dblhelix

Maui is by far my favorite island of Hawaii. Been there quite a few times. Where abouts are you Makena?

I went to Hawaii (Oahu) earlier this year for 5 days (Wife's family there). Switzerland for 2 weeks (visit my family there). Going to Zion Nat'l park in October for a few days. I have been with my current company 11 years. I get over 7 weeks of vacation, at least on paper. It is rare I can actually take it all due to operational need and we never allow anyone off more than 10 business days in a row....all in all not too bad, but I work 10-12 hr days regularly. I guess I am a workaholic but thats what it takes to succeed in this industry. New hires with us get 2 wks plus 6 Holiday/yr in the first 2 years working and then it starts to increase after that based on length of service... B) Some of my family and colleagues in Europe get significantly more vacation than we do here in the US and actually get to use it... :ohmy: :blink:

Congrats FairY! ;) B) :laugh: :lol:

Congrats Tari!!! :P :) B) :laugh:

DNA testing is the only way to be sure, short of the bird laying an egg! Of course, the DNA test is only as accurate as the lab performing it. There can be lab errors, though it is rare. Just wanted to be sure eveyone understands that lab errors are a small, but real possibility. DNA testing is 100% accurate if performed properly.<br><br>Post edited by: dblhelix, at: 2007/09/04 20:25

I'm sorry for your loss grelover. Take strength knowing that you provided the best home possible for the little one. It of course is not your fault. This is part of the natural cycle and it is often the best flowers that are picked. We are thinking of you. Sincerely, Mark

Life is full of risks no doubt. Each of us must analyze situations, weight the pros/cons and decide. Part of the beauty of being a human is the ability to contemplate and make informed decisions. I will say that out in the wild it is rare if ever that birds "hang out" with dogs, cats and other animals that are naturally their predators. Now, keeping these animals as pets is also not really natural for the animals. However, I am of the mind that the risk is too great to have my bird out for play time with cats/dogs around, supervised or not. Not only are these animals their natural predators, but they are so much bigger than the bird that a small incident can be fatal. Just my thoughts. Everyone must make their own decisions about what is right for them, no doubt. B)

Great birds and potential to be very good talkers as well. Amazons are generally less phobic of things. People have likened the Amazon species more to the personality of an in your face, here I am, I am the center of the world personality! The African species are more introverted (though most are quite rambunctious in their own right) and thinkers...an Amazon will fall off a perch or something and not think twice, a grey will do the same and think "sheesh, I could have hurt myself, I need to be more careful!". Amazons are also often more prone to behavior swings and aggression during breeding season, while greys are more steady during those times in comparison. As with everything there are many exceptions as each bird is an individual. Most of you have heard that we have a Red Lored Amazon (wild caught) in the family now for over 37 years. So while I do not have direct experience with the Double Yellow, I do have some knowledge of the birds in general. I was seriously considering a double yellow and did a lot of research as well before we got Kip... B)<br><br>Post edited by: dblhelix, at: 2007/09/03 20:02

Welcome Staggy. We have a great membership here and the site has a lot of information. Everyone here truly cares for each others birds. We like to share and learn from each other as much as possible. If you have any questions or topics you wish to discuss there is sure to be someone here with an answer. Welcome!!! B)

I updated my first post with a little more current data...

They can taste very well! It used to be thought that they had little or poor sense of smell since their cardiovascular systems are so specialized for efficient airflow. Recent studies have shown that almost all birds smell rather well and at least as fine as average mamals. Studies have shown various species using the sese of smell to find their ways home, identify family members and other functions.<br><br>Post edited by: dblhelix, at: 2007/09/03 19:52

Greetings wrestling2091 and welcome!! Please do search the site for existing information/questions you may have. There is a wealth of information available. Of course we are here for you and enjoy discussing issues with all members, so dont hesitate to ask questions you may have. We have a great community and all share/learn from each other. We look forwrd to your participation.

Congrats Judy! Keep em coming!!!

Tari, My condolences to you and your family. Sincerely, Mark

Very happy news! We are all sooo happy that Jake is safely home. I am sure you all will need some time to regain your balance. Keep us posted, but this is the best news you could ask for. Did animal control finally trap him for you, or how did you finally get him??? Hooray in any event! {Communicate-0002011B}

Falconeer, I am very sorry to hear about this incident and truly hope that your ring neck will be OK...Can you post a pic of the damage? Please keep us updated on the status and let this serve as a reminder/lesson to us all about the potential danger in allowing birds together unsupervised. I am very sorry this has happened, but each members experience allows the rest of us to learn. Thank you for sharing and I hope that the prognosis will be a good one. :unsure:

Greetings Staggy, Can you post a pic of the entire bird? That would help ID it. From the looks of the tail in the photo provided I would say you have a CAG, but cannot be sure w/o a full pic. Welcome to the forum. I hope you enjoy it here, learn andn share with our other members. We are a family here that truly love our birds and work together to help ensure we provide the best care possible, for them and us.

Would local animal control help???

OK, I am SOOO happy you found Jake. Now we need to hear that you have secured him!! Many birds with clipped wings cannot/will not fly down to you as they are just not flight proficient enough to do so w/o major fear. We can hae more dialogue about wing clipping later... One of you may need to get to the pet store and buy a bird net. These can be affixed to long poles and could make it easier to net him if he's rather far off and still spooked. Oh I hope you can get him and believe that you will!! My heart and thoughts still go out to you until Jake is safely back at home. Keep us posted, I know you will....

To start, spend time right in front of the cage. Talk to the budgie. Read its body language and as it gets comfortable with your presence, your voice, your smell etc slowly place your hand in the cage. Always talk, make eye contact, read its response. This may take hours, days, weeks or months...eventually the little one will not be afraid of your hand and will step onto your hand. Once it is comfortable doing that in the cage you have made tremendous progress! As with anything, there is no set time line, its a matter of how the individual bird accepts new things/people and how much time and dedication you put in to it. Budgies can absolutely be extremely rewarding friends and are worth the effort. I have seen many a budgie not get the time/attention it deserves and people that are not in the know will ignorantly say they are not good pets. On the contrary, many can get vocabs in the 100s of words, have beautiful whisling melodies and be quite tame. They are all individuals of course and some will excel in certain things that others will not etc. Its all a matter of how much time you are willing to commit to the relationship!

Really depends on the extent of damage and where. Can you post a picture? Greys are one species flock animals. It is not recommended they be allowed out with other species and certainly never (with any parrots) should they be unsupervised. This is a recipe for disaster and even death.

Welcome Tonto! Never heard anything about peanuts affecting feather color. A good balanced diet supplemented with some palm oil is linked to feather and of course overall health in general. Peanuts are fine in moderation, do be sensitive to the potential for mold ir feeding peanuts in the shell and dangerous aflatoxin that can be present. Just use common sense and be sure you dont feed any rotten peanuts in the shell!...

Some of you may recall my first incident trying to fit Kip with the harness...it ended up bloody (for me)!! I work with her and the harness nearly every day now for about 5 mins. I usually stand with her in the mornings in front of our sliding glass door to the patio. I have the door open and the screen closed where she preens and gets full sunlight...I can now scratch her all over with the harness. She usually will put her head down if she sees it coming, though at first she was quite freaked out by it. I still have not tried to completely fit her with it yet. I am going to work on this another month or two until she seems completely comfortable with it. My point is that I am making progress, but it is going slow. Slow but steady... B) Its an investment for their lifetime and woth it. Absolutely to those of you with really young birds, work with them as early as possible. The learning curve and comfort level will be quicker!

The feathers look to me like water spots as well. D be sure the backside also gets washed when showering/misting! I have red palm oil that I mix in Kips food a few times/week. Like Mr Spock indicated, get the oil on something they like to eat that will absorb it. Pellets work good, Kip also like to eat toast in the mornings with me. I will put some palm oil on the toast instead of butter and we BOTH eat it happily. Palm oil is great for their feathers and as many of you know they eat the palm fruits in the wild Congo/Africa. B) We can eat it too! Get some! http://www.safarimkt.com/red%20palm%20oil.html

Hooray for Elmo! It is so fun as/if/when they start to talk! Congrats Monique!! :lol: :silly: