Stressed Cockatiel

March 11, 2008, 12:51 pmbetterhomesgardens

stressedcockatiel
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Problem:
Only one part of this bird's anatomy hasn't been de-feathered and that's his head. Where have all the feathers gone?

Solution:
This poor little bird is so bored it has resorted to plucking out its own feathers and now has a compulsive behaviour disorder. Now just like you and me, birds need to have things around them they find interesting. Compared to the toys the children in this house possess the bird hasn't got much - a mirror, a bell, a bit of white stuff hanging down inside the cage and a couple of miserable sticks. And it doesn't end there.

Birds also need variety in their diet to make sure they get all the nutrients they need. You'll find some of the best foods for them are right outside your front door (such as grevillea or bottlebrush) or in your fridge. You can feed birds just about anything you'd feed yourself except for a couple of things. No no no to avocados and all members of the onion family...so shallots, onion and garlic. Just about all veggies are OK but I'm not too keen on potato because it can go green. And not too much in the way of oranges and lemons that tend to give them diarrhoea. But they do like a bit of banana occasionally.

If we also fill the cage with toys, branches, rocks and all sorts of things I think the bird can be cured of its disorder. We need to keep filling this cage full of junk so that it can chew on other things and not itself. This cage has to look like the council tip!

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