Tips & Tricks
It's important to keep tops and covers on everything if you are going to be having a tame feathered friend out and about in your home - especially with the holiday season coming up, it can be amazing how fast trouble can happen!

A friend of mind once lost a lovebird due to a paper-towel roll which had been left standing on end on the kitchen table - curious, the bird crawled into it, and became trapped.

Unable to back out, caught head down, he was already dead when she found him - due to the way they are built, most birds can't survive being head down for very long.

I myself once lost a tame canary who crawled into a thin vertical slot between a piece of furniture and the wall - a slot which was no more than perhaps three-eigths of an inch wide, at the top! I never in my wildest dreams would have imagined it as a trap for a canary.

Perhaps a seed fell into it, and she somehow slipped both feet into the gap while trying to reach the seed, I don't know - whatever the reason, once in, she couldn't get out - slightly wider at the top than at the bottom, the combination of gravity and her own struggles prevented her escape - when I finally discovered where she had disappeared to, it was too late.

Many a pet bird has become trapped by the slippery curve off the top of a chair or couch, backed against the wall - see that something like this doesn't happen to your pet this Christmas, by reminding any and all visitors to keep lids down and doors shut, on everything from the toilet, to cups holding drinks, and cupboard doors - just in case!

Once these small but important details are taken care of, you will be able to invite your tame pet bird out to safely share some quality time with you and your friends this holiday season - and maybe even get a chance to show your friends just how much fun having a pet bird can be!

Male canaries are rather solitary birds by nature, and tend to resent anything which makes them think another bird might be trying to take over their territory.

Many canaries will stop singing if given a mirror, and after multiple unsucessful attempts to drive the intruder away, will instead go into a deep sulk, apparently insulted at their lack of success at ridding their home of this intruder!

A few may even focus on this to the exclusion of all else, forgetting even to eat and drink... which, in a canary, can have dangerous results quite quickly!

The solution is simple, and best for all - no mirrors for pet canaries!

Welcome to the Companion Birds e-zine

For bird people who care.

Hello! Welcome to the 8th issue of Flock Talk - I hope you like what you see! If you have comments, criticisms, or stories to share, please send them to Robirda

If you like canaries and haven't yet been to Ginger's site, them do please make sure you stop in! Be prepared to stick around awhile - there is a lot to read, and you won't want to miss any of it!

Ginger breeds and shows American Singer canaries, and has posted some excellent advice and information on her website, including a wide-ranging set of canary topics as varied and complete as anybody could wish for, including basic care and a beginner's course in understanding the ins and outs of a canary's song.

One of my favourites is the article on how to safely and easily convert your bird to eating pellets. Ginger's method of converting seed-eaters to pellet-eaters is probably the most effective and reliable method of achieving this goal that you will find anywhere, and involves little to no stress on the birds, too.

If you are interested in canaries, this is one site you will want to visit over and over again - don't miss it!

Feature Article

This issue features the continuation of Wilhelm's series of articles on understanding pet parrots. This one is about a subject which is arguably the single most important aspect of keeping parrots; if you want to be sure you end up with a healthy, properly developed, secure and sweet-natured friend, you must pay close attention to the all-important process of weaning.

Even our most domesticated pets, cats and dogs, suffer tremendously if taken from their mothers too soon - parrots are no different, and actually suffer much more than our more familiar pets do, when forcibly weaned - it can scar them emotionally to an extent that lasts their lifespan!

With the approach of Chistmas, many well-meaning yet under-informed people will be buying pet birds for their loved ones - sadly, too many will end up wondering how on earth they got into such a mess in the first place?

How were they to know whether the pet store had given them bad advice or not, or that bringing home a 'bappy' (baby parrot) would be so different from bringing home a kitten or puppy? If this series of articles can prevent one human or bird from having to deal with such a series of traumas, it will have accomplished its goal...

by Wilhelm Kiesselbach

There is absolutely nothing more important for the healthy emotional and intellectual development of a young parrot than abundance weaning and fledging. The term 'Abundance Weaning' was created and trademarked by Phoebe Greene Linden of Santa Barbara Bird Farm. She has written extensively about it, and subsequently bird behaviorists adopted the term as identifying the single most important contributing factor to a parrot's emotional and physical health.

As opposed to 'forced' weaning where they are maintained on a specific schedule and the breeder decides(usually based on their age) when they ought to be weaned, 'Abundance Weaning' leaves that decision to the bird.

The young birds are supplied with a variety of foods, ranging from fruit and vegetable tidbits, to pellets that are kept available at all times. Even so, they will continue to be hand fed, until they themselves stop requesting feedings.

A properly weaned bird learns to trust humans through the actions of its caregiver. It gains self-confidence, learns to accept different foods readily, and how to be at ease in changing environments.

Especially during the earlier stages, abundance weaning is needed to maintain proper nutrition through the weaning process, but eventually it grows to include the need for - and expression of - emotional comfort, as well.

Parrots which are not weaned by the 'Abundance' method very easily become cage-bound; such birds are suspicious of any changes in their lives and usually reject their caregiver's attentions. They easily become phobic, and many become feather pluckers. If ever you should see a parrot with one or more of these problems, you can guess that it most likely was not properly Abundance Weaned.

One fact which recently came to light, is that in the wild, African Greys, Cockatoos, Macaws, and many other species, are 'Abundance Weaned' by their parents long after they have fledged (learned to fly).

Two-year-old Cockatoos have been observed being fed by their parents and other relatives from within the flock, while Greys will continue to be weaned and taught the 'ways of life' for a number of years. This not only prepares them to survive in a hostile environment, but also teaches them the (very strict) rules of behavior within their own flock.

At this point, it may be interesting to recount the stunning behavior difference between wild caught African Greys and captive-raised birds.

While African Greys have the reputation of being feather pluckers, there has been almost no incidence of feather plucking observed in wild caught birds.

While being trapped, caged and transported must represent a level of trauma to an intelligent and sensitive creature that is hard to imagine, these birds clearly came emotionally equipped to deal with that. On the other hand, birds bred in captivity, cared for, fed and never subjected to the tremendous stress of their wild caught cousins are historically more prone to becoming phobic.

The answer seems to be that they are ill prepared to deal with the uncertain, ever-changing circumstances of life with a bunch of mammals who won't often begin to understand them. Something was missing in their upbringing - in all likelihood they were never properly weaned.

There is another essential component in successfully achieving adulthood, for a young parrot: learning to fly.

All young birds must learn to fly. Their sense of self-confidence and emotional well-being depends on it. They must be confident in their ability to maneuver and land safely.

Even though we may later clip their wings in order to protect them from injuries or escaping, they must learn to fly first. Too often this step is deliberately avoided - often lack of adequate room is cited, for example. But whatever the reason, skipping this step is unwise - it could lead to innumerable future problems, ranging from uncontrolled 'crash landings' to egg-binding.

When we do decide to clip their wings, it is necessary to be sure that it is done correctly. There are very clear guidelines on proper wing clipping, based on body weight, size, and general build and agility. Proper clipping is important and if correctly done won't harm a parrots's self esteem. An improperly done clipping, however, can be devastating, being both dangerous and cruel.

The practice of abundance weaning is entirely up to the breeder. There is no question that the bird's future behavior patterns, his or her ability to relate, the levels of socialization and emotional health he or she will be able to achieve are very largely dependent on what is learned and how he or she is treated during the first six months of life.

The battle cry among all those dedicated to the well-being of our companions parrots is: "Don't buy an unweaned bird" - and there is a very good reason for this.

We all should know the difference between a breeder who cares for the little creatures for whose future he is ultimately responsible and the breeder who cares only for the money. A good breeder will never sell an unweaned bird - and the rest should be put out of business.

Articles elaborating on the subjects above can be found in Sally Blanchard's Pet Bird Report and in a number of outstanding books about the upbringing and keeping of pet parrots - check out your local library or bookstore, you won't be sorry you did!

This article is not intended to provide all the necessary information for anyone thinking of acquiring a companion parrot; rather, it is intended to stimulate the awareness that we must do our homework before buying a bird, and to give a few ideas of what to look for.

A happy, well-adjusted pet parrot can make one of the best companions a human can find, given half a chance - but it is up to those of us who are responsible for them, to learn how best to go about living with them, caring for them, and yes, understanding them.

by Wilhelm Kiesselbach
Copyright © Dec, 2000

Hope everybody has a great holiday season, see you next issue! Until then, may you and your birds stay safe, happy and healthy!

R C 'Robirda' McDonald
December 10, 2000
Vancouver, BC, Canada
www.robirda.com

ISSN #1492-8132
Issue Number 8
copyright © 2000
all rights reserved
no reprints without permission

"I have heard that it is possible to make a good home-made mestling food - would you happen to have a recipe?"

My answer is;

 Yes, I do! My homemade recipe is based on dried 100% whole wheat bread. I get several loaves, tear them into bits, and oven-dry them at around 250 degrees F or so til they smell nutty and are bone dry. Then I whiz them, a few handfuls at a time, in a blender or a food processor till its pretty finely ground.

 I mix 6 cups of these ground whole-wheat bread-crumbs with 2 cups of rolled oats, and 1 cup each of corn meal and cream of wheat (sometimes called wheatlets - dry, not cooked)

 To this mix is added around a half a cup of raw sesame seed, and a tablespoon of sea salt (preferred), or (alternatively) iodized table salt, and about double that of Hagen's Prime. You can also add a couple of tablespoons or so of canthaxathin at this stage if you like, and want to colour-feed your birds. The exact proportions vary depending on which product you are using, so be sure to follow the instructions, which should be included.

 I mix it all thoroughly and store it in the freezer, or else as cool and dry a place as I can.

 When I have moulting birds or weanlings, or recuperating birds, they are given this mix dusted on a good soak seed mix.

 If I have youngsters in the nest, 2 cups of the bread crumb mix is blended with 1 cup of the flaked instant baby-cereal (the kind without all the extra iron added) before being dusted on the soak seed.

 I find this an easy-to-use recipe, which can be adapted easily depending on what it is being used for, from the high-protein diet needed for babies in the nest, to the higher starches and vitamins mix needed by moulting, weaning, or recuperating birds. It also makes a good stretcher for commercial egg foods, besides being cheap to make. Also, because there is no sugar whatsoever in it, it is safe for even first-day hatchlings, unlike many of the commercial egg foods.

 I find I get great results with it, even better than with commercial nestling foods, and also it avoids all the fuss and mess of fixing eggs, as well as cutting all those extra fats (that are in the eggs) from their diet. They still get adequate amounts of protein, including all the amino acids, when they are in the nest.

 If you are not sure what I mean by 'soak seed', you can read the article I've posted here. It tells you how you can make your own soak seed mix, if you can't find any to buy, as well as how to prepare it.

 I hope you find this mix as useful as I do!