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At the Lily Sanctuary we are dedicated to providing each animal with the finest care
possible, which includes unconditional love and affection. Each parrot has its own oversized indoor cage with plenty of toys. We also
have numerous outdoor aviaries, stands, and bird trees and—weather permitting—everyone gets daily outdoor time and frequent showers. Their diets meet and/or exceed all avian veterinary recommendations; fresh fruits
and vegetables, legumes, complete-nutrition pellets, a variety of nuts and a special high-grade seed mixture
which includes pasta, dried beans, cuttlebone, dried fruits, etc. Occasionally they get special breakfasts of
scrambled eggs and toast, or pizza. We add supplements such as calcium and spirulena, as needed. Some of our birds require medication/injections for life while others receive protocols of homeopathic and natural
remedies to help treat emotional and chronic conditions.
We have taken in several “special needs” birds: a Yellow-Naped Amazon with missing toes on both feet and
a beak encrusted with years of rotting dead layers; a Nanday Conure, also missing toes, whose lower beak was
torn off when he was young; a Blue and Gold Macaw who continues to tear out her chest and leg feathers
from stress over a suicide in her family—which cost her her entire human family; an African Grey born with a
congenital sinus deformity causing mucous to bubble out his eye and nose. With all of them, we constantly
endeavor to find creative solutions to minimize stress and discomfort. We also have been blessed with
gorgeous, amazing, perfect specimens. And every one of them, from “special needs” to simply “special”, has quite a story.
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| On the average we house about
40+ indoor cages. Some of the smaller birds share a cage with a feathered
friend. Every cage and surrounding areas are cleaned daily, and all the
cages are taken outside bi-monthly to be completely cleaned by power
washing. |
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We have 15 walk-in aviaries
outside surrounded by trees, flowers, grapevines, and shrubs. The birds
look forward to their daily play time, giving them a chance to stretch
their wings AND their lungs and play with fellow birds. During the warm
summer months misting systems and hand showers cool and delight
them.
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Since the majority of the residents here
are large parrots, the need for a healthy
diet is far more than a bowl of seeds. Besides
a healthy blend of seeds and nuts, our birds
receive premium fruit pellets, and a variety
of fresh fruits and vegetables every day.
This means that besides washing every water
dish, individual fresh food dishes must be
washed daily as well. Add to that the time to
wash, cut, chop, and fill each bowl according
to each bird’s need and preferences.
An average of 30 minutes per bird per day is spent just for their basic upkeep. That can add up to
over 17 hours per day! This of course does not include much needed one-on-one time
Needless to say, a large and strong volunteer base is required to keep up with the demand |
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Their diet for an average week includes:
* 30 plus lbs. Of assorted fresh fruits and vegetables
* 10 plus lbs. Of premium seed blends
* 7 plus lbs. Of premium fruit pellets
* 7 plus lbs. Of unsalted in-shell peanuts
* 3 plus lbs. Of in-shell mixed nuts
Additionally they get special treats that include
cooked eggs, pasta, beans, toast, crackers, and
table food form our dinner time. |
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