How do birds survive with how sensitive they are to everything?

They can't have food with salt or sugar or pesticides which is 99.99% of the food that I have. They can't have pencils, apparently the erasers are toxic to them or something. I'm constantly panicking because I don't know if something is safe for them, it might have some kind of coating or something ridiculous that kills them.

It's ridiculous, I am terrified and I shelter my birds from absolutely everything because I don't know if it's potentially dangerous. I don't let them near blankets, anything with paint that comes off and I pretty much don't let them off of me while they are out of their cage because of fear that they'll get something dangerous and die. There is no such fear with dogs/cats....But how do birds even survive in the wild if they're so sensitive to absolutely EVERYTHING including drafts.

I don't let my birds touch anything other than their bird toys and myself. It's driving me crazy, I'd like to have my birds out 12 hours a day but I can't stare at them and make sure they don't touch anything for 12 hours. Sometimes I have other things to do. At least 90% of the things I look up are apparently harmful to them. Even certain types of tree branches are dangerous and if you do get the right kind it has to be sterilized or something? Tree branches in the wild aren't sterilized. I've even read that you aren't suppose to give them tap water unless you boil it, although there's no way that I'm going that far.

WHICH LEADS TO THE OBVIOUS ANSWER THAT A LOT OF THIS STUFF IS BALONEY... MYTHS ABOUND...

SOME ARE NOT MYTHS.

TEFLON, FOR EXAMPLE, WILL ABSOLUTELY KILL INSTANTLY...

ALVOCADO is deadly...

CEILING FANS... What do they call a parrot who flies into a ceiling fan? SHREDDED TWEET! (My vet told me that one 20 years ago.)

But, OAK is on the list, and mine have been playing in an oak tree in the front of my house outside for half a dozen years now. None of them dropped dead. Neither have any of the wild birds around here... so MYTH!

My birds have been drinking tap water for 20+ years... MYTH!

You can't protect them from everything all the time. You have to take basic precautions. Use common sense. They need a quality of life too!

Keeping them isolated, makes the neurotic... and could cause behavior problems, including plucking.

They're birds. They're not made of glass.

My Amazon is 43 now... SHE HASN'T DROPPED DEAD FROM TAPWATER OR DIRTY TREE LIMBS.

I think you've received bad info regarding water.

Mark (Birdman) has given you some GREAT advice already!!

Our tap water is atrocious - seriously, I won't gargle with it - so my birds (AND my dogs) get bottled water.

You have to take into account that birds in the wild have stronger immune systems than most housebound parrots, and also knowledge gained from their family and instincts of how to self medicate.

Boiling tap water is done to remove things like parasites (like giardia) and bacteria. If you are on city water, there's very little chance of giardia in your tap water. Filtering your water for yourself and your parrots is a good idea, but unless you're living in Flint it's probably not going to be a life or death situation.

A lot of info out there is anecdotal. People put it out there from their own experience to help others. May or may not be true to your parrot or situation, so use your judgement on what is appropriately safe for your parrots and their environment. Try not to let it paralyze you.

Right now mine is wrestling with a blanket I laid across the couch. So far he is winning.

Welcome to the forum

Birdman666 said:

WHICH LEADS TO THE OBVIOUS ANSWER THAT A LOT OF THIS STUFF IS BALONEY... MYTHS ABOUND...

SOME ARE NOT MYTHS.

TEFLON, FOR EXAMPLE, WILL ABSOLUTELY KILL INSTANTLY...

ALVOCADO is deadly...

CEILING FANS... What do they call a parrot who flies into a ceiling fan? SHREDDED TWEET! (My vet told me that one 20 years ago.)

But, OAK is on the list, and mine have been playing in an oak tree in the front of my house outside for half a dozen years now. None of them dropped dead. Neither have any of the wild birds around here... so MYTH!

My birds have been drinking tap water for 20+ years... MYTH!

You can't protect them from everything all the time. You have to take basic precautions. Use common sense. They need a quality of life too!

Keeping them isolated, makes the neurotic... and could cause behavior problems, including plucking.

They're birds. They're not made of glass.

My Amazon is 43 now... SHE HASN'T DROPPED DEAD FROM TAPWATER OR DIRTY TREE LIMBS.

Click to expand...

Can I give my birds raw vegetables? Most places say they have to be cooked, but I eat all of them raw...I don't even know how to cook vegetables.

Yes the can eat raw veggies. Just wash them first

Please, have a peak at this thread, I bet it'll shed a LOT of light to your concerns. http://www.parrotforums.com/new-members-welcome/52238-faq-hot-topics.html

Christinenc2000 said:

Right now mine is wrestling with a blanket I laid across the couch. So far he is winning.

Welcome to the forum

Click to expand...

Where does this blanket stuff come from?

I can tell you for a fact that my Foster Shamrock Macaw, WOODY, had a fleece blanket that was his absolute prized possession. He waddled around the house with it.

we played tug of war with it.

He would burrow under the thing and play peek e boo...

He'd burrow under the thing and attack your feet as you walked by...

He'd sleep on it...

Take it away from him? YOU DIE! THAT'S MINE!!! GIVE IT BACK - NOW!!!

With Maggie, it's her towels... (Plural. She made a nest. Don't mess with it. Seriously... ever seen how upset a greenwing can get if you mess with their nest? You don't want to go there.. trust me!)

Who doesn't play peek e boo with their macaws and a blanket?!

NO BLANKETS?! Who says?! That's actually a new one on me, and I've heard most of them...

idontknow said:

Can I give my birds raw vegetables? Most places say they have to be cooked, but I eat all of them raw...I don't even know how to cook vegetables.

Click to expand...

I CAN ONLY SPEAK FOR MYSELF..,

MINE GENERALLY WILL NOT TOUCH THEM IF THEY ARE COOKED... THEY ONLY EAT RAW VEGGIES...

WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SOYBEANS. COOKED SOYBEANS ARE SUCKED DOWN LIKE THEY ARE THE BEST THINGS GOD EVER CREATED... ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU BUY THEM STILL IN THE POD... AND THEY GET SHREDDER TOY AND FAVORITE COOKED FOOD!

Which, incidentally, there is a myth out there that says soybeans are poisonous...

Birdman666 said:

Christinenc2000 said:

Right now mine is wrestling with a blanket I laid across the couch. So far he is winning.

Welcome to the forum

Click to expand...

Where does this blanket stuff come from?

I can tell you for a fact that my Foster Shamrock Macaw, WOODY, had a fleece blanket that was his absolute prized possession. He waddled around the house with it.

we played tug of war with it.

He would burrow under the thing and play peek e boo...

He'd burrow under the thing and attack your feet as you walked by...

He'd sleep on it...

Take it away from him? YOU DIE! THAT'S MINE!!! GIVE IT BACK - NOW!!!

With Maggie, it's her towels... (Plural. She made a nest. Don't mess with it. Seriously... ever seen how upset a greenwing can get if you mess with their nest? You don't want to go there.. trust me!)

Who doesn't play peek e boo with their macaws and a blanket?!

NO BLANKETS?! Who says?! That's actually a new one on me, and I've heard most of them...

Click to expand...

No blankets or similar fabrics, especially hidey huts because their feet get stuck in them. That's what I've heard.

Papaya's favorite thing was his happy hut...

My two other conures, couldn't be trusted with one. They were fabric chewers. They'd eventually kill themselves with it.

Py had one they didn't.

Woody's most prized possession was his Blankey... TAKE THAT AWAY FROM HIM YOU BETTER BE PREPARED TO LOSE A TOE.... Seriously! Give it back, or you'll lose another one!!!

Check these things for frayed areas, if they're messed up throw them out and replace them.

Common sense.

Birdman666 said:

Papaya's favorite thing was his happy hut...

My two other conures, couldn't be trusted with one. They were fabric chewers. They'd eventually kill themselves with it.

Py had one they didn't.

Woody's most prized possession was his Blankey... TAKE THAT AWAY FROM HIM YOU BETTER BE PREPARED TO LOSE A TOE.... Seriously! Give it back, or you'll lose another one!!!

Check these things for frayed areas, if they're messed up throw them out and replace them.

Common sense.

Click to expand...

Eating vegetable thin crackers right now, apparently they can't eat those.

idontknow said:

Birdman666 said:

Papaya's favorite thing was his happy hut...

My two other conures, couldn't be trusted with one. They were fabric chewers. They'd eventually kill themselves with it.

Py had one they didn't.

Woody's most prized possession was his Blankey... TAKE THAT AWAY FROM HIM YOU BETTER BE PREPARED TO LOSE A TOE.... Seriously! Give it back, or you'll lose another one!!!

Check these things for frayed areas, if they're messed up throw them out and replace them.

Common sense.

Click to expand...

Eating vegetable thin crackers right now, apparently they can't eat those.

Click to expand...

Who ever told you that didn't have a parrot.

What you don't want to do is make it THE STAPLE of their diet.

SOME IDIOTS DO THAT YOU KNOW... so to compensate for that, they make up stories about how crackers will kill them. Half truth! A diet of mainly crackers is nutritritionally lacking and will eventually kill them...

idontknow said:

Eating vegetable thin crackers right now, apparently they can't eat those.

Click to expand...

Have you had a chance to look at the link I provided?

I'm beginning to smell an unpleasant odor..... :54:

Precautions have to be taken to ensure that your bird doesn't encounter any harmful bacteria and get sick. Domesticated birds just aren't bred the way wild birds are; end of story.

Your birds can survive with a little table food. Just make sure that the main bulk of their diet is species appropriate amounts of fresh produce and seeds or pellets. It's really like having kids-- baby proof EVERYTHING and don't just feed them candy. Use your common sense and they'll be right as rain.

Stuff like this suggests they are more tolerant than we give them credit for. These folks seem to have a happy, healthy bird and I don't get the feeling that they've been overly protective of him. Not that I'll be feeding my tiel potato chips, but I'm not going to worry myself sick about every possible danger.


[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvfthkELUPw"]Jack the 25-Year-Old Cockatiel - YouTube[/ame]

An occasional potato chip isn't going to kill him...

A steady diet of potato chips... will kill anyone... including us!

Did I ever tell you about the time I invented THE ROCKET?!

idontknow said:

Can I give my birds raw vegetables? Most places say they have to be cooked, but I eat all of them raw...I don't even know how to cook vegetables.

Click to expand...

Yes. Most of the veggies I feed to my parrots are raw. Just keep in mind that beans and peas need to be cooked.

As everyone has been saying, just take commonsense precautions. The whole blanket thing? Well, you wouldn't leave a blanket with an unsupervised parrot. But in a case where your bird is right there with you playing with said blanket? Not really an issue.

Drafts are only an issue if said gust of air is persistent and significantly colder than the ambient temperature of the room. It's not as though an errant breeze will make your bird keel over or anything.

On the other hand, there are some things where there is no room for error. Overheated teflon kills. Period. Certain parts of an avocado are poisonous to birds. Chocolate is toxic to them. Their respiratory systems are relatively delicate in comparison to ours, (which is why canaries were so often used to detect bad air in mines. They'd usually die well before the humans in the shaft felt any discomfort) so aerosol sprays can be dangerous. Same for fine powders and such.

They also tend to explore with their beaks, so you definitely have to keep them away from power cords.

They're not delicate little glass statuettes or anything, but care must be taken whenever they're out of their cages. Me? I don't stare intently at them for every hour that they are out, but I do make sure that they're in the same room with me. I never leave them alone for longer than maybe a minute or so, but they do have their tree stands and can entertain themselves if I'm otherwise occupied.

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