Parrotlet Periodical-issue #11, July '23

Tips and tricks for your flying family member!

In this issue:

  • Creating a stimulating environment for your p'let?

  • Biting!!! - the "whys" and strategies to prevent

  • An easy diet addition for your pet

  • Available babies

How much stimulation does your p'let need?

Anyone familiar with parrotlets know that they thrive in a stimulating environment, but just how much stimulation is good without being too much...

I view my parrotlets like toddlers. Although these little dynamos crave mental stimulation, at some point, these guys can crash and burn with too much of a good thing. Research concludes that birds are happiest when provided with a variety of enrichment. These various forms of enrichment can include toys, visual and auditory stimuli, and human interaction. Factors additional to these three basic items can be the location/embellishment of the cage, lighting of the cage and room, and foraging opportunities.

 

About the cage, we know that a change of scenery is often a refreshing point of view for a person, so it stands to reason that it could also be refreshing for your p'let. One thing that can be done is to simply change the location of your cage within the room. Providing a different location reveals a new vantage point from your parrotlet's view. Sort of like rearranging your furniture to give a room a fresh look, relocating your cage can give your parrotlet a completely different, and refreshing, view of their surroundings. Another thing that I like to do is to change out the foliage surrounding my cages. I often find silk palms or other silk plants at my local thrift stores. Once washed, these plants can turn you bird's cage into a simulated forest. Since I have lights above my cages, silk foliage allow my pets to dart in and out of the light, just as they would under a forest canopy. (see below for the tops of two of my aviary cages for examples)

 

Creating foraging opportunities for your parrotlet is another simple yet stimulating option. I often wrap millet or other small treats, like sunflower seeds, in brown paper. My birds love tearing through this paper to reveal their prize. Additionally, I like to place air popped popcorn on top of their cages. They can perform all sorts of entertaining maneuvers and contortions getting to this treat.

 

Lighting can be another environmental factor that can bring not only a room, but your parrotlet, to life. We all understand how sunlight improves mood and energy in humans. Birds can benefit from the same application of both natural and artificial lighting. Since birds do benefit from natural sunlight, allowing them access to sunning themselves, even for a brief period of time, can be beneficial. Even if you don't have a screened in porch, or do not feel comfortable with taking your parrotlet outside in a small cage, placing a perch on a windowsill can provide the much desired light and warmth for your bird to enjoy.

Your birds need for stimulation...

One final note on providing your bird a stimulating environment - Parrotlets need 10-12 hours of darkness each night to give them adequate sleep time. These are very busy little creatures and although a good, engaging habitat is important, so too, is the down time needed to promote good health for your pet.

Biting!!!! Every bird owners scourge!

Under the right circumstances, every bird will bite, but understanding the "whys" and deterrents will go a long way towards greatly eliminating this fact of bird life!

Biting is a form of communicating and exerting control. So why do birds bite?

  • Fear

  • Frustration

  • Mating behaviour

  • Over-bonding

  • Territorial behaviour

  • Phobic behaviour

  • Over-stimulation through too vigorous playing or too much body stroking.

Preventative strategies:

  • distract your bird (sort of like dealing with a toddler)

  • gently shake, or rock your hand back and forth, so your bird has to rebalance

  • read your birds body language to time your interactions

  • eliminate actions that irritate your parrotlet 

  • choose a good time for interacting with your pet. Evening tends to be a time when p'lets are calming down to prepare for sleeping

More about biting
Prevention strategies

Looking for a quick, easy, low cost treat for your p'let?

How about frozen vegetables?

I like to use mixed veggies like pictured below. Remember, onions are toxic for your bird so pick a brand with no onions!

It may take more than one introduction of this treat before your bird decides to try it so start with a very small amount.

(you do not need the steamable type)

  1. Use frozen veggies since canned veggies have too much salt. 

  2. Rinse your veggies in a colander.

  3. Mash them up with a fork.

  4. Add the veggies to the top of a washed lettuce leaf.

  5. Add interest in the food by sprinkling it with millet seeds. In going for the seeds, your p'let will discover the veggies!

  6. Remove food from cage after a couple of hours. 

 Available babies...

These beautiful babies have been hand tamed and will make wonderful companion pets. Contact me for additional pictures and information.

 

 
Contact Us

As always, I look forward to receiving your comments and questions.

Wishing you the best,

Carla

Peachstate Parrotlets
Peachstate Parrotlets
peachstateparrotlets@gmail.com
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