Pet Bird Feeding Bowls

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In a softbill aviary, where birds may be flying high up or perched on the ground, it is a good idea to have two sets of dishes. Change the position of the dishes on the ground as often as possible, so that no single area of the aviary becomes irreparably damaged. There are two ways of constructing the higher dishes.

One is to build a welded mesh holder 1.2-1.5m(4-5ft) above the ground onto which you can place some dishes. (If you opt for this option, place some sand directly below the holder to catch any mess). The second option is to place the food dish on a wooden platform with a lip around the edge. The lip functions as a ‘bib’ to collect the mess left by the birds.

Remember, it is very dangerous to leave old, uneaten food lying around the aviary. Fix covers about 30cm(12in) above the food and water dishes to prevent contamination from wild bird droppings and to keep the food dry.

The best place for water dishes is in the outside area of the aviary and not in the back shelter, where they can become very dusty. The dish can be very simple – a plastic bowl for softbills containing about 2.5cm(1in) of water and a galvanized metal bowl for parrots. Larger parrots, such as cockatoos, Amazons and macaws, have no difficulty in tipping over a light bowl, so fill their dish with at least 5cm(2in) of water to make it heavier.

You may find that as soon as your birds are given water, they tip it out and play with the dish until they become rather thirsty in the afternoon. To guarantee a
supply of water all day, give them a larger water bowl and, if necessary, place a clean rock in the centre so that the birds cannot knock it over. The only time your birds will not require a water dish is if there is a pond in the aviary. (A ‘pond’ here means a small, easy to clean concrete or plastic structure.) It is fine for the birds to drink from such a pond, providing you clean it out thoroughly at least three times a week.

If you keep some of the more common ground birds, you may decide to use a grain hopper, at which the birds can easily peck. Be sure to replenish the hopper once a week. Before refilling it, completely clean out all the old food, otherwise dust and crushed pellets will build up and the hopper may become blocked without you realizing it.

The benefits of a hand-reared bird

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If you are contemplating buying a parrot, for example, make sure that it has been hand-reared. The reasons for this become more obvious once you consider the problems that arise with a wild bird.

When you buy a bird that has been collected from the wild, the chances are that it was snatched as a youngster or trapped as an adult bird. Either way, the bird would have suffered considerable stress and shock, and by the time it reaches its destination, the bird will naturally be frightened of humans and associate them with distress. Therefore, when you buy the bird, you will find that it dislikes humans, and this is certainly not the best way to start out. In fact, this bird will be very difficult, if not impossible, to tame.

Dealing with a hand-reared parrot is a completely different situation, because as far as this bird is concerned, its parents are human beings. On average, it takes 14 weeks to hand-rear a parrot, and it is essential to start this process from a very young age. A parrot that has been hand-reared for 14 weeks until it is weaned should become very tame. If you can buy a parrot as young as this, you should find that it is tame from the moment you take it home.

If you go to buy a bird and the owner or shop assistant tells you that the bird is hand-reared and tame, do not take their word for it. The best way of testing this is to put your hand in the cage. If the bird bites you, there is no way that it is tame. And remember, a bite from a parrot hurts a lot less than paying for one that cannot be tamed.

It is important to remember never to introduce a tame bird to a mate if you want it to remain tame. This is because you will always take second place to the mate. If the birds breed, then your bird will almost certainly turn against you and the tame bird you once owned will be gone forever.

When hand-rearing parrots in a brooder to keep them warm, it is a good idea to place them into plastic tubs to stop the mess they make from going all over the brooder. Putting two chicks together also helps to calm them down, and if the temperature drops too low for some reason, they will tend to huddle together for extra warmth.