The 5 ingredients for a happy parrot.
When owning a bird, we must remember they aren’t domesticated over thousands of years the way cats and dogs are. They can however adapt to living in a human environment if given a balanced daily routine, filled with things to help bring out behaviours they are naturally created for. These include;
1. Exercise:
Giving your bird a range of options through participating in daily activities such as flight, foraging, training, playtime. Out of cage time is simply the single most important thing you can do for your bird.
Teaching them how to navigate flight around a secure home with lots of encouraging landing opportunities is the best, most natural form of exercise for your parrot. It also introduces them to reaching certain boundaries and feeling confident moving above them. Foraging is another natural and stimulating way to keep your birds active. Keep in mind your parrot will have to learn how to use certain foraging items from you teaching them through encouragement and simple step by step routines. Training your bird to step up onto your hand, a perch, recall (come to you when called) can assist with flight training as well as everyday activities. Playtime with certain toys is a fun part of your birds physical development and should be an active part of training, recall and everyday routines.
2. Diet:
A healthy, balanced diet filled with variety can be exciting to your bird. It’s giving the options of extra nutrients with fruits, veggies, grains, sprouts, nuts and various treatsalong with pellets and/or seeds.
Not only can textures, flavours or shapes be a fun way to introduce birds to new foods but it is a stimulating way to conduct environmental enrichment.
3. Tricks:
Are simply fun and entertaining. They help create a mutual trust and offer various problem solving and brain developing tasks to give to your bird.
Clicker Training offers a fun, quick way to help your parrot problem solve and use their brain to learn a trick in a shorter amount of time.
4. Socialisation:
Socialising can vary between individual birds. It is important to note what appropriate limits are for your parrot and, how best to work on those limitations through training and positive experiences. Exposing your safely bird to different environments, people and various items can help with confidence and problem behaviours in your parrot.
5. Appropriate housing:
Should always give your bird opportunity to gain some lift or room to move freely, stretch and flap their wings, especially if caged for long periods in a day. You should offer activities within their cage to prevent boredom, such as foraging, shredding activity, toys and levels withing perches.
Remember, birds aren’t easy pets to look after but if provided with these appropriate Ingredients, your bird will live a happy and fulfilled life.
