Health & Diet

One of the most important things that we can do for our birds is to provide them with the best diet we can.

The other important thing is to recognise the signs of a healthy bird so that we know what to do when our bird is not doing well. Birds are still wild animals and they mask their symptoms until they are very sick. By understanding what your bird does when it is healthy, it's moods, watching the poop, and general basic awareness when something is just "not right, " you stand a good chance of helping your avian friend when they are sick.

I feel that a "well bird" visit to your avian vet is a MUST.......

It is my belief that in this way the vet can observe your bird in a healthy ( hopefully) state so that if you do have a medical reason to visit again, there is a baseline for the vet to refer to.

 

 

Some of my favorite health links......

 

Good site for avian health  http://www.avianweb.com
Holistic Bird site http://members.tripod.com/~globirdy/contents.htm
Good first aid info as well as health warnings  http://.www.exoticbird.com/gillian/

 

Go There

 

 

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This was created by a friend off the Pionus list...
Thought you might all enjoy it.......she gave me permission to cross post.............

"Susan L. P. Landers" <landers@beldar.com>
UPSIDE DOWN CARAMEL APPLE PARROT PIE

Hi Everyone,
Ya'll just have to try this recipe. This is a little lengthy, so please
be patient with me.
We baked this today and boy is it good!

Pastry and Glaze
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tbls butter
1 Tbls corn syrup
1/3 cup pecans (coarsely chopped)
2 pie crusts

Filling
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 Tbls flour
3/4 tsp. Cinnamon
Dash of Nutmeg
4 large Granny Smith Apples
1 Tbls lemon juice

Pastry
Make a two crust pie crust. form it into a ball and cut in half. Place
one half, flat side down on a piece of waxed paper and flatten with your
hand. Place another piece of waxed paper on top. Move the M2 and roll
out to 2 inches larger than a 9" pie plate, being careful not to roll
over the M2's toes..

Glaze
Combine brown sugar, butter and corn syrup in a 9" pie plate. Take the
Pionus out of the pie pan and sprinkle the chopped pecans over the
mixture. Again take the Pionus out of the plate and add a few more
pecans to replace the ones eaten.
remove one piece of the waxed paper from the rolled out crust. Place in
the pie plate on top of the glaze mixture after removing the Pionus and
adding a few more nuts. (again)
Put the pie plate in the microwave to keep it away from the Pionus!
Take the waxed paper box away from the Macaw.

Filling
Combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl. Mix it
well with a fork. Put it in the cupboard because the M2 is eying it
with a very greedy look!
Take the measuring spoons away from the M2.
Peel, core and slice the apples and sprinkle with the lemon juice.
Get the Pionus out of the other pie crust ball, try to form it back into
a half round shape.
Take the fork away from the Macaw.


Get the M2 off the edge of the apple bowl and the pionus out of it!
Get the pie plate out of the microwave. Again remove the M2 from the
rim of the apple bowl and take the Pionus out of it.
Take the wax paper box and the fork away from the Macaw.
Put 1/2 of the apples into the crust in the pie plate.
Get the brown sugar glaze out of the cupboard, remove all three birds
from the pie shell and sprinkle 1/2 of the glaze mixture on the top of
the apples.
Take the Pionus out of the apple bowl and put the remainder of the
apples in the pie shell.
Peel, core and slice another apple to replace the one the birds ate and
threw on the floor.
Remove the Pionus from the pie plate.


Do a quick cleanup of the glaze mixture from the counter top and floor
that the Macaw and the M2 spilled by playing tug a war with the bowl.
Make a little more brown sugar mixture.
Remove the Pionus from the pie plate and sprinkle the remaining glaze
mixture on the apples.
Put the pie plate back in the microwave for safe keeping.


Mix up a single pie crust because the Macaw and M2 have destroyed the
other one.
Roll out the pie crust and be sure not to run over the M2's toes.
Cut several slits in the pie crust for escaping steam.
get the pie out of the microwave, repair the top pie crust where the
Macaw and the M2 tried to help with the slits and put it on top of the
pie.
Fold the edges under and flute.
Remove the Pionus from the edge of the pie and re-flute.


Use 3" strips of foil around the edge of the crust.
Take the foil box away from the Macaw and the wax paper box away from
the M2.
Remove the Pionus from the edge of the pie and re-flute.
Put the birds in JAIL!


Put the pie in a preheated 400 degree oven and set the timer for 40
minutes.
Now you may think you can relax? NOT!! You have to wipe down the
counters, cupboards, sweep the floor and then mop it. There are glaze
mixture, nuts, apples, and pie crust all over the place.
When the 40 minutes are up, remove the foil and bake for another 20
minutes more or until the top of the pie is a golden brown.
Leave the birds in JAIL!
Remove the pie from the oven.


Carefully loosen the edge and invert it on a heat resistant plate.
Let it cool at least an hour and then you and your little helpers enjoy,
while you praise them for all of their wonderful help!