Need help with Galah

[shnakeygirl]

I will start making it fresh everyday once I've worked out what she does and does not like. She can't seem to get enough oats and barley though.

Shes getting alot better with her biting since we have started putting her in her cage when she bites. Still not entirely sure why, but most of the time I think its because she doesn't like what going on

[lyrebird]

Good luck with your Galah!

I might be getting a hand reared Galah soon (I have never had one).

[hoosein]

Hi all

I recentlyy got a 2 year Galah (female) for my birthday. I always wanted a parrot and the kids decided to finally buy me this galah.

This is my first bird and woudl appreciate any advice on care etc. One question how often does one have to clean the parrot cage? I only spend about 2-3 days after work with the bird but during teh day my wife is at home. Is that enough tiem to spend with your parrot.

When I let the galah out of the cage she usually want to stay out as long as we will allow her. What is the best way to get her back into her cage. Last weekend she stayed out for 3 hours and than started screaming and when we got back into her cage she went straight for her water. It was also a very hot day here in Perth last Sunday.

Regards

[vankarhi]

I clean my birds cages daily......well the cockatiel gets cleaned less often as he is not as messy as my eclectus boys. But basically if it is dirty ..... I clean it. Yesterday I cleaned the eclectus cages (not aviaries) twice as they had thrown their food "everywhere" and the fruit fly are breeding I am sure.

So basically clean the cage when you think it needs cleaning but even when I was working (almost full time hours too) I cleaned all aviaries and cages (eclectus cages inside were still once daily) at least weekly.

as for time out......as long as it is quality time out then it shouldn't really matter .... but 3 hours (you did say days I am assume you meant hours) is pretty good. I have stopped working outside the house so many hours (only work 1 saturday a fortnight now) so I let the birds out at various times of the day including at night time and we play with them at various times. Sometimes for only a few mins, other times for a couple of hours. Sometimes I just put them on the playstand or on top of their cages. It really all depends on what is going on inside the house at the time.

I am assuming your bird is tame??? Does she step up?? If she doesn't then you will need to work with her to get her to step up onto your hand so you can easily transport her from one place to another or just in and out of her cage.

In the heat we need to make sure our birds are not stressed ........ so watch for panting or wings drooping/spread etc. You could spray her with water or put her into a shower or take her outside (if her wings are clipped or just put her into another cage or take her inside cage outside) and hose her. My galah loved to be hosed with water and we used to put her outside under the sprinkler or in the rain and she would scream with delight and flap her wings and roll around in pure pleasure ;D

[vankarhi]

oh and onions and the onion family are toxic to our birds. I don't give my birds onions and when I make fried rice I LOVE shallots in it.....but I try to pick out as much of it for my birds (they love fried rice too) but if there is a little bit I don't panic but I do try to remove as much as I can. The same when I give them spagetti or some other dish I cook.....I try to get as much of the onion (yes even if it is cooked) out as possible ....... so far so good.

[hoosein]

Thanks for the advice vankarhi very much appreciated. The galah is tamed. When she is in her cage and I put my hand in she gets onto the hand. When she is outside and we put our hand to her she tries to bite you.

[carlsandclan]

Galahs have no trouble letting you know when they don't like something! My girl, AJ, nips whenever the dogs come too close, when she isn't ready to go to her cage for bed, when she's had enough scratches etc. I don't get nipped too much now, because I've learnt to read her body language. And we have a routine set now - that is really important. It takes time for them to bond with you, and for us to learn what they are trying to tell us. Just like a toddler! Have you tried any training? Even though she steps up, go through the training with her - use sunflower seeds as rewards. It is a fantastic way for you to get to know each other, and for your bird to learn to trust you. Patience is key - but when you both learn about each other, it is SO worth it!

Carls

[Robyn]

Good advice Carls, there is also a heap of training tips out there. Barbara H & Good Bird Inc. Jim McKendry has a good reputation in Brisbane. Its all very well & good to get good advice from our forum but I also find i don't know the bird & owner & i can't see where they are going wrong. I can only assume how they are going about things & whether or not that are telling me the full story.

I have been dealing with a guy in Brisbane with a very bitey Eckie hen that has been the apple of his eye for the last 4 years. She has only just started biting though. He phones me when things get really rough & to be frank he deserves every bite she gives him. It took hours of talking to really get to the bottom of her aggression. There is nothing wrong with the bird its the owners. I have even dropped Jims name but he hasn't even bothered i don't think to call him. So i send him as many links as i can find & hope like hell he gets the message. I did get a call from this guy a week ago & things have settled a bit. So maybe he is starting to read what i send him.

I also find that when some breeders/pet shops sell their babies not enough information is passed on to the new owner. Or if it is the new fids owner is so smittened [spelling] by their new purchase that all that good info is forgotten. Even doing up a list is missed placed. Sometimes i get so disappointed in some parrot owners i sometimes wonder why i even do this. But then i met the most amazing people that want to make a difference. And that's the bottom line i want to make a difference also.

Anyway that's what i think.

Robyn.

[carlsandclan]

I agree with you there, Robyn. Birds don't normally really bite for no reason, and so many people don't understand that, or they don't want to understand that. I find it so sad that a lot of parrot owners (and yes, they think THEY own the bird, not the bird owning THEM) just don't realise that they are reinforcing the behaviour, too. A lot of them are simply misguided. Some of them don't really care.

Honestly, I think that ALL birds should require a licence to keep, and you should have to do a test to see if you have the knowledge to care for them. I know I would be more than happy to do that! Most issues can be dealt with quite easily, I believe, by doing research and reading as much as you possibly can from various sources. If that doesn't help, seek a specialist and do some personal sessions. Most of us think nothing of taking a new puppy to pre-school.

All of us who really care about our animals just have to keep trying. You guys on here who breed really DO make a difference. It is obvious that you all really love your birds, and you all go to great lengths to make sure your babies are going to have the life they should have. I applaud you all!

There is my humble opinion.

Carls