Springtime ~ The birds are all atwitter!

Spring is finally here! There's something about this time of year that makes the animals so chipper. Now is the perfect time to get your birds outside to enjoy the beautiful weather!

Natural sunlight and fresh air is essential to a bird's health and happiness. It also gets you outside to enjoy it for yourself! We encourage all of you to make "outside playtime" as part of your routine but there are a lot of steps you need to consider to keep your birds safe.

How do you plan to take your birds outside? There's plenty of easy and safe options! Consider a "travel cage". This is a smaller cage than what your bird may be used to, but if your bird's cage is large and difficult to move, a smaller cage would be much easier for you and would only be for temporary reasons, such as travel or just to enjoy being outside! A travel carrier would work just as well. However, if your bird's cage is not too large and is easy enough to take with you, you might be better off just using that!

Another option, but would take some time to get your bird adjusted, would be a harness. Avian harnesses are growing in popularity but finding the right kind and size can be tricky, as well as training your bird to wear it. Once the bird is comfortable in the harness, your bird will have the freedom of being out with you while also being safe and you being in control. We've started carrying Feather Tethers which seems to be a decent product that our customers have been happy with.

Other simple things to remember when getting your birds outside to play:

1. Provide lots of water
2. Keep all cage doors closed (locks, clips or wire ties)
3. Most importantly - NEVER leave your birds unattended outside! You never know when a predator or person might have their eye on your bird. Always keep close watch over them while outside!
4. If it's too hot or too cold outside for a human baby - same for your bird.
5. Try to keep them off the ground if you can to prevent bugs from entering the cage/carrier.
6. Make sure they are freshly trimmed! (But remember, even if a bird is trimmed, a gust of wind can pick up your bird and take it great distances! Avoid taking your bird outside on windy days without protection.)

There you have it! Simple ways to make going outside a time to look forward to for both you and your birds! You'd be surprised how much this changes their demeanor and how much they love to get outside on gorgeous spring days.