birdhouse

Oh yes, avian everything has come a long way in the 30(?) yrs since I brought Theo home from Woolworths. But Theo would have been considered an extreme situation even now & let's just say options were a lot more limited back in the Dark Ages. Cockatiels were still a semi-exotic novelty back then. So all of their babies were privately adopted either by people I knew or trusted reference. I got to "keep in touch" w/most of them & they tended to inherit their father's longevity & a fair number of their daughters for some reason got their mother's fiery temperament. Some of Theo's daughters also tended to laying infertile eggs but on a much smaller scale, thank goodness. One of the owners eventually though he'd like to have a pair & "see where it goes". Long story short, thru no fault of his or how things were handled, the female rejected the male & actually killed him. So I didn't mean to suggest that breeding your girl might be a good idea. Now that you've said she's already bonded, especially. I'd really only meant to share the flashbacks that all the excitement w/Kura dredged up. A little catharsis as it were, because it makes me a bit uneasy to even think deja vu could happen all over again. I like Greywings' idea of an Easter egg so much better. Just one last little bit of excitement before those foolish hormones are finally over with for this year.

So glad to hear that everything's getting back on track!! Issac will probably be pretty much back to his handsome self by the end of the month. As much as I hate it, Kura clobbers her feathers every winter (hormones ) & grows them all back in the spring. It is amazing how fast they come back once they start to leave them alone.

^^^ Give or take the trigger "), that's pretty much how I ever started breeding cockatiels in the first place. I had a hen who was laying so many eggs there was no way to keep her healthy. Her egg production just kept increasing no matter what I tried. At the point where she laid 12 eggs, rested for 5 days & laid 10 more, I was scared enough for her to try almost anything. Even if it meant getting her a mate. It worked, though. They were were fiercely bonded, great parents from the start, had a dozen healthy clutches & Theo never dropped another stray egg after Sundance arrived. Kura's been hormonal all along, which is what we finally guessed was the root cause for her seasonal feather destruction. Since I've always been aware it was very possible she could also start laying, I've done everything I could to prevent but prepare for it. She's very healthy & that egg was picture perfect inside & out. But you just never know w/these things. So I will be holding my breath & crossing my fingers for the next couple of days at least. Judy, I'm kind of guessing Kura may have eaten her egg because I messed w/it. I had to clean up the food whether she liked it or not & under the circumstances it didn't really matter. I had thought it might cause her to abandon or pitch it. I never expected her to eat it. But that's still my best guess, at the moment.

Oh, but you think you're joking...! So it would probably surprise you to learn how long it took me to stop Phenix from using the poor dogs as target practice. Not as much fun as it sounds, surprisingly.:eek: Phenix also did the same thing where he seemed to get it right away, then would kind of slip back into old habits once in a while. He was "confused" for maybe 5 months or so & then it really petered out a lot. But it was probably the better part of a year before totally stopped referring to himself in any kind of feminine gender at all. He'd also say things like, "Phenix is a good birl!" for a while. Something to watch him change & adapt the linguistics. Pretty amazing, really.

Everything that reminds you of her is going to hard for a while. But eventually, all the beautiful memories that you captured will bring you joy for a very long time & you'll be glad for them. Even if right now, that seems hard to imagine.

I'd just started making the rounds w/the fids & was giving Kura, my Eclectus a little beak rub, when something white in the food dish on the far side of the cage caught my eye. Assuming it was part of a paper thing she'd been destroying earlier, I didn't bother to investigate until she'd had her fill of attention. Eventually I went to pull & clean the dish. That was when I realized whatever was covered in left overs looked odd. I was thinking "What is that? It doesn't look like any of her toys. It's so covered in stuff but it ...looks sort of like an egg. She laid an egg...? Kura laid an egg!!" It actually took an extra second to register that covered in bits of food was a shockingly large, perfect, white egg (emphasis on shocking lol). After living w/her for so long, I don't actually realize how big Kura really is any more. But that egg certainly reminded me. It wasn't that much smaller than a little chicken egg. As soon as I started to pay it any attention, Kura went over & started fussing w/it. So I walked away as casually as I could under the circumstances & tried to give everyone else their time. Of course my head was buzzing w/things I should & shouldn't do, starting w/finding the spare cup ring so I could feed her until I though it was okay to pull the egg. Unfortunately, that started a half hour scavenger hunt because the thing wasn't where I thought I'd put it. By the time I found everything for the extra cup, Kura was pretty focused on getting something to eat & seemed to be over her egg. But just in case, while she was eating, I cleaned everything & returned it for the time being. I figured if she continued to ignore it, great. If she continues to lay, better to have a cup the size of a cereal bowl rather than use the floor, I guess. Even though I knew it was silly, I almost felt guilty when I had to leave for a bit. While I was running errands I kept thinking about how I'd enjoyed the teils when they were breeding. Sitting at the stop lights, a couple of visions of little naked ekkies even floated thru my head. Of course the voice in my head immediately said, "Stop that right now!!!" It's by no means all fun & games breeding birds, & I do know it. I definitely know what it would take to incorporate another big bird into the flock. And ekkies are selective about who they mate. And there's so much to raising parrots, of course. And in the end, I'd have to part w/those precious babies! But even still it was nice to daydream, just for a minute or two. As soon as I came home of course I casually raced over to check on Kura. She came across the cage from her "nest" cup to greet me. Then she went back to the other side ...to finish eating her egg. Yyupp, moment over. Just in case any silly notions were still lingering. On a positive note, I don't have to decide what to do about pulling the egg(s) now. All that's left is to just wait & see whether this was a one-off or what & hope all goes well in the meantime.

I'd be lyin if I said I didn't (day)dream about sandy beaches & tropical oceans pretty much all the northern winter long. I'm a coastal creature in case you can't tell. I've always been particularly drawn to pictures of Antigua for some reason... :confused:

I totally respect your decision & all the thought that's gone into it. But maybe for some time in the future, I just wanted to say some things about ekkie's being high maintenance. There's a bunch of disagreement about special Eclectus dietary needs. I believe in it because of what I've seen w/Kura. But since I was close enough to fresh feeding anyway, she was just that extra little push I needed. It was a little intimidating at first. It didn't take long before it really stopped being any big deal, though. But there are all natural pellet alternatives. We still do some pellets so they're used to them in case of emergencies, basically. TOP Organic Pellets are all human grade organic w/no additives. Also, Kathy at MyBirdSafeStore has several ekkies & swears by Vokman's mixes. My gut says one day they'll prove the "something" that ekkies don't tolerate well in commercial pellets is a major contribution to many ekkies plucking. I also think they'll probably realize ekkies are just more sensitive to something that probably isn't any good for parrots, anyway. Female ekkies have a rep as being hell spawn in some circles. To listen to the people I got her from, Kura was the worst of the worst, which was why they were getting rid of her. I personally never met that bird. I did meet some *$)#x@! who didn't know how to do anything but neglect & terrify my beautiful girl, though. Kura's been a great joy to pretty much everyone who's met her since the day I coaxed her, stinking & trembling, out from under that moron's couch. Accept for Charm, every one of my birds has been a rescue. But I've never met one who put it all behind them like Kura. Even Phenix fell hard & that's never happened before. So that was another surprise. I'd only fostered other big parrots after Phenix came home. I thought he'd be my one & only because of his issues & that was an iron clad, life long commitment. But I knew when I took Kura in that I had to get her out of there, that I would find her a great home if it came to it & that I would do absolutely everything possible to keep her. She was love at first sight & I had always wanted an Eclectus parrot. I have never regretted it. It's hard to explain, but Kura's company for Phenix in a way the smaller & transient birds never have been. She's also a great role model. Since she's basically sweet tempered & sociable, that's been some very big bonus points for me, too! I think the majority of Eclectus really just need what all parrots should have anyway. But breeds have a reputation. Every bird has their own personality, idiosyncrasies & issues & so do their parronts. You've got the qualities & I really think if the time comes, you'd be a fine ekkie parront. Meanwhile, you could do worse than to learn parrot keeping tips from most anything Jim McKendry writes, LandofVos.com & some of the parronts down unda on eclectusparrots.net. ")

I just wouldn't trust suction cups on the walls. I don't trust most of them on the tub & glass. I went thru a few before I found the one's I've got now. Also, if Brutus is the type to mess w/the suction cups, then Penny's right. There's too much risk of drama. I don't know of any trim they can't destroy. However, I have very low ceilings. So the molding on top of my doors goes all the way to the ceiling. They can't land to chew on it. I suppose they could bat hang. But they aren't apparently that motivated. Much easier pickins all over the place. So if you can do that, then maybe it's worth remodeling. Otherwise I wouldn't bother. Not at least until you were sure you'd gotten Brutus over going back to that spot. And good luck w/that!

... lots of chuckles & grinning while I was reading this!! Very, Very awesome! Hope this is the beginning of a new & exciting chapter. Big Congratulations for both of you!!!

Bubba has had his (& everyone else's) share of problems. So I don't think you're over cautious under the circumstances. If the card is in the mail, then it's approved. So I'd think you can call the insurance company & get the relevant info to be able to use the policy. As to whether or not this is anything, idk. Kura will get really stinky poops from eating certain things. She's pretty much normal other than the smell. Well, she also tends to have squeaky poops ...gassy when they drop. It can last for a couple of days even after she's stopped eating whatever. The floor thing is weird. But not eat a favorite thing? That is usually a flag to me. So, I'd at least call the vet & insurance co. I think.

^^^ Maybe I'm just lucky, too. When my guys are at the window, they're just busy watching the world go by. Once in a while they'll go after the blind cords if they're dangling (but I'm pretty well trained by now). But they haven't done any other damage, there, anyway. lol

The serious part... The weather has been relentless sucky this winter & apparently shows no sign of letting up any time soon. Just a reminder that we're not the only ones who are getting tired of the ice & snow. Trees & power lines, etc are feeling it too. Power outages, flooding & all that good stuff might be even a little more likely under the circumstances. It can really be a tricky business keeping exotic creatures safe during any natural disaster. But especially when it's cold. So I thought maybe a list of some of the previous discussions that members have had might help people plan ahead. https://www.google.com/search?q=greyforums.net+hurricane+site:www.greyforums.net&client=firefox-a&hs=Drl&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=np The other part... Now that I've finished everything on my list, I am going to make lots of hot chocolate (w/w/o alcohol), find my newest gardening magazines & watch another fresh foot of wet snow fall. Thinking about the amount of shoveling that will be required in the next day or two, I haven't got the energy it takes to do anything more exciting. But I thought it might be fun to hear what other members do to keep from going bonkers while they're getting snowed in for the umpteenth time in the dead of winter...?

Janet, I'm also kinda thinking if you've got $5.3 mil to spend on the property, there's live in staff going into those basement apartments. Not that I'm ever going to know much of anything about any of that. But it's fun to dream & w/w/o the attic, I love what there is to see of that uhmm house. Dee, you're a wicked, evil woman & you should be so proud!!

Phenix has me so well trained I'd just never think in submissive or passive terms like "master" & listening. My free association went RKO, not RCA. Misty looked to me like he was just about to address the nation. lol

It's very possible needy Bongo will return. You know how they change, change, change. But it is awesome for him to have gained some measure of independence. Sorry about your tree mug!

^^^ Hahaha I think you're right! But we've still got to try, don't we? One of the cheaper & simpler solutions is to try sticking your shower perch to a window (assuming you've already got one). If that attracts them, you could get some more. Just remember that wherever they spend time is going to get pooped under. But they do sell landing platforms like this one, that also stick on windows. https://www.wingdow.com/

Turkey... As far as it goes, he may not be entirely wrong. But he's still a turkey! Got it right in one!! If he can't pass the pet test, he isn't even worth the time it takes to brush your teeth(let alone the rest of the pre-date ritual lol). jmho Our children & our pets are a fundamental part of who & what we are. How other people deal w/them can say a lot about who & what they are. GC180 - The one thing I could say in the Turkey's defense, is that it is surprising how many people are intimidated by & even actively afraid of birds. Even though or because they've never been any where near them. If nothing else, birds have beaks & they're not afraid to use them! And parrots have such BIG beaks. :eek: lol

How sad; Cocoa was such a jewel. My heart goes out to Sanggay & everyone in Cocoa's flock.

Rahvar, that search I posted was for free vet advise. Like I said, I've never had to try to do things this way & maybe I'm wrong. But I wouldn't think you'd need any type of payment. Also, the last link (merkmanual) was for your own research. You can try looking things up on your own to see if you find any useful info. Also, I thought you could use it to cross reference anyone's advise.

I can't imagine how hard it must be to have health questions about your parrot & no vet to help. But no one here is qualified to give advise like this. Snap diagnosis w/so little info can easily lead to more & even worse problems. You really do need to take this up w/a qualified vet. Maybe one of these will help. I have NO IDEA about any of these sites, though! So please, please research the answers you get even from the supposed experts before you make any changes for Kanni. https://www.google.com/search?q=vet+advice+free+online&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a VVV click middle tab that says "Vet", then drop down menu where it says "birds" VVV http://www.justanswer.com/ http://www.merckmanuals.com/pethealth/birds/disorders_and_diseases_of_birds/skin_and_feather_disorders_of_pet_birds.html Once you've gotten some professional feedback you could post questions & members might be able to offer information from their experience, though.

This morning Charm screamed at me nonstop before I brought her breakfast. Then she tried to take my hand off when I reached in w/the water dish. Kura pinched me twice while I was cleaning her cage. Phenix only got a hold of my sleeve. But he proceeded to pull & grind in that way that makes you think how very lucky it's not a finger! In other words, it's our favorite time of the year!! ugh Some of Miss G's lapse may be hormones, unfortunately. Which may mean a little longer recovery period &/or even more dutiful servitude required. Too bad about the timing if it is. You guys have been doing so well lately.

Very sorry for the adrenaline rush! I know Crepe Myrtle is a all over down south. But it doesn't really grow well in the NE (for which I'm told I should be grateful!). But I never had a reason to check for it before this. Now I guess I'm deleting that link & bookmarking yours. So thanks. Shame you don't have more types of trees, though. Phenix is the biggest chewer here & I can keep him stripping bark for a long, long time if I keep changing it up. Kura hardly touches wood toys. But she will not leave molding alone! I don't even want to think what it would be like if I couldn't keep them supplied w/random branches! I feel really bad about your beautiful stand.

Your furniture is all covered in sheets, towels, etc. Your friends all know to ask before they recycle their newspapers or get rid of their sheets, towels, etc. Your dog(s) eat more fresh fruits & veggies than the average person. Your Xmas tree is only decorated w/edibles, shreddables & unbreakables. Breakable takes on a whole new meaning. Your friends wonder out loud about eating at your house when they find you baking branches in the oven.

Oh, wood fetishes are fabulous! That means an endless supply of free toys. Just so long as a tree is on the safe wood list it's fair game. http://www.nlpr.org.uk/wood-table.html?height=400&width=300 Phenix favorite is apple boughs & that's a little more challenging because they can be absolutely nuked w/pesticides. Since I don't know how long it takes for that to go away (if ever!) he usually settles for wild crab apple. Always the easy keeper Kura loves, loves, loves birch, preferably cut into disks. There's a stand in the back yard. ") So I can bring it in anytime, bake it to be sure there's no bug issues & string it on a chain for her. She's so cute because she always strips the bark all the way around a disk, then chews it to splinters. Reminds me of eating a cookie for some reason. Before the sap starts running & the bugs wake up, you could grab a hand saw & get Gus tons of cheap entertainment. Bet you've got a bunch of random hardware that you could incorporate here, too. Gus could be chewing & unscrewing to his heart's content & it won't cost much more than a little time & creativity.