What’s Your Opinion on DIY Birdie Pedicures?
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What’s Your Opinion on DIY Birdie Pedicures?

The Eastern Rosella above has very long nails while sitting on an undersized perch. In the not-too-distant future the nails on the front toes can irritate and/or puncture the rear toes causing sores known as “bumblefoot” possibly leading to a foot infection.
 
From last week’s Birdie Brunch table 19 writes – Hi WCP folks,
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Does a Bird’s Molt Affect It’s Flight?
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Does a Bird’s Molt Affect It’s Flight?

 Hi Mitch,

You were kind enough to answer a question I had ages ago, so I hope you will again.
I have a 6 yr old double yellow Amazon. I got him when he was four months old. I have never clipped his wings and he is used to flying all over my house, shadowing me everywhere. This year he is molting but he is losing feathers strangely.
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Birds, Light and Vitamin Deficiency Misconceptions
Galah bird Cockatoo sitting on a pinnacle in the pinnacles desert Western Australia.

Birds, Light and Vitamin Deficiency Misconceptions

Hi,

I am a bird lover and have a few pairs of budgies, cockatiels, finches, Love birds and Alexender Raw.

Due to space issues, I have all in one room where Sunlight comes only for a few minutes. I think due to lack of sunlight, my birds have a deficiency of D3 and Calcium. Could you please guide me if Hagon’s PRIME will work for me or if I have to add any other vitamins?

Waiting for your response,

Regards,

A.Qadir

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Birds and Full Spectrum Lighting
Birds and Full Spectrum Lighting

Birds and Full Spectrum Lighting

Attn. Mitch Rezman
Fluorescent lights.
The recent post here on Vit. D led me to more research. It appears most if not all of the Windy City Full Spectrum lights have simple magnetic ballasts, producing visible flicker. 
 
This is proven for chickens and assumed for the likely better eyes of psitticines with their mainly flying lifestyle. High frequency electronic ballasts are now standard for indoor fluorescents where human health is a consideration as the high frequency flicker is far faster than our visual system can perceive. 

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This Cockatiel Gets a Bird Cage Makeover
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This Cockatiel Gets a Bird Cage Makeover

Today we put a new Parrot Cup Cover in Popcorn’s cage as it popped into my head a bit ago that perhaps her repeated bacterial infections might be resulting from her pooping into her water.
We do not see her do it inside the cage, but we now see she tends to sit on top of the cage which is right above her water dish.
So a cover for the water was on my “birdie wish list”. I had thought about a water bottle but maybe later. This looked like a good start. (more…)

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Is Newspaper Print Safe for My Bird?
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Is Newspaper Print Safe for My Bird?

Is Newspaper Print Safe for My Bird?
 
We loving your Sunday morning birdie brunches. Wonderful info, but I do have a question about one of the suggestions.
I have a “teil”. Is it really SAFE to put newspaper on TOP of the grate???
My Merlin would chew the newspaper and maybe eat it. But if it’s safe, this sounds like a great idea.
Also, if I put his food dish on the newspaper, then won’t I wind up with poop in the dish? Thanks for all your info and a great website.
 
Linda W 
 

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How Bird Food was Sold More than a Century Ago
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How Bird Food was Sold More than a Century Ago

This catalog from the Max Geisler Bird Co. is clearly pre-1900. The picture is interesting on the cover the little girl offering a parrot of no discernible species would appear to be a cookie or a cracker with the term “Human Talker” above the couple.

How can you argue with the power of magic when it comes to feeding your bird? This food claims to work for any bird well or sick and improve its feathers and voice. It was appropriate for all seed-eating birds – according to the label.

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Egg Laying Umbrella Cockatoo
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Egg Laying Umbrella Cockatoo

We have a female Umbrella Cockatoo, age 26 who, despite head-only petting when she is ‘broody’ will lay an occasional egg or two (maybe once a year, sometimes not for a couple of years). 
 
I have never been able to find the answer to: Is it better to let her sit on the eggs or take them away immediately? We have tried both methods. She gets a very healthy diet and supplemental calcium when she is going to lay.
 
I have read that if you take away the eggs, it encourages them to lay more, but I worry that sitting on the eggs for several weeks isn’t good for her either. Has any research been done on this topic?

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3  EZ Peazy Birdcage Cleaning Tips
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3 EZ Peazy Birdcage Cleaning Tips

We’re going to start out with one of our favorite product lines Lixit. Do you really need a water bottle? Birds being the messy creatures that they are will poop in their water dishes regardless of placement.
This means the stray food, the poop, and other contaminants which carry bacteria get ingested by your bird. One of the easiest ways to overcome these problems is to install a Lixit water bottle in your birdcage.
Lixit water bottles enable you to introduce water simply for bathing and avoid having to change your bird’s drinking water throughout the day in order to keep it clean.

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