Newbie with Eastern Rosella - please advise

Hi,
I’m cross-posting this across different forums as I need advice from as many experienced bird keepers as poss.

We adopted an eastern rosella yesterday from a “friend of a friend”. The friend said he was a parrot then showed me photos of him. Frantic googling revealed him to be an Eastern Rosella parakeet. I read everything I could find whilst still deciding whether to take him & discovered many consider them aviary birds, not pet cage birds and certainly not beginner ones (and yes I am a beginner)…but despite this I still decided to take him. Please bear with me and don’t all shout at me at once!! Now that he’s here I really want to do all I can to make him happy & healthy. I’m inexperienced with birds (had a canary when I was a kid and that’s it!) but am prepared to learn everything I need to & won’t give up on him if he turns out to be as difficult as I’ve read rosellas can be. So that’s why I’m here asking for help.

I have loads of questions to ask but for now thought I’d start by giving a run-down on what the last 24 hours have been like with him & just post my most pressing questions. Here are some pictures of him first:

His cage was filthy when he arrived here & still is pretty manky. I left it completely alone last night as I didn’t want to stress him but this morning I just cleaned out the bottom tray & re-lined it with newspaper (it was lined with sheets of soaking wet newspaper with urine/faeces caked sandpaper on top!) and just brushed out what old food / feathers I could. The whole cage needs a good scrub down though (& probably treating with a bird disinfectant too) but I can’t do this yet as I feel it’s way too soon to try to handle him & move him out whilst I do this properly. Besides I don’t even have a spare cage to put him in yet or spare perches or anything… L - any advice on this? I know I need to use safe cleaning products & disinfectant etc when I do this. I thought maybe taking the whole thing up to the bathroom & doing it properly in the shower so I can use really hot water & rinse it thoroughly, is that how you would normally do it? His perches have a bit of food/poo on them - is it safe to sand them a little to get them cleaner with him still in the cage or will the dust affect him? What they need is a thorough wash but I don’t have clean dry ones to replace them with yet.

The food that came with him is a proprietary parrot mix (no brand name as it’s just in a plastic bag). Any thoughts on the suitability of this? I’ve read some feed canary food? I know Rosellas also need fruit & veg & am currently researching the diet side of things along with everything else. He ate a little bit of pear today along with his seed & some cashew nuts.

When we got him home yesterday we expected to see a frightened little soul quivering in the corner of his cage but within half an hour he was chirruping & whistling at us. I sat in a chair by his cage talking to him & whistling/singing. He stood on his perch with his head cocked to the side, intently listening and whistling back at me. If you make a move for his cage he’ll usually (though not as much today) fly to the back of his cage and cling on until he feels safe to come back down on his perch. Tonight he’s been that bit more interactive, hanging upside down from the roof of his cage, chirping and looking at me cheekily and REALLY responding to my singing lol!

He’s accidentally been outside his cage today too! I was nowhere near even trying to handle him yet so hadn’t intended letting him out yet – but he escaped whilst I was installing a new rope ladder I’d bought him! I just didn’t expect him to want to come out so was totally unprepared. He flew around panicking a little for a few seconds but then perched on top of a tall cabinet we have. I was thinking “S*** what do I do now?” then made a move towards the cabinet & he flew back into his cage, phew! In time I want to let him have his flying time each day out of his cage but I was nowhere near prepared yet & must admit I did get a bit of a scare! I have never handled a bird in my life (my childhood canary was always handled only by my dad) so know I’ve got an awful lot to learn here. I know I need to take it slow but don’t have a strategy as of yet & am reading, watching videos about hand taming etc. . I know some rosellas never accept handling. I’m just hoping I’ll gain his trust in time and he’ll show me if & when he’s ready. Does anyone have any advice on this? What if he never becomes tame in this way – how do you move untamed birds from cage to cage for vet visits, cleaning etc?

I think his claws look pretty long – you can’t see from the pictures (I’ll try to take some better ones tomorrow & see if I can get a clearer picture of them) and also maybe his beak too? The top part of his beak just looks longer somehow than Rosellas in photos I’ve looked at but maybe I’m wrong. I’ve been searching online for an avian vet in my area & am going to ring one tomorrow quite locally to me that has come up in a search.

Tonight when we covered his cage for bed he started flapping like mad around his cage and let out a terrible squawking noise. He didn’t do this last night at all. 5 minutes before though he had been very active, chirping, hanging upside down and playing so was he just telling us he was peed off about having to go to bed!? He settled down within seconds but it was quite worrying until he did.

I’ll leave my post there for now, sorry it’s so long. If anyone has any advice to give on the issues I’ve mentioned up to now I’d really appreciate it.

Sorry, forgot to add photos:

Rosella :: IMG_0051.jpg picture by jue33 - Photobucket

Rosella :: IMG_0051.jpg picture by jue33 - Photobucket

Rosella :: IMG_0051.jpg picture by jue33 - Photobucket


P.s. as you can see from photos his head feathers are a little bitty (for want of a better word) - pale patches in them? Is this a sign of illness or stress or anythng? Around his beak & eyes he has dark patches too - any ideas why?

What a beautiful bird. Thank you for taking care of him. His cage can be scrubbed down w/white vinegar. Could you purchase a small cage for a sleep cage. If its not terrible, wait a few days before trying to switch him, let him calm down & feel safe.

Sit beside him & talk, sing to him. Feed him treats thru the bars. You can change his diet gradually after he trusts you more. You could sit the smaller cage beside his old cage & open the door. Put food & treats in the new cage & he may check it out himself. Less stress if he'll do that.

I'll be honest, I don't know what a rosella eats. Others can chime in & give you diet advise. I don't think you can go wrong w/fruits & veggies.

He may not be accustomed to being covered @ night. It seemed like he calmed down quick, so I would continue to cover him.

Good luck & keep us posted.

First off i would get him to a vet to have blood work done and if he needs grooming the vet will do that as well. you need to get a cat carrier and install a pearch in it for vet visits and cage cleaning. As of now handleing him will be hard so you may need to use a towel to get him out of the cage so you can clean it (here is where the carrier comes in handy). I always put my cages in the bath tub and use dawn dish soap to wash with. Or for my big cages i push them out side to the water hose and bucket of soapy water. Just make sure you get all the soap rinsed off of it. Rosellas are a hard bird to tame and some never do but they are a joy to watch. I had one when i first got into birds that was over 32 years old. I never got to hold him unless it was for grooming but i enjoyed him 2 years before he passed away. You vet will help you with his diet needs but keep offering fresh fruit and veggys daily.

God Bless You for taking the little guy and giving him a better home. It sounds like he can fly and will return to his cage all by himself. I would open the door and remove everything and clean it in vinegar, rinse well, dry and put it back in. While you have everything out of the cage, wash all the bars down. If your little guy comes out, do not panic, he obviously will go back in.

Do the cleaning thing in a safe room. A room where there are no things to trap him behind and crash into stuff...the bathroom might be good and put the toilet seat down.

As for food...he looks like he could use some better food. His plummage is rough and patchy. A very healthy diet of organic grains and seed, plus veggies and some fruit. Do not get upset if he doesn't eat a lot of fruit, they are not big fruit eaters. You can make your own seed if you want a very healthy diet.

Try and find a Bulk Food Store in your area or look at the grocery store for Bobs Red Mill seed and grains. I stay away from colored seed because their little livers cannot process that coloring very well. Start with a small bag of mixed finch seed for wild birds. It has no coloring and it should contain canary seed, millet, niger and sometimes flax seed. To that add: steel cut oats, flax seed, buckwheat and barley. Mix it all up well and it stores in sealed bags 6 months or more at room temperature.

I take half the mix and add dry herbs. When I feed my boys I add 1 scoop (coffee size scoop) of the regualr seed (above mix) and then I add a half scoop of the herb stuff. Good herbs to add are fennel seed, anise, parsley, thyme, basil, cilantro and anything you want. Birds especially love crushed red pepper flakes, do not worry about the heat, they love it. Some of the above herbs are medicinal and will help your bird get healthier faster. A bulk food store is a great source of grains and seeds.

Start eating veggies in front of your bird and let him see you eat them and he is more likely to try them. Good starter veggies are broccoli, romaine lettuce, kale, spinach, and any dark green veggie...collard, turnip, beets and mustard greens. Wash a nice size piece of veggie and clip it inside the cage but remove after 2 hours as they go bad. If you see your bird rubbing on the wet greens that means he would like a bath in greens. In nature that is how they clean themselves. I found putting a small shallow bowl with large green leaves in the bottom and adding warm water to cover the greens works well. You can place it in the bottom of the cage for a few minutes at a time until he starts to use it. When your bird gets trained and can come out he can have his baths outside the cage.

Please get him some toys too. Birds are very active and need some toys to amuse them. He should have at least 3 toys to play with and rotate toys for him so he doesn't get bored. Also ad a cuttlebone and mineral block to his cage and leave them there all the time.

Good luck and let us know how he is doing!!

Thanks to all of you for your lovely, encouraging replies! I was half expecting to get slated to be honest for taking on a rosella as my first bird & not starting off with an 'easy' bird - but you've all been so lovely & helpful!

merlinsmom13 said:

What a beautiful bird. Thank you for taking care of him. His cage can be scrubbed down w/white vinegar.

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Thanks for the tip. I'll get some vhite vinegar tomorrow. i managed to get most of the gunk off today just with hot water & a scouring sponge so it's looking a little better now.

I think it's a pretty old cage in general though. When the bottom tray lifts out there's nothing - no wire tray or anything, just a big hole at the bottom of the cage. What I'm assuming would've been perspex round the bottom edges of the cage (the sliders that keep the mess inside) have been replaced by pieces of laminate flooring cut to size which not only look pretty naff but are also harder to keep clean & hygienic. I saw this website & thought I would order some new perspex. Would this type be safe to use:

Glazing Plastic

It's only a few pounds a piece for the size i need.

Could you purchase a small cage for a sleep cage.

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You mean for him to sleep in each night? I know i sound really dumb lol...is that what you all tend to do with your birds - put them in a quiet dark room in another cage? I've been sat here since 9pm in the iving room with no tv or radio on so he can sleep. It's ok as my husband is on night shift. If he were here though he'd want the tv on. Had to keep telling him to turn it down low last night! How big should a sleep cage be?

Sit beside him & talk, sing to him. Feed him treats thru the bars. You can change his diet gradually after he trusts you more. You could sit the smaller cage beside his old cage & open the door. Put food & treats in the new cage & he may check it out himself. Less stress if he'll do that.
He may not be accustomed to being covered @ night. It seemed like he calmed down quick, so I would continue to cover him.

Good luck & keep us posted.

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Thankyou, I certainly will.

He was much better tonight. He's been out of his cage twice and just sat on top of it for a while. When he flew across the room yesterday that was because he was spooked i think. I'd like something for him to sit on when he's out though. I've seen cages that have a perch on top? His cage has a dome shaped top with 2 wire doors that open up left & right - I'm wondering whether I could slot a perch in them once they're open?

melinda said:

First off i would get him to a vet to have blood work done and if he needs grooming the vet will do that as well. you need to get a cat carrier and install a pearch in it for vet visits and cage cleaning.

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I haven't rang the vet yet but defo will do tomorrow. I know i can't actually get him there yet and feel there's no urgent rush just yet. I'd rather not force him to be caught yet unless it turns out I have no alternative. What would a vet test for in bloodwork?

I have a cat carrier but only this type:
Options Deluxe Pet Carrier 1 Blue Beige - Cat Supplies#

Do you mean one of the wire mesh ones?

As of now handleing him will be hard so you may need to use a towel to get him out of the cage so you can clean it (here is where the carrier comes in handy). I always put my cages in the bath tub and use dawn dish soap to wash with. Or for my big cages i push them out side to the water hose and bucket of soapy water. Just make sure you get all the soap rinsed off of it.

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Oh that's a good idea to do it outside with a bucket of hot soapy water. We have an outside tap so plenty of water for rinsing too. The cage iasn't looking too bad now i've washed it down a little so it's not too urgent. He's coming out of his cage easily so I just have to grab my opportunity when he's relaxed enough to go into another cage or perch himself somewhere comfy for long enough!

Rosellas are a hard bird to tame and some never do but they are a joy to watch. I had one when i first got into birds that was over 32 years old. I never got to hold him unless it was for grooming but i enjoyed him 2 years before he passed away.

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I've already fallen under his spell! He's still pretty timid if i go near his cage but underneath that you can see what a little character he is

lexilu said:

God Bless You for taking the little guy and giving him a better home. It sounds like he can fly and will return to his cage all by himself. I would open the door and remove everything and clean it in vinegar, rinse well, dry and put it back in. While you have everything out of the cage, wash all the bars down. If your little guy comes out, do not panic, he obviously will go back in.

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Thanks for this! I managed, as i've said above, to give all the bars & frames a good wipe down at least today. It looks much cleaner. So you can use the vinegar whilst he's still in the cage? Do you use it neat or dilute?

Do the cleaning thing in a safe room. A room where there are no things to trap him behind and crash into stuff...the bathroom might be good and put the toilet seat down.

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My bathroom is upstairs & his cage doesn't lift off the base. It's all one unit so for a thorough scrub I'm going to have to get him out of it & safely into something else I think.

As for food...he looks like he could use some better food. His plummage is rough and patchy.

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I was thinking it looked pretty rough but i'm glad to hear it can be fixed with better diet & care! Poor love, i don't even know how old he is yet (I'm waiting for a friend to get me more information from previous owner No. 1. I'm his 3rd and his second owner didnt have him very long) but you can bet your life he's lived on his parrot mix alone probably for most of it...

I haven't quoted the rest of your advice re: diet and your home-made seed mix, herbs, getting him to eat veggies etc - but thank you so so much for sharing that, so many great ideas!! Your home made food sounds wonderful and I'm going to look into making my own too! Not sure where I'd get the supplies yet, got some serious researching & shopping to do for this boy! I also didn't know herbs could be so beneficial to birds. Your birds must be the picture of health

Please get him some toys too.

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Oh i definitely will i promise! My hubby tried to get him some from Pets at Home (the only pet/bird shop we have) but they had nothing much of any interest in stock, except the rope swing/ladder he bought him. I'm going to do some onine shopping for him in the next couple of days so toys will def be on the list!

Also ad a cuttlebone and mineral block to his cage and leave them there all the time.

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We got him a cuttle bone. Saw the mineral block in P@H but wasn't sure what it was to be honest! I'll get him one of those too.

Thanks again for your replies. I'd better go to bed, it's taken me ages to write this lol so I'll update more soon!

Oh and he's called Joey by the way. On Sunday he was called 'Joseph' after his "coat of many colours") but then I decided today he was more a "Joey" - for his cheekiness and giving a nod to his Australian roots lol...

( Good on u )
Thank you for your post we have all learn,t from your post !
I think your bird is very lucky *
GOOD LUCK !

That carrier will work fine. And yep, you can put a perch across where the cage opens on top, that's what it's for, and originally would have come with a perch for it.

I have an eastern rosella he is called nolan, we havent had him that long, but i think i can help with the claws because we had the same problem. we got a smart perch A one that he cant get all of his claw around. and have had no problems since. We put it at the highest point in his cage as this is his preferred spot. He likes rope and wooden toys, I ordered a large parrot toy off internet didnt realise how big it was going to be, its more for a african grey but it has become his favorite. I would also advise that you get him a bird bath Nolan gets right inside his,gets water every where though, lol. we also use a plume spray that deters mites to keep him looking pretty, spry once per week. He should also have an iodine block and cuttle fish available. We havent managed to hand tame nolan yet he will feed out of my hand and take seed from my fingers if you find anything that works well let me know, good look, luv charlene x

How pretty! I've always eyed them because they're so pretty!

You sound like you'll give him a good home!

Puck has a small cage that is for sleep and travel. I've heard of some people using cat carriers for the same purposes.

I ordered some custom bird toys from BirdyBooty.com. They haven't arrived yet (they were set back due to the hurricanes) but they're very nice, and I've read lots of good things about them.

Hi again everyone, thanks for your replies

@Charlene - great to hear from another Rosella mum I'll try the smart perch, thanks for the suggestion. Then i could use his current one (or get another smart perch) for the top of his cage (thanks for your help RioMom )

This is a close-up of his claws, do they look too long?:
Rosella :: IMG_0061.jpg picture by jue33 - Photobucket

(His perch by the way has since been sanded and cleaned. That was how it was when he first arrived in his dirty cage)

Joey has a cat dish in his cage at present for baths - my husband said he had one in it the other day but I've yet to see it myself! Does Nolan not mind you spraying him with the plume spray? I'm looking into the best diets etc right now as his feathers (head ones particularly) are looking a little rough and I've been advised a better diet will help.
He has a cuttlebone and a mineral block - is an iodine block something different?

@brighteyes - thanks for your kind words. I'm glad you learnt something too from the wonderful people on here

@Remy - those toys look fab! I know where to go looking now when I want a good selection, thankyou.

We had a bit of a scare last night when Joey got stuck behind the tv
He's taken to perching on top so must've lost his footing and slipped down the back. The more I tried to help him out the more he panicked and clung on tighter. It was horrible. When I realised he was getting more panicked by attempts at help i put a small table underneath him with his perch balanced on it then left the room briefly...within minutes he'd got himself down and was rolling on his perch (like a circus performer!) and chirping away. God it was awful though & made me feel really bad.

I was installing some new toys which is why he was out. One of them was a perch for outside his cage which he checked out later once his ordeal was over & seemed to like it:

Rosella :: IMG_0061.jpg picture by jue33 - Photobucket

Hopefully this will stop him perching on the tv - does anyone have any ideas how i can block it off so he cant get down the back again? It's a wall mounted flat screen with about a 6" gap between tv & wall.

He seems absolutely fine after his scare & recovered much quicker than I did. I was mortified that I'd let that happen to him

Found out a little more about “Joey’s” history today. His first owner was an elderly man who had to rehome him due to ill-health & being unable to care for him properly. He has had him for approximately 2 years. Joey’s name is in fact “Rio”!!
(do you think he’ll mind me changing it to Joey or should I stick with Rio!?)

The man gave him to a couple who run a pub & asked them to find a new home for him. The couple considered keeping him but as they were downstairs in the pub a lot of the time and Joey upstairs on his own they too decided to rehome him – hence him coming to me. The second owners had him for a few weeks. I’m not sure if the original owner ever handled him or let him out of his cage but I know the second ones didn’t – probably why he’s so inquisitive & chirpy when he’s out.

(NEWSFLASH!!! Just seen Joey playing with one of his new toys – pulling at his ropey dangly toy with his beak! First time I’ve seen him show any interest since putting them in yesterday yeeeah!

I like both names. Does he respond to RIO when you call him? He sounds like he is beginning to settle in and sounds happy too!

lexilu said:

I like both names.

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I do too which makes it even harder to choose!

Does he respond to RIO when you call him? He sounds like he is beginning to settle in and sounds happy too!

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Hmm..not really! But as we've only had him a few days he just gives me a slightly nervous look whatever I call him so it's hard to tell. I think he is happy too & last night seemed to upset me more than him but it still made me feel really guilty. I tried to towel him at first (mistakenly thinking his claws were stuck & needed freeing) then luckily realised that leaving him alone was the best thing to do. He managed to free himself within minutes of me doing that. We live & learn!