(species specific information is below general care)
General Care rules for all pet birds
I recommend never putting mirrors in with any pet bird since they don't know the difference between a real bird and their own reflection the last thing you want is your beloved pet bonding to a mirror. It is your job to be their friend and they don't need a mirror or another friend bird to supplement you just give them toys and they can play till you are available.
Finches, Diamond Doves and Button Quail;
Finches, Diamond doves are Button Quail are great for people that have very active lives that cannot be tied down with the need to play with their birds but love the sound and joy of owning birds. Finches, Diamond Doves and Button Quail prefer not to be handled and are easy to take care of as they only need to be fed and the cage cleaned out once or twice a week they all make great little soft sounds and are fun to watch and listen to. "I enjoy them very much"
Supplements;
Another very important thing for all cage birds to have is a quality soft mineral block they love them and they are very good for their beaks and bones (I sell these as they have become increasingly difficult to find in recent years) cuttlebone is good but if they like mineral blocks I prefer them as it has so many more vitamins including calcium.
Foods;
We feed all our breeding birds a Premium Blended Mix of Dried Fruits, Veggies, Herbs, Seeds and Pellets for small hookbills. Our handfed babies are fed a diet solely comprised of our pellets and given Whole Hemp Seeds as a Treat and for training and only occasional sprigs of millet insuring optimum health of our babies. Cage birds tend to have problems eating dry seed only diets causing fatty livers and shortened lives. Birds need to have sprouted seed (this changes the protein makeup of the seed), fruits, veggies, and grains in their diets just as they would get in the wild. Variety is very important for us and your pet birds just defrosted fruits and veggies for a cheap great food making sure you read the ingredients as they add sugar and salt in places you never think to look (I have been very surprised how many veggies have salt added). Most birds love to eat hash and bird bread and other fun to make recipes that are bird safe.
Housing;
Small to medium sized parrots will be most happy with a cage at least 18in. square or larger (you can never have a cage too big) you can do smaller depending on how much cage free time you give them. We sell perfect size cages for pairs of small and medium birds from from Finch to Conure in our Products and Services page and compare our prices with our local pet center. Keep your little guy/girl from getting bored by hanging chew toys in the cage and rotate the toys every few weeks. Lovebirds love and I mean love to chew on anything they can shred (old paperback books and newspaper are perfect toys for them).
Safe Plant List;
ACACIA, ALOE, AFRICAN VIOLET BABY'S TEARS, BAMBOO, BEGONIA, BOUGAINVILLEA, CHICKWEED, CHRISTMAS CACTUS, CISSUS, COLEUS, CORN PLANT (DRACAENA VARIETIES), APPLE BRANCHES, DANDELION, DOGWOOD, DONKEY TAIL, FERNS: (BIRD'S NEST, BOSTON, MAIDENHAIR) FIGS: (CREEPING, RUBBER, FIDDLE LEAF, LAUREL LEAF), GARDENIA, HEN AND CHICKENS, IMPATIENS, JADE PLANT, KALANCHOE, MAGNOLIA, MARIGOLDS, SNAKE PLANT (SANSEVIERIA), NASTURTIUM, NATAL PLUM, NORFOLK ISLAND PINE, ORCHIDS, PALMS: (ARECA, DATE, FAN, LADY, PARLOUR, HOWEIA, KENTIA, PHOWNIX), PEPPEROMIA, PETUNIA, PITTOSPORUM, PRAYER PLANT, PURPLE PASSION, ROSE, SENSITIVE PLANT, SPIDER PLANT, WANDERING JEW, WAX PLANT, WHITE CLOVER, YUCCA, ZEBRA PLANT, ZINNIA
WHEN GIVING PLANTS TO BIRDS MAKE SURE THERE HAS BEEN NO PESTICIDES SPRAYED ON THEM AND WASH THEM WITH MILD SOAP AND WARM WATER. NOTE THAT SOME BIRDS MAY BE SENSITIVE TO SOME OF THESE PLANTS! CHECK THE SAFETY FOR YOUR SPECIES OF BIRD AND PLANT YOU WANT TO USE BEFORE TRYING.
Parrotlets:
Parrotlets are one of the smallest Parrots available and can make delightful little pets for many people that have the time to take care of them. Handfed and trained Parrotlets are affectionate and need to be handled daily in order to stay quality pets and they love to be out of their cages and spend time with their owners. They need constant training like a little 2 year old child and can nip and need to be taught what is acceptable and not. I love them and they are loads of fun for people that have at least a few hours most days; however, If you don't have the time to handle them on a daily basis or take vacations a lot then I would suggest getting a parrot such as a Lineolated Parakeet, English Budgie or Lovebird (Read on each of these below). Parrotlets are very easy to take care of needing a cage only 18"x18"x18" (or bigger if you want) so their foot print is very small. Ounce for ounce Parrotlets eat more then a Macaw but luckily they are tiny so this still is not very much. They love strawberries, peas, corn, whole hemp seed and sprouted seeds try new things as all birds are individuals. They love to chew so it is very important to give them things to chew up and climb around on parrots can get board very easy and will let you know it.
Lovebirds:
Lovbirds are delightful little parrots and they get a bad rap because many people buy them from pet stores and they are generally not handfed and kept in cages with other Lovebirds and that is a big "no, no" Lovebirds will bond with other lovebirds very quickly and even being in a store for a few weeks with others is too long in my opinion. Quality pet Lovebirds should be kept separate from others even while babies this is a difficult process and is much more time consuming but you can see a difference in our Lovebirds because of this extra time we take with all of our birds. Lovebirds can speak and learn simple tricks and are very loving (just like their name says) when they are properly raised by a quality breeder. Come and take a look at our babies and you will see what I mean about how sweet and caring these guys are unlike the kind you find at every pet store I have ever been to. They can be loud a times but generally they are not as loud when alone as they are when in a pair setting. Lovebirds love to play just like all parrots and need to be kept entertained by providing chew toys, bells and things to climb around on fresh bird safe wood is loved by lovebirds they can chew up wood all day (it is their version of TV).
Black Capped Conure;
This is the smallest Conure species and they are the Quietest Conure as well they make very little noise at all. Handfed and trained Black Capped Conure are delightful birds as a pet and extremely smart. They are demanding little birds as they want as much attention as they can get but can keep themselves busy if you give them lots of toys to chew up and a bath to splash around in (they love bath time and even showers). These are about the same size as a Cockatiel but have striking red edges on their wings and have a black opaline neck truly spectacular and there is a mutation with black mottling on the their back that is truly remarkable.
Lineolated Parakeets (aka Linnie's);
Linnie's are spectacular in color and personality when they are handfed and trained in-addition these tiny little parrots are quiet, sweet and affectionate and almost as small as Parrotlet and are not real big wood chewers. Linnie's a good talkers as well and make a purring sound when they are happy it is a very funny sound when you hear it for the first time. Once your Linnie bonds to you it will fly to you when frighted looking to you for security (often on your head) they will often times call for you when they can hear you wanting to be with their friend. Linnie's love and I mean love water I call them my "little water dogs" because the will hang upside down and slide down the cage wire and plop on the cage floor with wings held out high as I spray them with a water bottle till they are drenched it is very fun to watch (it is hard to explain much better to see in person). These are a rare treat in the avian world and deserve to be kept more then they are these are fairly new to the USA pet market that largely starting in the 1990's by Bob Nelson a wonderful friend of mine who is my Linnie mentor ( a retired Linnie breeder).
English Budgies;
English Budgies when handfed make fantastic little pets they are energetic, sociable and love to be held and the color mutations are spectacular especially the violet spangled ones. These are not to be confused with the smaller American Parakeet. Budgies are larger and often called proud and buff looking when compared to the common American Parakeet that is found in most pet shops. Budgies are proud little parrots They have quite voice and enjoy talking when happy. They are very easy to care for but they should have the wire bottom on the cage floor removed in the cage because their stance is wide and their legs could get caught in the wires. Use a Pellet or other material on the bottom of the cage making sure that it is safe for them to consume ( we use a Premium pellet that healthy and nutritious if eaten) English Budgies eat the same foods as all our small hookbills do.
Diamond Doves;
Diamond Doves are the smallest Australian dove and very docile and is excellent in flight cages or aviaries 24" long or bigger. They eat finch seed with added veggies and a good mineral block available at all times they are quiet and make a sweet cooing.
Owl Finches;
Our owl finches are bred using no live food so you don't have to worry about keeping or breeding bugs in your house anymore. These finches are beautiful and very difficult to find and even more difficult to find ones that are not bred on live food. these would be home in any flight cage and make the sweetest sound they need to be kept in pairs or small groups as they are a flocking bird and can be kept in mixed flights.
Star Finch (Red Faced and Orange/Yellow Faced);
These finches are great little guys for a mixed flight or on their own in pairs or small groups they are easy to take care of and make wonderful sounds. All our finches are bred using no live foods so you don't have to worry about keeping or breeding bugs in your house anymore.
Button Quail (Chinese Painted Quail)
The Button Quail is the smallest quail species being only about 4 inches (they are absolutely darling little birds). Buttons make a cute quiet little sound that is hard to explain. They are great at the bottom of cages and eat out of their own bowl of food and also pick up after other birds in the cage eating the seeds they scatter. I breed European and German (Pure stock and close leg banded) I also have some of the A++ mutations of USA stock. My stock is kept separate unless I breed two mutations together but then I always mention this and have this in my records.
Cockatiels
Cockatiels are fun parrots to have and are full of personality. Cockatiels when Handfed and raised in a loving environment make amazing pets. They easily learn to whistle short tunes and can sometimes learn to talk. They must have mineral blocks supplied at all times for proper calcium levels. Cockatiels love to have wood blocks and other chew toys to play with and a proper seed and pellet mix is essential for the health and well-being of your loving pet. Keep a supply of Health Grit in the cage at all times for proper digestion and essential trace minerals and elements.
