November 9th, 2008 by Gypsy

Tips on short trips, long trips and airplanes.

Before you attempt that cross-country ride, give your bird experience on shorter trips. Visit a nearby friend or relative, have a snack at an outdoor café, or even pick up some toys at a pet store. Provide some fun destinations: that is, somewhere other than the vet or groomer.

A few things to consider as you are heading out:

1. Never take your pet bird outside without it being inside a carrier, travel cage or attached to an avian harness.

2. Your bird’s carrier should be firmly belted to the back seat of your car. (The front seat can be dangerous if your car has a passenger-side airbag.)

3. Reassure your bird by making sure it can see you during the ride and can hear you talking.

4. If the day is excessively cold, hot or windy, and the trip is optional, wait until the weather is more accommodating.

5. Covering the carrier with a sheet or towel can protect your bird from the elements. However, Dr. Jorge Mayer, DVM, of Massachusetts advised not to cover the bird completely. Birds that are in the dark can stumble off the perch when the carrier is jostled.

6. Make sure your destination is not only pleasant but also safe for your parrot. Avoid anywhere that is dark, smoky, overly crowded or that might otherwise overwhelm your bird. If you are visiting friends with dogs or cats you are unfamiliar with, can you find a secure room for your parrot? Do your friends know how important it is to keep windows closed and to keep your parrot away from lit stoves and other hazards? Even though your hosts are well-meaning, be vigilant; they are probably not aware of some of the commonplace dangers to parrots, such as salty foods, chocolate, air freshener sprays, and so on.

7. Enjoy your trip! Your bird will “read” your manner and relax, even if it’s not quite ready to socialize and prefers to just observe.

Get Ready For A Longer Trip

A few things to consider if you and your parrot will be away for a night or longer:

1. Pack for both you and your parrot. A supply of your bird’s particular food brand is essential, as it might not be available at your destination. A stash of treats, toys, perches and dishes also makes life easier, depending on the duration of your trip. Also, a small carrier might be fine for a quick trip across town, but if your parrot will be spending a few days away from home it will probably need something larger. Luckily, there are collapsible travel cages available that you can assemble once you reach your destination.

2. If you travel to another state, confirm that there are no quarantines in effect and that your species of parrot is legal there. Quaker parakeets, for example, are illegal to own in California, New Jersey and several other states.

Flying With Parrots

When Jen Silva recently relocated her brown-headed parrot and two cockatiels from Texas to Japan, she learned how complicated it can be to coordinate such a move. Her first piece of advice?

“If someone is only going overseas for a vacation, I recommend finding a good bird sitter,” she said. Assess the difficulties and expenses to you as well as the stress on your birds, especially if the country you are visiting imposes a quarantine period.

Nevertheless, Silva had some good tips for domestic and international flights:

1. Talk to the airline, and make sure you understand their regulations for traveling with birds. Airlines differ not only in their policies, such as whether birds are allowed to travel in the cabin, what size birds are allowed and any extra fees. Silva learned that no pets are allowed in the cabin for international flights, and there is a limit to the number of hours the birds can stay in the cargo hold. Also, make sure your travel plans do not involve switching planes to another airline, with a whole new set of regulations and fees.
Check the airline’s specifications for carriers. Silva was able to adapt Chihuahua-size crates by outfitting them with wooden perches, spill-proof water bottles and a supply of food.

2. Obtain a health certificate from an accredited vet no more than 10 days before your flight. For international travel, you will need the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, (APHIS) (www.aphis.usda.gov/travel/pets.html) form 7001, signed by both the vet and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) person in your city; this form has a raised seal.
3. Also, if you are leaving the country, you will need a CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) permit (www.cites.org), which might take three weeks to obtain. Keep a copy of all your paperwork, Silva advised. You will need it for your return trip.

4. Make sure your birds are banded if you are traveling abroad.

5. Have your bird’s wing-feathers trimmed, or have it in a secure, safe harness. Airport personnel might ask you to remove the bird from the carrier to pass through security checkpoints, and you’ll want to avoid a panicked bird flying in a crowded terminal.

6. Research the types of bird food, equipment and veterinary care available at your destination. Bring enough food and supplies with you to last through your trip. If you are not likely to find an avian vet once you arrive, follow Silva’s lead: have your vet perform the full battery of tests on your birds before you leave home, and keep them indoors once you arrive to prevent exposure to new diseases.

Help Your Parrot Become More At Ease With Its Travel Cage

1. If the travel cage resembles your parrot’s regular cage in some way, things may go more smoothly. A vastly different appearance can be off-putting, especially at first.

2. Make sure the carrier is big enough for your bird, which should at least be able to turn around and enjoy some movement.

3. Leave the cage around for a few days or weeks so your parrot can get used to it and see that it doesn’t pose a threat.

4. Put some tempting toys or treats in the cage where your parrot can see them and investigate; for example, most of our birds can’t resist a sprig of millet.

5. Avoid dangling toys to prevent your bird from getting knocked around when the carrier is in motion.

6. Avoid a water dish in the carrier; your parrot probably won’t appreciate a sudden bath. Water bottles can be a great alternative as long as you are sure your parrot knows how to use one. Jen Silva, who recently relocated with her parrots from Texas to Japan, found investing in non-spillable bottles well worth the price. Juicy pieces of fruit can also provide liquid on short trips.

November 3rd, 2008 by Gypsy

Remember our Turf to Trees Forum if you have a tree question >> Turf to Trees Forum.

The photos below illustrate one way of making bird perches. Another option is carving or shaving the ends of sticks and branches to wedge them between cage bars and fasten with leather or material. But the hardware method does allow the perches to be anchored very firmly..

For the method below, select safe non-toxic wood and use stainless steel hardware.

That’s stainless steel washers, and whatever the bird can reach - but usually the washers. There are paragraphs below to make the project go smoothly as well as for providing a safe product.

The methods below will work for both ends of a long perch if you take your time to measure - maybe even trimming the length twice as needed in small increments. After you find your perch wood, about the only other supplies needed are the hardware pieces.

Those are:

1. Washers. These in the photo are called fender washers.

These need to be big enough to span across the cage bars without slipping off. So measure the bars first - the width of the cage between the bars.

The washers have to be stainless steel to reduce or prevent the risk of zinc toxicity; a hazard with zinc fender washers. Match the center hole size to the hanger bolt - item 2.

2. Hanger bolts. That is the threaded piece of hardware with a screw or lag type thread at one end and a machine thread at the other.

The machine thread end stays on the outside of the perch.

3. Wing nuts. I suppose you could use hexagonal nuts, but wing nuts are more convenient for many people.

If you use hex nuts, two of them can be used together to thread the hanger bolt into the perch wood with a wrench. See one of the images below.

At least in our case, the birds could only reach the washers. We bought stainless steel washers and were not too concerned about the metal content of the wing nuts or hanger bolts since those were out of reach on the outside of the cage.

These items (washers, nuts and hanger bolts) are available at most hardware stores. Sometimes the smaller hardware stores have a better selection of special hardware, or can order the pieces.

Be sure to match diameter of the washer hole with the hanger bolt diameter. Also check to see that the nut threads on the hanger bolt before you leave the hardware store.

Many of these items are available by the box or the bag, in quantities like 50, 100, or more.

The cost per piece was a lot less for the ones we bought when all of them were ordered by the box.

Smaller perches won’t need as large of hardware as larger perches. When the length of a large diameter perch exceeds 12″, you might consider extending the perch completely from side to side, with a hanger bolt at each end.

Bigger birds also weigh more and can put more pressure on the hanger bolt.

The perches in the top photo are about 14″ long, and were for cockatiels. I recall using 1/4″ hanger bolts for those. Had those perches been for our African grey parrot, 3/8″ hanger bolts would have been our choice.

Predrill a hole in the perch before threading in the hanger bolt. If you don’t predrill, the perch can split, similar to how splitting wedges will divide firewood.

Make sure the hole is big enough to start threading that hanger bolt in. But not so large that the hanger bolt will loosen; causing the perch to rotate free. Keep it firm.

If you hold the hanger bolt up in front of a window or light source, you will be able to see the inside diameter of the shank along the threads. You can hold a few drill bits in front of the hanger bolt, until you find a bit that’s the right size.

You don’t want a drill as large as the outside diameter of the threads. That’s too bif of a bit.

Hopefully its obvious, but you will be threading the “screw” resembling threads into the wood, not the “machine” threads. The threads for the nut are usually more numerous and closer together. Those stay on the outside for the nut, and the coarse threads spaced farther apart, thread into the wood. Those appear to spiral slightly.

Once you get your hanger bolts, you’ll see that there is no end to use a tool for driving it in. Not unless technology changes.

It’s not like a screw that has an indent for a screw driver, or a nut or bolt with a head for a wrench.

One way to thread the hanger bolt into the perch is with a nut that’s closed on one end. It’s an option, but those nuts are a tad bit spendy. If you will make several dozen, that may be desireable, since you can use a nut driver on the end of a drill or cordless screwdriver.

But you need to drive the hanger bolt gently if you use a closed-end nut. Otherwise the hanger bolt can punch out the end of the nut.

You can drive the hanger bolt in using a socket on a drill attachment as shown, or with a hand held nut driver, or wrench.

If you use the drill, go slow, not just to avoid damaging the nuts. You don’t want to drive the hanger bolt too deeply into the hole. If it threads in too far, you may have to damage the machine theads with pliers to get it back out. Typically, these don’t “back-out” of the hole well with wrenches and nuts.

You would need to clamp pliers directly onto the threads and reverse the hanger bolt out of the hole. And these hanger bolts are not inexpensive. Probably 25 cents to 50 cents apiece (2005 price).

You want to drive the hanger bolt in just enough to hide the coarse threads. And possibly the short segment without threads which is between the two types of threads.

Turn the hanger bolt and drive it in until the screw type thread dissappears into the perch and maybe and extra eighth of an inch. Hopefully the hole is the right size, and not drilled too big.

If you accidentally drilled the hole too big - making the hanger bolt loose - you have at least two options. One option is cutting one inch off the perch and drilling again with a smaller bit. The other option, is sliding a small sliver of wood into the hole, or a couple of wooden toothpicks. Sometimes that will work.

You can also thread-in the hanger bolt using two nuts and a wrench. Actually two wrenches.

You thread both nuts on slightly, one against the other, and holding one nut in place one wrench, you clamp the second nut tight against it with the second wrench.

Then, you should be able to turn the outer nut, or both nuts with the hanger bolt rotating its way into the hole. Once the hanger bolt is threaded in, use two wrenches to separate the two nuts.

If you don’t have extra nuts at home, be sure to pick up one or two of the right kind from the hardware store before you go back home. The small nuts seem more susceptible to having the threads strip. Keep one, two or a few extras on hand.

Don’t use any oils to lubricate the hardware or the hole in the perch before threading. At least not petroleum oils or sewing machine oil. A bit of vegetable oil or something like that might be okay, but shouldn’t be essential.

Once the hanger bolt is inserted and you are ready to mount the perch, slide on the STAINLESS STEEL washers and the wing nut.

One washer goes on first, then a second washer on the outside of the cage.

You could skip the washer on the inside of the cage, but if you don’t use it, that means your birds can gnaw the end of the perch a lot easier without the metal obstacle.

In case you are concerned about your clothes getting ripped or someone getting snagged on the protruding hanger bolt: put several extra regular nuts on the hanger bolt before the wing nut is threaded on.

If you find a well stocked hardware store, they should carry small parts called “thread protectors” which slide onto the end of threads (bolts) to protect threads. These also provide safety by covering the exposed threads.

Our small birds really loved a small “chunky” or stubby kind of perch - I just called them “bird pods” - cross cut sections from small tree trunks.

VERY IMPORTANT:

If you make these and cut the wood too thin - it cracks. In fact, you can see from this photo that a tiny crack is present. Make sure that the wood for these is cut no thinner than 3 to 5 inches.

Also, the faster the wood dries, the worse it will crack. Dry the wood slowly. Don’t put it in a warm laundry room. Put it in an area where the wood will dry out in 2 to 3 weeks.

Now, about the cracks. You are almost certain to get some kind of small crack. That crack can catch a bird toe or toe nail especially where the crack tapers to a wedge.

I understand that a glue like elmer’s school glue is not toxic to birds. Squirt a tiny bit of that kind of glue into the crack. Then, while the glue is still wet in the crack - rub sand paper over the top of the “pod” perch and let the fine sanded wood particles push into the glue in the crack. That will fill the crack and eliminate the toe-trapping gap. The glue will need to dry overnight before installing in the cage.

Occasionally, one of these develops cracks too large to fill. In that case, toss it away. But, if you don’t cut the wood too thin, odds are your pod perch will be fine. The birds may not be able to reach the washers with this kind of perch. In that case, zinc might be okay. On the other hand, if all perch washers are stainless steel, you eliminate the hazard of mixing them up during cage cleaning or cage rearrangement, or if you discard an old perch and recycle the washers. A magnet will generally pick out a zinc washer and leave stainless steel alone.

October 14th, 2008 by Gypsy

By: Ispas Marin

article source:  http://www.animaltalk.us/for/Animals/

You are the proud owner of a parrot and you are looking for a toy for your pet. The offer of parrot toys on the market is huge, so how do you know which parrot toy is safe for your pet? Because you should be aware that some of them are dangerous for pets as they may hurt them. Therefore, an important parrot care issue is its toys.

The first aspect you should take into consideration when buying a parrot toy is the size of the toy and the size of the pet. Basically the parrot toy should fit the size of your parrot. Why is that? Well, because a big size parrot is strong and can easily break a small toy into pieces which can be easily ingested by your pet. Therefore, try to avoid small parrot toys if your pet is big. You should know that nowadays there is a large array of big parrot toys which are made from thick plastic, perfect for a big strong-beaked parrot.

Things aren’t easy with small parrots wither. A small size parrot can be afraid of a big toy so try to fit the size of the toy to the one of the pet. If you can’t tell which parrot toy is good for your pet, look at the label or ask for more information.

Another important aspect is the type of the parrot toy. You should avoid buying parrot toys which are made out of small pieces as the parrot can remove them and, consequently digest them. Remember that a parrot has a strong beak therefore any piece which is bite-size for the parrot should not be on the toy.

A parrot toy is usually hanging on some chains. These chains can represent a possible danger for the health or life of your pet. How is this possible? Well, chains come in two types: the chains with welded links (which are safe for your parrot) and the chains with closed links (which are not safe). The parrot may try to open up the link which is not weld and its beak would get stuck in that space. The parrot may get hurt while trying to release itself. Consequently, examine carefully the chains attached to your parrot toys.

But the chains are not the only dangerous pieces of a parrot toy. Parrot toys made out of wood may also be dangerous. Therefore, wood is another important aspect to think of. Parrots are birds which love to chew wood. They do this to find bugs hidden inside the tree bark in the woods. So a parrot will always start chewing a toy made out of wood. Some types of wood are not good for parrots, so you should check the internet for a list of parrot-safe wood.

Parrots are also birds which enjoy preening and grooming. Their instinct is telling them to constantly pick or even chew their feathers. This is not a healthy habit for your pet. So you should buy a chew rope, which is a very useful parrot toy as it allows your pet to exercise its habit every day without causing any problems to itself. But pay attention to the deterioration of the toy as it gets extremely ragged and worn out. Replace it with a new toy as the clumps may cause accidents to your pet. Your parrot could catch its feet into the clumps and could get hurt while struggling to escape.

In conclusion, there is only one rule to apply for this parrot care issues: whenever shopping for a parrot toy use the common sense rule. If you look at a parrot toy and it doesn’t seem safe, don’t buy it. Don’t buy any parrot toys which can get ingested or which can get a foot or a beak caught inside them. And always examine the parrot toys carefully before putting them into your pet’s cage.

And if your parrot is ignoring its new, shiny toy, don’t worry. It doesn’t hate it, it is just being cautious. Parrots don’t like change, like most pets. And a new toy represents an unexpected change for their habitat. Therefore, the toy must be put under strict observation to make sure it is not a possible enemy. After two or three weeks of monitoring the intruder (the toy) the parrot will gain confidence into its new toy and it will start playing with it!