spookyhurst

I take Nikko out in an Adventure Pack. You can see it here: http://www.theperchstore.net/newadpabyfls.html If you sign up for their newsletter, they have percentage off sales and free shipping deals. However, I'd search around the net a bit, because you might be able to find someone that could beat their price. I've never had a problem taking Nikko into the mall. No one has ever asked me to leave anyway . I've taken her into stores like Best Buy and Home Depot without issue too. The only person that ever told me she wasn't allowed was at a Wal-Mart, but she was a really cranky woman who I've heard bitches at everybody. No other Wal-Mart employee had ever said anything, but I still haven't taken her back there. State law says you can't take a bird into stores where food is prepared or served. However, I did have her in a McDonald's once (the one inside the Wal-mart) and sat next to the door with her in a grocery cart. I also waited inside a pizza place for them to finish my order to go (it was 110 outside, so they were nice enough to let us wait inside). I read a story about a guy who takes his macaws to Starbucks everyday, but the store would probably get in trouble if the health inspector came by. If you sat outside though, it should be fine. Here's a pic of Nikko at a blessing of the animals event in her adventure pack:

Is there a healthier treat that Cheerio really likes? Cheezits have a lot of salt and junk in them, so it would probably be best if they were a rare treat. Does Cheerio like pine nuts? That's what I like to use after I give Nikko a shower. You can break them in half to make them go farther if you want. Even though Cheerio has chosen you as her favorite, it sounds like she's being socialized well. One person birds tend not to let anyone but their favorite touch them, and sometimes attack people who go near their favorite person. Since she accepts scratches and step-ups from others, even if you have to be there, that's a good sign. Just keep exposing Cheerio to new people. Maybe you could even take her out of the house (to the park, the mall, etc.) in a travel cage to expose her to more situations. Have your daughter carry her so that Cheerio looks at her as her safety net (the only person she personally knows) in these new and strange situations.

Voted! Very quality entries, they all made me laugh :laugh:. More caption contests please .

Okay, thanks! I'll have to find out if the tiles needed sealed, or just the grout. We might as well just stay in the motel an extra couple of nights, since rooms are very cheap in the middle of summer here in Arizona. It costs $25 to board a bird (in a windowless back room, at that) plus gas money to drive to the store, not to mention the stress Nikko would be under with the very loud macaws they always seem to have.

On a related topic, we're going to tile the floors of our whole house in a month or two. How long will Nikko need to go on vacation? We'll be staying in a motel while the work is being done, but I don't know if there are any leftover fumes once the workman leave. I know someone on another board had their tiel and grey die after some tile in there house was cleaned and sealed (they said it was bird safe too). The birds weren't even in the same room.

Good point Mary! Maybe they were curious about Jaco and tried messing with the bird in some way. Even if they just looked in the cage and talked to him, it may have been upsetting. Add some finger poking, and it would really flip him out. People seem to have this weird need to poke at birds, either with their fingers or a pen or something :huh:. Whenever I take Nikko to the park, there's at least one person who pokes their finger in her cage.

When I adopted Nikko, I decided her formal name would be Nikodemus James. But then "he" turned out to be a "she" . I like Krycek. I had friend who named her cat Scully. Fox would be a cute name too! I wanted to adopt a greyhound named Fox, but someone beat me to him . Have you ever seen the movie Kalifornia? If so, then you wouldn't want to go with Early (the scuzzy Brad Pitt character). I always think of it being said in the whiney voice of his girlfriend (Earrrrrrrlllllyy). Here's a pic of Early: http://www.bradpittfan.com/pics/mka010a.jpg

Forget Gandalf, name him Smeagol .

Sorry to here about your new baby . A breeder that sells unweaned babies is not a reputable breeder to begin with, so it's not really surprising that they would pull this on you. Most breeders offer a written health guarantee for a very short period of time (2 of 3) days. During that time, you must have the bird checked at a vet for any preexisting conditions. If you don't, the breeder isn't responsible. A common phrase in the health guarantee is, "Failure to have the bird(s) examined by an avian specialist within 3 days of delivery constitutes the buyer's acknowledgement of an "as is" sale." Were you given anything in writing about a health guarantee? Here is some info from another site ( http://www.geocities.com/Conures123/QuestionsToAskBeforeBuying.html ): 3) What is the health guarantee? A good breeder, pet shop, ect... will give you a health guarantee. However, since there are many things that could cause health problems in a new home, the seller will usually only give you 3 to 5 days, and the bird MUST be seen by an Avian vet within that time. If the avian vet suspects something is wrong, the seller will want a written statement saying what they suspect is wrong and why, and then (if it is found to be the a health concern that originated before the bird was brought to his/her new home) the seller should take the bird back and refund the original purchase price. Don't let a breeder or pet shop fool you into thinking that health guarantees aren't common, or unnecessary... a good, quality breeder/pet shop/seller WILL give you a written health guarantee, provided the above guidelines are followed. If the seller refuses to give a health guarantee or some sort, I would be suspicious, and I would make sure you get a few good references. It is also a good idea to request the name of the avian vet the breeder/pet shop uses, and call their vet as a reference (this is a good idea if the seller offers a health guarantee or not). And a good breeder or pet store will offer FREE support for the lifetime of their baby parrots. This support includes (but is not limited to): a) providing references for local avian vet(s) b) provide quality reading material before and at the time of purchase c) answering the new family's questions about their bird's care and behavior d) Last but not least- the breeder or pet store should offer to take the bird back at ANY time during that baby's lifespan if the new family can no longer keep him/her. (They might not be able to give you a refund after a certain period **see the information on health guarantees above**... but they should be committed to each and every one of their babies and be willing to take him/her back if necessary).

I love that video :laugh:.

In French & Hebrew, Josey means, "God will increase" or "God has added a little child." It's also considered a pet name for Joseph and Josephine .

Nikko want's me to change her entry, because she thought she could make a funnier face if I gave her another chance. So here we have:

I want to steal Dave's thunder and post a pic of freshly hatched quail babies. It only takes about 30 minutes for them to go from hatching to running along behind their parents. A couple years ago, we had one daddy (don't know what happened to mommy ) with 14 babies, and he saw them all to adulthood (poor guy looked a little haggard at that point). <br><br>Post edited by: spookyhurst, at: 2008/06/08 08:18

How neat! Hummingbirds are very cool, and curious too. They will often buzz down and look at me or my dog right in the face. Each evening, I see a hummingbird in our backyard, but I don't know where he/she nests. To see the progression of a pair of babies, go to: http://community-2.webtv.net/Velpics/HUM/ Be sure to click on "next page" at the bottom to see them go all the way from eggs to leaving the nest. Also, a couple of hummingbird facts: - They beat there wings 80 times a second - There hearts beat 500 times a minute - During migration to Canada, they fly nonstop across the Gulf of Mexico for 20 hours and 500 miles.

Is it pronounced "claws" or "clouse" (rhymes with mouse)?

Thanks for the pronunciation guide! I would never have guessed that's how you say your birdie's names. They're very pretty! Irish names are tough to figure out. I never knew how to pronounce Seamus until recently, and found I really like that name.

Since there are a couple threads about what to name a new grey, I thought the rest of us could say what our bird's name means. Nikko (pronounced Nee-ko) is a form of Nicholas, and means "victorious people" in Greek. In Japanese, it means "daylight" or "sunlight". It's a boy's name, but oh well. Nikko doesn't seem to care :silly:. When we found out Nikko was a girl, my nephew said I should change her name to Nikkorella :sick:.<br><br>Post edited by: spookyhurst, at: 2008/06/06 09:21

Sterling is also another "grey" name. Besides it's silver meaning, it also means little star.

Sterling is also another "grey" name. Besides it's silver meaning, it also means little star.

I bought an AvianSun floor lamp from Dr. Fosters. However, I didn't buy the AvianSun bulb. I use an Ott Lite bulb (not the one that Dr. Fosters has because it doesn't fit). If that's the lamp you have, I'd consider getting a different bulb so that you can at least use part of your investment. The one I have is the first one listed (it's temporarily out of stock) at this site: http://www.lumenlight.com/bulbsandtubes.html

I really like Gandalf, even if it is kind of common. I think it's okay for a girl too. I suggested Keegan in another thread on naming a grey. It means little fiery one. I used to have a conure, and almost used this name because it really fit his personality. I ended up going with Jesse James, which was also a perfect fit for the little outlaw. Poor guy was bird for the first 6 months though, because I had trouble deciding. I though about Schuyler (or Skyler) too. My TAG is named Nikko, and is a girl. People often comment on why she has a boy's name. However, the woman that owned her before me named her that, and thought she was a girl (I DNA tested to find out).

My name suggestion: Keegan - little fiery one Schuyler (or Skyler)<br><br>Post edited by: spookyhurst, at: 2008/06/05 21:58

LOL! No more pictures needed, Oisen wins :lol:.

Sally Blanchard will be the guest speaker on "The Bird Talks" live webcast June 1 (tomorrow). You can even ask questions. Go to the following website to register (for free) and learn about it: http://www.ezleadcapture.com/member/thebirdtalks1.htm Last weeks guest was Sybil Erden, founder of The Oasis (a bird sanctuary in Arizona). You can listen to it without registering at: http://instantteleseminar.com/?eventid=1655292 EDIT: You might be able to get around registration by going to: http://xiosoftpresenter.com/?eventid=1655544<br><br>Post edited by: spookyhurst, at: 2008/06/01 02:24

When I went away to college, my parents rehomed my conure within 1 month. I very reluctantly agreed, because they said he was unhappy without me. It was a terrible mistake that I deeply regret. It took a very long time for me to get over missing him, and to this day, I worry about him. Having said that, if you find a good forever home for your bird, he probably won't be adversely affected. He's getting close to the age that he would be leaving the family in the wild. More than likely, he would adjust to a new home well.