HOW TO TRAIN YOUR PARROT (Chapter One)

Chapter One: The Foundations (You Have to Get These Right If You Want a Nice Parrot!)

The first step in making sure that your bird is happy, healthy, strong,
and ready for any kind of training is to make sure that his
environment is optimal. 

Making sure that he is well fed, groomed, and living in a fantastic
environment may actually eliminate most of the undesirable behavior
problems that he’s exhibiting.

STEP 1 : Your Bird’s Cage 

Cage Size
You know that old saying that “bigger is better?”  In the case of your
bird’s cage, it’s true.

Birds are meant to roam and fly, so they should be allowed enough
space so that they feel free to forage naturally, climb around, and
exercise. 

Some basic housing rules are:
• There should not be too many birds in a cage.  
• There should be plenty of perches.  
• There should be enough food bowls for the number of birds in the
cage
. 
• Additionally, the cage needs to be big enough to put lots of toys
in and be able to move around and play with the toys without
bumping into them. 

If you want to get a good look at cages for different parrot breeds,
and a free catalog, Go to www.cagesbydesign.org.  This is a great
place to find cages for your bird.  Check out the pictures and view
what birds they place in the cages.  

Cage Materials
What do you want the cage to be made out of? 

The first rule of thumb is to be leery of cages that are made of
chicken wire or chain link fence.  Birds can develop metal toxicity
which will cause them to deteriorate slowly and eventually die.  This
is because birds like to chew and they’ll grind on the metal with their
mouths.  The chain link and chicken wire are soft metals.  Pieces will
break off and the metal will stay in their systems.  It’s toxic and lethal
to many birds. 

Rather than list all of the good choices, because there are many,
here’s a basic guideline:

• Check with your avian veterinarian
• Avian Adventures makes a great cage and they’re carried in many pet stores.
• Cagesbydesign.com  offers safe, premium cages
• Small birds have many safe alternatives in your local chain or reputable pet store.

Other Cage Considerations:

Durability
Remember that larger species live for 50+ years so you
want to make sure that the cage you buy will last a long time.

Wheels
 Look for quality wheels on the cage.  Make sure they can
withstand a lot of weight.  When you’re moving the bird from room
to room or even home to home, it’s important that the wheels are
working and in good shape. 

Lighting.
Does the cage have the ability to have lighting added to it?
I like to purchase full spectrum lighting for my cages because it helps
produce vitamin K in the birds.  Full spectrum simulates natural light,
sunshine, which reduces feather plucking tendencies. 

All animals, including people and parrots, need Vitamin D and we
need the sunshine to make it. We can’t make it on our own. Full
spectrum lighting helps with your bird’s overall health, vitamin d
development, and general happiness.

Avoid the temptation to just place your bird by the window for his
natural light requirements. It doesn’t work and it can stress your bird
out. Modern windows filter the sunshine and we don’t get the 'D'
development that we need.

Believe me, I learned this the hard way.  My parents occasionally
watch my birds.  They have old windows that don’t block the sunlight
and they have full spectrum lighting in the room.

I couldn’t figure out why my bird was happier at my parents.
Eventually I did and I placed full spectrum lighting on his cage, and
now everyone’s happy.

Bottom Tray
You want to get a cage where your bird cannot stick his feet through
the cage bars and touch his feet in the bottom tray.  The tray is
designed to capture the messings but it also captures any spilled food.
An important aspect of training is a training diet, which I’ll talk about
in chapter three. 

If your bird can access the food in the bottom of his cage then you will
not be able to get him on an established training diet and the training
won’t work.

Placement of Your Bird’s Cage
The placement of your bird’s cage is very important for both his health
and his happiness.

You want to avoid drafty windows and vents to keep him healthy and
you may want to keep him away from windows to keep him from
getting stressed and frightened.  

 In addition to stress from loud noises, construction equipment, and
other predators, birds outside the window, hawks for example, can
terrify your bird. 

For example, my bird Tikko loves being able to see the neighbor
children in the backyard playing but he also becomes very frightened
when he sees the construction equipment, cranes in particular, come
out. 

Secondly, don’t put your bird’s cage on the ground.  They do not feel
secure on the ground.  They’re birds after all, they like being up
where they can see things.

Don’t put your bird’s cage in other potentially scary places like:
 
• Near loud speakers (surround sound or other sound system)  That
loud
 bass can cause stress.

• In the middle of a room.  Birds prefer corners so that they don’t
have to be on guard.  Their back is covered so to speak.  When
they are relatively free of distractions, they can sleep better and
will be less stressed. 

If you have the option, consider setting up your bird so that he can be
in your most active room during the day (so that he can be around
you) and out of that room when it’s time to go to bed. 

Birds need 12-14 hours of sleep and if you can move him into a
different room when it’s time for him to go to bed then he’ll get
better sleep, he’ll be healthier, happier, and better behaved. 

My parents found a fantastic solution to their birds’ need for sleep.
They placed the birds in a room and cut a hole in the wall and placed
a window so that the birds could see the people during the day.
Come bedtime, they shut off the light and close the blinds over the
window.  This solution also works well for birds with screaming
problems.  When they scream you simply shut off the light and close
the blinds.  They quickly learn to stop screaming.

What Goes Into Your Bird’s Cage?

Perches

I recommend very tough perches because most birds destroy them.  If
you don’t mind replacing them often, then basic wooden dowels of
varying sizes are fine. 

I recommend the manzanita perch. It is made of the toughest wood,
which means that the bird cannot chew them very easily and they
take a long time to destroy.  They also a have natural contours,
diameters, and knots and branches, which provide your parrot with
variety.

Variety in a perch is important because it helps in the natural
development of your bird’s feet and keeps your bird from developing
joint problems and arthritis.  If you don’t have a manzanita perch
option, then simply buy perches of different sizes. 

Bendable rope perches also allow you to change angles to provide
variety.  Variety is the key for good foot development.  You may also
want to try the nail and beak grooming perches that enable your bird
to file their claws.  These come in odd shaped sizes and offer a more
natural feel.

Toys

A common problem among new bird owners is to not train their bird
to play by himself.  This leads to your bird screaming for your
attention. (We speak in depth about screaming and how to eliminate
it in Chapter Two.)

Birds are intelligent creatures and they need stimulation.  Since you
cannot be with them 24/7, you must train them to entertain
themselves.  You do this by providing them a wide variety of toys.

Boredom causes destructive and undesirable behaviors.  Change and
add toys often.

You may not want to hear this but your bird needs new toys
constantly.  Imagine if you were given one Rubik's cube to play with
for the rest of your life.  No computer games, no hobbies, no board
games, cards or even sports.  Nope, just the Rubik's cube. 

You’d go nuts, right?  

Your bird will too.  He needs new toys and this means that you will
need to budget and spend money on your bird. 

I recommend 3-5 toys in your bird’s cage at one time. You also need
to watch him to make sure that he’s playing with them.  Signs of play
include chewing and relocating the toy to a new area. 

Make sure that the toys you purchase offer varying textures sizes and
types of toys.  Your bird won’t like every toy.

For example, my macaw likes wood but doesn’t like plastic so I don’t
get him plastic toys.  My cockatiel loves paper to shred.  He also likes
soft wood toys like the softness of balsa wood and foam so that’s
what I buy for him. 

If your bird doesn’t touch the toy at all for a week or two, then get rid
of it.

NOTED:  Don’t get reflective toys.  Your bird may bond to the
reflection and it can cause real problems.  Avoid mirrors, reflective
plastic and so on.  While some birds don’t react, it isn’t worth the
risk.  He will like the toy just fine, talking and singing to it, but he’ll
become possessive when you try to play with him.  This
possessiveness can cause biting and aggressive behavior.  


Other Types of Toys and Where to Find Them
Foot toys are excellent options. Game type or puzzle toys are also
spectacular for many birds.  Puzzle toys challenge your bird’s
intelligence and problem-solving skills.  Food finding toys, or toys
with buttons are examples of these types of toys.

Basic rule of thumb—Pay attention to the toys, make sure he’s
playing with them, and vary them regularly.

8beaks.com makes fantastic toys.  They’re on the premium end but
you can mix these toys with home made toys.  Windycityparrot.com
offers toy pieces. 

Bonus tip:  Before you give up on a toy try changing it.  For example
a toy hanging in the middle of the cage quite often won’t be touched
but if you place it in the tree, not hanging but just laying on the tree,
your bird may interact with it simply because he needs to if he wants
to hang out in his tree.


Foraging is Fun.
I also recommend that you invest time to create a foraging
environment for your bird.  This is done by constantly hiding things
like food or toys to create an explorative environment.  Place toys in
unusual places, make your bird move around the cage to act.  Hide
toys and treats. 

I like to hide stuff in the play tree, like a peanut, in order to stimulate
my birds.  It keeps him busy for hours and present a more natural
environment.

STEP 2 : BATHING  

Bathing is an extremely important thing to do with your bird and it
serves several functions:

• Can stop feather plucking
• Will help to prevent over preening
• It is a great way for you to spend time with your bird  
• Baths also cut down on your bird’s dander problems.  
• Makes the feathers look and feel better.

I re
commend taking the bird in the shower with you.  It’s a great way
to bond, an easy way to groom your bird, and it only adds about 5
minutes to your shower. 

If you are going to shower with your parrot, you’ll need to find a
Shower Perch.   You can find them at www.windycityparrot.com or
search for one on your favorite search engine.  They’re great to give
your bird a place to perch while you’re in the shower just make sure
the perch is slip proof. 

Most avian veterinarians recommend bathing or showering with your
parrot 2 to 3 times a week in the winter and 3 to 5 times a week
during the hot summer months.

STEP 3 : FEEDING

30% of pet behavior problems—all pets; dogs, cats and birds
included—are related directly to a bad diet. 

Think about it.  You don’t feel good when you don’t get proper
nutrition.  You sleep poorly.  You get cranky, your body hurts. The
same thing happens to your bird.  Only when your bird doesn’t feel
good, he takes it out on you.  He bites, he screams, and he pulls out
his feathers. 

The foundation of your bird’s diet.

The best bird diets, and the kind that you need to follow if you want
to be successful with this program, begin with a pellet base.

I strongly recommend that you get a certified organic pellet diet as
the foundation diet for your bird.  The organic pellets found at
feedyourflock.com are ideal.  They are free from chemicals and other
unnecessary products.  You’d be amazed at what you can find in bird
food.  Rubber stabilizers and myriad chemicals that the FDA says
that small amounts aren’t harmful.  Don’t believe it!

Organic foods are always healthier.

Another type of pellet available via your avian veterinarian is
Harrisons and is a good back up pellet. 

You might be inclined to get colored pellets.  Don’t do it.  Many
people use colorful pellets because the birds tend to like it more.
They like it because it’s full of sugar. You don’t want to fill your bird with sugar. 

A colored pellet is better than an all seed or seed and nut based diet
but it isn’t ideal.

Why Seed and Nut Diets are Bad.

Seeds and nuts are full of fat.  Good for people in small amounts but
terrible for your bird.  They wreak tons of havoc on your bird’s liver.
They cause cancer and they shorten lives.  In fact, a recent study
determined that a parakeet on a  seed based diet will live 2-3 years
but a parakeet on pellet—based diet will live 10-12 years. 

If your bird is on seeds, get them off that diet and onto pellets!

If your bird absolutely won’t eat pellets then you need to get tricky
with your bird, get creative.  Take the pellets and hide them in his
other food.  Break them down into small bits.  Hide them into a
powdered and sprinkle them on the food.  Hide them in muffins or
breads.  Bake them into eggs, all sorts of things. 

YOU CAN SWITCH YOUR BIRD TO PELLETS! 

A bird’s diet needs more:
In addition to a pellet based foundation, your bird needs a constant
and regular dose of fruits and vegetables.  (Take care to avoid too
much citrus because of the high acidity.)

Good options include:
Broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, deep green leafy veggies
Apples, melons, grapes, (remember to pit any fruit)

Set up a regular feeding routine.

Once a day, at the same time every day, give your bird a bowl of
fresh fruit and veggies.  Be sure to not leave it out for too long—two
hours is sufficient.  If you leave the bowl out for too long, you’ll get a
house full of fruit flies. 

Bonus Tip:  If you already have a fruit fly or moth problem, then visit
Windycityparrot.com.  They offer moth and fruit fly traps to get rid
of the problem before the little buggers multiply and fill your home!
A quick search for moth traps, using the website’s search tool, will
help you quickly find the right product.

Bean Mixes
Bean mixes make an excellent and nutritious addition to your bird’s
diet.  They add protein and natural minerals and nutrients that your
bird needs.  You can make your own or visit myparrot.com.  Denise,
the website owner, offers a great bean mix to purchase.

So here’s what you need as a foundation diet for optimal parrot
health:
1. Organic pellets
2. Fruits
3. Veggies
4. Bean mixes

Your bird will be healthy and raring to go!