birdhouse

... what they said. Everyone in the flock is stressed, so it would be more of a surprise if Phoenix wasn't. Also, covering is what you'd do to quiet a rowdy bird. So, that's probably not going to help. Is there a reason you couldn't let him spend time in a quieter place elsewhere, like in his travel cage maybe? Meanwhile, I'm sorry to hear about your puppy & hope she'll get well soon.

Something's not working for me. I'm getting "Invalid Attachment specified. If you followed a valid link, please notify the administrator" Maybe try attaching again or just use the hyper link?

Aaawww! Don't feel silly because you are very far from the only one who's like that. We tell the fids we're leaving the room to go make supper. But we have no way to tell them we're leaving them in that scary place & why. It tears me up every time. So glad that wasn't anything more serious though! And big congrats on the portrait!! Too bad we mere humans can't recognize bird faces so we'd be able to tell it was them if we ever saw a copy. But I hope you'll post a pic whenever he gets it painted.

I got Poop Off spray & wipes w/one of Kura's used cages. I like it enough to buy a new bottle when that one ran out. So 2 bottles in like 6-7 years. I don't use it often. But it is handy sometimes & I like the smell. I don't know if people actually realize that they can steam clean the carpet w/o any soap or chemicals. Steam is a disinfectant & the cleaner itself will suck out dirt & mold & other nasty stuff. The only reason for soap of any sort is to dislodge stubborn stains which can be done by pretreating like Dee said. I've used the Poop Off w/good effect. But I usually use OxiClean. Love that stuff. .

I hope this isn't anything serious. Good thoughts & fingers crossed!

lol !oh hell no!! Everyone here gets locked in w/their own din-din, before we sit down to the table. I insist!!

I don't think she'll ever stop surprising you. And as long as you keep bringing her home after your travels, I think she'll keep going out of her way to please & thank you. As much as I think it is an awesome thing that your fids get to travel like they do, I think it's something that Miss G will never fully take for granted. No matter how full of herself she becomes. I think it probable that she's just plain happy to be home to "sleep in her own bed" so to speak. But I have to wonder, given her past, if she's ever truly sure she's coming back until she walks in the door.

I guess I'd start w/how I have a kind of hard time thinking that the handful of pellets commercially available are actually as "one size fits all" as "they" would have us believe. There are how many hundred species (not just different breeds) of birds currently being kept in captivity after all? And they all have their own environmental, age & health quirks just for starters. Eclectus as a for instance, have a rather persistent reputation for potential intolerance to artificial vitamins & colors. Yet every other brand except TOP Totally Organics have added vitamins. Also, the vast majority have added colors. Even the supposed breed specific brands. Am I the only one who thinks that seems wrong somehow? Do I think I know more than a good professional dietician? No I do not. I really don't. But "they" would have me believe I should be feeding the same diet to a potentially geriatric wild caught Grey, a 10 yo cyclically egg laying Eclectus & a stunning & supremely healthy 15 yo Quaker Parrot. It does not compute. So I'm just trying to create the best possible quality of life for a very specific handful of birds who I know as intimately as possible (& just happen to love to pieces "). What they eat is customized for age, weight, condition, activity, time of year, etc. The quality control is extreme, because I'm not in it for the money. Where the commercial brands have in the last decade had at least a dozen mass recalls w/lethal consequences. That's only the bad bad behavior that's come to light. Got to think there's plenty that slides under the radar. And of course, there's the whole issue of organic, GMO & self sustainable which I can only control if I feed the flock w/my own hand picked ingredients. Periodically, someone will ask for a survey of who has the oldest fids. It is very rare to see more than a couple of birds in their 30's, an occasional 40-60 something. This is partly because many people don't really have a stinking clue what "forever home" actually means. But also I think, because bird keeping is just about coming out of the Dark Ages now. Somehow people didn't realize that a parrot couldn't live on peanuts & sunflower seeds forever. But now I almost have hope that one day, pellets will eventually be ...a quinoa based mix, maybe? idk But something more nutritionally enlighten than predominantly corn w/lots of peanuts & sunflower seeds. Unfortunately I think that's still a ways off yet. Until then, I'll continue to have a periodic rant like this one & do my best to encourage people to learn about nutrition. Not just for their fids, but for their own quality of life, as well. I've always believed that our eating habits have improved right along w/the fids' because there's no separating what we learn as we go. For the record however, I'm not a full-on purist. I do feed TOP pellets often enough to keep my fids interested in them. If for some reason there's no access to fresh food (natural disasters & really lazy days), they won't balk at eating them. I'm particularly fond of leaving pellets vs perishables in the dish on extremely hot days. And they're really much too convenient when traveling. But truth be told, I think of them as a necessary evil. If one fine day I can find a way to replace them w/homemade, I will be a happy parront.

We are actually having spring for a change. While you guys have had such amazingly awful weather (sincere condolences btw) we've had such beautiful days for this time of the year around here. But it's killing me that it has been just barely too cold to let the fids out. Especially a semi-naked ekkie. I can't wait til it's finally their turn. So do you have the like most understanding neighborhood in the whole world? Or, is the flock much, much quieter than I'd ever have guessed when they're outside & all together like that? Also couldn't help thinking how different your yard looks now vs before the flock. Wow!

I laughed all the way thru that. Sorry!! But I got a pretty clear picture & I'm quite sure MissG is not at all happy to have found out that this loud, stinky, demanding little creature is the new center of the universe. Because I mean, what does he have that THE MissG doesn't ... & who had it first? And there's absolutely no question (in her mind anyway) who does it better. I mean Really! lol (somewhere & quite by accident, I find I've assigned MissG some of the same persona as Miss Piggy. This would be one of the places it really seems to fit well. Do you think?) Meanwhile, big congratulations on your new little bundle of joy! I'm glad it all came right in the end.

When I first read your post, I wanted to swoop in w/all the behavioral remedies I could think up because I really feel your pain. Because I know what it's like to hit the wall & run out of steam & ideas & patience. Lots of times, all you really need is a place to vent & people to give you enough e-hugs to get you going again. And that's something we can do. I think you deserve tons of respect for everything you've done to try to make this work. But it really sounds like this may have come down to an unwinnable contest between your existing flock/housemates/family & this little being who only knows how to react to it's surroundings, based on it's own instincts & experiences. It's a bad situation that isn't fair to anyone. Part of the reason why rescue is not something everyone can do is because sometimes adoptions don't work out in spite of all the best intentions & efforts. As unquestionably heart breaking as it is to love & lose a fid, it's so much worse even for such a sensitive & intelligent creature to spend its very long life in a bad match. If you make that decision, you could post in the classified forum here. You can link w/whichever of your posts you think will help anyone who wants to adopt Alex know about him & his issues. You can also post to ask all the members what they think about people who respond or what they think you might want to find out to help find the best possible new home. You can post on Craig's List. But that's a scary place to get around sometimes. There are awesome people out there. But there are awful people, too. Sometimes is hard to tell them apart. This is a list of (supposed) parrot rescues in the vicinity. I think these are your best bet for a lot of reasons. First, it's what they do all day long ...finding great homes for lost little fids. Second, they might be able to get you in touch w/some people who can actually work with you in person. Unlike us, who have to depend on what you write & how we read it. Someone might be able to see you live & watch what's working or not & be able to help get you hooked up w/real answers, not just blind suggestions. Contacting a rescue group might just give you another chance to work things out. http://bird.rescueshelter.com/Tennessee And if you'll forgive me for saying, don't trust them w/o checking them out first, either. Like everything else, there's good & bad out there.

^^^^^^^^^^^ !!!!!! Deer Off !by Havahart!!!! Honest, the stuff is won-der-ful for fending off squirrels. I'm going to say that our neighborhood has been using it for the past 8-10 years & those damnable tree rats still find it repulsive. Every year I buy a bottle just about now & spray any garbage cans, the house, deck & shed. Extra under any overhangs or railings that's protected from the rain. Even though a treatment is supposed to last 3 mos, I'll do it again every 5-7 weeks'ish just to be safe & to empty the bottle by the end of the season. If I had one complaint it's the shelf-life is kind of short once it's been opened. Congratulations aerial.2000! Sorry it took so long, but very glad to hear that you finally won the battle!!

Since it's hard to think that any poster would be so irresponsible that they'd feed their own &/or suggest that anyone else feed their sick critter anything w/o having studied up on the consequences, this must mean that you've actually found credible nutritional information about "process cheese foods". Hat's off, because I've been trying to find out what that stuff really is for years! It would certainly help everyone who read this thread if you posted the link to whatever convinced you that (store bought??) macaroni & cheese had such nutritional benefits as to recommend it for ailing, malnourished, geriatric parrots &/or spent breeder birds. Thanks!

One thing I learned the hard way, though. On is okay, but I can't put even a little in when I make a batch of mash. Apparently there is a limit & they won't eat it all day every day like that. They will eat it multiple times a week in some form or other for quite a while, then just quit it for a while. Which can be said for every one of their favorite foods, really & who can blame them? [my *">#@! internet keeps cutting out grrrh ] Was going to say that Phenix would probably suggest trying the warm steamed carrots w/cinnamon, first. He picks them right out, waves them around happily & makes lip smacking sounds every time. Since of course he doesn't have lips, I have no idea where he got that from. lol

It's flax seed meal. Alone it makes something like cornbread consistency. Combined w/a coconut flour say, could change it up a lot. The store bought loaves I've seen are mixed. But unless they're on super sale they're also pretty pricey around here. Fortunately, the homemade version(s) are easy enough & this bunch doesn't care. They'll gladly eat whichever I put in their dish. https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/great-recipes.asp?food=flax+seed+bread PS Originally Posted by birdhouse To the last, my guys absolutely love, love, love when I make them flax seed bread which is spread w/Red Palm Oil, smothered in apple sauce & sprinkled w/extra cinnamon. I put it in the microwave until the applesauce just bubbles (l/t 1 minute), let it cool just enough to feed it to them warm & messy - not hot. I've edit that a bit ..."lots" of extra cinnamon. My guys are cinnamon junkies. Sometimes they just get pieces of cinnamon stick in their dish or I might hide it in their foraging toys. Sometimes it's randomly & liberally sprinkled over something just for a change. They like it on veggies occasionally. It's also a great way to hide, uhhh I mean help introduce new foods that I think they might balk at.

Well, it's very good that your girl is doing better at least. But even though she's (supposedly) bonded, doesn't mean she has a healthy relationship w/the male. Even if you're planning to breed, you might want to keep them apart for a while & see how they interact & changes in the female's habits & attitudes. Peanut butter, hard boiled eggs, any nuts, Red Palm Oil are high calorie foods for right now. To the last, my guys absolutely love, love, love when I make them flax seed bread which is spread w/Red Palm Oil, smothered in apple sauce & sprinkled w/lots of extra cinnamon. I put it in the microwave until the applesauce just bubbles (l/t 1 minute), let it cool enough to feed it to them warm & messy - not hot (they can get burnt on a hot spot). When my ekkie is laying eggs, she doesn't eat hardly anything unless I really push it. But she'll eat that until she explodes if I'll feed it to her. Even though that's some things to start w/immediately, Janet is right about getting your birds to a board certified avian vet. Not worth taking the risk to wait & see. Especially since you already know the female's not right. Birds really hide symptoms & may only let you see a small warning sign like that when something much bigger is going on. All new fids to the vet within the week they get home is just a really good idea.

Would it help any if I said trust is very important, health is literally life or death? It's actually pretty amazing how they go thru everything they do at the vet & almost always manage to shake it right off. I think it honestly takes me longer to get over their vet visits! If you're worried about toweling, you might ask the vet for a lesson. There are some helpful hints. Once your fid is all buffed & fluffed w/a clean bill of health, you could maybe make the travel cage part of the new surroundings too. That way (s)he knows it's normally about good adventures & not just scary vet trips. Congratulations for adopting Scout & belatedly on your TAG, too. Sounds like your house is a greyt place to be & they're both lucky they found you. Scout may not realize that for a while. Once a Grey has bonded to a person like it sounds like he may have bonded to his first owner, that person is irreplaceable. He may grow to love you in his way. But that will just be a slightly different bond than if either of you were what you might think of as THEperson. This does not mean you can't live happily ever after, though.

Aaww, E-hugs!! Really worth trying the Havahart stuff. You should be able to get it at the feed & grain or hardware store. And if they don't have that specific brand, I'd be surprised, but they should have something & a bunch of advice. The feed & grain store is great for this kind of stuff!! (I didn't always live in the city lol)

I realize this may make me sound like a city dweller... but don't you guys have animal control officers? In the very least pest control companies? I've never had a problems w/the skunks around here. They live out back & we've managed to avoid any drama (knock on wood). But maybe you could try one of the Havahart deterrents (like Critter Ridder)? I have only used the Deer Off which I would happily do a commercial for a 20 yr supply. lol We have a huge, huge problem w/city squirrels which are afraid of nothing absolutely nothing & destructive as all hell. The Deer Off is for rabbits & squirrel as well as deer & the stuff works awesome!!

Absolutely. Scary as all get out when they come crashing down! I'm always afraid they'll break a bone or blood feather or something. Like Sterling said, the vet wrap would give it better grip if the perch part of the swing isn't the replaceable type. There are some health concerns incl vitamin deficiency, chemical imbalance type issues that can cause coordination problems, to. So maybe watch Congo a little closer for a while. Also, advanced age. I had a teil who started doing this when he was about 24 yo. He'd been in his cage forever, though & I was afraid it would upset him to move him. I set up the cage w/an extreme bunch of twiggy branches everywhere so he always had someplace more like a cradle to sit rather than simple perches to balance on & that did nicely for him. A boing might also be an alternative to a traditional swing if this is going to be a consideration going forward. Still high, still swings (some) but better grip & easier balance.

I always feel badly for people in your same position who don't have access to medical care for their fids. I wish that I could say something more helpful than yes, that's something that should be taken seriously. Unfortunately, no one here is a professional. There are some online vet sites. These are 2 I got from a Google search *but*I*don't*know**anything** about what they know or how good their advise would be. http://www.justanswer.com/bird-vet/# http://www.birdhotline.com/vet.htm I think in your position, I'd see what they say. Then, I'd run anything by the local vet you've been seeing AND do my own research on any info before actually doing anything w/Jara. The longer the problem continues, the more serious it can become, though. So the sooner the better. Good luck. Wish that was more helpful. Please let us know how it goes.

Didn't it used to be that checking the "New Posts" hyperlink in the top right of the page would show the past 24 hrs' posts unless signed in? But when signed in, didn't the list keep going? I don't get to sign in for long stretches sometimes. So if I want to catch up, I guess now I'd have to visit each forum? Why?

") Signed me up!! Thanks because I didn't & probably wouldn't have found it on my own.

Now that you've officially got such a large flock of talking parrot species, maybe it's time to teach them roll call??? lol

Soda bottles are made from High Density Polyethylene Extrusions (HDPE). It's cheaper, weighs "nothing" & obviously stands up to a bit of abuse. The clear will eventually yellow some w/age. Faster if exposed to sunlight unless it's the brand that has an ultraviolet additive. Bought mine too long ago to remember the exact name it was sold under, anymore. But I just looked it up in the Yellow pages & bought several huge sheets & the stuff worked well for me. The company offered a lot of different size & thickness sheets. Much cheaper than plexi & easier to work with. I think I got 6 sheets of 4' x 8' that were thin enough to all be rolled together when I picked them up. It can be cut w/sheers or a mat knife & simply hung w/any wall mounting used for picture frames, incl the removable kind. I used adhesive velcro squares because they were handy at the time & I don't really worry about the yucky paneled walls. I could take it them apart to clean if I wanted. But generally I would spray w/vinegar or a bit of Dawn & water, let sit for a couple of minutes & wipe. E-Z