Make Your Own Sprout Jars

Well as I promised, this blog will show you a super easy way to make your own sprouting jars for cheap! All you need is a wide mouth mason jar and some needlepoint screen. Both of these items can be found at your local Walmart. The jars will be found in the canning supplies section and the needlepoint screen can be found in the craft section:

First here are some samples of wide mouth jars that would work depending on the number of birds you are sprouting for:

Next, take the inside of the lid and trace an outline on the needlepoint screen:

Cut the screen along the trace outline:

Fit the screen inside the jar lid:

Screw the lid on top of the jar and you now have a sprouting jar!

I have found my "homemade" sprouting jars work better than the store bought lids. The holes are a nice size. They accomodate most beans and seeds well and drain easily. I also wash these in the dishwasher (top rack only) to disinfect them between sproutings.

In an upcoming blog, I will show you how to start sprouting for your birds using a few simple ingredients.

Tidbits of Information

I was shopping at Walmart the other day and found a package of pre-diced butternut squash in a package all ready to go! I mix some with my baby bird's veggie mix and they love it! This is a really convenient way to add some orange veggies to your bird's meals without a lot of trouble. The package looks like this (see picture below) and can be found in the pre-packaged salad section:

People are getting busier and busier these days and with the economy the way it is, we are all looking for easy, economical ways to feed our birds a healthy diet. I tell my customers one way to do this is to set aside some veggies or other healthy food items when you are preparing a meal for your family. Then you can add those items to your bird's next meal.

I enjoy sprouting for my birds as they are natural and nutritious, but many of the pre-mixed sprout mixes online are very expensive (I've seen them as high as $20 per pound). Add in shipping costs, which have risen significally and you can spend a chunk of change on sprouts! I make my own sprout mix from a few simple items that I can find locally. This mix is a fraction of the cost of the online mixes and the birds love them!

I start with a basic wild bird mix. Warning: Not all wild bird mixes are the same. I use Wild Bird Chow Premium Picnic (see the picture below). It is a mix for cardinals. It is a clean mix consisting only of black oil sunflower, safflower, millet and a few peanuts. I usually pick out the peanuts. There are no vitamins added. Some people use a clean dove mix, others have had success with a good quality pigeon seed mix.

To this mix, I add hard winter wheat berries (available at most health food stores in the bulk bins for about $1.99 lb), mung beans, and sometimes I add hulled sunflower (natural - no salt), and hulled natural pumpkin seeds (also called pepitas).

Below is a picture of what this mix looks like in 24 hours. This is just the basic mix of the cardinal seed, hard winter wheat berries and mung beans. You can see everything is sprouting nicely. This is the time to feed it to your birds. Don't let the tails get too long. I usually feed my sprouts within 2 days and store them in the refrigerator to keep them from spoiling. It is important to rinse them thoroughly before each feeding to be sure they are nice and clean.

So there you go! Two tips that not only will save you some time, but are economical as well! In my upcoming blog, I will show you how to make your own sprouting jars from materials you can get at any Walmart.

Early Spring

It's the end of February and it feels like springtime! I'm not complaining, I've had enough of freezing with all the cold weather we have had. Obviously the birds have spring fever, we have lots of babies! We have senegals, pineapple green cheek conures and parrotlets in the nursery now. We also have another clutch of pineapple green cheek conures in the nest with their parents which will be in the nursery soon.

The blue quakers have been louder than usual and spending time in their nestboxes. I expect eggs soon.

If you are interested in any of the babies above, feel free to email me at parrots4us@sbcglobal.net  We also keep our website current as to what we have available:  http://www.almostangelsaviary.com/

My Bird Laid Eggs, Now What?

I have gotten several phone calls lately from people whose pet birds have laid eggs. Many people think that because their pet is laying eggs, it should have a mate. This is not necessarily true. The reason why the female is laying eggs is because environmental conditions (light, temperature, cage set-up, etc.) are telling her hormones that it is a good time to reproduce. Your bird is not pining away for a mate. Laying eggs is just a natural function of hormones doing what they do.

One should never purchase a mate for their bird without thinking it through first. Here are some points to consider:

1. Your pet may not want a mate at all. Single pet birds develop a close, mate type bond with their owners. That special connection is one of the reasons why we are drawn to them. It takes a lot of patience to convert a pet that is bonded to humans into a breeder. You cannot just throw two birds together in a cage and hope they get along. They must be kept in seperate cages side by side for weeks, sometimes months until they accept each other. And just like humans, some birds just don't get along. So you can go out and buy another bird for your girl, only to have two birds that do not like each other!

2. If per chance, your bird does get along with the new bird, now you have another set of issues. Many people do not realize that once a bird is set up with a mate (as a breeding pair) that bird will not be your pet anymore. You cannot have both a pet and breeder. It is one or the other. Your bird will become bonded to it's mate. Breeding pairs become extremely territorial of their cage (they are defending each other and their nest). Your former pet will protect it's territory by inflicting painful bites. And the fact that the bird is a former pet and is not afraid of you..... well, get ready.

3. What are you going to do if there are babies? You cannot have a full time job and take care of baby birds. And for birds to be tame, you must pull them from the care of their parents at a few weeks old and handfeed them yourself several times per day. You also need special equipment for handfeeding and to keep them warm. I won't go into all the details here, but trust me it is quite an undertaking! As a breeder, you are responsible for the lives you bring into this world. That means taking care of them while they are yours and making sure they go to good homes where they will be loved. What are you going to do if you cannot find homes for your babies? You cannot keep them all.

So you've thought this out and decided not to get a mate for your bird. Well, here's what you can do to discourage the egg laying behavior and get your pet back!

1. If your pet bird is on eggs, leave them in there for about 3-4 weeks. If you take out each egg as it is laid,  she will lay another to replace the one you took. Let her lay her entire clutch of eggs and sit them for a while. She may become very defensive during this time. Just leave her alone. Service the cage and let her be. Be sure to check the food bowls to make sure she is eating and drinking. Many pet birds after being allowed to go through the process, become bored and quit sitting the eggs after realizing they will not hatch. Either way, after a few weeks, take the eggs out and throw them away. Then...  

2. Take away anything in the cage that your bird perceives as a nest. And if you are providing a nestbox for your bird to sleep in, take that out or off the cage.

3. Rearrange the cage. Move perches, toys and food bowls around. Change things up. Maybe put in some new toys and perches.

4. Try moving the cage to a different location. Simply moving the cage to a different area in the same room can have a big impact.

5. Put your bird on a more meager diet. I'm not saying starve your bird. But if you are providing an  abundance of fresh food, fatty seed mix, nuts, etc. that will encourage breedy behavior. Hopefully your bird is on a pelleted base diet. Adjust the ratio of your bird's diet to more pellets and less fresh food. Limit nuts and seeds to occasional treats. Especially during the breeding season.

Since we do not spay or neuter our pet birds, hormonal behavior is something bird owners have to deal with. Following the tips above will help minimize these behaviors so you can go back to enjoying your beloved pet. Of course, each pet bird is different. If you need additional help with your bird, feel free to contact me through my website at http://www.almostangelsaviary.com/

Of Horses and Parrots

Some of you may know that I am a horse woman as well as an aviculturist. I have found that many bird people are horse people too. It is so much fun to talk horses and parrots with customers! I believe many of the approaches and philosophies in training horses also apply to parrots. After all horses and parrots are both prey species that exist in a flock/herd. Parrots and horses both have “sentinals” in their groups that keep an eye out for danger. If one of those sentinals begins looking alert, you can bet the rest of the group comes at attention very quickly!

Both parrots and horses look to their caregivers for guidance – especially in situations where they are uneasy. Whenever I bring something by my birds that makes them nervous (such as a large box), I tell them “it’s okay” and put myself between the bird and the scary object and keep moving. I don’t make a big deal out of it. Same goes with horses. Anyone who has ever worked with horses can tell you the worst thing you can do with a horse that is scared of something is to make a big deal out of it. Punishing the horse for “spooking” or making the horse go up to every object he is scared of tends to make the horse more wary and nervous. This goes back to their natural instincts. Remember the sentinel? If we say it’s okay, and just keep going, our birds/horses pick up on that and think “well she’s not acting afraid, it must be okay”. In contrast, over- reacting and/or comforting an animal while it is under stress tends to make the situation worse. In fact it can even contribute to phobic behavior. 

Now of course, if a situation comes up where you know your bird will be very frightened (such as a Halloween party where people are wearing costumes, etc.) I recommend removing the bird from the situation before the event. A little stress is okay for our birds and they need to get used to different situations. But exposure to new things must be made gradually and in a positive way. You should never overwhelm your bird by immersing him in a stressful situation and expecting him to just deal with it. I tell my customers when they pick up their young birds from me that the best thing they can do is expose their bird to as many people and situations (safe of course) as possible. I tell them to buy a small travel cage so they can take their birds safely with them on small outings like picking up the dry cleaning, visits with friends/family, picking up the kids from school, etc. I find when birds are exposed to different situations on a regular basis, it really improves their personality overall. They are more social and outgoing. In comparison, we do this with our horses too. We call it “seasoning” in horse terms. A “seasoned” horse is one that has been taken to different arenas, trails, etc. and exposed to different things. After a while, horses learn to ignore all the distractions and focus on their rider.

I have a customer who has a parrotlet she purchased from me. She takes this little bird everywhere with her. Because of this, her bird’s personality has blossomed. She lets anyone hold her, and is even gentle enough to be held by small children. And she is as bold and fearless as they come! She is a true ambassador for parrotlets!

In an upcoming article, I will compare different species of birds to breeds of horses. It will be fun!

Books for Parrot People

Well the holidays are finally over! It's nice to have things back to normal. I can go to the grocery store and not have to deal with long lines and crazy drivers in the parking lot! My animals and birds are happy to be back on their routines as well.

Books: Although the internet is a good source of information, it can be confusing at times. There are several books we recommend to parrot owners that we feel are "must haves". Most of these books can be purchased online at Amazon.com for very reasonable prices. They provide straight forward, unbaised, good information that is easy to reference (no searching for hours on the net). Here are some good ones:

Guide to a Well Behaved Parrot by Mattie Sue Athan. This book is considered almost a "classic" for parrot owners. Great book for first time and experienced bird owners alike!

Guide to Companion Parrot Behavior by Mattie Sue Athan. This book provides information on parrot behavior, grooming, choosing the right bird for you, etc. I really enjoyed the species profiles and wing trimming tips she recommends for the various birds.

The Complete Bird Owner's Handbook by Gary A. Gallerstein, DVM. Written by a vet, this book is an invaluable resource for the bird owner. The author goes over diet, medical issues, species profiles, care, and much much more. This book is available in hardcover so it is a little more expensive, but it is well worth it.

The Second Hand Parrot by Mattie Sue Athan. A great book if you own a "pre-loved" bird. But even if you purchased your bird directly from a breeder or a store, this book has a lot of great information in it.

Parrot-Toys & Play Areas by Carol S. D'Arezzo and Lauren Shannon-Nunn. What a fun book this is! Lots of tips on how to make homemade toys and enrichment items for your bird! There is even a section on how to make playstands!

My Parrot, My Friend by Bonnie Munro Doane and Thomas Qualkinbush. A very comprehensive book on parrot care and psychology. His description of the different species are very good. I also thought his case studies on the different birds he has worked with were extremely interesting. This book is more for the adult reader as it is very indepth.

The Pleasure of Their Company by Bonnie Munro Doane. This book is very similar to My Parrot, My Friend mentioned above (she was one of the authors on that book). A very good book to own. I feel the information this book and My Parrot My Friend are interchangeable, so one or the other would be fine.

Holistic Care for Birds by David McCluggage, DVM. Another book written by a vet, this book goes over "natural" care for your bird including dosages of some common natural remedies. He also discusses diet, grooming, psychology, etc. This book is meant to be used as a compliment to conventional vet care (if your bird is ill or injured, please take it to the vet immediately). Always get an accurate diagnosis from a vet before any type of treatment - very important! I really enjoyed the natural recipes and his description of the bach flower remedies.

There are many other books out there. Some are species specific, some provide details on different training methods (such as clicker training), etc. I only mentioned a few books here which I feel provide an excellent overview of all the aspects of parrot care. Do you have a favorite book that you can recommend to parrot lovers? I'd love to hear from you!

Breeder Name Confusion

It has come to my attention that some people are confusing me (Christine MANN of Almost Angels Aviary) with another bird seller who has the same first name. I want to make it clear that we are indeed two seperate people and in no way associated with each other.

Almost Angels Aviary - CHRISTINE MANN has an excellent reputation for healthy birds, honesty, and outstanding customer service. Our babies are raised in a closed nursery, which means we only raise birds that we have bred from our own pairs (no outside birds from other breeders). We stand behind our birds 100%. We have many, many happy customers - references available.

I ask that anyone who is checking references, posting information about us online, etc. to please be specific when referring to either one of us by using our LAST names and/or our aviary name. My personal and professional reputation is very important to me. I have worked very hard over the years to maintain it by ALWAYS treating my customers fairly, honestly and with respect.
If anyone has any questions about me or my birds, feel free to contact me. My contact information is listed on my website www.almostangelsaviary.com