Many lovers of home fauna live parrots. These unique beautiful birds with their own character have an extraordinary intelligence and a cheerful disposition, for which they become the universal favorites of all households. It is easy to care for them, they will not create problems during an urgent departure - you can always quickly find someone who will temporarily watch the bird.
If you decide to have a parrot, Carefully prepare for the purchase: study the recommendations of ornithologists on the conditions of detention, the rules of care and hygiene, diet feeding, zoological features of the selected breed. Then the new family member will live in comfortable conditions, will relatively easily adapt and will always be cheerful and healthy.
How to prepare for the "newcomer"
Before you go to the pet store, get everything you need for a parrot: an optimal size (non-cage) cage, a feeding trough, a water bowl, accessories for games (poles, cords, ladders, mirrors, bells, etc.). All this must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected prior to buying a bird.
Come up with a feathery beautiful original nickname. Place the cage next to the wall so that there are no drafts and direct sunlight. Move the indoor plants away so that the parrot cannot reach them and nibble, otherwise a very sad result cannot be avoided.
The period of adaptation after purchase
Ornithologists say that the adaptation of a parrot is much easier if everything was prepared in advance, and did not appear in the house with the bird. The adaptation period lasts for 2–3 weeks, and may last for a month. Birds bring home in the shipping charge. Carefully place the bird in a cage, provide food and water - this is still enough. At first, the parrot will be sad and sit quietly on the perch. Leave him alone, do not try to make friends: while this is unlikely to succeed, but add stress.
It is desirable that in the first days someone should enter the room with the cage, and let the rest of the household postpone acquaintance for later.
Easy come just check the bird without any action. Let your pet take a closer look at the cage and towards you. Refrain from loud conversations for a while, do not turn on the music, do not slam the doors, do not let other pets into the room, if there are any.
If you notice that the feed from the feeder does not decrease, pour it directly to the bottom of the cage, as the parrot may not see the feeder due to stress. After a couple of days, the parrot will begin to come to its senses, see the seeds and starve with pleasure to start the meal.
Parrots are drunk rarely and very little, and under stress they can do without drinking for a whole day, so you may not notice if the bird is drinking. If it seemed to you that the parrot does not drink at all, then in vain not to worry, mark the water level on the drinker to see if the amount of water has decreased. You can put water in a saucer at the bottom of the cage - so the parrot will see it and drink it.
Liquid manure due to stress in the first 2-3 days is normal, but if diarrhea does not stop for a week, you will have to seek help from a veterinarian.
Coming to the cage, each time in a calm, even voice call a parrot by name, treat with a tasty delicacy, praise. The parrot will get used to you and will respond with cheerful sounds.
The need for regular flights
Free flights are a natural need for birds. The state of flight forms positive emotions in parrots, they start to play and frolic, to utter enthusiastic sounds. The bird's physiological condition improves (general tone, blood circulation, digestion), its wings strengthen. Even in a spacious cage, a parrot can only spread its wings and buck itself up, but not fly. If we ignore the recommendations of the ornithologists and do not let the bird out of the cage, muscular atrophy, depression will develop and immunity will begin to decline.
To avoid this, the bird should regularly be given the opportunity to freely fly around the room.
How to let the parrot "walk" for the first time
During the first time a feathery stays in your home, you cannot let it out of its cage, as a frightened bird will rush restlessly around the room and beat against walls and windows. The consequences can be extremely serious. This will be possible after a period of adaptation (about a month). Watch for changes in the behavior of the parrot.
If the pet is cheerful and cheerful, it responds to its name, willingly enjoys playing with toys, does not hide from you, sits on the finger and can eat from the hand, you can decide on a “walk”.
Prepare the room: close the windows (the birds do not see the glass and may break), remove the mirrors and gadgets, securely hide the wires, take the animals to another room, close the door and warn the household that no one enters the room - the pet trusts you only for now.
Choose a time when you have enough free time to slowly cope with unforeseen situations. Both you and your pet should be in a good mood. The best time to walk is in the late afternoon, before feeding. Quietly go to the cage, gently talk with your pet, call his name several times, open the door. It may happen that the parrot does not want to leave the cage. Do not rush it and do not shout, do not force out, do not make sudden movements - the parrots are very impressionable, unnecessary stress will not lead to anything good.
You can safely try to lure the bird out of the cage with your favorite delicacy or a bright toy, quietly pronouncing its name and offering to eat from your hand.
If, despite your attempts, the parrot remains in the cage, leave it alone. Without closing the door, move away from the cage and calmly watch from the side. If the flight did not take place, then the bird is not ready and feels unprotected. Repeat the experiment in a couple of days. Every day the parrot will get more and more accustomed to the situation and will definitely decide to exit from its house. Mandatory rule - do not leave the bird during the flight unattended, to protect from accidental injury.
How to return the bird to the cage
It happens that having decided to leave the cage, the bird does not want to return home, or has lost its landmark, carried away by the freedom and interesting surroundings. Show maximum patience - let the birds come back to the cage on their own so that you do not have to force it, otherwise it will get stressed again and lose confidence in you. Use the fact that he was not fed before the walk. If the parrot flies and flies, not paying attention to the feeder, start pouring the seeds through the bars of the cage onto the tray.
The bird will be attracted by the sounds of blows, it will see food and enter the cage. Quickly close the door so that the bird does not slip out of the cage again.
You can use your favorite parrot treat, but it should be a treat from the bird diet, and not from our table. Put your favorite food in a cage and on your palm, invite your pet to sit on your hand.
Tamed parrot with pleasure will start to feast on his hands. Slowly, so as not to frighten off, move the feathered inside the cage and close the door. The hungry parrot will calmly continue the meal from the feeder.
Flight frequency and duration
Regular exercise is necessary to maintain the health of the birds. Young parrots must fly around the room for at least 3 hours every day. Middle-aged birds gradually reduce the load up to 2 hours, and older parrots can be released from the cage every other day. Do not allow parrots to fly longer than the allotted time and stay at night outside the cage.
Frequent violations of the flight mode will finally knock the bird off the rhythm of life, it will behave restlessly, chirp loudly, beat about the bars, demand freedom and will not be able to live in a cage.
It should be noted that in parrots of different breeds from the purchase to the first release from the cage different time passes. But there is one general rule - do not force things, have patience and strength, wait for the pet to fully adapt to the new habitat and to trust the owner. Only in this way your pet will successfully learn interesting skills and make you a cheerful company for a pleasant pastime.
How to let the parrot out of its cage for the first time, see below.
