BareFoot Aviary's Feathered Wiki - Recently Updated Pages

My Bird Experiences

Anonymous — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 07:47:48 CDT

Hey Briana! I have 3 Lovebirds and 2 Cockatiels and just wanted to say hi! Feel free to go to my wiki: www.Squeaksandsquacks.wetpaint.com! Anyway, I just wanted to say that you have a great site and I love your pictures! Tyrael and the Lovebirds and Budgies are so cute!

Poicephalus

AkCrimson — Fri, 09 May 2008 15:11:27 CDT

Members

Poicephalus parrots are small to medium sized parrots with short, squarish tails that originate from Africa ("Old-world" parrots).

Members of the Genus Poicephalus include:

Brown-Headed
Cape/Un-Cape
Jardine's
Meyer's
Niam-Niam
Red-Bellied
Ruppell's
Senegal
Yellow-Faced

The Most commonly kept, however, are the Meyer's, Senegal, and Red-Bellied. Less commonly kept are the Brown-Headed and Jardine's, and the other members are rarely seen in captivity.

-Hillari

Personality

I personally think Poicephalus parrots are one of the most under-appreciated companion birds out there! They have the "big parrot" personality without all the extra hassle. They are playful, often jumping around and rolling on their backs during play, hanging from toys and just being silly in general. They are affectionate, my Senegal goes nuts for head scritches, and even enjoys it when I pet him under the wings. He will let me pet him for hours, if I had the patience. They are "quiet" (of course that is a relative term). Just like any parrot, they can be noisy at times, but in general are much quieter than other birds such as Macaws, Cockatoos, and even Conures. They are also independent birds, they don't generally have the possession issues that other birds do. In other words, they would love to play with you but are perfectly content to entertain themselves if need be. I have found this especially true with my Senegal. He can play by himself without needing me to be there. They also have decent talking ability. They don't have the vocabulary of a Grey or Amazon, but most Poi's learn at least a few words and phrases. Red-Bellied parrots in particular are known to be good talkers. All in all, I think the Poicephalus is a perfect little package for any parrot lover!

-Hillari

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Diet

My Senegal Parrot gets a Zupreem pellet mix. I mix 75% of the Natural Diet and 25% of the FruitBlend Flavor. There are also Lafeber's NutriBerries and peanuts in some foraging toys in his cage at all times. I give fresh and frozen fruits and veggies as much as I can (about 4 times a week or more). Right now she gets mainly mango, blueberries, apple, oranges, and a frozen veggie mix that I take most of the corn out of. At the human family's dinner time she might get something from our meal if it is not loaded with salt and preservatives.

-furies80
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Housing

My Senegal Parrot is in a 22"W X 24"L X 30"H cage. That is the size without the play top. She has a rope boing, a rock perch, and 4 differant texture perches. Right now she only gets about 2 hours out of her cage because we have a new puppy.

-furies80
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Toys

My Senegal Parrot has 2 foraging toys, 1 acrylic noisemaker, 2 rope chew toys, a loofa, a wood ladder thing :), a wood abacus, a mineral block filled with peanuts, 2 rawhide balls, a crinkle ball (sold as cat toys) and a plastic chain. She has been playing with her wood ladder and her abacus. She doesn't really like to play much. Her mineral block has the peanuts pulled out and sits untouched now. :( Hopefully I will be changing her cage around very soon so she can have new toys put in.

-furies80
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Lovebirds

Anonymous — Mon, 05 May 2008 10:09:19 CDT

There are nine species of Lovebirds; Peachface, Masked, Fischer's, Black Cheeked, Nyasa, Abyssinian, Madagascar, Red-Faced and Swindern's Black-collared, the most popular and easiest to find being the first 3.

Lovebirds are active, playful, inquisitive little parrots from Africa and Madagascar. Peachfaced Lovebirds are about 5-6 inches in length from tail to beak. Their normal "wild color" is a green body, reddish-orange face, bib and browband, a blue rump (the area between the wings), black flight feathers, andmulticolored tail feathers (which are more apparent when they are fanned out). In captivity, Peachfaced Lovebirds come in many different color mutations.

Genetics
The first mutation to be seen in Peachfaced Lovebirds was a Par-Blue color called Dutch Blue (it was first spotted in Holland in a flock of wild and domestically raised aviary birds). Dutch Blue (AKA Aqua or Blue) is an incomplete reduction in the Psittacin pigment, which is responsible for yellow and red pigments. Although most of the Psittacin is removed, not all of it is and this is apparent in the peach colored browband above the birds' beak. The resulting color of the bird is a Blue to Blue-Green bird with a white to cream colored face and bib, and a peach colored browband.

There are 2 incomplete Par-blue mutations in Peachfaced Lovebirds. Dutch Blue and Whitefaced Blue (AKA Turquoise). Whitefaced Blue is closer to a true Blue than Dutch Blue and the bird will have an overall more blue appearance. Whitefaced Blue removes more Psittacin than Dutch Blue and that is apparent in the color of the browband. IN a Whitefaced Blue bird, the browband should be an ivory color. Sometimes a young Whitefaced Blue bird will have a peachy color browband until it reaches maturity with its second or third molt and then the browband will be ivory. When these two Par-Blue mutations are combined on one gene, the resulting mutation is called Seagreen (AKA AquaTurquoise). The resulting bird is more green in color but will still have the white face and bib and the peach browband of the Dutch Blue. The beak of a Seagreen bird is two-toned, the base closest to the face being a more pink color while the tip of the beak being an almost yellow or orange. A Seagreen bird carries one allele of Whitefaced Blue and one allele of Dutch Blue.

Housing
I personally have a different set up than most breeders I know. I have a birdroom that my Lovebirds and Caiques are housed in. This will eventually change so that only the Lovebirds will be in the room. The Lovebirds get a variety of cage sizes but are also free flighted in the room until the go to sleep in their cages at night. The smallest is an 18" X 18" X 22" cage that houses a single Lovebird. The largest is a homemade aviary that is 36"L X 24"W X 60"H. This aviary houses 2 pairs of Lovebirds with their nest boxes.

--BareFoot Aviary
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Toys

The DO's:
My Peachface Lovebirds have a couple of favorite toys:
ANY toy with bells
Wiffle ball floor toys
Happy Huts
Anything shredable
Exercise hoops

The DON'Ts:
My Peachface lovebirds don't like these toys:
Pop bottle lids
Real fruit/veggie toy
Mirrors
--Albeqee

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Pictures:

Budgerigars

Anonymous — Mon, 05 May 2008 10:06:39 CDT

Diet
The budgies get AP seed. I have tried many different veggies and fruits for them, but they don't seem to like any so far. They also get millet.

-- furies80
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Housing
The budgies are in a cage approx. 22'' X 22" X 26". They have a 4 way rope perch, 3 wood perches, 2 swings and a platform. (One budgie has feet problems.) I have 2 food bowls in the cage so there is no fighting and one water dish. Also in the cage is 6 mixed toys and 3 "foot" toys. The foot toys are really bottom level toys since they are budgies and don't use their feet to play.

-- furies80
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Toys
My budgies love the two mirrors they have and the swings. They also play with a toy that has just about every material you can use for birds on it. They are scared of coconuts.

-- furies80

My Budgies Favorite toys are:
Mirrors
Preening toys
Bells
Hanging wiffleballs
Anything pink!
Swings

My budgies don't like these toys:
Happy huts/tents
Foraging toys

--Albeqee
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Pictures:

Cockatiels

Anonymous — Sat, 03 May 2008 16:11:05 CDT

Cockatiels

Cockatiels ('tiels) are the smallest member of the cockatoo family with an average captive life span of 15-20 years. They are native to Australia, and a popular choice of pet in many countries. The standard mutation is the "normal grey", although there are a variety of mutations such as pearl and pied. They are social birds with a generally good temperament, although this is largely dependant upon the way they are raised. They are an ideal pet for a first time bird owner but their passivity may not be suitable for smaller children. They startle easily and energetic or rough children are likely to frighten them.

Housing

Recommended bar spacing for a cockatiel cage is roughly 1/2" to 3/4". They are relatively small birds and could injure themselves if the bar spacing in their cage is too wide. I personally have the Hagen Magestic Motel - dimensions: 20x48x20 with 1/4" bar spacing. It is on the smaller side of cages, and would be suitable for no more than two tiels. The larger the space for any captive bird, the better. I have 3 cockatiels although they are rarely caged. The Hagen cage is a play cage, specifically for the purpose of a "hang-out" area. We have a wooden play gym on top of the cage with toys and rope perches everywhere. Although the cage is on the smaller side, the doors are never closed and each bird has a seperate smaller sleeping cage for night time and when we're not at home. We chose this cage specifically for Hagen's horizontal bar designs. Most brands have a combination of vertical and horizontal bars and young cockatiels tend to be clumsy, occasionally struggling with the vertical bars. It is important for cockatiels to come out of their cage daily for exercise and social time.

Gender

The gender decision is usually a personal one. Males are more vocal, with a higher likelihood of talking. Females are reportedly more "cuddly," although I only have males so i can't speak from personal experience. "Beak banging" is a typically male behavior in which the cockatiel taps his beak on an object in quick succession. It is generally considered a behavior denoting possession. My cocktiels get excited when i tap back to them, so it's also possible that captive cockatiels use it as a method of "playing" or communicating. They are most likely to "beak bang" when courting one of my other tiels. Another common flirty, male behavior is "heart wings" in which they pull their closed wings slightly away from their bodies and puff out their chests. A view from behind gives the appearance of a heart shape, beginning at the shoulders and ending at the wing tips.

Another issue to keep in mind when choosing gender is egg laying. Females can lay eggs without a mate. Egg laying causes stress on the female's body and runs risk such as egg binding, in which the female cannot pass the egg. Egg binding can be fatal and vet assistance should be sought immediately if the female appears to be in distress (panting, fluffing, rocking, lack of perching). Calcium should be provided for an egg laying female and precautions should be taken to minimize egg laying.

Diet

Diet is a crucial factor in the health and lifespan of a cockatiel. They should be fed a varied diet of seed, pellets, & fresh fruits/veggies on a daily basis. It is a good idea to purchase a gram weight scale and weigh your cockatiel regularly. A bad diet and lack of exercise can cause obesity and other health problems. Loss of weight is also a good indicator of illness, so it's important to keep a regular weight history.

Do NOT feed a cockatiel avacado or chocolate, they are lethal in small doses. Other foods to avoid are caffeine, sugar, milk, and many others so do your research!

Note - certain foods, such as berries, can change the appearance of droppings.

Parrotlets

BareFootAviary — Sat, 03 May 2008 13:45:23 CDT

Parrotlets are very active birds that use every inch of their cage. They love large toys, especially swings.

Most species of Parrotlets are sexually dimorphic, meaning there are visual differences between males and females, the males being more colorful and with more markings.

Parrotlets wean at about 6-7 weeks old. They hatch after 20-22 days of incubation.

Pacific Parrotlets come in a variety of colors, the most popular being the wild-type Green, and the Blue mutation that removes all red and yellow pigments, turning all green to blue and all yellow to white. There are also Yellow (American Yellow, AKA Dilute) and White (American White, AKA Dilute Blue), Fallow, Pied, and Pastel mutations.

--BareFoot Aviary
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Housing

My Pacific Parrotlets are in a 30"L X 18"W X 16"H cage. They do not get daily out-of-cage time due to them being fully flighted and housed in my kitchen. They are very shy and normally jump into their nest box as soon as I approach the cage.

Housing

BareFootAviary — Sat, 03 May 2008 13:44:23 CDT

When I have baby birds, I house them in a homemade brooder (a 10 gallon glass aquarium) with pine bedding and a reptile heat bulb. I have had great success with this set-up. When the babies get older and are starting to perch, they are upgraded to a weaning cage. The specific cage depends on what I am not using in the birdroom, but is normally an 18"L X 18"W X 24"H cage. I do not put a grate in this cage and I use paper for the bottom along with fleece in case the babies fall from the low perches.

Briana-BareFoot Aviary

Caiques

BareFootAviary — Sat, 03 May 2008 13:44:08 CDT

Breeding Caiques

Caiques are known for being able to breed, yet still be tame pets in the off-season. With my experience, I have found that this is somewhat true with my birds. Although my female is still as tame as ever away from her cage, my male is not as predictable. I have been bitten by him, even after he is removed from the room his cage is in.

My pair has a boot box, which I have added pine shaving to. Though I recommend putting the nest box towards to top of the cage, I had to mount it towards the bottom of the cage due to not having a proper breeder door on the cage.

My male still plays with toys though my female prefers to sit on the eggs obviously. While in the nest box, my female screams for the male to feed her, though he is still clueless as to what to do.
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Toys for Caiques:

My Caiques love the following types of toys:
Foraging toys such as: the treasure chest one (not the one with the bolts) and the circle with the hole in the top and bottom. I also have a bird kong (great for slamming against the cage), a peanut treat holder (looks like a woven rubber oval that you stuff treats into), and toys on springs so when they hang on them, they bounce ;) Those are fun!

I have found my guys also like just a long peice of rope with a ball or other toy at the end so they can hang upside down and swing while attacking the ball or whatever toy is on the bottom.

Foot toys are also great, and if they are acrylic, it is even better since Caiques are very rough players and acrylic can hold up to them.

Something with a bell on the end of it is also a favorite. Bells are great because they can make a lot of noise, and most Caiques live to make noise with their toys.

Also anything cardboard or tissue paper. They love bathroon tissue and paper towel rolls. I do not worry much about the glue on the paper towel rolls since they do not eat it, they just tear it up. I have also never had any problems with it.

BareFoot Aviary
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Diet for Caiques:

Caiques are said to be most closely related to Lories and Lorikeets, though they are across the globe. Because of this, Caiques tend to like fruit in their diet more than anything (though lots of sugary fruits are not good in any diet and should only be fed in moderation). Caiques tend to like citrus fruits, oranges being the favorite. Also, an occasional treat of Lory nectar is a welcome treat for any Caique.

Housing

My BH Caiques are in a 24"W X 24"L X 38"H stainless steel cage. They also get daily out-of-cage time but during breeding season, they prefer to stay in their cage for most of the day.

Toys

BareFootAviary — Sat, 03 May 2008 13:40:29 CDT

Birds need toys to stimulate their senses and their natural instinct to forage and move. In the wild, birds will fly from area to area, foraging for food, bathing and preening all day. Some birds do play in the wild, but most of their time is spent trying to live, just like any other animal. Because birds are taken care of in captivity, they have no need and are not able to fly around and search for food. This leaves a pet bird with many hours of nothing to do.

There are many types of toys and not all birds will play with every type. Try new toys often and rotate them on a bi-weekly to monthly basis so your bird does not get bored.

I believe that some of the best types of toys are foraging toys. These are toys that hide food or treats in and they stimulate that natural instinct to find food. it keep a bird busy while exercising their muscles and stimulating their mind.
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Diet

BareFootAviary — Sat, 03 May 2008 13:31:18 CDT

My Peachfaced Lovebirds get a seed mix (L'Avian seed) which is mixed with a Goldenfeast mix (the particular mix depends on what I feel like buying at the time). They also get pellets 75% of the time, either Kaytee Exact Natural or Pretty Bird. They get fresh/frozen fruits and veggies at least 3 times a week, if not more. The fresh/frozen foods consist of a sweet potato mash (sweet potatoes, mixed frozen veggies, cooked pasta, spices like curry or cinnamon), basmati rice, great white northern beans, black beans, apples, bananas, cucumbers, bell peppers, alfalfa sprouts, and anything else I have on hand that is fresh or frozen.

My Black Headed Caiques also get a seed mix (L'Avian Tropical or Kaytee Fiesta) mixed with 2-3 types of pellets (Pretty Bird, Scenic and/or Kaytee Exact Rainbow). They also get Goldenfeast mixed in (the type of mix also depends, but I tend to get the Central American Preservation 2 Blend). They also get the same fresh/frozen foods as the Lovebirds. I do sometimes add more dried fruits and veggies into their mix as well.

My Pacific Parrotlets get the same as the Lovebirds but they get less pellets.

Briana- BareFoot Aviary
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Playtime

furies80 — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 11:39:18 CDT

What do you do to have fun with your birds? What sort of games do you play? Please be as descriptive as possible!

My Senegal Parrot doesn't really like to play. Her idea of play is chewing on a toy for a minute or whistling a part from Addam's Family to get you to finish it. Her favorite pastime was walking around the house trying to catch a cat, but with a new puppy, things had to change.

My two budgies get to come out every day. They are really my children's birds because they are really sweet. One budgie is learning to give kisses on command. During playtime, the children put millet and a ball on the ground to keep the birds busy and to keep them from getting lost in the room.

-- furies80
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My BH Caiques like to play with their toys by shaking them or hanging from them. They also like to be out in the floor to play with foot toys. Ocassionaly, we will lay a towel over them and play "peek-a-boo."

My Peachfaced Lovebirds like to chase my hand and nibble. They also like to play with foot toys and beat up toys will bells.

Briana-BareFoot Aviary

Health

BareFootAviary — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 10:29:27 CDT

Bacetial and fungal infections seem to be the most common health issue with birds, followed closely by parasites (like Giardia), mites (like Scaley Mites), and Liver Disease.

I have had a few bacterial infections in my aviary, though when they are caught right away, can be cleared up quickly with an antibiotic like Baytril. Most infections require an injection to start the healing process, followed by oral doses twice a day for at least 14 days. Anything less than 14 days may not clear up a bacterial infection.

Giardia can be hard to diagnose, even after multiple fecal smears done by a qualified avian vet. Some vets will prescribe medications for Giardia even if it has not been fully diagnosed. Taking this medication (usually Flagyl) is ok even if Giardia has not been diagnosed, but if the symptoms continue, another route should be taken. No medication should be continually used if there is no significant improvement in the symptoms it should be improving.

Mites can show themselves in symptoms including excessive itching, feather loss (not always plucking for shredding feathers), holes in the beak/nare areas, dry and flakey skin, and scaley looking feet. Mites are easily treated by an avian vet (though be sure to bring your infected bird to a certified avian vet- Birds have very sensitive systems that strong medications can hurt more than help).

Liver Disease usually shows by excessive growth of the beak and nails, poor feather condition, and unexplained yellow feathers (not to be confused with damaged feather follicles, poor diet, or age spots). A qualified avian vet can do tests to determine if your bird has Liver Disease and a treatment plan can be made up. Usually a plan includes cutting fatty seeds from your birds diet and increasing the amount of fresh and cooked low-fat foods.

BareFoot Aviary AKA Briana
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BareFoot Aviary's Feathered Wiki Home

BareFootAviary — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 08:39:46 CST

Welcome to the Feathered Wiki! My name is Briana French and I have started this Wiki for 4 reasons:

1. To help new bird owners and even experienced bird owners with the technicalities of owning and keeping birds.
2. To "compare notes" with other owners and give your experience with owning birds.
3. To help myself in writing my own book on bird keeping.
4. As a college project (Weblogs and Wikis at Bemidji State University in Bemidji Minnesota).

When adding information, please only add from your own personal experience! If I find out that you copied and pasted from a book or another website (that is not currently owned and managed by you), I will edit the content or more than likely just delete it. This goal of this Wiki is to provide information and advice based solely on your own research with your own birds.

This is not a place to ask questions. Please do not make a page with a direct question. If you have any questions about me or this site, please contact me personally at brimonster111@barefootaviary.com.

Thank you everyone, and have fun! Please don't forget to add pictures when appropriate!

Other Parrots

BareFootAviary — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 15:00:21 CST