BMustee

The one girl Sharon that works with me was telling me she has not liked anyone for 13 years! That is so sad...it broke my heart. Pattie will like people off and on, but when people loose intrest in him so does he. I think most of the girls that work there are scared of Sasha because she is a Scarlet and obviously has some issues. She started plucking when her owner started a family and didn't have time, or just did want to have time for her. I think she started to like me because I would talk to her and give her treats, plus seeing Pattie have so much fun with me didn't go unnoticed I'm sure. It's so funny, she will sit on the "seed cart" when I refill all the different mixes for the birds and she will pick out as many peanuts (she calls them crackers) as she can. It's nice because it gives me a good laugh seeing her bald butt sticking out of the buckets and she gets to have some alone time with me. Pattie gets VERY jealous when I talk to Sasha, so getting her away from the "green machine" with me lets her unwind and relax. I hope this story lets people see that even older birds can make great friends, not just babies. Sasha is pushing 40, and is now bonded to me like she has known me all her life.

That's a great "report" on parrot ownership. I might just print that out and give a copy to people that don't seem to really get what being owned by a parrot has in store for them.

Happy Hatchday! The pics are great, it looks like she's about to say something in the second one.:lol:

Millie is one beautiful B&G. I’m sure your one proud mommy and I am so happy for you. I'm with Dan on this one, there better be a camera in your hand every day!

I think most people look at Pattie and Sasha and just see ugly birds that talk, and then others give us the stink-eye because they think they are mistreated or something. It funny that most people get excited when they hear those two talk, but when I hold Sasha and hear her beak grind, that is the best feeling ever. Sasha does seem to be proud of her nakedness, doesn't she. It's funny, every time she needs to go potty she lets out a little squawk to get everyones attention, spreads her wings wide and, well, you know. Hahaha Thanks Dan for the kind words, it's nice to be back...I missed you guys.<br><br>Post edited by: BMustee, at: 2008/05/27 03:21

Well, first I need to buy a house cause I'm sure if my dad wasn't happy about hearing a Sun Conure scream and the Amazon next door scream then I'm sure he would have a cow hearing those two! LOL.

It's the best job ever! The pay may not be the best, but the rewards are worth more than money. LMAO, doesn't Sasha look like a flasher holding open a trench coat?!? Hahahaha! The running joke at the store is "She's not a plucker, she a nudist!" I don't want anymore parrots, but if I was able to get Pattie and Sasha I would in a heartbeat, and boy would they be spoiled! (just like Elmo)

This is a good topic and I agree that parrots should not be an inpulse buy. I have my one Grey, Elmo, and 14 finches. When I tell people I have 15 birds the look on their faces is pricless, but then I explain to them that all but one are finches and are not "pet birds" in the same respect as a parrot, where they need you to spend time with them every day. I love every one of them and tend to their needs. I have nursed 3 of them back to health, (one egg bound, and two Gouldians got nasty respritory infections) and because I cought the issues early all of them are better than ever. I have a good relationship with a GREAT avian vet and he advises me on treatment when I have a problem. Would I add another parrot to my flock...not right now. If I bought a house I would concider bringing in the pair of old macaws from my work because I have been working with them for months and months and have really fell for them. Although I think there would be snowballs down below before I would be able to talk the store owner into selling them to me they are birds I would move mountains to get. I would have my hands full with two large macaws and my grey, but I know the dynamic would work. There have been countless parrots I would have loved to have got, but I know that they would only get in the way of my relationship with Elmo and he is my #1 priority so I would never get them.

Those are some gosh darn cute pictures everyone. I know this is the other bird room, but I had to post this pic of Kitty.

Pattie is such a ham, he was having a ball when I had the camera out. I still need to get a few with me holding him.B)

If you read my post a few months back about Pattie the buffon's Macaw (I just posted pics of Pat tonight) then you know about Sasha. I had made it my mission to get her to come around and wouldn't you know a few weeks ago she did. I got Pattie out of their cage and reached my other arm in for Sasha. Normally she would just step up to stay with Pattie but that day she just kept putting her head down. I know body language and it sure looked like she ether A - wanted her head scratched, or B - was setting the trap to get my fingers. I figured "I'm already scared up enough, what the heck." I went in for the head scratch and thats just what she wanted. Ever sense she has been attached to me by the hip every day I'm at work. Lookout, thats one mean bird! <br><br>Post edited by: BMustee, at: 2008/05/26 05:13

I took my camera to work with me today and took these pics of Pattie, thought you all might like to see them.

That is very good to hear that you found the cause of the plucking. That will be something I tell people to have checked from now on when a "well taken care of" birds starts plucking. Be sure to keep us posted on the progress.

Very impressive. You'll have to tell use your methods of doing it. Just so you know, Elmo goes into KILL mode when there is a finch out and he will attack me to get to the finch so be very leery when you have them both out.

I had read that the Vaseline was supposed to be good from keeping pests out of cages but had never hear first hand anyone say it worked on Ants...I imagine it would work for mice because it would make the leg to slippery. I'll have to put it on my cage legs along with the other tips and tricks to try and stop them from getting close.

I don't cover Elmo and he has always had a light light near him and has never had a night fright even with the cats walking around the cages and any critters outside. I think if they are able to see what is going on and are used to it they don't get scared.

From how many down feathers come off Elmo in a day it's amazing there are still any one him. Don't worry, I don't think he is a "picker" I think it's normal "molting" of the down and a little dry skin in the mix.

{Feel-good-0002006E} Here is Dan...he found some ants in the bathroom.

Hahaha, I know!!! I squished so many my finger started to hurt!

I'll be dumping the entire spice rack on my floors when I get home! A little cinnamon here, powdered sugar there, LOL! The flame thrower is probably more affetive than what I was doing...squishing every one I could find with my fingers. It was soooo bad this morning, there were ants all over the water dish!!! Needless to say I got them all down the drain and crushed every one I saw trying to escape.

I was trying to find where they were coming from and it seemed like it was from 2 or 3 places. Will the powder hurt the birds if I put it around the legs of the cage?

I started using a night light for my finches...baby finches get night frights very easily after the fledge because they are not used to what is around them...and if one baby goes into a fright, they all do. Imagine getting woken up by 17 finches going into histarics!!! Not Cool!!! Sense the night light I have no had any night frights.

Yeah, keep it in the frig. Stays fresh and Greys like cold baths.

The past week it's been raining a lot here in my end of FL and we always tend to get bugs in the house right after a storm, but some sugatr ants (the little black ones) have decided that they are going to stay and are getting in to my bird cages. Not so much in Elmo's cage, but they are getting worse and worse every day in the finch cages. I made sure the carpet was perfectly clean, I did an extra cage cleaning this week, and put down some of those "Combat" traps but nothing it working. Does anyone have a few tips and tricks I could try? Also, does the Vasaline on the cage legs really work for ants or just the bigger stuff like mice?

They aren't as popular as budgies, but once your bit by the finch bug it never seems to leave. I have customers that come in all the time and they are always getting new finches. The cheaper birds are always the better sellers because when people see a price tag of $289.99 for a pair of Owls or Gouldians they say "Yeah, right!" and walk away, but the Zebra and Society finches are the low end so we tend to sell more of them.