Helping Your New Pet Bird Adjust To Your Home

Adopting a pet bird can be exciting for you, but it can be stressful for your new pet bird, especially if he has been a hand fed baby. Imagine being taken from the only environment you’ve ever known and put in some strange place with a bunch of strangers. Sounds stressful, huh? Luckily there are some things you can do to help your new baby bird adjust.

Knowing that your new bird was coming, you should already have his cage and accessories waiting and ready. Be sure to put the cage in an area that does not get too much traffic or have a lot going on. You don’t want him to be isolated and away from the family, but you also don’t want a lot of stuff going on around him that can startle and confuse him. Choose an area that he can interact with the family but won’t be startled by sudden movements or loud noises.

Take your bird to an avian veterinarian to make sure he is healthy and get him on a schedule for checkups. The bet will check for contagious diseases, bacterial infections and worms. If you have purchases the bird from a reputable breeder all this may have been done - find out what veterinarian your breeder used and check to be sure your bird is in tip top shape (you might even continue using this vet if you don’t already have one of your own).

Your pet bird can be a bit nervous the first few days and if he doesn’t start eating after a day or so, offer him some spray millet. This stuff is like dessert for birds and this will surely tempt him. If your bird is a newly weaned baby and he keeps making a squalling noise, he may require some hand feeding for a few days.

Pay attention to your new bird, but don’t overwhelm him. Spend no more than ten minutes a time with him. You might want to leave him in the cage for the first few weeks, but if you let him out and he continually flies away and you end up chasing him, put him back in the cage until he calms down. The constant chasing is stressful for birds.

Having a pet bird can be a great experience, just be sure you acclimate him to your home and family properly and you’ll have a new friend that will give you joy for many years.