Caring for the Classroom Birds on Weekends and Holidays

Bird Care Information

for parents and other ‘part time bird sitters’

Transporting

When transporting birds in their cage, be sure to remove any swings or hanging toys that may move around the cage during the trip.  Empty water dishes.  Cover the cage with a towel or blanket to give the birds a feeling of security.  Ensure good ventilation in the car during the trip.

Settling in

The bird cage should be located in a room where there is not excessive heat, drafts or temperature fluctuations.  Ensure that cats do not have access to the birds and that they are not startled by children through too much activity or noise.

Overnight

Cover the birds at night, leaving a small gap to allow some light to enter.  Total darkness can disorient birds if they are startled during the night.  If at all possible decrease the light in the room gradually, rather than suddenly plunging them into darkness.

Feeding

As birds eat the middle out of the seed, remove husks daily to ensure whole seed is always available.  In addition to an appropriate seed mix all birds require a variety of other foods:

Greens;  puha, dandelion leaves and flowers, groundsel, spinach, silverbeet.

Collect only from areas that have not been sprayed with chemicals.  Avoid lettuce and cabbage

Fruit and vegetables in the form of carrot, apple, corn on cob etc are readily accepted.  Avocado is poisonous to birds.  Seeding grasses and handfuls of hay or dry grass will also be taken.

Grit and cuttlefish should always be available.  Soft cereal based bird foods and a multivitamin mix are also advisable.  Fresh water

must always be available.  Most birds will enjoy a shallow bath or a 'misting' with tepid water on a warm day.

Cage hygiene

Bird cages generally require a complete clean on a weekly basis.  A mild disinfectant can be used for the cage and accessories, followed by a thorough rinse with water.  Food and water dishes will normally require daily cleaning and care should be taken not to place these under perches where they may be soiled.

Perches and environmental enrichments

Perches of different widths are required to allow birds to 'stretch' their feet.  They become very uncomfortable on the plastic and doweling perches that are normally provided with a cage.  The best perches are those from any fruit tree complete with leaves.  Willow, tea tree and bottlebrush are also suitable.  Two or three branches of differing widths should be used and then replaced on a weekly basis.  The addition of a 'grit perch' will help to keep claws from becoming overgrown.

Mental stimulation is important for birds and without it, feather plucking, self mutilation and other boredom behaviors can result.  As well as the company of other birds, ensure the cage is roomy and there are plenty of things to do.

A selection of toys can be rotated giving the bird a new plaything each week.  In addition, food items such as honey sticks, millet sprays, toi toi seed heads, corn on the cob, pine cones, hay and fresh branches will all keep the birds occupied.

Finally, please contact your vet immediately if you have any health concerns regarding your bird.