Bird Supplies
At Pet Care Supplies you can choose from a wide range of bird supplies:-
BIRD FOOD
A majority of birds like to eat seeds. Softbills do not eat many seeds. There is a large variety of bird seed mixes that you can choose from. Expect to pay more if the seed mix you purchase for your pet bird contains a wide range of seeds.
You should buy your pet bird seeds bagged or pre-packaged not loose because it will be very unlikely that the seeds will be contaminated. Bird seeds from bins in a pet store where birds are kept can be exposed to feather dust that may be diseased. Open bird seed bins at a pet store may be at risk of attracting rodents who in turn may contaminate the loose bird seeds with their droppings or urine. When you buy bird seeds from a bin you do not know how fresh the seeds are since there is a possibility that new bird seeds are just mixed in with the old.
Your pet bird may prefer to feed on seeds but bird seeds alone do not provide your pet bird with the essential nutrients that are vital for its’ overall well-being. Your pet bird needs a balanced diet that will provide them with the necessary carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins and minerals. Hand-reared parrots are more likely to try balanced diets. A majority of pet birds may take a while to get used to balanced diets. When introducing a balanced diet into your bird food container make sure that you also provide bird seeds. This is to help your pet bird make a smooth transition to balanced diets without starving in the process. If this is not successful you may consider adding bird supplements. These bird supplements come in two forms: liquid or powder. The liquid bird supplements are added to their drinking water. Powder bird supplements are added to their fruit or their green’s.
Pet cockatiels can survive on seeds alone but adding greens to their diet will benefit their health.
Greens and fruit that you can feed your pet bird are: chickweed, dandelion, seeding grass, spinach beet, brassicas, carrots, sweet apples, grapes and pomegranates.
Avocado is poisonous so DO NOT feed it to any of your pet birds. Avoid citrus fruits because they can cause scouring. Banana’s are messy and can stain the plumage around your pet bird’s bill. Avoid feeding your pet bird unripe fruit because it is indigestible.
There are two groups of birds that feed on nectar and pollen. One group is made up of lories, lorikeets and hanging parrots. The other group consists of hummingbirds, sugarbirds, sunbirds and white-eyes. There are nectar mixtures available for both groups and all that you will need to do is add water to the mixture. The equipment used to feed these birds their nectar has a red spout to attract birds like the hummingbird. The nectar equipment is usually tinted to protect the vitamin content of the mixture. Their drink containers should be cleaned at least once a day.
Your pet tanagers, barbets and toucans eat softbill food that is sprinkled over fruit because the softbill food sticks to the fruit very well. Choose softbill food that has a low iron content. Too much iron in the liver can be very hard to treat and may be fatal. Softbill food’s in pellet form is great for your pet mynah and touraco because they eat them like berries. To make the Softbill pellets more palatable just soak them in water.
It is important that the fruit you feed your pet bird is fresh or it may cause illness. Out-of-date ingredients should NOT be used because the vitamin content maybe low and your pet bird may end up lacking in this area if you feed it to them.
Your seed-eating bird needs a supply of grit. Grit provides minerals and helps your pet bird grind up the bird seeds using the muscles of the gizzard walls. Cuttlefish bone is a good source of calcium especially in the laying of bird eggs.
BIRD FEEDERS
Here at Pet Care Supplies you can choose from a variety of bird feeders.The bird feeders that are used inside bird cages are slightly different because of the dimensions of the cage. Hook-on plastic bird feeding containers can be used to feed your pet finches and softbills but can easily be dislodged by your pet parrot. Hoppers are ideal for your pet budgerigars because the hopper keeps their seeds free from droppings and allows the husks to fall to the tray below. Parrots require hard-wearing hook-on metal containers.
BIRD WATER CONTAINERS AND BIRD WATER FOUNTAIN
It is important to keep your pet bird hydrated. You must make it easy for your pet bird to access the water as well or it will be pointless. Your must try to keep your pet bird’s water fresh and uncontaminated because bacteria can quickly multiply and become a serious threat too your pet bird’s health. A bird water fountain suits this purpose. Your pet bird’s water should be kept in a shady spot because direct exposure to sunlight may encourage the growth of algae.
Tubular drink containers can be used to hold water for your pet finches, budgerigars and other similar-sized birds. Plastic bird water fountains can be used for your pet pigeons and doves.
Drink bottle containers
Large plastic drink containers are better suited for pheasants and quails; place them on the floor being careful not to place them directly underneath perches or the water may become contaminated from above.
Wash your pet bird drink containers on a regular basis to prevent green algae from growing up the sides. If you added supplements to the water then you must wash the drink container.
BIRD CAGES
Your pet bird cage should have plenty of room to accommodate your pet bird’s natural instinct to fly. Flying will help to keep your pet bird fit and keep their flight muscles strong. Select a bird cage that can accommodate the size of your pet bird as well as cater for their natural behaviors.
Parrots in particular can get bored very easily if they are confined to a small space and will often start plucking their own feathers. A bird flight cage will provide much needed space for your pet parrot. Your pet parrot may still need to be let them out of their flight cages for a few hours each day to let them fly around freely within an enclosed room or bird enclosure.
You may like to mount your bird cage on castors. This will help when you have to clean under your bird cage or if you need to move your bird cage to another room. No lifting will be required on your behalf and the move will be less disturbing for your pet bird.
Most bird cages will come with a plastic perch and you should change it over to a wooden one as soon as possible. The wooden perch you choose should be irregular in diameter and non-toxic. The uneven diameter will add variety to your pet bird’s perching grip. The diameter of the perch should be broad enough so that your pet bird can sit on it comfortably and the front claws do not come into direct contact with their rear toes. Your pet mynah may get an infection if their front claws pierce the surface under their rear toes.
Parrots keep their bills trim by gnawing on wood so expect to replace their wooden perches on a regular basis. Natural wooden perches cut from the branches of apple, sycamore or elder trees are good choices. Just remember to wash them before you place them in your pet bird’s cage.
To help keep your birds safe when you are out, you may need to padlock their cage doors to protect them from hazardous situations. You may also need to padlock their food and water containers just in case your pet bird figures out how to dislodge them and their contents. This can result in your pet bird not having any food or water in your absence.
A bird flight cage that has a removable tray as the flooring is great because it is easy to clean. Some bird cages provide a mesh grid that sits just above the removable floor. It is advisable to remove this mesh grid straight away because your pet bird’s feet may get stuck in it.
Clean your bird flight cage often because they can quickly become breeding grounds for the red mite parasite. A bird cage cleaning product that might appeal to you is the multi-purpose 6-piece cleaning kit
It comes with a handy carry case to house them all in. This will ensure that you do not lose any cleaning equipment again. It is very convenient because all the cleaning equipment will be there at your fingertips. The added bonus with this product is that you can use it to clean your home as well and all the products are dishwasher safe.
Your pet budgerigars and pet parrots like cages that have horizontal bars. Your pet finches and pet canaries prefer bird cages that have vertical bars.
BIRD TOYS
Bird toys provide your pet bird with much needed physical and mental stimulation, alot of fun and entertainment. Bird toys should be safe, they should NOT have any slits, cracks, gaps that have a wide opening and gradually get narrow as you follow it down because your pet bird may get their bills or feet stuck in them. Avoid bird toys with jingle bells because the bells have slits that can easily trap your pet bird’s bill or toe(s).
Make sure that the bird toy attachment is safe. The double ’U’ (chook) and pear-shaped attachments are the safest. You can always replace an unsafe attachment with a safe one if you need to.
Pet parrots get bored very easily so rotate their toys.
You should always introduce a new bird toy to your pet bird outside of their bird flight cage. This is to help you gauge your pet bird’s reaction to the new toy and determine whether or not the bird toy is safe.
Your pet bird toys should be non-toxic. Selecting pet bird toys made out of untreated wood or vegetable tanned leather is good because these are non-toxic materials that will provide different textures to satisfy your pet bird’s gnawing habit. Your pet bird will have a natural attraction to colors that are used on their wooden toys so it is a good idea to check that the colored-dyes used are safe. Acrylic bird toys are also another good option because they can withstand a lot of wear and tear while still remaining safe.
Try not to overcrowd your pet bird’s flight cage with their toys because your pet bird needs to have ample room to fly and perch.
BIRD GROOMING
Keep your pet bird’s feet looking neat and healthy by trimming their claws regularly. Long bird claws are more likely to get caught on objects and cause injury to your pet bird. The Anti-Feather Picking Spray
BIRD BATHS
Give your bird the opportunity to bathe themselves regularly by placing a bird bath near the entranceway of their cage. Bathing helps your pet bird to keep their plumage in good condition. The preen gland situated at the base of your pet bird’s tail will naturally release a waterproofing oil that will help keep your pet bird’s plumage looking good.
Some pet birds are more likely to bathe than others. Mynahs are very happy to have a bath. Budgerigars will have a bath if you place one near the entranceway of their bird cage. If your pet bird is reluctant to have a bath you may need to spray them two times a week. DO NOT point the nozzle directly at your pet bird because it may stress them out instead spray slightly above your pet bird’s head so that the droplets fall like rain. Your pet bird will then start preening themselves. Spraying your pet parrot regularly will discourage them from plucking their feathers.
BIRD MEDICATION
It is very important to monitor your pet bird closely so that you can detect any changes early on that relate to their physical make-up or normal behavior. Check your pet bird daily. Check to see that their feathers are clean, shiny and are growing together in a tight-knit formation. Also check to see if your pet bird is eating well, is bright-eyed and on the alert. If there are any changes from the norm, contact your vet immediately so that you can both work together to nurse your pet bird back to good health. We advise that you come back and purchase any bird medication from us after seeking prior professional advice from your vet.
BIRD HEALTH CARE SUPPLIES
Preventing illnesses before they happen is necessary when it comes to your pet bird. Once your pet bird starts to show signs of deterioration it is usually too late. Your vet will be able to advise you on preventative measures that can be taken to prevent certain health problems from arising.
Here at Pet Care Supplies, you can choose from our expansive range of bird health care supplies that will contribute to your pet birds overall well-being.
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