Check Out  Farming Parrots in Their Gardens
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Check Out Farming Parrots in Their Gardens

– are they the real macaws?

Generally speaking, the answer is ‘No, parrots do not make good “Intentional” farmers as they destroy more than they build. Ironically that mess on your floor which was clean 15 minutes ago is an example of nature’s way of using birds as agents to spread seeds throughout the earth. As an example, birds do not have receptors for capsaicin, the protein that makes peppers hot, so birds will still eat the peppers and disperse the seeds. You and I on the other hand will need to drink lots of beer to put out the mouth fire.

Before moving forward I’d like to note that what you are about to read is a digital collaboration between me and Nora – unbeknownst to her as I write this but she will be making the final edits on this post. The original title was “Grow a Garden for Your Parrot” but clearly, there is a difference between what men think about parrots and farming and what women think about growing stuff for parrots

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The Skinny on Lafeber Nutriberries and Avi-cakes
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The Skinny on Lafeber Nutriberries and Avi-cakes

As you read this, the conflict between the Hatfields and the McCoys is probably still raging but in keeping up with the times it probably sounds something like “Hey Edgar McCoy, stay off my Facebook page or my family will hashtag you with some really bad stuff” tagged Ralph Hatfield – 18 likes – two shares – or something like that. 

And so the debate rages about how a seed diet is bad for birds. Pellets are the only thing you should feed your birds, saving seeds only as treats is something that I read a lot on the Internet – so must be true. Tell that to the parrots who for generations in the rainforest never once fed off the Mystical Magical Pellets tree.

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How Bulk Re-Bagged Bird Food Can Make Your Bird Sick
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How Bulk Re-Bagged Bird Food Can Make Your Bird Sick

I was reading in a parrot-related forum recently about the great pricing a website had because it sold all its bird food in bulk. In other words not in factory-sealed bags with nitrogen injected to kill insect larvae.
 
Basically, the food gets shipped to you in a plastic bag. We see a lot of bulk bird food sold in pet shops with those fancy dispensers used to sell all sorts of bulk foods, nuts & candy.

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Upsides to Wing Clipping and EZ Pellet Conversion
Blue and yellow macaw parrot with clipped stretched wings on branch in bird park

Upsides to Wing Clipping and EZ Pellet Conversion

Welcome to your Sunday Birdie Brunch.
 
Everyone who knows me knows I am an advocate of keeping birds flighted. Strong headed as I am I realize that there are two sides to every story so I asked Denise Wamsley to provide her input on the benefits of clipping bird’s wings. Denise – you’re on. 

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Bird Food Pellet Conversion Made Easy
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Bird Food Pellet Conversion Made Easy

We get a lot of people who call and e-mail asking how to convert their birds to a pellet diet. The advantage of a pellet bird food diet is that pellets are considered engineered foods. In other words the bird food manufacturers decide what components are necessary for a nutritious diet and then they blend the ingredients by grinding them up and extruding them so that each individual pellet contains a precisely controlled diet. 

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Quick Tips for Conversion to Harrison’s Bird Foods
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Quick Tips for Conversion to Harrison’s Bird Foods

Quick Tips for Conversion to Harrison’s Bird Foods
Some birds will readily eat Harrison’s while others may require a little help.If your bird exhibits resistance to conversion try the following tips:
1. Bird Bread Mix can be used as an extremely effective conversion tool. Food that the bird currently eats can be added to the mix and baked in the bread. Gradually reduce the amount of that food and replace it with the appropriate Harrison formula.
 
2. Change the bird’s environment. Try moving your bird to a new enclosure, such as a box, aquarium or even a new cage. Remove all the toys, perches and bowls and offer High Potency™ on a solid surface of the floor. 

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