You have decided on what kind of bird you will purchase and you have chosen the right size cage for him or her and you have bought some toys as well.

Now before you go to the breeder or pet shop, you will need to have his/hers new cage ready and waiting at home.

To set up the cage you need to have water, charcoal and grit, cuttlefish or mineral block, and some toys, birds can get bored as well when there is nothing to do. Remember when putting toys in the cage not to over do it, as you need to leave enough room for him/her to stretch and flap their wings. You can always rotate and put different toys in every couple of weeks.

When you have purchased your new bird, ask what kind of food they have been feeding him/her, and if the bird has been wormed. If it has been wormed, ask what date and record it so you know when it needs to be done again.

Make sure you buy the same food if you can for when you bring it home. Once home, transfer the bird into its new cage, and put in some bird seed or pellets.

Now it’s important to leave him/her alone for around 3-4 hours to adjust to its new surroundings.

Now make sure all the windows and doors are closed and all other pets are removed from the room. If you bought a tame bird and are going to handle it. After this time you can take him or her out and begin to handle and bond with your new best friend.

Only handle him/her for about 10mins at a time so it gets to know you and the family slowly. Remember he/she will be scared, so be gentle when handling the bird, and hold him/her close to your body. Do this about 3 times a day for a couple of days. Once the bird has settled in, you can start to introduce the bird to the other pets in the family, but remember to be careful.

At bed time make sure to cover the cage at night and have a small amount of light in the room, so if it gets a night fright it is less likely to injure it’s self. If you are buying a bird for an outside aviary makes sure that you put him/her into the aviary before midday. This way it gives the bird enough time to survey its new home. If you do not do this it may get a night fright and fly into the wall of the aviary, and that can lead to injuries.

It is a good idea to get into a daily and a weekly feeding and cleaning routine.

Suggested Daily Feeding Routine

• Every morning remove the water containers clean and fill with fresh water. If this is not done dirty water can lead to bacterial infections in your bird.
• Remove seed containers and blow the husks of the top this will help to save seed as well money. If husks are not removed it will give the appearance that there is plenty of seed left and your bird could die from starvation. So by doing this daily you will know how much seed is left how much he/she has eaten and if it needs to be toped up.
• Check the grit to see if it needs to be filled.
• Give fresh fruit/veg for the day, but remember to remove it at the end of the day.  

Suggested Weekly Cleaning Routine

• Start by removing the bottom catchment tray of the cage and give it a good clean.
• Wipe down the cage inside and out.
• Inspect and wipe clean all toys, remove any that may be broken or that could be a danger to your bird from chewing.
• Clean all feed and water containers.
• Give fresh water, seed and check the grit.

Calcium
Cuttlefish or mineral blocks are a good source for calcium and trace minerals for your bird make sure that it is all ways on offer to your bird.

Charcoal And Grit
Birds don’t have stomachs so they need the grit to help grind up the seed and charcoal to help neutralize the bacteria in their gut.

Worming
Your bird needs to be wormed on a regular basis so follow the directions on the bottle. If not wormed on a regular basis, your bird could be at risk of nutrient deficientancy and can lead to serious illness.

Bathing
Nearly all birds love to bath. For those few that don’t like to bath they should be sprayed lightly with lukewarm water. Bathing helps to clean and moisten the feathers and sheath of the quills, this then helps new feathers to come through straight and strong. A bath should be offered to them at least twice a week. After bathing make sure that your bird is away from breezes as this can lead to the bird getting a chill

If you follow these few things you should have a happy and healthy bird for many years.