Feeding
It is important to ensure your bird has a balanced diet. A pellet based diet is strongly recommended, and should always be available for your bird to eat. However, if your bird is on a seed diet, it should not be eating just one type of seed, and should only have 10-15 sunflower seeds per day.
Each day, a balanced selection of vegetables should be offered including broccoli, beans, peas, silverbeet etc. Fruit can also be offered, however as it is quite high in sugar it should only make up 20% of the total fresh food offered. Try not to overfeed- this can lead to undesirable hormonal behaviours.
Your bird can also be offered toast, eggs, mashed potato, chicken bones and other meats. This would only be occasionally, and as a reward for desirable behaviour.
DO NOT give avocado, coffee or chocolate as these are TOXIC to birds.
Housing
As large a cage as your wallet and home can allow is best for your bird. Ideally, they will be staying in there while you are not at home to avoid them getting into trouble.
The cage and bowls should not have signs of rust or deterioration- this can have the potential for illness should your bird ingest it.
Food bowls should be positioned so your bird does not defecate in them.
Perches should be made of natural wood.
The best toys are made from either wood or cardboard, as this should not cause a problem if it is ingested during play.
Adding fresh greenery such as gum leaves and grasses to the cage regularly means their environment is kept interesting and encourages natural behaviours such as chewing and foraging.
Behaviour
Any patting of the bird should be isolated to the head. Stroking of the back or underneath the wings is not recommended, as it encourages undesirable hormonal responses in the bird.
Your bird requires at least 12 hours of darkness each night. Any less than this can mean your bird becomes aggressive or hormonal, and this can create other problems down the track.
If you have any specific concerns, please get in touch with a Veterinarian.
This information sheet was created to be used as a general guide only, and should not be used to replace a professional veterinary consultation.