birdhouse

:confused::confused::confused:Little hard to grasp 70 degree weather in December OR a long weekend because 4 whole inches equals a snow day... :confused::confused::confused: It all sounds pretty good from where I'm sitting.

:D:D:D:D:D:D Whoa........ Judy!!!.............SNAP!!!!!!!!! :D:D:D:D:D:D

OP is a direct quote from an article posted here & here: http://exoticpetvet.net/avian/cpr.html http://www.birdchannel.com/bird-diet-and-health/bird-emergency-care/bird-cpr.aspx All posters should remember it is VERY important to quote sources; legally, morally & credibly. As Dave said, this is a dicey topic. The odds of someone actually causing harm to their fid using techniques from an unprofessional source are much, much too great. However, there are many of our members who just don't have access to nearby basic avian medical care, let alone emergency medical assistance for their fids. The more any parront can learn before their fid is in distress, the better. So as the well rounded site that we've attempted to create, it would seem it might be reasonable to share some of this type of information. **Any poster needs to be extremely careful to discuss topics in a responsible manner, though. Always remembering that what they post can very well result in death to someone's fid. ** PLEASE only reference & quote the most credible, professional sources when posting. ** No one should ever attempt to use any information found on GF or any website before thorough research & w/the full knowledge they're risking harm or worse to their fid. *************************************************** *************************************************** **** Wherever possible, always seek medical help from an avian certified vet as soon as you think there's a problem. **** *************************************************** ***************************************************

:D:D:DHehehe Love it!! :D:D:D

^^^ :eek: Oh heck no!! :eek:^^^ Your English is just dandy. It was entirely how I read it! Guarantee people are going to come up w/a bunch of different images if I write BEANS. That's all. Good thing you've got a bunch of smiley faces there. Or I'd be apologizing ALL over the place!!!!

Laughing to myself about the verbiage here! I had to really stop & think because "wiggling the tongue" gave me a whole different picture, initially. Not going there. Never mind. Back on topic! I've seen what I think you meant w/my ekkie in particular & yes, I think it's true. Kura is more apt to open her beak a bit when she's happy. It always looks like she's smiling to me. Her tongue is generally moving forward & back when she wants to interact, vs she's just making eye contact while she's say, playing. Since tasting someone is part of their normal interaction, I think it makes sense that's a signal, body language if you will, for, "Come closer... I'm not going to bite you." The only problem is, parrots lie! Or maybe just chance their minds VERY qjickly. lol My grey may smile & invite you in for some up close time. But there's a better than fighting chance that he'll turn on you instead. Phenix can be a biter & his body language just can't be trusted, unfortunately.

The day you picked Lilly up, she was coming Home. Nothing short of some truly major drama was going to change that. But, from now on, if it helps to blame this adventure on your mother in law, as supportive forum members we'll go along. :rolleyes: How's Gus doing w/Lilly now? I'm kind of in awe of the way you continue to introduce fids into the flock so "easily" ( ...& yes, that's quote, unquote lol).

No question you really lucked out there!! Also greyt that people who might not have gotten to spend real time w/a fid got an opportunity to see what awesome little creatures they really are. Adding "Gilda the Parrot Ambassador" to her lengthy list of accomplishments. :cool:

.... it is. Also ironic & sad that parrots in No America are all but extinct, if the "mother" of all fossil parrots was found in WY. There are still some thick billed parrots in MX & there's some small hope they could eventually be encourage to colonize as far north as New Mexico. The Carolina Parakeet was really the last North American parrot, though. There's some evidence they may have been a sister species to modern Quaker Parrots/Parakeets. They ranged all over the US & into Canada. But they were killed for sport & food, driven out by logging & exterminated as crop pests, until they became extinct ~100 yrs ago. Human driven extinction continues to take it's toll, I'm afraid.

:mad: They are supposed to have the emotional development of a 3 yo. Nuff said...?!? The good news is that they can chose to turn it off as quickly as they can turn it on. So Smokey will probably go right back to "normal" once things get back on track.

Thanks for the excellent thread, Jill! There are just so many things that can be dangerous & it's so hard to see some of them coming sometimes. It is really helpful to have info from other sources like this. Karen - I always wash my hands thoroughly after I handle eggs because they can have things on them that can make humans sick. Let alone the fids. It isn't a good idea to let Timber near anything that another bird could possibly have infected because some diseases can be so easily transferred & there's no washing some of those germs away. Sorry, Timber!!

How's Gordon doing this morning?

Awww So nice for all of you! How long did they take to get used to Gilda's new identity?

Phenix was wild caught w/parents who taught him what was safe to eat. The only thing that translated in captivity was apparently seeds & peanuts. He originally acted like he was being offered hemlock any time he got anything else. He'd literally get furious & immediately fling every bit. But I was dogged & tried every trick I could think of over & over & over. Drinking out of a cup was Phenix' Achilles heel. It was fun AND like Muse said, anything anyone else had always tasted better. So first he learned to drink fruit juices. Even w/the sugar "overload" it was a start. Then I made juice combos w/veggies, worked up to some nasty smoothies, then nastier chunky smoothies. W/Phenix, if there was peanut butter in/on it, it might be worth a try at least. I'm a big fan of fruits & veggies. But I've always hated peanut butter! And fids have a very different definition of what tastes good. And bad. I had to really push those healthy greens for a while. Sometimes while I was pretending to drink these concoctions I'd be trying not to gag just from the smell! lol I have to figure the food foraging rules parents imprint on their young have to be pret-ty strong. Otherwise, they'd be poisoning themselves left & right. So I'm not all that surprised that it took a couple of years before it really & truly took & for him to develop a "palate" for the new cuisine. But Phenix eventually learned there were other safe foods. Before I started reading on the internet, I had no idea what a greyt eater he became. I have to think if a wild caught grey can learn, most domestic greys should be able to... eventually. It's most definitely a process. Guess it's pretty obvious from Muse's pics, the more fun you can make it for everyone, the better! Turns out, it can be some sweet bonding time as well. Even after 20 yrs, Phenix & I still enjoy having our juice together (see avatar ). Especially now that I don't need to add any dandelions to it. Damn! those things are nasty!!!

That is funny!!! You really never know what to expect from these guys. But that's just part of their charm. My grey likes to bath in water that's just a little warmer than room temp. My ekkie's the one who likes a nice cold bath. Both make sense to me. In the wild they might find a nice cold mountain or spring fed stream & other times they may be lucky to find a muddy puddle for months on end. They have to be pretty adaptable to survive in their native habitats.

lol Or maybe they could chip in. Either way, good luck w/that! The giant fold down cage is actually not bad. I would be relatively happy to let Phenix use it if I didn't have the KC. I'll have to see if I can find time to get you a pic. But I got mine on CL for $25. It came w/really nice cups & a perch & had never been used because it was too small for their B&G. If you've got some time & patience, CL can be awesome!

It's amazing how few greys don't love pumpkins. But it seems like most of those are ascaired of them vs don't like to eat them. Have you tried gourds or just the seeds? When I first started feeding them, it was the guts, etc from when I made jack o lanterns. Once the fids were already hooked on the scraps & seeds, they had no fear of a whole one. I have to get the jack o lanterns outside as soon as they're born or my guys would be adding their own creative touches to them. lol Muse, those are beautiful pics of some very happy fids! Thanks for sharing them.

Unfortunately, that isn't necessarily a given. Like one of the potential chemical fillers in latex paint can be zinc. A necessary trace element for humans & toxic for fids. It's a heavy metal that builds up over time in their systems because they can't process it. Even trace elements of lead & arsenic are government approved in small doses for humans. Rice, for instance, naturally has arsenic in it. Near as I can guess, the safest rule of thumb is to limit toys that fids could eat, like painted wood, to the things that are specifically bird safe because they don't have the same metabolism & they're so much smaller. Another problem w/using human safe guidelines for fids is the VOCs (volatile organic chemicals). Until they're dry & cured, some paints, varnishes, resins, glues & other things give off vapors which can be carcinogenic. Some are listed as being safe for humans after a recommended curing period, but may never stop giving off vapors even then. If you google "VOCs & parrots" you'll find some discussions that suggest that because a bird's respiratory system is so much more sensitive than ours, those vapors continue to be a threat for them. Again, really sorry. I hated to be a buzz kill because Shelby really does look adorable & happy. But this might be one of those times where it's just better to be safe than sorry.

:o:o Sorry...!Sorry...!Sorry!...!Sorry...!:eek: But I've got to ask.... Were those specifically labelled bird safe? I can't remember the last time I saw a bird safe wood that was colored w/anything but veggie dye & they aren't shiny.

Perfect!! People are always asking why I won't sign up for FB. Hope you don't mind Dan, but I'm going to start passing this around. Thanks for the chuckle, too. ")

Shane, dog cages might not be a good idea because of m/t the bs. The bottoms are usually more open squares between the bars. Any fid who figures out how to flip the tray would escape easily. Also, anything that doesn't specifically say "bird safe" paint & metal can potentially be toxic for fids even when it's supposed to be safe for dogs. This is some of my collection. I have to say that none of them are my idea of perfect. But the red, King's carrier comes closest. Phenix has to have constant supervision if he's in the one like your first pic. It's a little on the wimpy side. It took him about 10 min to start to destroy the spring clips that hold the cage walls together. The spring wire is no match for him, at all. I do have a giant one of the same style. It's 2.5x the one pictured. I think it's because it was designed to hold macaws & such, the spring clips are a lot more sturdy. But I don't know that he can't figure a way out of that one, either. The little green one is for the vet & for walks, really. There's no room in it & no cups. It's hot & not the greatest to clean. The King's carrier is pricey & a little too heavy. I also wish it would fold down. It comes apart & still takes up "a lot" of room when it's broken down. But other than that, it's Phenix proof , well thought out & should last forever because it's aluminum. It is very sturdy & I really feel comfortable when a fid is in it. Near as I can tell, your second carrier is it's closest cousin. From what I can remember when I was looking for mine, that one's heavier & maybe slightly smaller (?). Also breaks down vs folds down. If you're not going second hand (Craig's List & Ebay are our friends!!:cool:) then the MSRP on that one is way less expensive, in part because it's wrought iron, not aluminum.

^^^ Pyrex are heavier & less noisy. Aluminum pie pans make such a greyt mess when flipped over & way fun noises, too!! lol I finally found a humongous chip & dip dish. It's shallow enough to climb in & still fill w/enough water to be too heavy to flip. Scalloped edge & no lip, either. But this, like everything else, will have to be a process of trial & error until you find what works for your fid. Speaking of..., just realized that I suggested someone else might experiment w/different spray bottles & spray rhythms. I know it may sound a little crazy. But sometimes it makes a difference, too.

Don't they look so sweet together!!

LOL!!! Maybe it's time to step away from the spray bottle. They're designed to have some dust on their feathers. It's also insulation. If you've been doing this 3x/wk, she's not probably going to get much better. Or any happier, btw. Maybe it's time to change up. Maybe see if you can find an acceptable bathing dish, instead. Everyone might end up being a lot happier.

Sometimes fids gets a little over stimulated just like small children. Since Cockey did seem to enjoy it at least some, I think you've got a reasonable shot at being one of the few who has a grey who doesn't hate baths. Lucky you!!!!!!!! If it helps, I've found that the actual bottle makes a difference sometimes. I've had a couple that really didn't go over well! Something else w/Phenix is that he gets more uncomfortable when I don't take a beat in between sprays. When it's not slow & steady he's more apt to get more upset. And I definately agree w/Timbersmom. Walmart has the cheapest 100% organic aloe juice I've found. If the stores nearest you don't stock it, you can buy it online &/or use store pick up.