Chicago Parrot Bird Boarding, Training and Behavior Specialists

Please use this page as a reference for toys, recommended avian vets and quality feed companies.

I recently overloaded my server and lost many of the links for this page, so please e-mail me a link to your website if you would like to be posted here.  Thank you :)

Joining a local bird club is a fantastic way to meet other bird enthusiasts and helps educate people on how to give optimal care for your companion parrot if you would like your club link added please e-mail me and I will be happy to add your club to the list.  A reciprocal link is appreciated.

Northern Illinois Parrot Society

Michiana Bird Society

Manhattan Bird Club

Ottawa Parrot Club

Gateway Parrot Society

The Aviculture Society of Chicagoland

West Suburban Caged Bird Club

If your club has been removed it is because there is no reciprocating link to www.thepoliteparrot.com

Midwest Bird & Exotic Animal Hospital
1923 South Mannheim Road
Westchester, IL 60154
708-344-8166
E-mail: mbeah@aol.com

Niles Animal Hospital - Dr. Peter Sakas
7278 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Niles, IL 60714
847-647-9325

Chicago Exotics
Dr. Susan Horton
Skokie IL.

Indian Prairie Animal Hospital
657 Route 59
Aurora, IL 60504
630-820-6999

Ness Exotic Wellness Center  
Holistic Care for Birds & Exotic Pets
Dr. Robert Ness
1007 Maple Ave
Lisle, IL. 60532
(630)  737-1281 Office

Green Trails Animal Clinic - Dr. Ruth Etherton
6430 S. College
Lisle, IL 60532
630-369-9666
E-mail: info@greentrailsanimalclinic.com

Natural Pet Animal Hospital
Dr. Karen Becker

Millbrook Veterinary Hospital
Dr. David Bongiorno, Geneva

Pam Groetzenbach, website coming soon!  630-272-6937

Windy City Parrot 
Tons of toys, toy parts and cage accessories.
Online catalog with large selection of hard to find and custom toys.

Jo's Exotic Birds - 6621 27th Ave. - Kenosha, WI - 262-654-1609
Great store, lots of toys and cages. Closed on Mondays.
Visit their online catalog

Pet Stock Room  A wonderful site for all your parrots needs.  Home of The Parrot Tower and The Java Tree. 

www.justdriftin.com

Narnia Pet Behavior and Training

Parrot Bill  parrot training and unbelievable free flight parrot demonstrations and tricks

CoolPetSites - Where the Cool Pet Owners Hang Out

http://www.bfbsbirdclub.org

http://www.avianbiotech.com/Links_health.htm

http://www.petbirdpage.com/

http://www.birdhobbyist.com/busybirdtoys/

Pet Id Tags

If you would like to have your site added please feel free to e-mail The Polite Parrot with your link at politeparrot@sbcglobal.net

BANANA NUT MUFFINS

• 1/2 cup margarine
• 1 tsp. Baking soda
• 2 eggs
• 2 cup sifted flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 large very ripe bananas
• 1 cup nuts, chopped fine

Cream together the margarine, sugar and eggs. Add flour and baking soda and mix well. Mash the bananas and fold into batter. Add the nuts and mix in well. Pour into muffin tins sprayed with vegetable spray (or use paper baking cups), about 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. These freeze well.

• 1 cup uncooked oatmeal
• 3/4 cup powdered milk
• 3 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1 1/2 cup hot water
• 1 tsp. Beef bouillon
• 1 egg, beaten

In a large bowl pour hot water over oatmeal, butter and bouillon, let stand about 5 minutes. Stir in powdered milk, cornmeal and egg. Add flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Knead 5-7 minutes, adding more flour if necessary to make a very stiff dough. Roll out on a floured board to 1/2 inch thickness and cut into shapes with cookie cutters (cat shapes are nice!). Bake at 325 degrees for about 50 minutes. Allow to cool and place on wire rack to totally dry before storing. Makes approximately 1 1/2 pounds.

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 eggs - wash the shells and save
• 1 cup corn meal
• 3 Tbsp. Vegetable oil
• 2 tsp. Baking powder
• 1 cup milk or buttermilk
• 1 tsp. sugar or honey
• Oatmeal or wheat germ to sprinkle on top

Mix the first 7 ingredients together and add any of the following:

• Cooked sweet potatoes
• Squash, shredded or chopped
• Lima beans
• Black eyed peas (cooked)
• Grated carrot
• Pulverized egg shells
• Frozen cranberries (not thawed)
• Blueberries

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour in a 13x9 pan or 30 minutes in an 8x8 pan.

• 2/3 cup flour
• 3/4 cup mashed bananas
• 2 Tbsp. Sugar
• 1/3 cup milk
• 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 3 Tbsp. Melted shortening
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt. Combine egg, bananas and milk, and add to flour mixture. Add shortening and mix only enough to dampen flour. Fold in cereal and raisins. Fill greased muffin pans (or use paper baking cups) two thirds full. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

• 1/4 GRAPE-NUT cereal
• 1/4 Milk or soymilk (no sugar)

Combine and microwave for 1 minute on high, or bring to a boil in a saucepan on the stove. Cool until just warm and stir in any of the following: mashed bananas, yogurt, cottage cheese, any fruit cut up, Brewer's yeast, jarred baby vegetables.

Make sure you use CLEAN, DRY pine cones for this, and make sure they have not been treated or sprayed with anything! I go out on our property (where we don't use pesticides) and collect pine cones for my bird each fall, for use the following year. Wash them with soap, rinse well and lay out to dry or place in warm oven (250 degrees). You can then add peanut butter and add your favorite seed or pellets.

It's easy to make your own mineral blocks!
Mix together the following:

• 2 parts Plaster of Paris
• 5 parts garden lime (white powder - not granular)
• 4 parts bone meal (from a Health Food store, NOT a garden shop)
• 1 part mineral supplement for birds

Mix in enough water to make a smooth "gravy". Pour into paper drinking cups, sized according to the bird you are making them for. At this point, you may insert a "U" shaped wire, if you want to attach the finished block to the cage bars. Use sturdy wire and leave 2 to 3 inches sticking out. We like to leave ours without wire and drill a hole in them when they are "cured" so we can attach them to toys. Place them on a board or cookie sheet, and put somewhere to dry. These may take SEVERAL days - OR WEEKS - to dry, depending on how large you make them, and the humidity. To speed drying, place them in a food dehydrator.

If you have not inserted a wire, drill a hole through the center after they have cured so you can hang them on a leather strip or whatever. This recipe produces a more crumbly mineral block than store bought. Experiment with how you want yours. If you want a harder block, cut the other ingredients by half and use that much Plaster of Paris. Keep experimenting until you have a block you are happy with. Start with small batches at first.

These work great if you will be gone for the day. It keeps birds busy and in warm weather you don't have to worry about spoilage as often.

Take your birds favorite fruits, place in dehydrator, string on cotton rope or on leather strip with wooden beads and secure to cage.

They're fun and taste great.

Take a wooden tongue depressor or craft stick (available at most hobby shops) dyed in food coloring. Roll end in peanut butter and then in seed mix. Freeze for 1/2 hour to thicken peanut butter and serve cold. Keeps them busy for hours.

Always, when using new foods on your birds make sure that you bird is in good health. Check with your vet to make sure that the ingredients are not toxic to the species.