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dblhelix

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Everything posted by dblhelix

  1. I'm not sure if the intent of this post is to warn people of a virus or warn people of a hoax. As far as I can tell the virus mentioned is a hoax, in other words its a false alarm. If others have legitimate info otherwise please apprise.<br><br>Post edited by: dblhelix, at: 2008/05/02 04:44
  2. Joey took care of business! Does Joey have plenty of wood and chew toys to help keep the beak in good order? B)<br><br>Post edited by: dblhelix, at: 2008/04/30 17:01
  3. Dave provides excellent advice. A good breeder/seller will allow you to bring the bird you choose for a vet check-up and if anything unexpected is found should refund you the money or allow you to choose another animal. Check your breeder/sellers policy on this before committing. General things to look for: - healthy feathers and skin - clear nares w/o crusts etc - clear alert eyes - clear vent area w/o droppings stuck to feathers - general alertness and interest in environment (but remember babies may be sleepy at some times of the day!) - good beak and nail condition - check feet/toes - check wings (have them spread out)<br><br>Post edited by: dblhelix, at: 2008/05/02 04:21
  4. I think the monetary costs listed here are pretty good representations. Figure around $1,000 for the bird, plus 200-500 for a cage, plus 100 for a vet check up, plus 100 for some starter toys. I think most people will get out with an initial cost between 1500 and 2000. One thing not mentioned here is the personal TIME you need to commit for life as a cost of being a bird owner. They are super cute and smart. But it is easy to get lulled by the cuteness factor simply having a few visits with someone elses pet. Please ensure you really research the care and time commitment these animals require. They are messy, they scream, they may bite, they require 1-2 hrs minimum per day of out of cage/personal time with people...are you willing deal with these ongoing costs? I am not trying to scare you away, but it is a pretty large "cost" to your personal being to keep one of these animals appropriately and they live 50-60 years. Its not something you want to jump right into. If you make the commitment they are incredibly rewarding pets/friends. Read, educate yourself etc and then make a decision based on your research. Many people on this forum and others are willing to provide you guidance as you assemble infomation to make a decision. Make use of these resources. <br><br>Post edited by: dblhelix, at: 2008/04/28 01:00
  5. Parrots are zogodactyl, meaning they have 2 toes facing forward and 2 facing backwards. This allows them to be good climbers and is different than many other birds that have 3 forward facing toes and only 1 backward. See attached link about bird feet! http://people.eku.edu/ritchisong/birdfeet.html
  6. OK, many of you may have seen this before (or one similar as I have a couple from the same evening)...but its a cool pic I took a few summers ago hanging out by the feeder at dusk waiting for the little ones to come feed. I took this one with a flash from about 5 feet away. Cute!
  7. I'm with Dave...no need to spend extra money for a "cleaner". Warm water, a bit of scrubbing and maybe a 1:4 or 1:3 dilution of vinegar to water do the job just fine. With that there is no concern for safety... B)
  8. Having the nails at proper length is very important for their stability while perching. If you file them consider stoppig for a month or 2 and see if that improves what we perceive as balance. Kips nails are quite sharp, but you get used to holding her...most birds wil actually keep their nails well cared for and trimming is really only needed if they are overgrowing. There is a difference between overgrown and "sharp". Make sure you do not file/clip nails just to make the bird more comfortable to hold. When we got Kip around 6 months of age the breeder had the tips of her nails filed. They were not overly trimmed, but the tips were rather dull. Once we left them to Kip herself to care for them they are much sharper and her perching is rock solid. Plus, the length has not changed now in over a year having her...she keeps them at the right length herself and pretty sharp. We do have one of the cement type perches in her cage that may soften the tips a bit, but in general let the bird take care of the nails and only look to trim/file if there is actually an overgrowth problem.
  9. Oh yeah. I love the little guys/gals. In california we have them here all year long and they nest/raise young in the spring. We have several species and of course some that migrate in with the seasons as you describe. I have a feed out all year and fill it every week or so, depending on how much they consume. I too really enjoy watching them play, defend their territory etc. I can sit outside on a weekend and happily watch them for hours! What man can resist a little hummer?!? :laugh: :woohoo: Hey, thats 1000 posts for me finally!<br><br>Post edited by: dblhelix, at: 2008/04/24 05:27
  10. Welcome chmuhammad. There are a lot of things to consider here. The best case is to select a breeder that fully weans the babies and allows full fledging. If possible it is good to identify the breeder and work with them as they raise a clutch so you can select the baby you want and confirm that the breeder uses best practices regarding abundance weaning, socialization, full fledging etc. You really need to research these animals thoroughly to understand what you are getting into. Realize this is a life long commitment as they live 50-60 yrs. Please tell us more about yourself. Do you have experience with parrots/birds? Have you researched their needs to understand what will be required as an owner to provide an adequate home? Is your desire to have them as pets or breeding pair? Many things...We have a lot of experienced members here that will be willing to provide addiional insight. Please read around the forum as there is a lot of information available in previous posts.
  11. Welcom John! If you are planning to get the baby sexed (recommended) I would wait for that to help narrow down the name choices...but I am sure you want to have some possibilities in your pocket! If you have a female, I have always liked the name "Ruby", fits with the red tail and all... I agree that actaully having the little one can make choosing the name easier as you see their personality. B) Keep us posted!
  12. Kip is pretty spoiled I guess! I do spend more time making her breakfast each day than I do my own or my wife's!! :blink: :ohmy: :laugh:
  13. Nice stuff. Dang, Kip's areas never look so clean! That must have been taken just after cleaning prior to letting Harrison out to play on it!
  14. Nice pic! A bit more practice and Beaker will be very agile. Some pick it up better than others if not fully fledged as babies. The fact that Beaker is flying on his own is a good sign he is determined! As others have said, practice makes perfect. Encourage Beaker, give lots of praise etc to positively re-inforce his practice flights!! Keep us posted on the progress. B)
  15. I agree, the sex should make no difference as far as your enjoyment of the relationship with the bird. However, you might consider getting the bird DNA sexed at some point as this knowledge can be useful in the event health issues arise. Being able to tell a vet the sex can make a big difference in honing in on issues etc if/when they occur...
  16. Very useful. Hopefully most will not embark on hand feeding but will instead buy babies completely weaned. However, this information is very good for anyone that is handfeeding babies for whatever the reason! Obviously breeders and some prospective owners need or want to tube feed, so its super important it be done correctly!!
  17. Super Cute!! Congrats!!! Do you know you have a male baby?<br><br>Post edited by: dblhelix, at: 2008/04/22 16:53
  18. I agree with Dave. Get the chemicals used documented in writing from the vendor, then consult a vet. Also, do research on line as you can. In general, the chemicals used outside "should" not be a major problem for animals inside, but I would absolutely do my homework. According to a quick search I did, the active ingredient in Termidor is "fipronil". You can check out some more info at the link below: http://www.termidorhome.com/
  19. Welcome Pam! I agree with Dan's suggestion, have a look at local rescue centers or parrot clubs. For a nominal fee, I may be willing to pimp out Kip Ha ha, just kidding. Plus, she's still to young!!
  20. WELCOME! Please do read as much as you can. They are great additions to the family, challenging, but the rewards are worth it for a lifetime companion/friend. Feel free to ask questions. There is sure to be someone here with useful information, or at least opinions! Seriously we have great members, willing to help, share information and learn from each other.
  21. Only time will tell. The likelihood of them ever being in the same cage is extremely low. It is rare that birds other than breeding pairs will be safe/stable in the same cage, even siblings etc may fight quite badly. There is certainly some jealousy going on with the older more established bird. The new bird is seen as a threat, at least for attention. Again, you need to be patient and see how they adapt to accept each other.
  22. Macaroni was acting a bit odd the last week. Eating a lot and droppings turned really big...then we wake up and find the egg in her cage! She is not too concerned with it, just letting it lay on the floor. I have still have it in the cage but she really is not paying much attention to it. I expect she will lay a few more, no? Hopefully this is it after a few, but will change the cage around etc to try and break the cycle. Dont want an egg factory She does have cuttlebone but is not really eating it, so I hope she has enough calcium...seems content enough in general right now...I guess this is a lesson of things to come for Kip as she matures.
  23. Wow duchess, you have quite the family! Welcome to the forum!! We look forward to your participation and hope you can share some pics. Sounds like your little ones cover the age range pretty well so I bet you will have a lot of valuable information to share! B)
  24. Thanks Dave. Fully agree that there could well be differences in the devices being used. Who knows, maybe some of them emit a sound in the frequency birds can hear simply by being plugged in (the ballast or electronics inside) that "could" be disturbing Babette8008's grey, completely outside the scope of the intended repellent frequency. Many things could be going on here, maybe the bird simply was freaked by "seeing" the new item in the room. It still stands out to me that devices introduced, bird acts wierd, devices removed, bird acts normal. Could be a fluke, but seems compelling that something about the device was related to the birds distress.<br><br>Post edited by: dblhelix, at: 2008/04/19 21:11
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