BaileysPapa

They are like piglets with a leathery shell. Tarkus was a Nine Banded Armadillo. And like Sterling's link, (a Three Banded) he loved to play with things like sticks, a sponge rubber ball, and a squeezy dog toy shaped like a hamburger. The link connected to the first one shows an Armadillo (a nine banded like Tarkus) bathing. He liked water just as much. He came into the house often, and on cold days & nights. He was not housetrained, but, only left little mess behind him. A fun, different companion.

About 12 years ago, I was driving in the morning, and saw a car hit something in the road. They did not stop. I pulled over, and there was a dead Armadillo. At the edge of the road were 2 baby Armadillo pups who had been thrown aside during the accident. Armadillos usually have twins, occasionally triplets. They were alive, so, I took them with me. I kept them, and brought them to my vet. One was fine, one seemed to be blind. We could not determine if the blindness was caused by trauma from the accident, or from birth. After fostering them a few weeks, I set the sighted one free. I decided to keep the blind one. I named him "Tarkus" from the Emerson, Lake & Palmer record album, there is an Armadillo/tank on the cover. He was a cool little dude. He adjusted to living in my yard, in a covered pen that I built for him. It had a wide PVC pipe that was his burrow. He ate insects that he caught, and I fed him mealworms and crickets and dog or cat food. He recognized my voice and would come to me. Armadillos do not make good pets. They are messy, destructive, love to dig, and are really not affectionate. They have blunt, peg-like teeth, and do not bite. My Tarkus would accompany me when I went to schools for my Bird demonstrations. The kids often loved him more than the birds. He was an ambassador for Conservation and Love of Nature. I always held him off until the end of my lecture, because the kids were so fascinated by him. He will be dearly missed.

We are all proud of you and your progress. Good job!

As the others have said, Welcome, and thank you so much for helping this angel out. We are a flock of caring, helpful people who will advise you on anything we can. You mentioned he's never been to a vet. That should be your next step. Make sure the vet is Avian Certified, or at least Avian experienced. It will be a long road ahead. But, once he trusts you, he'll do his part. Thanks again for your thoughtfulness and compassion.

When you say that he was adopted at your bird store, do you mean that Disco has been rehomed??! Or did his parronts get him from there originally? I see no link or vid either. And have watched many of his videos on you tube.

Are you sure he is plucking his feathers? Losing a couple of feathers a day, particularly his down feathers, is not unusual. Where do you live? The weather is changing and getting warmer, so he doesn't need such a heavy undercoat, and may just be molting the winter down out. Bird's feathers are like our hair, and they lose some all the time, like we do with hair. Since the vet has said he is healthy, and didn't address the feather issue, perhaps it is nothing to worry about. And as for no talking, they are not like us, and sometimes have nothing to say. 8)

Bailey will call out in the morning, while still covered, "Hello", and when he gets no answer, calls out "Hellooo". (in a sing song voice with a rise in the ooo). We've never said it like that. Also, he'll say, "C'mon." "C'mon", and then louder "C'MON!". I have never yelled at him or raised my voice to him. These guys are really a riot!

Nancy, as I said in my other post, Sophie will work past this. But, just like you would help a grieving family member, you must not allow inappropriate behavior. You are the flock leader, and should always be in control. Sleeping with the dog could have some devastating outcome for Sophie if the dog gets disturbed while asleep, and reacts to a nudge, and just nips Sophie. Them being close, and consoling each other is great, but, it still must be controlled by you. While it may seem cute and endearing, it is really not good to let this go too far. I hope I am not offending you, but, what I have said, is what I believe.

Animals grieve just like we do, and have to get past it by themselves, just like we do. Not sure what you can do to help her with that. As far as sleeping in inappropriate places, you must take control and move her. Forgive me, but other than that, I'm not exactly sure of what you want.

It's sometimes surprising what they choose to say. When I first got Bailey, I said, "Hello", at least 1,000 times a day. His first words were, "Give me a kiss". I only said that a few times when I would put him on his playtop. He finally started saying "Hello" weeks later. They also say things over & over to practice. Bailey will say the same phrase over & over, using different inflections and emphasize different syllables.

Be patient. All things will pass. Remember, it's for her own good, as well as yours.

Good job with your birds! That's kudos to both you & them.

Wow! Great stuff! Somebirdy has been very good birdies! Ignore that last post. Bailey & flock have as much of their own. If not more. 8)

That stuff is terrible! I think you should send it immediately to my house for further investigation. Thanks, Bailey. 8>

Birdhouse, I laugh because he knew the difference! Seriously, Owls are great birds, but can be very dangerous. Their talons are like razor point fishhooks, and their beaks are even sharper. But with a bit of experience, they can be handled. A fascinating thing about Owls is their feathers & wings. When our fids fly, you can hear it in another room. Owls have different feathering that makes their flight almost soundless. They aren't very friendly, and generally don't trust something as big as a human. My little Tuti, named for a Navajo boy who becomes an eagle in an old Navajo legend (Tutivena), was somehow imprinted on humans and was an exception to the rule. Almost all the other Owls that I helped were basically "hands off" to keep them wild, and able to release. I did have a Barn Owl that had been hit by a car, and lived out his days with me. But, he only barely trusted me.

What a little cutie! I have a special place in my heart for Owls. When I had a Wildlife Rehab Permit, I worked with many Owls. That one is a "Little Owl" (Athene noctura), a very small (6 to 8") European Owl. I had an "Elf Owl" (Micrathene whitneyi) that was confiscated during a cockfighting bust. The owner had several exotic raptors which were all taken. She seemed to be imprinted to humans, and could not be released, and was thought unfit for life in a zoo or aviary. I got to adopt her, and she lived with me for about 11 years. She was very tame and liked human company. She was about 6" tall. She ate crickets and mealworms. What a little darling. Thanks for bringing back that memory.

I must have missed something. I have no idea what started this. I hope no one is talking about me, or something I said.

That is great. It took a month of me putting it on Bailey's back and head before he let me put it loosely on him. And then, the drama after tightening it. Getting it off was easy. He helped me do that. Good for you that he accepts it so readily. Work on loosening it quick, and you both should be okay.

I, too, have heard of that. Basically, nonsense. BTW, Sterling, "Old Wives Tale" comes from when old women would sit around the water well in town, and do laundry, and talk all kinds of nonsense. Particularly to teach children why they should, or should not, do things. Or their observations on life.

Just a couple of drops of blood sent to Animal Genetics. Google them. Then email them and they'll send you a collection card. Have your vet do it next time you go. If you send it in, it'll cost $19.50. I've known vets to charge $40.00 for them to send it in. My vet cut his toenail a bit, it bled a tiny bit, she put the sample on the card for me, and I sent it in.

Birds shriek like that because in the morning, in the jungle, they come out of their sleeping places, and the flock gets together for the day. The shrieking is everyone saying that they've made it through the night. No predators have taken them, and the whole flock can gather again. It's probably a call to come together, and a celebration of being alive to make those sounds.

Fantastic! My Bailey does not like to be harnessed. He has chewed through an Aviator Harness in about 6 hours time, spread out over more than a week. Not to mention several of my T-shirts, and biting my ears and hands. So, now I won't stress him out with it anymore. And yes, I know that in the Aviator video, they say that your bird cannot chew through the harness. But, mine did. It was an awful experience for both of us.

Yay! Hope all works out well. As you've said, take things slow and let him decide what's next. Good luck!

Nancy, please see my reply on your other thread.

Sorry for your loss. This reminds me of a pair of Budgies that I took in many years ago. They were a bonded pair, had never laid eggs, but were always together. They, too, chirped, whistled and made all kinds of Budgie noises. They were named George & Gracie, after Burns & Allen. They were not young, though not old, when I got them. After about 6 years, one day, I uncovered them, and Gracie was dead. George was obviously confused & upset. He wouldn't let me touch her, and bit my hand viciously when I tried to remove her. Neither one had ever bit me previously. I left them alone for most of the day. That evening, I took her out of the cage. George was quiet all day, and hardly moved from next to her. The next day he was pretty subdued, and obviously grieving. When I covered him that night, he peeped twice, and I hoped that was a good sign. The next morning, when I uncovered him, he was dead. I really believe he died of a broken heart. I buried them together with their favorite swing. Neither one showed any signs of illness. And I like to believe that his last 2 peeps were him saying Good Bye & Thank you for caring for them. I still cry when I think of them.