Environmental Enrichment For Parrots

Environmental Enrichment For Parrots
By Dr Jeannie Thomason Copyright © 2008.

Environmental enrichment, refers to the practice of providing animals under managed care with environmental stimuli. The goal of environmental enrichment is to improve an animal's quality of life by increasing physical activity, stimulating natural behaviors, and preventing or reducing stereotypical behaviors.

In the wild, our parrots exhibit four main behaviors: socializing, grooming, sleeping and foraging. In fact, two thirds of a wild bird's day is spent foraging for food. Even their play and interaction with other involves problem solving and thought. Wild birds also are able to get plenty of sunlight and fresh air every day.

Compare this to our captive pets. Life is very different in captivity. We tend to keep our birds inside the house, behind closed doors and windows. Most pet birds are likely to spend most of their days in their cages and of course, too many of them have very little to do in there. Try to think of this from your parrot's perspective, it is like you being locked in a room with window (that is always shut) with just a bed and someone bringing you food three times a day, you have no control over any aspect of your own life. Nothing different to see or do , same thing every day, day in and day out. Some of the obvious results are naturally going to be ill health, and obesity, due to lack of exercise at the very least.

Read More >>> HERE

Come to the Edge

Below is an article by my best friend and colleague, Dr Kim Bloomer; written about all animals and our need to take responsibility for their proper care and be the change!

Come to the Edge Part 1: The Scenario
By Kim Bloomer, VND

©Copyright 2008, All Rights Reserved and may not be reprinted without express written permission.

“Come to the edge, he said. They said: We are afraid. Come to the edge, he said. They came. He pushed them and they flew.” -Guillaume Apollinaire

I’m going to take you on this long journey with me and my hope is that by leaving you with questions you’ll look within to find the answers.
Recently I was sent a link to a video that was recorded undercover by a group that is known for doing undercover videos for the intent of exposing animal cruelty and abuse. I hesitated to watch it because I knew it would be something horrendous for an animal lover like me to watch, so I saved it for the time just before I was closing down my work for the day. Not a good idea. I cannot tell you how devastated and terribly upset it made me. However, it was also the catalyst for this article series. Yes, I obviously needed to watch the video. Someone has to be a voice for those who cannot express their voices. But next time something like this comes in, I will not watch it at the end of the day so that it haunts me through the night.
I am not supplying the link to that video here because I’m sure many who are reading this article have more than likely already seen that video, especially since it’s been all over the mainstream news. And interestingly enough the video is not the real focus of this article. It’s more a question: What are we really doing? Are we really aware of what is REALLY going on with regard to animals?
Before I digress let me just share the video in words. In one word: abhorrent. In a phrase: complete disregard for sanctity of life. This video was taken inside of a factory dairy farm. These dairy cows are used their entire lives for milk and then for food themselves when their milk supply is no longer up to the demand. Let me first say before I go on that I am not opposed to using animals for food. Yes I am an animal lover but I also believe it is okay for us to consume animals for food but in gratitude to them for their unwilling sacrifice that can only be honored with the humane, natural care of these animals. As a veterinarian friend Dr. Myrna Milani, said “there are consequences to what we do to animals”. Yes, there are, indeed. Juliette de Bairacli Levy states in her book, The Complete Herbal Handbook for Farm and Stable that she teaches natural care of animals (according to their species needs) and shuns their treatment as machines forcing the “unnatural” on our domestic animals which brings them much pain, fear, and misery but could all be avoided by their proper, humane, natural care.

Whether animals are our companions, or utilized for food, or for entertainment, or whatever it may be we MUST care for them kindly, humanely, in gratitude to them, and as naturally as possible or there will be and are consequences to our actions. Many animals are highly intelligent and deserve to be respected as the living beings that they are; our problem is that we are wrapped up in our closed little worlds therefore we do not achieve the understanding necessary to work with or live with animals in our personal worlds.

In this video I watched as a downed cow (one that no longer can stand up because of a sick and weakened state) was being repeatedly - and I mean one right after the other – prodded with an electric cattle prod. She was screaming, and also frothing at the mouth in agony. It was obvious she was in agony and also very sick. But the worker continued to prod her. Then seeing that this wasn’t going to work he went and got a forklift to force UNDERNEATH her to lift her and carry her to slaughter. Now imagine this cow is already sick and in agonizing pain. She was repeatedly electrocuted. Then they ice the cake by shoving a painful piece of metal up underneath her. How she lived through all of that is beyond my comprehension. But no matter what, she did not deserve that kind of treatment even if the plan was to use her for human consumption. No animal no matter what deserves that kind of treatment. Never. Ever.

Read the Entire Article >>>> Here

The Nature Of Our Featherd Friends

Friend,certified veterinary technician and certified parrot behavior consultant, Liz Wilson joins us again on Animal Talk Naturally Radio show to talk about the intelligence and nature of our parrots and debunks some myths while talking about the true nature of our feathered friends.

Listen to the recording of the show by clicking HERE