2.   Perches  Material  Commercial wood  Mold/pesticide free natural limbs  Plastic can be uncomfortable  If birds refuse to perch on plastic replace with Housing & Equipment

4.   Perches  Style and size depends on bird  Finch ½” round  Budgie ½” oval  Parrot 1” square  Must be replaced often due to “chewing” Housing & Equipment

6.   Perches  Tapered size  Allows bird to find a comfortable perch  Larger birds need larger sized perch Housing & Equipment

7.   Water  Easy to clean  Glass, ceramic or stainless steel  Gravity fed bottle Housing & Equipment

9.   Feed  Plastic  Small birds  Glass, ceramic or stainless steel  Parrots Housing & Equipment

11.   Cage Location  No direct sunlight, drafts, poisonous plants or pets  Constant temperature Housing & Equipment

12.   Most captive birds eat  Seed  Fruit  Nectar Feeding

13.   Seed is most common diet  Cereal  High carbohydrates  Canary seed, millet corn and de-husked oat  Oil  High fat  Sunflower, peanuts, safflower, pine nuts Feeding

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15.   Seed diets  Commercial rations  Premixed for specific species  Free of dust and dirt  Discard any moldy fed  Peanuts are most susceptible Feeding

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17.   Seed feeding specifics  Soak seed in warm water for 24 hours for young, breeding and molting birds  Increases protein content  Rinse with water before feeding  Discard unconsumed feed within a few hours Feeding

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19.   Fruit diet  Mynah birds  Fruit, soft bill pellets and mealworms  Apple, grapes, orange and banana  Dried fruit  Daily cage cleaning required due to fruit residue Feeding

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21.   Nectar diet  Lories and Lorikeets  Powdered nectar  Mix with water  Fruit Feeding

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23.   Other feed sources  Green plant material  Too much can cause diarrhea  Avoid lettuce  Wash thoroughly  Feed at room temperature Feeding

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25.   Other feed sources  Meal Worms  Live food source  Use as a treat  Excess calories can make bird gain weight Feeding

26.   Other feed sources  Grit  Needed by all birds (few exceptions)  Helps grind food due to lack of teeth  Soluble  Oyster shell, provides minerals  Insoluble  Crushed granite, grinds food Feeding

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28.   Other feed sources  Cuttlefish bone  Provides calcium  Helps with egg production  Shaved or chipped  Easier for smaller birds Feeding

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30.   Hand raising  High demand, produces tame birds  Feeding must be from early AM-PM  Baby cereal/food and fruit are mixed with water, blended and heated  Newly hatched  Fed every 1 ½ hours  Weaning  Fed every 3-4 hours Feeding

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32.   New birds need 2-3 days to adjust  Offer regular treats  Through open door Handling

33.   Press a perch against chest  Encourages bird to step up  Use a finger or hand once bird is accustomed to stepping on perch  Wear leather gloves for large birds Handling

34.   Clip wings  Prevents escape  Painless  Primary and secondary wings are cut just below base of shaft  Cutting into shaft results in bleeding  2 primary feathers are left for looks Handling

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36.   Teaching to talk  Young male birds best  Remove distractions  Same person needs to teach  Women and children best  Same time every day  15 minutes  Repeat words slowly Training

37.   Sleeping on 2 legs  Feathers fluffed out  Cold bird  Runny feces  Lack of activity  Eye discharge General Problems

38.   Wheezing  Not eating General Problems

39.   Internal  Roundworms  Blockage, poor plumage, weight loss and diarrhea  Tapeworms  Rice like segments in feces Parasites

40.   External  Red mites (red specks)  Scratching and picking at feathers  Dust to treat  Feather mites (gray specks)  Chew and pick feathers  Spray to treat Parasites

41.   External  Scaly leg mites  White scales on legs  Use Vaseline or mineral oil to treat legs Parasites

42.   Parrot fever (psittacosis)  Affects liver/spleen  Contract by feces/food/water  Symptoms  Nasal discharge, weight loss, green diarrhea  Treat with medicated feed Bacterial Diseases

43.   Bumblefoot  Feet and joints hot and swollen with fluid  Treat with antibiotics Bacterial Diseases

44.   Psittacine beak/feather disease  New feathers don’t emerge or are damaged  Soft beak/nails  No cure, supplement with vitamins and minerals Viral Diseases

45.   Newcastle disease  High mortality  Respiratory issues followed by tremors and twisted neck  Vaccine available to prevent Viral Diseases

46.   Goiter  Swelling of thyroid gland  Iodine deficiency  Budgies highly susceptible  Obesity  Too much fat/food in diet  Sunflower seeds Nutritional Problems

47.   Rickets  Bones soften  Deficiency in calcium, phosphorus or Vitamin D3  Oyster shell/limestone/VD3 are best preventatives Nutritional Problems