Acockatiel needs social interaction in order to thrive. Cockatiels like to do things like eat, groom themselves (preening) and play with members of their flock, so these are some basic needs you will have to fulfill. If you don’t have much spare time to spend wth your bird, consider buying two cockatiels of the same sex so they can interact with each other. Two same sex cockatiels kept together in a large cage will form a strong social bond between themselves.

Cockatiel Care Basic – Maintenance and Cleaning
Change the cage paper daily. Black and white newsprint is alright to use, but don’t use the colored print or glossy advertising inserts. Many of these are colored with lead ink.

Take your cockatiel out before cleaning the cage. For cleaning the cage, the Oxyfresh line of products are ideal. Rinse all toys and the cage thoroughly. Perches should be scraped clean. The product Pet Focus is very good for disinfecting and comes in a ready to use form.

Cockatiels’ down gives off a powdery dust. This is a sign of a healthy bird.

Cockatiel Care Basic – Food and Water
Your cockatiel needs various components in his diet to keep him healthy. Do not feed your bird only seed. You will also need to feed (organic is best) pellets and healthy fresh greens and beans. Foundation Formula and Harrison’s are two organic pellets that can be purchased.

The remainder of your cockatiel’s diet should be organic and consist of greens like rinsed, fresh spinach and kale. Lettuce is not very nutritous and consists mostly of water. Other additives to their diet should be cooked vegetables like pasta, beans, corn, and rice. The use of organic foods are stressed here because there may be pesticide residues on produce and seed that is not organic. Roudybush is not organic, but is a high quality food naturally preserved. Cockatiels prefer this food and will thrive on it.

When you are feeding a diet with pellets, do not add vitamins to the water. Most pellets have vitamins added to them Read the manufacturers instructions on the bag.

Provide clean, fresh water for your cockatiel on a daily basis. The stainless steel cups should be cleaned twice daily if food gets in the water. Do not place the bird’s perches above food and water dishes. If droppings should get in the water, change the water immediately.

Cockatiel care basic is essential if you are going to have a healthy, happy bird. Please visit us at Cockatiel Care Secrets for more free information on caring for your cockatiel.

This article is free for republishing
Source: www.articlealley.com.

Caring for parakeets is the most important step in keeping parakeets as pets. Remember their immune systems can be touchy. This means that at the first sign of illness, you should contact your veterinarian immediately. Even a simple virus can turn deadly overnight. A regular care and checkup of your parakeet can keep you away from visiting the vet too frequently. Caring for parakeets means:

A regular checkup of their plumage - birds keep their plumage in peak condition by preening. You can encourage this by occasionally misting it with warm water.
Selecting the right cage for your parakeet - choose a cage that is large enough to allow it plenty of exercise. Most cages come with 2 perches. For more specialized caring for parakeets, you can attach a cuttlebone to the side of the cage. It will help keep the bird’s beak in good condition and will serve as a source of calcium and other minerals.
A proper and adequate diet – this is the single most notable aspect in shaping the health, vitality, and permanence of your parakeet. Give them leafy green vegetables, rice, tofu, some seeds and fruits like orange and papaya. These would give them all the required nutrients to keep them healthy.
Regular bathing of your parakeet – give your parakeet a regular shower of 5-7 times a week in the summer and 3-5 times a week during the winter. This routine will help you keep your parakeet clean and avoid skin related diseases.
Proper grooming of your parakeet – proper and regular trimming of the toenails is very essential. Consult a veterinarian if you wish to clip its wings.

Lack of parakeet care can result in feather plucking, moody and ill-trained parakeets at home. It is always a good idea to know what injuries and what diseases can affect your parakeet, what is the ideal diet for a parakeet, how many times a week should you give it a bath. These would help you undertake foolproof caring for your pet parakeets.

A healthy parakeet is more likely to be immune to diseases and can stay around for a long time to make you laugh, make you entertained and give you a moment to smile…

1. Birds need to eat a nutrionally sound diet in order to live a long life. Improper feeding can lead to malnutrition and disease resulting in a shorter lifespan. Start off by feeding your bird right from the beginning.

2. Parrots and birds of the parrot family can eat a variety of different kinds of foods. Seeds should not be a parrot’s only food. This is a mistake many new bird owners make. Seeds contain mostly fat and not enough protein and very few vitamins.

3. Birds can eat most table foods but it is best to stick to healthy items including items containing whole grains, pretzels, and whole wheat pastas and bread. Foods high in fat should be avoided. Never feed them avocados as they are toxic to birds.

4. Good sources of nutrition for your bird include beans and legumes as well as various vegetables and fruits. Some birds resist new foods at first while others are open to trying many new things. Although it may take some time keep trying to introduce your bird to a variety of healthy foods.

5. Changes to a bird’s diet should be done slowly and progressively over time. Provide fresh foods twice per day for approximately an hour each time. Be careful not to leave fresh food in the bird’s cage too long as it will develop bacteria which can make your bird sick.

6. Your bird should be fed two times per day. This will result in your bird getting hungry which will make it more active. Also, a good appetite can make it more likely that your bird will try new foods. Feeding at set times twice per day will also allow you to be able to monitor how much your bird is eating. If your bird is not eating well this can tell you that it is not feeling well or has a health problem.

7. If your bird is a picky eater and you cannot get it to eat a varied diet you can try warming or cooking the vegetables. Take away seeds except at meal time until your bird starts eating healthy foods on a regular basis.

8. Just as water is necessary for people it is also necessary for healthy birds. Keep your bird’s water dish filled with fresh, clean water at all times. Bird bowls can become very dirty and should therefore be cleaned each day with hot soapy water. Once every other week you should clean your bird’s water dish with a solution containing bleach. Also make it a point to pick up some water soluble bird vitamins at the local pet store and add vitamins to your birds water daily.

Birds make wonderful pets for the whole family and they can live a long time if taken care of properly. Proper care of birds includes maintaining a healthy diet of seeds, vegetables and fruit.

Author’s Resource:

Robert Michael is a writer for Las Birds which is an excellent place to find birds links, resources and articles. For more information go to: www.lasbirds.com

Visit Animal Pets & Friends for more pet and animal articles.

As always, a good selection of birds and small animals. Today they had a pair of diamond silver doves available along with their always full stock of parakeets, cockatiels, parrots, conures, finches, and canaries. Kittens were also available, as were guinea pigs and bunnies.

Puppies available a Shih Tzu, Fox Terriers, and a pot-bellied pig.

Always worth a visit.

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Axolotls

Freshwater Fish

Bala Shark	Ghost Knife	Neon Tetra	Red Phantom Tetra	Ruby Red Peacock

Saltwater Fish

Flame Angel	Moorish Idol	Percula Clown	Royal Gramma

Cats

Burmilla	Persian	Scottish Fold	Siamese	Singapura
Somali

Dogs

Akita Inu	American Cocker Spaniel	Basenji	Beagle	Dachshunds
Havanese	Labrador Retriever	Papillon	Pug	Shetland Sheepdog
Siberian Husky	Silky Terrier

Rabbits

Holland Lop

Reptiles

Jackson Chameleons