Hello all! My grandpa has tons of birds. One of his parrots just had babies. He gave my little brother one (my brother's 18yrs old) & it died on him after a couple of days. My grandfather gave him another one & this time, I must admit I'm scared that this one will die on us too. I've been trying to research as much as I can about how to care for them, but I wanted to see if anyone here had any tips. So far the parrot seems like he is healthy & doing fine. I have an appointment with a vet in my area that specializes in birds but because it's Sunday, there weren't any clinics in my area open. I have to wait until this Wednesday until I can take him. Anyone have any advice on caring for BABY parrots? This little guy is so sweet. I am not sure how old he is either, but he is pretty young. I am taking online classes to eventually become a vet, but I haven't studied birds for my classes yet. I appreciate any advice anyone can contribute. Thanks in advance! Oh, yeah and his name is, "Bubba".
What exactly species is your parrot?
The needs of each individual parrot species can be quite different.
What exactly enclosure set up do you have as of this moment?
It is the best for us to know some details before we can answer your questions.
If you have already made an appointment with a vet specialized in birds, it is also a good idea to throw tons of questions at him while you are at it.
By the way, I just noticed the "baby" part. It is actually harder to take care of a baby bird than taking care of an adult bird. It is not recommended for beginners.
I believe the parrot is a "Double-yellow Head Paco". But I'm not 100% sure because my grandfather is in his 90's. Right now, I have the parrot in a 18" square cage. The vet said this was fine for now, but that later I should get a 24" by 24" by 48" high. The doctor also did a check-up on the parrot, as well. He said the parrot was actually thriving and that he is just a little dehydrated. The parrot that had died on my brother, my vet says was most likely to a heart attack from the dogs trying to check him out, poor baby! This time, parrot #2, "Bubba" is in my care so that means no doggies around. Right now, like I stated previously, I'm doing online classes & I can turn in my work whenever, even at 3 AM if I wanted to. So, the parrot is getting a lot of TLC & as much attention as he deserves! He even takes small baths and drinks from the sink when I turn it on for him. The vet gave me a ton of advice and din't charge me because I've known him for quite awhile. I will post pictures of him when I get home. Thanks Thor, for your concern. I really appreciate that!
That's really exciting that you have a baby parrot. What kind of personalitybdissnhe have at this point? I've never heard of that kind of parot before, but I'm not an expert.
I'd be interested to known if this little guy needs a lot of attention to prevent boredom or if he can entertain himself pretty well. My parrot experience didn't work out in the end.
My niece has a parrot that is more than 5 years old now. Although the parrot doesn't talk, it somehow makes noises when there are strangers. Her name is Krizzy and she stays in an open cage with a chain. She is fed with plantain and other fruits (and vegetables, I think) plus some seeds that look like sunflower seeds. With attention, they give it attention before but now that it's not a baby anymore, it looks like the parrot is on its own. However, they have 2 dogs inside the house that bonds with the bird.
Your concerns are legitimate since baby parrots require special care and it should start early in life. There should be a predisposing factor to the baby parrot's death and its not good to discover it the hard way. One thing you should ensure is to have a pet carrier and a good lining for the baby parrot when it needs the toilet. You should be able to locate the local vet in case of an emergency. Do you hand feed your baby parrots? This could hold the key to your predicament as it takes time and skill which can be learned. Otherwise you could end up harming the parrot by accident when feeding it by hand. Try to keep the parrot's food consistent. If you want to change it, do it gradually adding small amounts of food to the old diet until the animal is fully adjusted. Many parrots prefer to eat seeds but don't like pellets. This could be supplemented with fresh fruits and vegetables like banana, broccoli, kales and carrots. Accustom your birds to their new cage and avoid interruption from visitors.