Beginner Senegal parrot care

[Kevin1054]

Hi my name is Kevin, and I was hoping if someone could correct me and help me with my plan for caring and raising a Senegal parrot. I have done some research on how to care for this animal, but there are some things I am still unsure of.

CAGE SIZE AND PLACING
the size reccomendations I have gotten from many resorces were "24 W "24 D "36 H or larger with metal bar spacing of no more than 1/2. I was also told to keep the cage against the wall to have the bird feel safe.

DIET
I was told that the best thing for feeding pet parrots was formulated diets, but they didn't mention what kind and I have been having small problems finding out which one is best. Also, many have told me that I needed to keep food and water dishes at various heights in the cage, is that true?

TOYS AND PERCHES

I could not find out what kind of bird toys would be safe and appropriate for a Senegal parrot, they said to use ropes under servailance, but what toys fit the basic toy needs of the Senegal parrot? And are perches reccomended to be 9" long and 1/2" in diameter?

HYGENE AND HEALTH

should I give my Senegal parrot a bath weekly? And how do I give him/her one? Do I just put him/her in a shallow bowl of water? Should I perform nail clipping myself? And when should I use grooming spray?

TRAINING, EXCERSIZE, AND SOCIALIZATION

how long does each of my training sessions need to be? What kinds of training should I do first? (I know that I must always keep a positive note and not punish my parrot). How do I provide excersize for my parrot? How long should he/she excersize? How much time do u need to spend with my Senegal parrot daily?

COST
what would be an approximate cost for a Senegal parrot?

If there is anything I am missing please let me know, thank you.

[GooseBlossom]

Exploring the threads in the forum will provide you a treasure of information by those who are very experienced. It may take some time, but you will enjoy the stories and photos as well as appreciate the info.

[Mr.Darcy]

good advise,but the best thing I found was the dummies book for birds (not parrots) the birds for dummies is written by an avain vet (and he used to breed) everything you asked about is in there. Also a good reference for future issues.....you could/should also look at clicker training for birds!
good luck
Marlies and

[GooseBlossom]

Excellent advise. All the info requested plus in one convenient place.

[pchela]

Hi,

The cage size you have is correct. 24x24 would be the minimum I'd put a Poicephalus in and yes, it should be against a wall.

A parrot diet should consist of lots of fresh foods such as carrots, kale, broccoli, squash, pumpkin and various other veggies and some fruits. Sprouts are good for them. In addition, some seeds and nuts are good for them as treats or a small amount offered in a dish and pellets are good as well. The best are Harrisons (expensive) and Roudybush. Nutriberries are usually a favorite treat as well. As for food and dish heights, it's not necessary to place them at different heights. Instead, learn about foraging and offer plenty of foraging opportunities for you bird.

A weekly bath should suffice for a poicephalus unless he wants more, then by all means, let him bathe whenever he wants. Offer him a bowl of water, take him in the shower with you (you can buy shower perches) mist him... there are lots of acceptable methods and you'll have to find which one your bird is okay with. There is never a need to use grooming spray. Never put anything on your birds feathers besides water.

Nail clipping is something you can easily learn to do by yourself with some training sessions with your parrot. Just know that they will bleed if cut too short... generally, just the very tip needs to be taken off.

Price of a Senegal will depend on where you live. Mine was $360, others have paid much more.


I wrote this article for the site that is here viewtopic.php?f=12&t=348. It is the 4th article down but the other ones contain good information as well. If all of your questions aren't answered by them, please feel free to ask and I will help in any way I can.