seed bird feeders made of wire mesh would be my second choice. These feeders allow flocking goldfinches to feed wherever they land, plus some hold large amounts of Nyjer seed. They are probably best used with a seed tray below to catch spilled seed.
A thistle sack bird feeder is an inexpensive choice as far as the initial cost of the feeder goes. Made of durable, fine mesh nylon, these feeders allow as many hungry finches to feed as can comfortably hang on the thistle sack. They now are available in black which makes the beautiful goldfinches really stand out. These mesh bags will cost you more in the long run than the other types of Nyjer seed bird feeders because of wasted seed.
Which ever feeder you choose, you are guaranteed to have flocks of Goldfinches visiting your backyard!
Find all Your Pet Bird Needs
Brief Overview of Popular Pet Birds Species
Deciding to acquire pet birds require many factors that you have to accommodate when you choose to become a pet owner. You must be able to commit to the responsibilities and allot the right time and money to make sure that your pets will always be at the top of their game. You can choose from the following popular species of birds.
1. Cockatiels. Aside from having a medium built that makes it easier for you to care and entertain them, you will have fun when you have this kind. They are known to be delightful. These are part of the family of parrots and hailed in Australia. They are known for their singing and whistling abilities. They can also learn how to talk, but they often prefer to whistle. They also tend to mimic the usual sounds that they hear making them appear quirky and fun. They can easily get sounds like the barking of dogs or the telephone ringing. You can get these types in various color combinations. The life expectancy of cockatiels can be up to 20 years.
2. Lovebirds. They are among the smallest kinds in the species of parrots. They have the personality as well as intelligence. That is why most owners will not trade these kinds to the larger kinds. Aside from such aspects, they are not that demanding and they are beautiful to look at. These are ideal for people who live in apartments and condominiums because they are fairly quiet. The size can be around six inches when it comes to length and their life expectancy can be about 20 years.
3. Parakeets. The most common of this kind, known as the Budgerigar, is perfect for kids. This is especially true if it is the first time for the child to own a pet, specifically a bird. You can make them choose among various pretty colors. These will only require less amount of space so you don’t have to mind much about the matter. They are small and yet intelligent. They can whistle as well as sing and they can also learn few words. They can live up to 14 years.
4. Canaries and finches. They will require less space because of size. These types can measure 5 inches or even smaller. They are known as waxbills or softbills. They thrive in small kinds of flocks. They also require little attention making them perfect companion for those who cannot afford to allot lots of time in engaging their birds in activities. These do not care much about the attention that they get from humans. Their lifespan can reach up to 10 years if you have cared and treated them well.
5. African Greys. These are ideal to be a lifetime companion because they can live up to 70 years. They are known as the most intelligent kinds. They can even learn around 2,000 words if trained well. They are smart but they also tend to be demanding. They will get bored and lonely if you will not take time to engage them in stimulating activities. Your efforts will surely be rewarded because these are affectionate in nature.
So choose from the list what you want to acquire as pet birds. Make sure that as much as you will enjoy their presence, you will also be able to give them what they require from you.
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