Makena

Thanks Tracy So I was doing a little bit of research on toxic foods for birds and came across this site... http://www.exoticbird.com/gillian/ It's a site put together by Gillian Willis. She is a pharmacist and toxicologist. She is considered an "expert" in matters of poisoning and toxic substances to birds. Here is another site that has many links about bird dangers... There is an article on here called "safe fruits" that Gillian also wrote. http://theaviary.com/emer.shtml She does request on her website for permission to re-use any part of her text. So I chose not to copy and paste anything... instead I gave you the links! Enjoy!

I did a bunch of research when I first got Makena because I was curious about seeds and peels. I compiled a list a while back with seed fruits that I found were ok or not ok (by doing research on the internet). I have the list on my fridge. Please let me know if anyone objects to any of these! Apples (SEEDED, peel is fine) Papaya (fine with seeds) Mango (seeded) Oranges (seeded) Cantaloupe (fine with seeds) Melon (fine with seeds) Starfruit (fine with seeds) Pineapple (fine with peel) Pomegranate (fine with seeds) Berries (fine with seeds) Pears (needs to be cored) Peaches (pitted) Nectarines (pitted) Apricots (pitted) Plums (pitted) Kiwi (should be peeled) Banana (should be peeled) Cherries (pitted) Cranberries (fine with seeds) Grapes (fine with seeds) Grapefruit (seeded) Tangerines (seeded) Cactus Pear (should be peeled)

Joe, you are awesome... such a great addition to this forum! I would give you karma, but I already gave you some within the last 6 hours!

If I need to spray something, I open all the windows and put Makena in another room with the door shut. Like right now, I need to mop the floors. I just use a little bit of simple green in a bucket and since my fiance is home today, I am just sending the 2 of them upstairs to watch a movie!

I have known all along the dangers of teflon... I just needed to take the plunge. The guilt was killing me! It is going to be interesting to learn to cook with stainless... but I am up to the challenge! I agree with you Tari, I don't think I am going to miss the non-stick one bit! We also realized that our burner trays (grease catchers) on the stove are teflon coated... those went right away! That was a cheap $10 fix. My non-stick set is very nice, I was actually thinking about selling it on craigslist or donating it to a charity or non profit. Maybe someone without a bird will enjoy it!

I agree Judy and Joe... Friends and Fun... And talking about our greys and helping each other! Maybe there should be a debate room?

So I have been saying for a while that I want to change out my pots and pans, this post finally pushed me into gear! Yesterday I went to Macy's to check out the selection and of all the brands there and I liked the Cuisinart ones the best! The all clad had very uncomfortable handles to me. So I came home, went on amazon and found a 17 piece Cuisinart set for $199, with free shipping! The 12 piece set at our Macy's was that price. I just ordered it yesterday, and ironically it shipped from Macy's! One thing I also noticed at the store was that all the copper bottomed pots and pans had warning stickers on them. It said "careful about overheating due to fumes". So I would guess copper is out too. If they are saying it is harmful to people, it surely can't be good for birds! If anyone out there is in the market, I would go for pots and pans that have an aluminum center core. It gives you the most even cooking. So there is my experience! Thanks LMG for getting my butt in gear!!

That is awesome Joe! Karma for you!!!!

A kid who takes after my own heart, that is something I would say!! :silly: :silly: :silly: :silly:

I don't really think an abused parrot would say... "see you tomorrow, be good, I love you" ...every time Irene would leave....

Well it has been a week.... We took a poop sample into the vet today.... Drum role please!!!!! NO MORE WORMS!!! YAH!!! We are so happy we don't have to do the meds again! The lice are also nowhere to be found. So after many sleepless night we are happy to announce Makena is 100% healthy!! Even though the vet didn't require it we are going to take him in again in a month or so just as a follow up. We figure it wouldn't hurt to have one more poop sample analyzed. We are about to just go out and buy our own microscope !! Hey I took biology and microbiology in college, I know how to do a gram stain!! So lets all hope for the sake of our nerves and pocketbook that he stays healthy forever!!

And lets be done with this whole "convenience" thing... it is going nowhere... I am sure hours could be spent talking about modern day conveniences... like a cage for example... Lets let it rest.

I agree with you Mr. Spock, greys are inherently wild animals. The reason why I put the term domesticated in quotes in my previous post was due to the fact that the bird is living in a domestic environment. And because Makena is living in a domestic environment is why I choose to clip him. He doesn't understand the concept of a window, or a hot stove, or a ceiling fan, etc. And don't worry Mr. Spock, Makena can still fly downward with no problem, we made certain it was done right !

You are so right Beccy... It would be so much more convenient for me if he could fly to his playstand, or come into the kitchen when I am preparing food for him! For me, clipping him has nothing to do with convenience... it is purely for the safety of my bird. Makena is still very young and clumsy. It would only take once... and if I can decrease his chances of getting hurt by clipping I am going to!

I agree with you Tari, unexperienced people shouldn't hand feed birds. We were taught by our breeder how to hand feed several times only to find out we were doing it wrong (formula too watery) !! We also were told that he only needed formula once a day and that he would be weaned in about a week. We got him June 24th... and he is still getting 3 feedings/day!! We had to learn quick, and without the help of the video and this forum we were a little lost. We were basically talked into a unweaned bird by the breeder... and being first time grey parents we didn't know any better. He told us it was easy!! Luckily we became pros fast and are very careful. As long as there are going to be breeders out there who are selling premature birds, there are going to be people who need this information... But let me tell ya, if I had to do it all over again there is no way I would have gotten an unweaned bird... I do NOT recommend it!!

Well said Dan!!! I chose not to post my feelings until now because I was scared of being criticized and bashed. I am sure there are a lot of people out there who don't speak up because of this reason. Bottom line is everyone has the right to make their own decision... This shouldn't be an argument...

Makena's wings are clipped... and let me tell you why. Makena is a "domesticated" bird in OUR care. Our current home is a very dangerous place for a bird to be flying around in. I am a food scientist and currently work from home... I have a lot of equipment out that would be very harmful to the bird if he was to land on it. Also some of the equipment I have is worth thousands of dollars (and isn't mine) and if it was to get chewed or damaged in any way, I would be responsible. I am constantly working in the kitchen, which means kitchen appliances are on all the time including the stove. Our condo has a loft, our loft is our living room. This living room is where we spend a lot of our time and feel Makena should get to spend time up there with us. The loft is located directly over the kitchen which has a tile floor. Also directly below the loft is a ceiling fan and since we live in Hawaii tends to be on quite often. Another problem are the massive windows that we have on either side of our condo, which at this point we have not been able to find any window treatments that will fit them. After Makena learned to fly he gave us our first scare. He narrowly missed the opening in the loft that is directly located over the kitchen. After that we spent a lot of time discussing the option of clipping his wings. We decided that for his safety we would clip him for the time being. I have recently rented an office that I am going to be moving all of my equipment into. We are also in the process of looking for window treatments as well as trying to figure out a way to secure the openings in the loft area. The fans are going to be disabled. We take a little time every day to teach Makena to use the harness and he is finally to the point where he is ok with it. We take him outside all the time and let him practice his flying from one of us to the other. While he doesn't have any lift, he is still able to fly from one to the other if we are close enough. We think it is important for him to exercise his muscles, especially as a baby. While we work to secure dangerous areas in our home we are letting his wings grow back out. Here is a picture of our condo to show you the dangers... So there is our reasoning... Not that I should need to justify myself. As parents of this sweet bird we made a tough decision for his safety and don't regret it one bit !

{Feel-good-0002006E} Judy, your killing me over here! Sounds like a sticky mess... I guess you need someone to wash it off for you...

LOL Joe... I have never wanted an orange more !! Oh and don't worry, I promise not to tell the Florida oranges you are cheating on them!<br><br>Post edited by: Makena, at: 2007/09/14 20:19

This video was created by Kaytee, and has a lot of good information on the proper way to handfeed, as well as weight gain, what their poop should look like, sanitation, etc. I found it very useful, and hope some of you out there might also... Just scroll to the bottom of the page... http://www.kaytee.com/companion_animals/birds/hand_feeding/#video

Yeah Judy, we are lucky he loves the showers... We never force him, in fact sometimes he just wants a drink then it's back up on the curtain rod. We are going to build him a rod for our see through shower and one of these days video tape him. It is the cutest thing you will ever see! And the nice thing about it being 85 degrees in our house is that he is dry in about 15 minutes !!

Makena loves his bath time! Typically what we do is bring him in the shower with us and put him up on the curtain rod. If he wants a shower he will try to bend over to get in the stream. If he does that, I have him step up on my arm and put a portion of my arm under the running water. Then he has the option to walk up my arm to get under the water if he chooses to! Well today he was dying to get under the water... and my fiance snapped a few pics! Enjoy!

Thanks for posting that! You inspired me to do the same thing this morning. I mixed up a big batch of fruits, veggies, pasta and nuts then froze a days worth into individual baggies. That way we can throw a baggy in the fridge the night before and it will be thawed and ready the next morning! Thanks again, karma for you

Makena goes and lays on his back on the bottom of the cage or in his food bowl when he wants to come out. He will lay there, feet sticking straight up in the air (I guess playing dead or helpless?) until we get him. The minute we go over to the cage he jumps up and is scratching at the door to get out.... very strange bird!! The first time he did it I was scared to death, but now I know it is just one of his quirks!

I don't think Alex was "drilled" everyday. He had constant attention and companionship which is more than many birds have. His mind was always being challenged, as well as given plenty of treats and love... As far as a "lab animals" goes, I think he was the best treated bird of all time! Your bird is definitely as smart, he just probably hasn't been given a chance to break out of his shell. Remember, Alex was purchased from a pet store, just like many of our birds. I challenge my bird everyday... I teach him news things and I give him a chance to respond. We owe it to our birds to give them constant attention and love. Alex had a great life... I would be so proud if I was Irene!