Parrot Lovers Community
What does it mean when your bird poops a red-orangy-brown poop? It's the only time I've ever seen him do this...not sure if it's time to run to the vet or not. He seems just fine, appetite good, he's talking and squawking and all that.
ETA: nevermind, it's probably the cranberry juice and carrots he's been nomming lately ;)
ETA: nevermind, it's probably the cranberry juice and carrots he's been nomming lately ;)
In response to a post i made yesterday, someone inquired about how kiwi & lychee are doing :)
They are doing quite well! No recent vet visits. No weight loss.
lots of feather loss from kiwi though, but that just becomes bleh after you get used to it.
Here are Kiwi and Lychee using my arm is a heated perch.
It was about 9pm so they were sleepy (and lychee was getting cranky)
Kiwi's such a cuddle-bug. (And lychee's so mean!) poor kiwi
FYI, I have decided to get both a heated perch and heat lamp. I will use the heated perch in Lychee's cage and the heat lamp on Kiwi's and see how it goes.
Thanks for the helpful inputs! :D
They are doing quite well! No recent vet visits. No weight loss.
lots of feather loss from kiwi though, but that just becomes bleh after you get used to it.
Here are Kiwi and Lychee using my arm is a heated perch.
It was about 9pm so they were sleepy (and lychee was getting cranky)
Kiwi's such a cuddle-bug. (And lychee's so mean!) poor kiwi
FYI, I have decided to get both a heated perch and heat lamp. I will use the heated perch in Lychee's cage and the heat lamp on Kiwi's and see how it goes.
Thanks for the helpful inputs! :D
Desmond is driving us CRAZY lately. He has plenty of toys and stuff to chew on, but instead he goes after the computer wires and his absolute favorite-the keyboard. Yesterday, he pulled a key off one of the lap tops, and as you know, lap top keys are not the easiest in the world to put back on. This morning he's at it again.
I've tried rearranging his cage, tried distracting him with one of his toys, and everything I could think of but he still wants the lap top. I have an old, pos lap top that's good for pretty much nothing, and I thought about taking it apart somehow and giving the keyboard part to him for him to demolish, but I have a feeling that won't do, because MY lap top is shiny and new.
I swear it's like having a two year old in the house. I see him doing something he isn't supposed to, and I snap my fingers to get his attention and give him a firm "no". But he just looks at me with a head tilt, and continues on with his business. I know I sound like an idiot saying "no" every three seconds...haha. I *know* he understands me when I say it, he just doesn't care!
Obviously, my method isn't working. He's standing on the table waiting for the right moment to attempt to pull off a key as we speak. Little devil!
I suppose I need to try something else, like positive reinforcement, huh? Anyone have any other suggestions?
I've tried rearranging his cage, tried distracting him with one of his toys, and everything I could think of but he still wants the lap top. I have an old, pos lap top that's good for pretty much nothing, and I thought about taking it apart somehow and giving the keyboard part to him for him to demolish, but I have a feeling that won't do, because MY lap top is shiny and new.
I swear it's like having a two year old in the house. I see him doing something he isn't supposed to, and I snap my fingers to get his attention and give him a firm "no". But he just looks at me with a head tilt, and continues on with his business. I know I sound like an idiot saying "no" every three seconds...haha. I *know* he understands me when I say it, he just doesn't care!
Obviously, my method isn't working. He's standing on the table waiting for the right moment to attempt to pull off a key as we speak. Little devil!
I suppose I need to try something else, like positive reinforcement, huh? Anyone have any other suggestions?
I just received an order of BirdyBooty for my ten budgies and tiels (half of them fosters). Of course, they are thrilled. I haven't been able to take many pics cause I've been so busy, but I had to share this with ya'll.
Hurry up and get your orders in now for the holidays! I've heard the last day to order is December 3rd, which is right around the corner!!
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The other day I decided to put this toy in the cage with 6 budgies. |
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This is how it looked 8 hours later when I got home! Sera looks very proud. |
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They had a grand time turning it into a boing, and for the past few days they have been nibbling at it but mostly keeping it intact as a boing and swinging from it. |
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Joseph loves it of course! |
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He likes to climb on the top, just like BirdyBooty said he would. |
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Oh my god, the detail on this thing is amazing. The amount of time and effort put into all those little parts... it's even more awesome then the picture can show. |
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And the toys are so pretty! |
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Here is Peregrine with one of the new toys (left side) which is stuffed with shredded paper. Of course he was chewing on the toy a moment before I shot the pic... but he stopped chewing so he could concentrate really hard on being cute for the picture. That's the way Peregrine rolls. Haha, looking at it now just about ALL the toys in this picture are from BirdyBooty. :D |
Hurry up and get your orders in now for the holidays! I've heard the last day to order is December 3rd, which is right around the corner!!
Earlier this evening, Jessie bit my brother near his collarbone. I don't know how he did it - I was facing away from him when it happened - but somehow, in his reaction to the bite, he tore out half of Jessie's tail feathers and some rump feathers.
I looked over my shoulder and the first thing I saw was the pile of black, green and orange feathers on the floor and I could have sworn my heart stopped beating. Jessie didn't seem to be in any pain (though of course, she went beep! when her feathers were pulled out... but it sounded like a normal, loud chirp - not a cry of pain like I've heard her do before whenever she gets a toe stuck), but god. My mother and brother were laughing and I was on the verge of tears. Now Jessie's missing thirteen pretty feathers from her butt :(
She seems to be fine, eating and playing as if nothing happened, but... djskaljdasl!! My poor baby :((
I looked over my shoulder and the first thing I saw was the pile of black, green and orange feathers on the floor and I could have sworn my heart stopped beating. Jessie didn't seem to be in any pain (though of course, she went beep! when her feathers were pulled out... but it sounded like a normal, loud chirp - not a cry of pain like I've heard her do before whenever she gets a toe stuck), but god. My mother and brother were laughing and I was on the verge of tears. Now Jessie's missing thirteen pretty feathers from her butt :(
She seems to be fine, eating and playing as if nothing happened, but... djskaljdasl!! My poor baby :((
Here are my babies!! Today was my Mia's birthday... lots of toys were given. Extra special treats. LOTS of cuddles. I think she enjoyed it!
Here's Mia preening me and playing on her stand then my sweet little Libby the most special parrotlet ever. Then my little parrotlet pair Owen and Millie
I'm home today, working on a cleaning project (closets, yuck.) It's been too cool outside to put Sunshine out on the patio (which she loveslovesloves) so she and I are cooped up in the house together. I've let her ride around on me part of the day while I've worked, but when she starts to get cranky or overstimulated, I put her back in her cage.
When she's alone in her cage, she practices her vocalizations. She's got ONE that just gets on my last nerve. It sounds like a rusty gate! She'll do it for ten minutes at a time. GAH! I've tried ignoring it, but she LIKES to do it--she's not doing it for attention. So sometimes, when I can't stand it anymore, I'll whistle one of her whistles to her from another room, and she'll stop and whistle for a while instead. But eventually, she goes back to the rusty gate sound. Any other suggestions?
Also, listening to her, from the livingroom when she's in the dining room and can't see me, it almost sounds at times like she's trying to talk! Darned if know what she's trying to say, but it sounds like words and phrases, sort of. It's really adorable, actually, except for the rusty-gate thing.
When she's alone in her cage, she practices her vocalizations. She's got ONE that just gets on my last nerve. It sounds like a rusty gate! She'll do it for ten minutes at a time. GAH! I've tried ignoring it, but she LIKES to do it--she's not doing it for attention. So sometimes, when I can't stand it anymore, I'll whistle one of her whistles to her from another room, and she'll stop and whistle for a while instead. But eventually, she goes back to the rusty gate sound. Any other suggestions?
Also, listening to her, from the livingroom when she's in the dining room and can't see me, it almost sounds at times like she's trying to talk! Darned if know what she's trying to say, but it sounds like words and phrases, sort of. It's really adorable, actually, except for the rusty-gate thing.
I think I made a post inquiring about thermo-perches last winter, thought about buying one, but didn't.
This year, things have changed a little.
1) Last year I kept my 2 lovebirds in the same cage so they had each other to cuddle up with. This year they are in 2 separate cages.
2) This year Kiwi is significantly more naked than last year.
When it starts getting cold I will pull out my heater and turn it on when I am home, but I don't want to leave it on while I am at work (that will kill me and my roommate in terms of electricity bills).
So I would like to get a thermo-perch for Kiwi & Lychee for during the day.
I see many posts online saying "don't buy thermo-perches! They will burn your birds' feet!"
is this... true?? Has this actually happened to anyone before??
This year, things have changed a little.
1) Last year I kept my 2 lovebirds in the same cage so they had each other to cuddle up with. This year they are in 2 separate cages.
2) This year Kiwi is significantly more naked than last year.
When it starts getting cold I will pull out my heater and turn it on when I am home, but I don't want to leave it on while I am at work (that will kill me and my roommate in terms of electricity bills).
So I would like to get a thermo-perch for Kiwi & Lychee for during the day.
I see many posts online saying "don't buy thermo-perches! They will burn your birds' feet!"
is this... true?? Has this actually happened to anyone before??
I am going to be moving back to California (from NYC) and I'm wondering about people's experiences with different ways of getting small birds across country?
Griffin flew out here with me as a carry-on pet and that's how he'll move back, but I can't do that with the 5 finches.
What options do you guys have experiences with? What would you recommend?
ETA:
I'm inquiring more about the different flight options cross-country. I'd feel more comfortable with the finches being flown because it would be a faster trip for them.
Griffin flew out here with me as a carry-on pet and that's how he'll move back, but I can't do that with the 5 finches.
What options do you guys have experiences with? What would you recommend?
ETA:
I'm inquiring more about the different flight options cross-country. I'd feel more comfortable with the finches being flown because it would be a faster trip for them.
So, after having him live with me for over a year and a half, I've noticed that my Mitred conure (Kizilbosh) has a strange habit - he is a midnight bather.
Several dozen times over the last few months, I have been awakened by the sound of a very happy bird bathing in his water crock. We aren't talking about a simple head dip, he's IN the crock, splashing about and making very happy noises.
He (and the Goffin's) get bathed very regularly, so it's not like he's being deprived of Birdy Bathtime.
It's not a problem, I just find it odd.
Thoughts?
Here's a pic of the little fellow in question:
Several dozen times over the last few months, I have been awakened by the sound of a very happy bird bathing in his water crock. We aren't talking about a simple head dip, he's IN the crock, splashing about and making very happy noises.
He (and the Goffin's) get bathed very regularly, so it's not like he's being deprived of Birdy Bathtime.
It's not a problem, I just find it odd.
Thoughts?
Here's a pic of the little fellow in question:
I've made a few posts about Eugene recently, and I thought I'd tack another one to the board and update!
Two weeks ago I went and met him, and I gotta say, everything that his foster mom has written in the PetFinder profile is true. I was really apprehensive about the details she depicted in the ad. He seemed too perfect. But, to my surprise, it's factual.
He stepped up to me right away, even though he was a little apprehensive. He seemed to love being touched and stroked by Joan, but he didn't really want me to mess with his feathers too much. He was pretty content just to sit on my hand, arm, or shoulder. The fact that I even let him on my shoulder is a testament to how calm this bird was. Normally I avoid letting parrots perch there...not being able to see their body language is a little unnerving.
The one thing that Joan forgot to mention in the ad is that he seems to have broken his right foot at some point. One of his toes is skewed awkwardly, and it inhibits his ability to perch on fingers a bit. When he was on my shoulder or arm, he didn't slide around, but on hands, he's a little shaky.
I'm not really sure where to go from here, though. My husband is still firmly against the idea of adopting an adult bird. He seems to think that a baby would adjust better to our strange hours and unique lifestyle. Considering Eugene's temperament, I don't think that this will be an issue. Plus, with my husband's health, I don't want there to be an extremely loud and demanding bird for him to have to deal with while I'm at work. Don't get me wrong...I understand that all parrots are demanding, but some are definitely more taxing than others.
Blah.
Two weeks ago I went and met him, and I gotta say, everything that his foster mom has written in the PetFinder profile is true. I was really apprehensive about the details she depicted in the ad. He seemed too perfect. But, to my surprise, it's factual.
He stepped up to me right away, even though he was a little apprehensive. He seemed to love being touched and stroked by Joan, but he didn't really want me to mess with his feathers too much. He was pretty content just to sit on my hand, arm, or shoulder. The fact that I even let him on my shoulder is a testament to how calm this bird was. Normally I avoid letting parrots perch there...not being able to see their body language is a little unnerving.
The one thing that Joan forgot to mention in the ad is that he seems to have broken his right foot at some point. One of his toes is skewed awkwardly, and it inhibits his ability to perch on fingers a bit. When he was on my shoulder or arm, he didn't slide around, but on hands, he's a little shaky.
I'm not really sure where to go from here, though. My husband is still firmly against the idea of adopting an adult bird. He seems to think that a baby would adjust better to our strange hours and unique lifestyle. Considering Eugene's temperament, I don't think that this will be an issue. Plus, with my husband's health, I don't want there to be an extremely loud and demanding bird for him to have to deal with while I'm at work. Don't get me wrong...I understand that all parrots are demanding, but some are definitely more taxing than others.
Blah.
Hello!!
My name is Joanna and I'm from around Chicago. I have 6 birds. A hand-fed Hahn's macaw, named Mia- who is turning 1 tomorrow!!
I also have a rescued pair or female parakeets named Pete and Pixie.
And finally I have three parrotlets. Two are a rescued pair, Owen and Millie... they were never really hand tame but they are great! I love their energy and I love their sweet faces. They are so cute together and I love watching them interact. One of them is flighted and it's so much fun to let him just soar above my head. Millie isn't flighted because she's really bad about letting me put her back in the cage. She will fly away. Then keep flying away getting more frantic and finally just taking chunks out of my hands.
And finally, my third parrotlet is a special needs parrotlet. She was born and after a while the breeder began to notice that she wasn't developing normally. She was looking different. Acting different. The vet said that she has some cognitive disorders. She wasn't weaning, had seizures, her balance was off, and she wasn't flying..... the vet thought that maybe putting her down might be the best idea. But the breeder saw this bird that had nothing wrong with her besides some birth defects. She was still able to enjoy a good life. I've known the breeder for a while and when I came to finding out about this parrotlet... I fell in love... this bird deserved the best in life. And even though she might not live as LONG as a normal parrotlet she is the most amazing bird that I've had the pleasure of taking care of. She didn't wean for about 5 months. She didn't eat seeds till last week. But she's doing so well. She has bonded to me completely. She is the sweetest cuddle bug in the world. Taking her in has been the best decision in my life!
I'm finishing nursing school this year and when I finally move out I am definitely interested in expanding my bird family. I met a Severe Macaw a while ago that I fell in love with! I love their size and their faces! I'm in the process to finding out more about this strong willed and amazing bird! And hopefully find a good breeder/rescue in the near future!!
Anyway... I can't wait to read more about your birds!
My name is Joanna and I'm from around Chicago. I have 6 birds. A hand-fed Hahn's macaw, named Mia- who is turning 1 tomorrow!!
I also have a rescued pair or female parakeets named Pete and Pixie.
And finally I have three parrotlets. Two are a rescued pair, Owen and Millie... they were never really hand tame but they are great! I love their energy and I love their sweet faces. They are so cute together and I love watching them interact. One of them is flighted and it's so much fun to let him just soar above my head. Millie isn't flighted because she's really bad about letting me put her back in the cage. She will fly away. Then keep flying away getting more frantic and finally just taking chunks out of my hands.
And finally, my third parrotlet is a special needs parrotlet. She was born and after a while the breeder began to notice that she wasn't developing normally. She was looking different. Acting different. The vet said that she has some cognitive disorders. She wasn't weaning, had seizures, her balance was off, and she wasn't flying..... the vet thought that maybe putting her down might be the best idea. But the breeder saw this bird that had nothing wrong with her besides some birth defects. She was still able to enjoy a good life. I've known the breeder for a while and when I came to finding out about this parrotlet... I fell in love... this bird deserved the best in life. And even though she might not live as LONG as a normal parrotlet she is the most amazing bird that I've had the pleasure of taking care of. She didn't wean for about 5 months. She didn't eat seeds till last week. But she's doing so well. She has bonded to me completely. She is the sweetest cuddle bug in the world. Taking her in has been the best decision in my life!
I'm finishing nursing school this year and when I finally move out I am definitely interested in expanding my bird family. I met a Severe Macaw a while ago that I fell in love with! I love their size and their faces! I'm in the process to finding out more about this strong willed and amazing bird! And hopefully find a good breeder/rescue in the near future!!
Anyway... I can't wait to read more about your birds!
As I make preparations for Archimedes's arrival, I find myself thinking about all sorts of things: changes I'll have to make (no more sleeping in until 11 on weekends!), lists of things to buy or check (already got my office-chair mat thinger for under his cage), and also really weird things.
Such as:
For those of you in multiple pet households, who do you find is the "alpha" animal? In my house, for example, the budgies have always been the boss of everybody else - my dad, my little brother, sometimes Mom, as well as the 35 lb dog and our two current 60+ lb dogs.
Do you all find this to be true in your houses, too?
It just occurred to me that the girls (the dogs) will likely be making great friends with Archie (because of the stuff he's going to be throwing onto the floor). As they collectively have the prey drive of a potato, I'm not too concerned.
On the Archie front itself, preparations continue. Managerguy thinks, based on the v-shape of Archie's vest and his laid-back attitude, that Archie is a male. I'll be getting him sex-tested when we go in for the well-bird exam at some point over the next month. I also have been approved to join a road use study that'll pay me a total of $850 or so - $300 up front (can you say 'pays for the cage'? LOL) and $40/month (food and toys) for the next year-ish. Couldn't have come at a better time! :D
Such as:
For those of you in multiple pet households, who do you find is the "alpha" animal? In my house, for example, the budgies have always been the boss of everybody else - my dad, my little brother, sometimes Mom, as well as the 35 lb dog and our two current 60+ lb dogs.
Do you all find this to be true in your houses, too?
It just occurred to me that the girls (the dogs) will likely be making great friends with Archie (because of the stuff he's going to be throwing onto the floor). As they collectively have the prey drive of a potato, I'm not too concerned.
On the Archie front itself, preparations continue. Managerguy thinks, based on the v-shape of Archie's vest and his laid-back attitude, that Archie is a male. I'll be getting him sex-tested when we go in for the well-bird exam at some point over the next month. I also have been approved to join a road use study that'll pay me a total of $850 or so - $300 up front (can you say 'pays for the cage'? LOL) and $40/month (food and toys) for the next year-ish. Couldn't have come at a better time! :D
I have a question for you all.
Female Eclectus or Male Eclectus?
(Currently leaning toward Female. ^^ No, I'm not getting one, just gimme an answer. ^^)
Female Eclectus or Male Eclectus?
(Currently leaning toward Female. ^^ No, I'm not getting one, just gimme an answer. ^^)
I haven't updated in a while here lol. THere hasn't been a whole lot to tell really. Joey's doing awesome. I have held off on a whole lot of training till I could get my own head around it...I think I was the problem before, and to be honest, he's not really misbehaving...I'd just like him to be a bit more consistent on things like gettting back in his cage and maybe even accepting his harness. I found a book last night (actually, my awesome boyfriend found it and pointed it out to me) that has a couple of chapters on working with adult birds that have had previous owners...I have looked at a few, but they seem centered on training babies. This one made me feel a bit better in that adult birds take longer to train, so maybe it wasn't all me either. I also found that using blueberry muffins works really well for training treats haha. I gave him a couple small pieces thursday night on the way home for talking and singing to me while we were riding (and being sure to tell him what a good boy he was being). I knew he liked them but I got a couple of good responses while in the car totally by accident.
He did act like he'd get in the water in the sink the other day...not all the way. He'd walk down my arm as I was rinsing his bowl, so I plugged it and moved the faucet over so it was right on him, and he walked over to the running water and took a drink, and then took a couple of tentavie steps into the water in the sink haha. I had to leave for work but I'll be testing him sometimes in that sink...I think it's less intimidating for him, but I have to wait for the dumbasses (aka my family) to not be here for that because they all think he'll eat them alive and steal thier babies :-/.
I do have a couple questions though (would my post be complete without them, really? lol). For those who let thier birds watch TV with them, or watch when you're not home (I do so he's not completely alone in the silence), do you notice that your bird reacts to what's on TV? Like something scary or funny, even if you don't react? I was watching Ghost Adventurers night before last before I left for work. I went in at 11 pm so I was going to cover Joey before I left to keep him warm (I can't keep the heater on when I'm not here until I get another heater...I have a question about this later too). He made a noise I had never heard him make before and then started scratching through the bars, which he's also never done. I knew I had heard tha sound...it took me a moment to figure out where. His flockmate, Petri, before he died, would cry if we let Joey out and not him. It's this strange little whiney tweet that goes down in pitch over and over. Honestly, its cute as it can be, but when I realized what it was, I pulled the front of the cover up and let a little light in. He started kissing at me then, and was perfectly calm. He went back to his preferred perch and started his happy tweet. I honestly think he was scared. That's the only difference I can think of that went on that day.
The heater question is that I need a small space heater for Joey. My room has no heat right now, and I'm using an old fashioned space heater (one of those that has the strips that look like what's in the toaster...very unsafe if you're not here) when I can, and covering him at night. I don't need a heater for me, as I've done just dandy for two winters in this room with no heat, but Joey isn't as, um, insulated as I am lol, so I want one mostly to keep him comfy and healthy. My mom told me about one that has oil in it that moves around like a radiator...it doesn't burn the oil, it just heats and moves it, which radiates the heat. I don't know the proper name for it. It isn't a kerosene heater or anything, and her boyfriend has one, and they both say it has no smell at all because it isn't burning the oil. Donnie (mom's boyfriend) has a cat, and he leaves it on low all day to keep the house warm enough to inhabit for his cat, and has never had a big problem, so apparently it isn't going to start a fire or anything like that (unlike the space heater I have now). I know where to look for it, and have a general idea of what to look for, but I have no idea what it's called, or if it's safe for Joey. Mama thinks it is, but she also thinks that flea spray is safe for him, so I'm not sure whether to trust her...any thoughts?
Other than that, things are rocking along just fine in our little flock of two (being, of course, Joey and myself lol). He still adores Jason (sweetie) and Kal'ven, Jason's cat. Thursday, on the way to Jason's, I asked him if he was ready to go see Jason and Kal'ven, and he'd jump around all excited and sing at me. When we got there and I was setting him up. Kal came in and was checking things out, and Joey would holler and laugh at him lol. When Jason came in a few minutes later, he started kissing at him lol. I'm trying to teach him to kiss and say "Good Sugars!"...he's starting to make noises after he kisses. I think he's working on it :). We both slept well there that night and the following day (I had to work overnight friday, so I slept most of the day). Joey entertained himself with the cat, who has grown a healthy respect for Joey haha. Kal's pretty well trained, so he's figured out not to get to close to Jo, but I still moved Joey closer to me while I slept, and made sure he was harder to push over in that light cage. I needn't have worried. Kal was a perfect gentleman. He'd look, but never touch, the cage and would talk to Joey. Of course, I know to not let up on safety precautions when there's a cat and bird in the room together but I like seeing them interact too. It doesn't seem to frighten either of them...on the contrary...they seem to get a kick out of each other lol.
So that's it lol. I have some pictures but I have to upload them. I'm still trying to get him not afraid of the camera enough to get pictures of the actual new feather growth, but that is going along beautifully as well :D.
He did act like he'd get in the water in the sink the other day...not all the way. He'd walk down my arm as I was rinsing his bowl, so I plugged it and moved the faucet over so it was right on him, and he walked over to the running water and took a drink, and then took a couple of tentavie steps into the water in the sink haha. I had to leave for work but I'll be testing him sometimes in that sink...I think it's less intimidating for him, but I have to wait for the dumbasses (aka my family) to not be here for that because they all think he'll eat them alive and steal thier babies :-/.
I do have a couple questions though (would my post be complete without them, really? lol). For those who let thier birds watch TV with them, or watch when you're not home (I do so he's not completely alone in the silence), do you notice that your bird reacts to what's on TV? Like something scary or funny, even if you don't react? I was watching Ghost Adventurers night before last before I left for work. I went in at 11 pm so I was going to cover Joey before I left to keep him warm (I can't keep the heater on when I'm not here until I get another heater...I have a question about this later too). He made a noise I had never heard him make before and then started scratching through the bars, which he's also never done. I knew I had heard tha sound...it took me a moment to figure out where. His flockmate, Petri, before he died, would cry if we let Joey out and not him. It's this strange little whiney tweet that goes down in pitch over and over. Honestly, its cute as it can be, but when I realized what it was, I pulled the front of the cover up and let a little light in. He started kissing at me then, and was perfectly calm. He went back to his preferred perch and started his happy tweet. I honestly think he was scared. That's the only difference I can think of that went on that day.
The heater question is that I need a small space heater for Joey. My room has no heat right now, and I'm using an old fashioned space heater (one of those that has the strips that look like what's in the toaster...very unsafe if you're not here) when I can, and covering him at night. I don't need a heater for me, as I've done just dandy for two winters in this room with no heat, but Joey isn't as, um, insulated as I am lol, so I want one mostly to keep him comfy and healthy. My mom told me about one that has oil in it that moves around like a radiator...it doesn't burn the oil, it just heats and moves it, which radiates the heat. I don't know the proper name for it. It isn't a kerosene heater or anything, and her boyfriend has one, and they both say it has no smell at all because it isn't burning the oil. Donnie (mom's boyfriend) has a cat, and he leaves it on low all day to keep the house warm enough to inhabit for his cat, and has never had a big problem, so apparently it isn't going to start a fire or anything like that (unlike the space heater I have now). I know where to look for it, and have a general idea of what to look for, but I have no idea what it's called, or if it's safe for Joey. Mama thinks it is, but she also thinks that flea spray is safe for him, so I'm not sure whether to trust her...any thoughts?
Other than that, things are rocking along just fine in our little flock of two (being, of course, Joey and myself lol). He still adores Jason (sweetie) and Kal'ven, Jason's cat. Thursday, on the way to Jason's, I asked him if he was ready to go see Jason and Kal'ven, and he'd jump around all excited and sing at me. When we got there and I was setting him up. Kal came in and was checking things out, and Joey would holler and laugh at him lol. When Jason came in a few minutes later, he started kissing at him lol. I'm trying to teach him to kiss and say "Good Sugars!"...he's starting to make noises after he kisses. I think he's working on it :). We both slept well there that night and the following day (I had to work overnight friday, so I slept most of the day). Joey entertained himself with the cat, who has grown a healthy respect for Joey haha. Kal's pretty well trained, so he's figured out not to get to close to Jo, but I still moved Joey closer to me while I slept, and made sure he was harder to push over in that light cage. I needn't have worried. Kal was a perfect gentleman. He'd look, but never touch, the cage and would talk to Joey. Of course, I know to not let up on safety precautions when there's a cat and bird in the room together but I like seeing them interact too. It doesn't seem to frighten either of them...on the contrary...they seem to get a kick out of each other lol.
So that's it lol. I have some pictures but I have to upload them. I'm still trying to get him not afraid of the camera enough to get pictures of the actual new feather growth, but that is going along beautifully as well :D.
My boyfriend, Wayne, decided that he was going to let Kermit out of his cage just before dinner, which meant that he had a mini-macaw begging for bites of everything when dinner was served. Wayne relented, and gave Kermit a piece of bread crust, which Kermit cheerfully shredded, covering both Wayne and his chair in crumbs.
"Ah, the macaw," Wayne said, while cleaning up the crumbs, "graceful, dignified, and not messy at all."
"Just imagine if he were a full-sized blue and gold," I told Wayne. (Wayne has long held an ambition to one day own a blue and gold. I take this as one more sign that I'm in the right relationship.)
"That would be glorious!" Wayne replied.
"Oh?"
"Yeah. I'd teach it to use a Dust-buster."
"Ah, the macaw," Wayne said, while cleaning up the crumbs, "graceful, dignified, and not messy at all."
"Just imagine if he were a full-sized blue and gold," I told Wayne. (Wayne has long held an ambition to one day own a blue and gold. I take this as one more sign that I'm in the right relationship.)
"That would be glorious!" Wayne replied.
"Oh?"
"Yeah. I'd teach it to use a Dust-buster."
For those not on my friends list -- I've been looking to rent a large building to work on flight with my 6 month old scarlet macaw, Schrödinger, for a while now. Thanks to the help of my dog trainer friend, I found one and we tried it out for the first time last week.
This was the second day we've rented the doggie day care to have Schrödinger go fly. I made a fatal mistake and went late in the day without having taken away his food for a while before hand, so he was really, really, really, really, really not terribly motivated.
We got some decent pictures though, and will know better next time. :) He's getting WAY better about just flying around the room too when he's not sure of where he wants to land. It's so cool to watch.
Training goals for this week:
1) Find the target stick.
2) Teach babycaw to enter his travel cage on cue.
3) Work on getting Cin (grey) and perhaps Ani (GCC) or Tea (sun conure) to do something similar to see if they'd be willing to try something like this.
We'll see how much I actually get accomplished. :)
Incoming!
That would be me encouraging him to go up to the railing.
And then me growing some wings. Shame I can't fly though.
Off again!
Him flying down to you is just so cool.
He loves the camera too.
Down!
He's such a powerful flier.
Look at that tail!
Just flapping.
Just passing by.
Having a conversation about peanuts.
Flying around the room a bit.
And again.
the end!
This was the second day we've rented the doggie day care to have Schrödinger go fly. I made a fatal mistake and went late in the day without having taken away his food for a while before hand, so he was really, really, really, really, really not terribly motivated.
We got some decent pictures though, and will know better next time. :) He's getting WAY better about just flying around the room too when he's not sure of where he wants to land. It's so cool to watch.
Training goals for this week:
1) Find the target stick.
2) Teach babycaw to enter his travel cage on cue.
3) Work on getting Cin (grey) and perhaps Ani (GCC) or Tea (sun conure) to do something similar to see if they'd be willing to try something like this.
We'll see how much I actually get accomplished. :)
Incoming!
That would be me encouraging him to go up to the railing.
And then me growing some wings. Shame I can't fly though.
Off again!
Him flying down to you is just so cool.
He loves the camera too.
Down!
He's such a powerful flier.
Look at that tail!
Just flapping.
Just passing by.
Having a conversation about peanuts.
Flying around the room a bit.
And again.
the end!
Hi. I am not trying to be gross or funny here, but I have a yellow collared macaw who just crapped and it smelled like rotten eggs. It looked like normal bird crap. I have 7 birds and have had birds most of my life, and have never noticed an odor in their feces. Has anyone else had this happen?
She's on Zupreem pellets and gets nuts, vegetables, fruit, pasta, and bread throughout the week. She stole a Frito from me last night and I'm wondering if that's what did it. She acts like she feels fine.
Crossposted to bird communties.
She's on Zupreem pellets and gets nuts, vegetables, fruit, pasta, and bread throughout the week. She stole a Frito from me last night and I'm wondering if that's what did it. She acts like she feels fine.
Crossposted to bird communties.
It's gotten incredibly difficult for me to handle Jessie anymore. Every time we take her out of her cage, she's focused on biting our necks. Not the face, not the fingers, not the feet, just the neck. Even if all she does is a little pinch, it's still really painful and extremely irritating.
None of us have any moles or warts on our necks that would grab her attention, so I have no idea why she insists on attacking there. I have to keep my hair down; if I tie it up or if it's brushed to the side, then the back of my neck will be exposed and she'll ALWAYS try to take a bite outta me.
Sigh :( Going to look up ways to discourage biting after I clean her cage...
None of us have any moles or warts on our necks that would grab her attention, so I have no idea why she insists on attacking there. I have to keep my hair down; if I tie it up or if it's brushed to the side, then the back of my neck will be exposed and she'll ALWAYS try to take a bite outta me.
Sigh :( Going to look up ways to discourage biting after I clean her cage...
Kyneckh_amigire in a comment provided the link for this article posted last year
A Balanced Diet? by Julie Mitchell
One couple's quest for the "Perfect Cockatiel Diet" leads to over-mineralization and heartbreak. Can 'tiels be fed too much of a good thing? Absolutely.
Our problems began about 3 ½ years ago right after we moved into our new house. We had a sunroom specifically for our birds with lots of windows and our birds were housed in 30" x 18" cages. In addition to adequate light, we thought they were getting a balanced diet that included a 60% pellet, 40% seed mix. They also had a continuous source of cuttlebone and mineral block, and we were alternating their treats on a daily basis. Treats would consist of broccoli, kale, millet peas, corn, toast with a slight smear of peanut butter, unsalted rice cakes and mustard greens. We felt that our birds were getting the best possible diet that we could give them. Nothing could have been further from the truth.
The problems began when one of my favourite hens appeared to be egg bound. I immediately took her to my vet who had us watch her. That evening, we had to take her back in and the vet performed emergency surgery to remove the eggs. What she removed was a gelatinous egg without a shell. The next morning, my hen died in the hands of my husband. We were absolutely devastated. I immediately called my vet and she had us prepare the hen for necropsy. She was sent overnight to a lab in California that performs very thorough necropsies and the resulting findings were: fatty liver, over-mineralization to the kidneys and liver, and a calcium/phosphorous/D3 imbalance.
We did not feel that our hen was fat, and how could our bird have too many minerals in her system? In our opinion, due to the gelatinous egg, the calcium/D3/phosphorous imbalance must have meant that she did not have enough calcium in her system for egg laying. Our vet asked us about our diet and we explained what we fed. She stated that we were probably over-feeding, so everyone went on a diet.
This is when things really started going downhill.
Over a 2 year period, we lost 22 hens, most of which were under the age of 2 years old and the necropsy results continued to come back the same: fatty livers, over-mineralization and calcium/phosphorous/D3 imbalance. During this time, we were also having more and more hens lay gelatinous eggs and fertile eggs that would not hatch. There were very few babies. My vet and I continued to scratch our heads and each day I would sit by the phone at work waiting for the call to come from my husband stating that another hen had died. During one week in March 2006 we lost 4 hens. It was so devastating to us that we were almost ready to get out of cockatiels altogether since we could not seem to figure out why this was happening.
During this time we purchased small flights, so that the birds could get exercise. We covered the windows in our bird room to stop all of the day frights, since frights seemed to add additional stress to the birds and caused heart attacks and strokes (which we found out was another result of over-mineralization). We changed food four times during this period and stopped feeding pellets. We were convinced that we were doing all the right things.
After the one bad week in March, I was awaiting the necropsy results on the last bird that had died, and I came home one evening right after the cuttlebones had been replaced in the cages. All I saw were hens happily munching away on cuttlebone and it hit me like a bolt of lightning. The hens were replacing food with cuttlebone!
I immediately called my vet and asked her if gelatinous eggs could be a result of too much calcium as well as too little. We researched and found that to be exactly the case. We immediately pulled every cuttlebone and mineral block in the house. The internet research also showed that calcium has to slowly leach from the body and be carried away by the kidneys. High calcium levels require high protein levels to metabolize in the body.
After pulling all of the cuttlebones, we added a protein supplement to the birds' daily diet and had two 10' x 5' x 7' cages made. This gave the birds a full flight for exercise. We stopped the protein supplement after one month, and waited 6 months before attempting to breed again. We held our breath while we waited for the first eggs and then the first babies. We had 18 babies in our first clutches and NO gelatinous eggs.
It has been just over a year since we put the pieces of the puzzle together. We have already banded over 30 babies in 2007 and have had not one single gelatinous egg, so this is a vast improvement over what transpired in 2004-2006.
This was the single WORST learning experience that we have ever faced. I lost some of my very best hens to this, all for the sake of trying to "do the right thing" and feed a balanced diet, with the right amounts of treats, etc. When feeding your birds, you have to look at the overall diet, and not just each individual item alone. Some dark leafy green vegetables and most pellet diets have high levels of calcium in them, so when fed with additional calcium supplements, it can upset a delicate balance. Be sure that you understand the overall nutritional impact of everything that you feed your birds!
A Balanced Diet? by Julie Mitchell
One couple's quest for the "Perfect Cockatiel Diet" leads to over-mineralization and heartbreak. Can 'tiels be fed too much of a good thing? Absolutely.
Our problems began about 3 ½ years ago right after we moved into our new house. We had a sunroom specifically for our birds with lots of windows and our birds were housed in 30" x 18" cages. In addition to adequate light, we thought they were getting a balanced diet that included a 60% pellet, 40% seed mix. They also had a continuous source of cuttlebone and mineral block, and we were alternating their treats on a daily basis. Treats would consist of broccoli, kale, millet peas, corn, toast with a slight smear of peanut butter, unsalted rice cakes and mustard greens. We felt that our birds were getting the best possible diet that we could give them. Nothing could have been further from the truth.
The problems began when one of my favourite hens appeared to be egg bound. I immediately took her to my vet who had us watch her. That evening, we had to take her back in and the vet performed emergency surgery to remove the eggs. What she removed was a gelatinous egg without a shell. The next morning, my hen died in the hands of my husband. We were absolutely devastated. I immediately called my vet and she had us prepare the hen for necropsy. She was sent overnight to a lab in California that performs very thorough necropsies and the resulting findings were: fatty liver, over-mineralization to the kidneys and liver, and a calcium/phosphorous/D3 imbalance.
We did not feel that our hen was fat, and how could our bird have too many minerals in her system? In our opinion, due to the gelatinous egg, the calcium/D3/phosphorous imbalance must have meant that she did not have enough calcium in her system for egg laying. Our vet asked us about our diet and we explained what we fed. She stated that we were probably over-feeding, so everyone went on a diet.
This is when things really started going downhill.
Over a 2 year period, we lost 22 hens, most of which were under the age of 2 years old and the necropsy results continued to come back the same: fatty livers, over-mineralization and calcium/phosphorous/D3 imbalance. During this time, we were also having more and more hens lay gelatinous eggs and fertile eggs that would not hatch. There were very few babies. My vet and I continued to scratch our heads and each day I would sit by the phone at work waiting for the call to come from my husband stating that another hen had died. During one week in March 2006 we lost 4 hens. It was so devastating to us that we were almost ready to get out of cockatiels altogether since we could not seem to figure out why this was happening.
During this time we purchased small flights, so that the birds could get exercise. We covered the windows in our bird room to stop all of the day frights, since frights seemed to add additional stress to the birds and caused heart attacks and strokes (which we found out was another result of over-mineralization). We changed food four times during this period and stopped feeding pellets. We were convinced that we were doing all the right things.
After the one bad week in March, I was awaiting the necropsy results on the last bird that had died, and I came home one evening right after the cuttlebones had been replaced in the cages. All I saw were hens happily munching away on cuttlebone and it hit me like a bolt of lightning. The hens were replacing food with cuttlebone!
I immediately called my vet and asked her if gelatinous eggs could be a result of too much calcium as well as too little. We researched and found that to be exactly the case. We immediately pulled every cuttlebone and mineral block in the house. The internet research also showed that calcium has to slowly leach from the body and be carried away by the kidneys. High calcium levels require high protein levels to metabolize in the body.
After pulling all of the cuttlebones, we added a protein supplement to the birds' daily diet and had two 10' x 5' x 7' cages made. This gave the birds a full flight for exercise. We stopped the protein supplement after one month, and waited 6 months before attempting to breed again. We held our breath while we waited for the first eggs and then the first babies. We had 18 babies in our first clutches and NO gelatinous eggs.
It has been just over a year since we put the pieces of the puzzle together. We have already banded over 30 babies in 2007 and have had not one single gelatinous egg, so this is a vast improvement over what transpired in 2004-2006.
This was the single WORST learning experience that we have ever faced. I lost some of my very best hens to this, all for the sake of trying to "do the right thing" and feed a balanced diet, with the right amounts of treats, etc. When feeding your birds, you have to look at the overall diet, and not just each individual item alone. Some dark leafy green vegetables and most pellet diets have high levels of calcium in them, so when fed with additional calcium supplements, it can upset a delicate balance. Be sure that you understand the overall nutritional impact of everything that you feed your birds!
JACK'S BACK.
And Bumble B. is starting shit with the other birds already. THAT DIDN'T TAKE LONG. Jack is confined to a hospital cage until his re-check on Weds, then we'll see what the doc has to say.
Also: Shani the cockatiel who may be needing an enucleation was at the vet's when I was picking up Jack. She is the cutest/most pitiful little thing. Enucleation is still a possibility for her future, but first there's this dermititus thing they need to clear up before anything else can be done. It seems pretty clear, though, that she's gonna cost Mickaboo $$$. If she gets the enucleation, I can give a pretty decent estimate of... $1,051.
DONATE TO HELP COCKATIELS WITH EYE PROBLEMS! (and conures too).
Okay. Off the soap-box again. Where was I?
OH YEAH. JACK'S BACK!
And Bumble B. is starting shit with the other birds already. THAT DIDN'T TAKE LONG. Jack is confined to a hospital cage until his re-check on Weds, then we'll see what the doc has to say.
Also: Shani the cockatiel who may be needing an enucleation was at the vet's when I was picking up Jack. She is the cutest/most pitiful little thing. Enucleation is still a possibility for her future, but first there's this dermititus thing they need to clear up before anything else can be done. It seems pretty clear, though, that she's gonna cost Mickaboo $$$. If she gets the enucleation, I can give a pretty decent estimate of... $1,051.
DONATE TO HELP COCKATIELS WITH EYE PROBLEMS! (and conures too).
Okay. Off the soap-box again. Where was I?
OH YEAH. JACK'S BACK!
I got an email from Mickaboo today about a bird with a bad eye...
"We have a Nanday conure coming in, who needs to go to the vet right away because he has something wrong with his eye. The surrendering family says it's been like it for a while, but I'm not sure it was ever seen by a qualified vet (we're still working on getting those details - the bird is being surrendered by the daughter of the people who have had the bird but are now too elderly to care for it).
I already have a foster home lined up - we just need the funding to take the little featherbutt to the vet to be sure that eye isn't infected or worse."
Another bird (a cockatiel) on the 'Mickaboo Angels' page has an eye injury and may need the exact same surgery as Jack: an enucleation.
Anyone who was moved by Jack's story, remember that Mickaboo's main goal is to help birds just like him: the cheap, 'disposable' pets that cost too much money to bother to treat. If someone had stepped up to the plate and helped Jack with his eye problems from the beginning, maybe he never would have needed the surgery that quite nearly killed him. Please consider donating to Mickaboo to help birds like Jack! Shani and the Nanday are in need of angels to help cover their vet expenses. If Shani ends up needing the enucleation, it's going to cost Mickaboo $1,000+.
Mickaboo Angel page with Shani's story
Donation link
If you earmark your donations as 'from One-Eyed Jack,' they should know what the money's for. ;)
PS: Now I'm off to pick up my Jack. JACK'S COMING HOME!
"We have a Nanday conure coming in, who needs to go to the vet right away because he has something wrong with his eye. The surrendering family says it's been like it for a while, but I'm not sure it was ever seen by a qualified vet (we're still working on getting those details - the bird is being surrendered by the daughter of the people who have had the bird but are now too elderly to care for it).
I already have a foster home lined up - we just need the funding to take the little featherbutt to the vet to be sure that eye isn't infected or worse."
Another bird (a cockatiel) on the 'Mickaboo Angels' page has an eye injury and may need the exact same surgery as Jack: an enucleation.
Anyone who was moved by Jack's story, remember that Mickaboo's main goal is to help birds just like him: the cheap, 'disposable' pets that cost too much money to bother to treat. If someone had stepped up to the plate and helped Jack with his eye problems from the beginning, maybe he never would have needed the surgery that quite nearly killed him. Please consider donating to Mickaboo to help birds like Jack! Shani and the Nanday are in need of angels to help cover their vet expenses. If Shani ends up needing the enucleation, it's going to cost Mickaboo $1,000+.
Mickaboo Angel page with Shani's story
Donation link
If you earmark your donations as 'from One-Eyed Jack,' they should know what the money's for. ;)
PS: Now I'm off to pick up my Jack. JACK'S COMING HOME!
What is a Nansun Conure? I saw one one on craig's list. Supposedly it is a mix between a Sun Conure and a Nanday conure. Is this BS? Suns and Nandays are of different Genera, correct? How would someone manage this, some wacky artifical bird insemenation?
And why would anyone want to mix the two? I am confused and curious. Anyone here have any kind of hybrid conure?
And why would anyone want to mix the two? I am confused and curious. Anyone here have any kind of hybrid conure?
Disclaimer
Disclaimer: BudgieMania.com does not guarantee or endorse any recipe listed on this site. If you have questions or concerns about the recipes, ingredients, or nutritional requirements of a pet, contact a licensed avian veterinarian. Please understand that you are solely responsible for the use of any information given on this site and use of any information will be at your own risk. Remember - budgies need a variety of foods and have specific vitamin and mineral requirements which need to be met. It is important to give them a well-rounded diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, seed, and pellets. Treats should be just that: treats.
