VStar Mama

Praying for you and Jayd. Please remember to ask for any help you need. Don't forget your self-care! I don't know if there is anything I can do to help, but please ask! You are both very much loved here!

These photos make me want to have an entire flock of cockatiels too......But a same gender flock so that I don't have the occasionaly population explosions.

Garlic doesn't go into the congee batches I've been making. I've been adding the non-approved parrot foods after he's eaten his share. So I'll put in the stuff I know he can eat (like egg, whole grains, shredded chicken, spinach, etc) and go sit and eat. He gets to eat out of the bowl with me until he is full and not interested anymore, then I'll add all the other stuff I like to eat (bacon, roasted or pickled garlic, sauteed onion, cheese, whatever combo I want in the morning) and finish my breakfast/dinner in peace. With that info on rice and arsenic however, I'll cut back myself (which makes me a bit sad since I love rice. Its cheap and I can do so many yummy things with it) I was surprised to read that information about sunflower seeds too! I don't give them to him as part of his diet but those are his preferred treats. We're working on recall training and some behavior shaping. I've tried to offer chopped pecans, walnuts, pistachios, and cashews but he spurns all of them. I haven't tried pint nuts yet but those will be next on the shopping list. Any other ideas for suitable treats? He is not a fan of fruit. Spurned my offerings of grapes, apples, banana, mango, and everything else I've offered over the past few years. He has nibbled fresh leafy greens but prefers to eat them finely chopped and mixed up with other stuff. I haven't tried sprouting anything for him. Not sure where to start with that. Got some ideas? We are slowly expanding the menu of fresh food that he eats. He really needs to see me eating it to get interested, and even then may only sample it here and there before he decides that something really tastes good enough for him to eat.

Good rule of thumb is to end an interaction on a positive note. And if the entire interaction has been positive, end it before you want to and before the parrot ends it. I found that working with my cockatiel became significantly easier when I was ending some trick training or head scritches before he was done with them.

Now I do need to confess something, about 2014-ish I adopted a cockatiel. He's been alternately a joy and a pain (depending on his mood) and is very adept at human-training. Anyhow, my Lord and Commander, has recently started learning that the food humans eat can be pretty yummy. He is always more interested in the food I am physically eating instead of his own personal portion on his cage top. Of course I shamelessly exploit this by making meals that are both human and parrot friendly and have been having some unprecedented successes. Matters came to a head one morning when I came out to eat my dinner and found him perched on the edge of my bowl, beak deep in my soup. But that's another story. So....whilst combing through Pintrest I came upon a new recipe that sounded interesting and yummy: Congee (or jook) which is a Chinese rice porridge. Basically it is a cup of rice cooked in 10 cups of water and with some sort of meaty bone, garlic and a piece of ginger over a long period (90 minutes on stove top but I cooked mine 8 hours on low heat in the slow cooker). I'm in love with this dish! So easy, cheap, delicious and endlessly customize-able. It has become my go-to after third shift dinner (aka daywalker's breakfast). Where has this been all my life! My Lord was initially skeptical about my meal but did try it. He LOVED it and I again ended up fending off a beak on a mission. Now, I wasn't able to find any definitive information regarding the suitability of the dish (in its most basic form, the rice, water, and a bone-in chicken breast...no garlic or ginger) for parrots. What is the opinion on continuing to provide this with other parrot healthy vegetable and grain and seed additions for my benevolent tyrant?

And of course more pictures of the completed aviaries and the birdies enjoying them are welcome

Without divulging the actual costs if you aren't comfortable with it - can you provide some break down of the material and labor costs for these projects? I'd like to start planning and saving now....before I even have a house LOL. I could totally see myself building a house sized aviary with all the best Parrot amenities, a garage for my motorcycles, and a tiny house where I live.

I think you should start your own "Gilbert" thread in order to chronicle the journey.

His loss is a major blow for Grey owners, current and prospective, everywhere. He has left behind a wealth of information and his knowledge will continue to guide us all. Thoughts to his family and flock and friends everywhere. I know he was met with a rush of parrot wings on the otherside!

Dammmmmmit! I was also hoping for a happy ending here. My thoughts are with you, your husband, and your flock. E-hugs to you all!

I thought that clicker training is begun by priming the parrot's response to the clicker by pairing the click with a treat. So the parrot learns that when he/she hears the sound a treat is forthcoming. Then you teach the parrot to target on the stick by presenting the stick and clicking (and then rewarding) as soon as the bird touches it.

Sensitive Subject....... I understand where you are coming from. I myself have wrestled with this question in an ongoing way with my dogs. In my case, a divorce and subsequent lifestyle change (= much less $ to go around) brought me to this point. When weighing the options and considering all the factors, my dogs have many cons working against them to be rehomed. Lab mix - senior, large, black, dog aggressive, one-person (me) dog, food aggressive, congenital birth defect in rear leg - the effect of which are now manifesting in progressively worsening arthritis in hips. Boxer - senior, not fixed, genetic diseases including overgrowing gums, BCM, high prey drive for small furry critters, and terminal cancer. Although the lab is aggressive to other dogs, she is a bit lost without her pack sister and without me would be best off remaining with the Boxer. I know that if I was not able to care for them or find myself in a situation where I can't take them with me (upcoming relocation) taking them to a shelter is a death sentence anyway. I have decided that at this point, if they can't stay with me, then I will make the final vet call. I would rather my dogs pass on in my arms than at the mercy of some total stranger/institution; no matter how nice and kind they actually are. I know that this decision is for me more than it is for them. I won't have to live with the uncertainty of wondering what happened to them for the rest of MY life. I will know that they passed on peacefully and with their family, loved and cared for and belonging until the end. I've had these dogs since they were puppies; the lab is 10 and the Boxer 9. This brings me to one of the biggest differences. When you have passed on, you likely won't know what happens afterwards. None of us really knows what happens after death. Any decision you make is for your emotional well-being while still alive. So whatever the final decision, make it to ensure your peace of mind now and for the future. Many many things can change between now and then and none of us know what our futures hold. The Sanctuary that we leave our birds to may lose funding, or lease, or shut its doors, or all the birds could be infected with some weird virus mutation, or a fire causes a mass escape. Greedy relatives may find a loophole or sympathetic judge and the bird loses its trust fund.....Point is - the future is unknowable and anything or nothing can happen. Maybe your children grow into the idea of taking on your birds. They may come to value to sense of continuity that is represented by a feathered legacy. A little bit of ourselves goes to our fids (finned, furred, and feathered and probably scaled) and parrots imbued with the quirks of Mother may turn out to be the greatest ad perpetuam rei memoriam. Healthy birds get euthanized all the time. Although it is a horrifying prospect to entertain, I think that you show incredible courage in allowing yourself to explore ALL options, no matter how distasteful, in order to make the most informed decision possible. Good Luck!

I had great success de-skunking my dogs with this stuff. The bottle says it can also be used for surfaces. http://www.amazon.com/Unique-Natural-Products-Eliminator-32-Ounce/dp/B009F11M0W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1455839198&sr=8-1&keywords=unique+skunk It is super concentrated and I ended up not using much. If you want it, PM me your address and I'll send you the bottle. It's about 3/4th full.

Amazon starts with an "A" also...... Just Sayin'

It's nearly at the point where murfchck should have her own subforum and all flock update threads moved there so that we can all check them in one place LOL