Friday, December 30, 2011

Will One Pair of Parrotlets Breed?

Hi Sandy,
I have been out of birds for a few yrs now because of my health.I have a dumb question..I want to get a pr of parrotlets again to have in my sunroom.(I miss the little munchkins).Will they breed with just having one pr in the room? It is a very quiet area,only I will be in going into that room.We are in our 60s and not much traffic in and out of the house.
Ann

Dear Ann:

Its wonderful to hear from you and no, that isn’t a dumb question. While it has been my experience the birds breed better when there are more than one pair and they can hear each other but not see each other, that doesn’t mean it is a hard and fast rule. Believe me, many people who have bought parrotlet pairs as pets and never expected them to breed have reported they have bred. You could certainly get a pair and see how it goes. You are not only an experienced breeder but an excellent one and I have complete faith in your ability to provide the birds with what they need. Also, at the risk of giving myself a plug, The Parrotlet Ranch does sell a CD of parrotlet aviary calls that many people have reported as being successful when played around their breeding pair. I would give it a try. You certainly are missed in the parrotlet world and it certainly needs more dedicated, wonderful breeders like yourself.

Hope you have a wonderful 2012!

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com
Join the International Parrotlet Society, – the World’s Largest and Oldest Parrotlet Organization www.internationalparrotletsociety.org
A Chattering Bird Builds No Nest.
Camaroonian Phrase

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Parrotlet's Sudden Death

Hi Sandee,
I have Very Bad news .Today My Parrotlet of 1 month Died…This morning it was acting just fine.. was out on our shoulders etc. eating & Drinking then back in its cage I noticed it was shacking its head as if trying to get something out of its throat or down its throat. But it seemed to manage ok ….I came back at noon and it was dead next to the water bowl. Of course my kids are devastated! I am wondering if it could have choked on the millet or something. Or what we could have done?

Your input would be appreciated.

Regards

Matt

Dear Matt:

I am so sorry to hear about the sudden loss of your parrotlet. I can’t imagine how upset the family must be. Unfortunately, no one can tell you what happened with that bird except a veterinarian trained in veterinary medicine who completed a necropsy (animal autopsy) with 24 hours of death. However, what you are describing sounds to me like some kind of seizure. It may have been caused by an injury – especially if the bird fell, flew into something or was dropped and hit its head. Or it could have been a stroke, a heart attack, a tumor, some kind of toxin exposure – most likely airborne, heavy metal poisoning or a number of other things. But, without a necropsy there is no definitive answer. It does sound to me like it was very sudden and probably nothing could have been done – especially if it were not an injury or the bird was exposed to some kind of toxin.

I am so sorry for you loss but I hope this helps as it does sound like nothing could have been done to prevent the bird’s death.

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
Secretary, International Parrotlet Society

Parrotlet Training Books

Please advise me of any good books regarding Parrotlets

Matt

I only know of one that I can recommend and that’s the one I wrote. The Parrotlet Handbook published by Barron’s, written by Sandee L. Molenda and its available at amazon.com or on my Parrotlet Ranch website. www.parrotletranch.com

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
Secretary, International Parrotlet Society

Importing Chickens

Wow that is crazy to figure that all out, is the some 1 that imports for a living that you can send me there info? All i am interested in is a few rare chickens.

Dear Mike:

Thank you for your email. Chickens are not the same as parrots when it comes to importing. Chickens are domestic animals raised for the food industry. Parrots are wild animals, many of whom are rare and endangered and protected in their countries of origin.

I’m sure the poultry industry has professional importers but they don’t import a few chickens. They import by the hundreds of thousands. I’d contact USDA, they are in charge of all domestic poultry imports and exports. I can tell you because of chickens are not rare nor endangered (and no BREED of chicken is considered rare under Endangered Species Act or Convention in International Trade of Endangered Species) that they are much easier to import so long as there are no Avian Influenza or Exotic Newcastles Disease outbreaks in their countries of origin. But USDA is the governing authority.

Good luck.

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S., Secretary
International Parrotlet Society

Friday, December 23, 2011

Egg Laying Female Pacific, Talking Male

Hi Sandee,

I rescued a five-year-old, female, parrotlet, from Vancouver last September. Since then she has laid two clutches of eggs. The first clutch was five eggs. At the present time (second clutch), she is sitting on six eggs. One fell out of the birdie hut, where she sleeps and keeps her eggs. The last egg was laid November 28th. I have decided to leave the eggs, until December 23rd, as this is the incubation period of the parrotlet. I am also taking away her lovely hut since she likes to lay eggs in it. I read your site, where you suggested reducing the hours of sunlight/natural light she receives (cover off at 8:00 am; cover on at 8:00 pm). I hope she doesn’t produce anymore eggs. Do you have any other suggestions? I also have three male parrotlets (she doesn’t like them), who talk. I put her in my bedroom after she laid her first clutch so she wouldn’t hear the other birds. I don’t like doing this, as I like them all together.

I thought you would be interested to know that I rescued a tiny green, male Pacific parrotlet from Vancouver, who is five-years-old. I don’t know his history, but he is very frightened. No one wanted him because he wasn’t tame. Since I adopted him, he has calmed down quite a bit. He is a very quiet little boy. Last night I was watching my other two blue males sitting on the counter in my kitchen, while they were eating a kiwi and birdie bread that I make. They both talk. To my amazement, I could hear talking and at first thought it was one of the birds on the counter. But it wasn’t because they were eating. It was the little green male, Riley, who was talking up a storm in his cage! This confirms that these little parrotlets (males) can learn to talk even if they are older. I absolutely love this species of bird. They continue to amaze me.

Kind regards,
Sylvia

Dear Sylvia:

Thank you for you email. As I have posted on my website, blog and in my 3 books, the two most important ways to prevent pet female parrotlets from laying eggs is a) to reduce the number of daylight hours to less than 12 and b) to remove any ‘nest-like’ structures in the cage. These two factors will stop 99.9% of most female parrotlets from laying eggs. Of course, there are no guarantees and should she continue, I would definitely have her vet checked. Certain medical conditions can be a factor but generally speaking it is a husbandry problem that can be rectified by changing the environmental factors that stimulate hormones and cause egg laying in pet hens.

I will say should also be supplementing her with additional calcium – both in the form of supplements such as sprinkling a powdered calcium supplement on her fresh foods, providing her with cuttlebone (as much as she will eat) and mineral block plus in her food sources such as green leafy vegetables and broccoli. Cup for cup, broccoli has more calcium than milk and green leafy vegetables such as bok choy, mustard and turnip greens and even the tops of carrots and beets are excellent sources of calcium. I would avoid spinach because spinach is thought to bind calcium and make it harder for the body to absorb. Boiled, chopped eggs with the shell are also excellent and will provide protein and vitamin e as well.

I would not remove the eggs. Mother Nature has hard-wired these birds to sit for a certain period of time and while incubation of eggs generally is 21 days to hatching, she may longer for a variety of reasons. Removing the eggs before she has completed her cycle, regardless of what the calendar says, may cause her to lay again. This is probably why she ‘double-clutched’ in the first place so just leave those eggs alone and let her do what she has been designed to. Not only can she become egg-bound with another clutch, she can also suffer from a prolapsed uterus, extreme blood calcium deficiency and brittle bones…all of those are extremely serious and can result in death.

Also, I would put all the birds back into the same room. There is no reason to believe that the males being in the same room had anything to do with causing her to lay. She doesn’t like males, has obviously imprinted on humans (which is why she is a good pet in the first place) and in the wild, parrotlets leave the company of the flock to go off and raise their offspring on their own. I would say that it has been my 30 year experience that a female would want to fight off these other birds not be so entranced with them that it has caused her to lay eggs. Unfortunately, there are no “Elvis Presley’s” or “Frank Sinatra’s” in the bird world. If there were, it would be a lot easier for people who are trying to breed parrotlets.

I do love the story about your male but I would have to say that he did not suddenly, spontaneously learn to imitate human speech. While you certainly can ‘teach an old parrotlet new tricks’ what you are describing is perfectly normal behavior for an adult male parrotlet that is going through the stress of a move and a learning to adapt in a new environment. I am certain he knew how to mimic human speech but was quiet since speaking in human words is extremely unnatural for a parrotlet and probably would have done it in a few months anyway but when he heard your birds, he joined the conversation. Probably just to say “hey, I’m here! Can I join your flock?” Besides, when parrotlets are learning to speak they take several weeks or months making very garbled sounds that don’t sound like human speech at all. They generally will say words or phrases to themselves for a while before they attempt it to their human owners. It is a well-known in the bird community that teaching any bird to talk is MUCH easier and faster when another bird teaches them – in fact there are videos and CDC’s of parrots talking available to teach birds to speak human language. But if your bird suddenly started “talking up a storm’ it was because he already knew how, he just didn’t feel comfortable until your other birds started talking.

I hope this helps and best of luck with your flock. As I’ve said, I’ve kept parrotlets for more than 3 decades and they are amazing little parrots, for sure! I hope you and your family have a wonderful Holiday and I wish you a very happy New Year!

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.

Importing Parrotlets into Australia

Hi

my name is Monika and I have a pair of parrotlets that are perfect pets. I live in Germany. Now I will go for three years to Australia. As I understand I'm not allowed to take the birds with me.

Now I search for breeders of parrotlets in Australia but I can't find any. Do you know if there is any possibility to get parrotlets in Australia. I love this birds so much.

Best regards

Monika

Dear Monika:

Thank you for your email. Australia is one of the few countries that neither allows the export of their birds nor the import of other countries. You are correct - they will not allow you to legally import parrotlets. As far as being able to purchase any birds there, I do have a few people who live in Australia and, although the last time Australia 'tried' importing was over a decade ago, you might be able to find a pair or two - they would cost at least $10,000 or more. And, in all likelihood they would be smuggled. If they had been imported legally, they would be very old. And still extraordinarily expensive. I'm so sorry.

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
Secretary, International Parrotlet Society

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Traveling To Scotland With A Conure

Hello,

I have just read your article online, thank you for making it
available; I found it very informative.

I own a seven year old green cheek conure. I am moving from the
United States to Scotland where I am getting married and settling
down. I am not willing to give him up so I will do whatever I can to
keep him with me.

I have found difficulty trying to get definite answers to questions
concerning my travel with my bird; for example, Continental said he
has to travel in cargo for the 8 hour flight. I am concerned about
the conditions in cargo and his survival as he is only 12 grams.
Edinbourgh airport does not grant entry to birds so it seems I have to
go through London, where they will quarantine him for 30 days which I
am afraid he will not survive well.

I am willing to fly to another country and then take the train into
the UK if that would work. I have heard of people doing that with
cats and dogs to avoid quarantine. Do you have any suggestions for
me? I would appreciate any information you can provide.

Thank you so much for your help.
Sincerely,
Taryn

Dear Taryn:

Thank you for your email. What you are reading on that website is about traveling in the United States with birds. Not taking the bird out of the country on international flights. That is because it is extremely difficult, time consuming, expensive and every country has their own rules about importing birds. It is not the airlines polices you have to deal with, it’s Federal, international and European Union, as well as the United Kingdom's (and quite possibly the government of Scotland as well) laws you have to deal with.

Generally speaking, most species of birds (other than budgies and cockatiels) are NOT domesticated animals but are considered wild animals and because many species are rare and endangered, they are not regulated like dogs and cats. The EU, just like the US, has a policy that prohibits the import of wild-caught parrots. You will have to prove to the EU as well as Scotland (and perhaps the UK) that the bird was legally captive-bred in the US. I have no idea what they require for that designation but I do know that the US does NOT recognize a leg band nor a microchip or even a bill of sale as 'proof' a bird was legally bred in the US. You will need to contact the EU and Scotland about that. I will say not having the proper paperwork or attempting to bring the bird in under the radar of the authorities is called 'smuggling'. Smuggling a bird into a country is a very serious and very dangerous international crime and in the US, it is punishable by YEARS in Federal prison.

You will need to go through US Fish and Wildlife. They will give you the application for the export (US) and CITES (international) permits as well as the arrangements for issuance of health certificates and inspections. This costs a lot of money and can take longer than 6 months. You will also need to get import permits from Scotland as well as possibly the UK and the EU. I have no idea what their requirements are but if they require quarantine (and almost all countries do in order to keep out poultry diseases as well as N5N1 bird flu) you will be required to place the bird there and pay for its keep as well as veterinary inspections. Again, trying to get around this requirement may cause you to be arrested and charged with international wildlife smuggling.

As for the airlines, ALL airlines follow the IATA guidelines and ALL birds MUST travel in the cargo hold. This isn't a problem if the bird is in the proper container and has food and a source of water. I ship parrotlets which are one of the world's smallest species of birds at 28 grams (and btw, there is no way ANY conure weighs 12 grams) and is smaller than half of your conure's tail without any ill effects all over the country including Alaska. Besides, back in the day when the US DID import wild caught birds these birds were captured, trekked out of the jungle, placed in holding facilities that were less than ideal and then shipped to the US from South America (in the case of your conures predecessors) and tens of thousands of birds arrived safely in the US. In all likelihood, your bird would simply go to sleep during the flight since most birds are used to small enclosed areas and Mother Nature designed them to be quiet in the dark so they don't get eaten by predators.

Anyway, you have a lot of work to get done so I wish you the best of luck. International law is designed to be difficult when it comes to bringing birds around the world. This is a) to protect them in their countries of origin from extinction and b) to protect the human population as well as the human food supply from diseases. But you need to start with USF&W.

Hope this helps and let me know how it goes.

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
Secretary, International Parrotlet Society

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Appropriate Temperatures & Suggestions for a Picky Eater

Hi Sandee,

I recently inherited a parrotlet that is two years old. I have been reading about them and trying to make sure I’m providing the best care possible. When he first came into my home, he was very sweet and fun. However, he has settled in to a routine and since his wings are not clipped, he is now acting like a total barbarian. We are taking him to the vet to get his wings clipped and I will be following your instructions for curbing his new and terrible biting habit. My main concern is his diet and ambient room temperature. What temperature should he be kept at and does he need a full spectrum light if he’s in a room with a lot of windows? He is being fed the following seeds: spray millet, cockatiel mix and canary mix. I have offered various fruits and veggies but he mainly likes sunflower, safflower and millet. He also likes nuts like walnuts and pecans. Any suggestions for converting him to eating more fresh food?

Thanks so much
Melissa

Dear Melissa:

Thank you for your email and my apologies for the delay in responding. We had a terrible windstorm here last week and I was without power (as well as phone, cell and wifi) for 4 days. It was a mess.

I am sorry to hear that your little one is being, well, a typical parrotlet who is fully flighted and being bratty. I think you will see an immediate difference in his attitude as well as his behavior once you get those wings clipped again. Parrotlets are very territorial so when they are fully-flighted and have run of the house, they simply transfer that aggression to every where they go, not just with their cage. But most parrotlets immediately go back to being sweet the moment they realize they no longer are in control by flying around the house.

As far as room temperature goes, most adult parrotlets (and even youngsters who have been acclimated) are perfectly content in the same temperature as people. Generally speaking 60-80 degrees are ideal; however, most people don’t realize that they can withstand much lower temperatures. Its actually heat that is a problem – anything above 85 degrees can be dangerous. It has been my experience that anything below 60 degrees stops them from breeding but pet birds can easily withstand much lower temperatures. In fact, I know people that keep them outdoors, once they are acclimated, in places where the temperature drops to as low as 40. So long as they have shelter, are protected from strong drafts and have lots of food to keep their energy up, especially foods high in fat, they are just fine. So, a pet parrotlet kept in a home will certainly be safe and happy in the same temperatures that you and your family enjoy.

Getting parrotlets to eat a good diet, if they weren’t introduced to a wide variety of fresh and healthy foods at a young age, can be challenging. In my latest book, The Parrotlet Handbook, I include in the chapter on diet, ideas and strategies for getting picky eaters to accept a wider variety of food. It can be as simple as providing foods that have a lot of seeds (contrary to popular belief, seeds ARE a natural diet of birds – after all, there are no pellet trees in the jungle) such as peppers (both hot and mild), kiwi, strawberries, melon, papaya, squash, zucchini, etc. You can also place a small dish of thawed frozen peas and corn and sprinkle millet or another favorite food on it. Usually they start playing with it and eventually they start eating it. You can get a birdy kabob and string chunks of various kinds of veggies on it (most parrotlets prefer vegetables to fruit). Again, they start playing with it, eat part of it and then eventually decide “Hey, this stuff isn’t bad!”. You can also place pieces of broccoli or leafy greens in the cage clipped to a favorite perching spot. Another easy way to get them to eat is make a ‘bird bread’ with lots of vegetables it in or try some of the cooked diets they now have available. It really is a matter of trying different things as well as being patient and consistent until you figure out what works with your parrotlet.

I hope this helps. Best of luck with your bird and if you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Hopefully, I will be able to answer in a much more timely manner. I hope you and your family have a wonderful Holiday.

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com
Join the International Parrotlet Society, – the World’s Largest and Oldest Parrotlet Organization www.internationalparrotletsociety.org
A Chattering Bird Builds No Nest.
Camaroonian Phrase


Hi Sandee,
Thanks for the response; I saw the wind-storm damage on the news; that was really shocking for the area!

We got Foghorn’s wings clipped at the vet and he’s already much better. He was acting very angry and biting, so we gave him some floor time and he was acting sheepish in no time once he realized he couldn’t fly to my head in order to bite my ears. Your blog was a life-saver!

I’m relieved to know I don’t have to keep the house at 75 in the winter or hook up a heat bulb; I’m a former iguana keeper so I assumed any semi-tropical critter might have special heat needs.

Wish me luck on the vegetable endeavor; he has already eaten the peas from inside a snow pea pod, so I have at least one victory!

Thanks again,
Melissa

You got the idea Melissa. Foods that are fun i.e., can be ripped, flinged, tossed or otherwise mutilated prior to consumption are great ways to introduce him into eating better. Best of luck and I’m glad I could help!

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com
Join the International Parrotlet Society, – the World’s Largest and Oldest Parrotlet Organization www.internationalparrotletsociety.org
A Chattering Bird Builds No Nest.

Spectacle Parrotlets

I am still looking for a weened male spectacled baby. Do you have any or are you expecting any soon?

Imagine peace,
Denise

I'm so sorry Denise but I have reduced the numbers of birds so I have nothing available and my waiting list is so long I can't take any more names. I am so sorry.

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com


Thank you for the response. I will keep looking. Maybe I should start breeding them. They are too dear to be so rare.

Imagine peace,
Denise

Unfortunately, it's really too late. We no longer import any birds other than Pacific color mutations and since most people got rid of their other species more than a decade ago to breed high dollar color mutations, all the other species are either literally 'extinct' in American aviculture - such as Yellow Face (which were imported in very small numbers back in the mid-1980's), Sclater's (only 1 pair proven to have been bred and then they all died in a house fire also in the 1980's) and Mexican parrotlets (most of which were smuggled birds that had avian TB) or genetically extinct, because there are no unrelated birds to breed to one another, such as Blue Wings, Spectacles, Green Rumps and even normal, wild-type (non-mutation) Pacifics. I wrote an article about it for the IPS journal. For me, after spending 30 years of my life trying to save these species it is beyond heartbreaking.

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com