birdhouse

Kya, have you tried feeding Mash or Chop? That's actually the best way I've found to get them to eat almost anything because the yucky stuff is so mixed in w/the yummy stuff. Also, in bits like that, it's nearly impossible to fish out all the "poisonous" foods to fling against the wall. ")

Just a reminder, peanut shells can have Aspergillus sp. fungus, which can be lethal to parrots. We've had a few sad threads here over the years. So much better to throw away all the peanuts from bird food to be safe. If you're going to feed any nuts especially in shells, reasonably fresh, human grade organic is probably as safe as you can get.

One side of the bars vs the other is a very different thing to a caged bird. Some birds are sweet as can be until they get back to that cage where they instantly turn Velociraptor. For many domestic fids, their cage isn't just instinctively their territory. It's their safe place which is how some become cage bound. In Poppy's case, she may be insecure about being out, unprotected w/all the general activity. So she may need a few ticks to decide she's not exposed to anything too scary. This is possibly a phase where you can help her become generally more confident & trusting overall if you're willing to go a little out of your way for the moment. Maybe make a conscious effort to quiet things down just a bit beforehand. Then be chirpy & talk her up for a few extra minutes initially. Hopefully, you'll be able to see a difference after maybe a week or two. And you may have just won a little victory towards making her a more secure girl in the long run.

Oh, my! Classic example of how one word can totally change the way a sentence reads. So I've edited my first post to say I bought the cage pictured last weekend before I started this thread. And some day, they may even ship the silly thing! Meanwhile, I've been dividing my time between digging out the bunches of goodies I've got stashed away & worrying about what Phenix will think of everything. In the past 30 yrs, he's never once been happy to be moved even out of those first cages which we now know were way too small. Every time I tried something different but it always ended the same. It just really upsets him to be moved. So the question is what if I let him acclimate to his new cage by using his travel cage? What if his carrier goes into the new cage & he lives in it for say a couple of weeks, before I let him out into the new digs? And that's an arbitrary time frame. I'd actually go w/however long it took him to act comfortable. I'm thinking the same psychology should apply no matter where he's being transported. He meets new things from a safer, seemingly braver place when he's in that carrier. He doesn't normally growl & defend his territory. If it comes to it, he usually stops shaking fairly quickly (for him). On rare occasions he even looks like he's enjoying the adventure in spite of himself. That's a very, very different reaction from the fid who cowers on his food dish for a month. So can anyone think of a down side to trying to take advantage of moving him in stages like this?

They do know how to take the fun out of all that time effort & money, don't they? I don't even know if I can fit these 2 cages temporarily. Mucho space restraints in his corner which is why I was going to buy a corner cage this time. But a funny thing happened on the way to the PayPal sign in page. :confused: In spite of whatever Mr Grumpypants is going to think about it, I'm getting excited now. There was a local wholesale cage outfit who's owner retired at the end of last year. Unfortunately, I don't like his brand of cages. But I did get a couple of giant boxes of toys, etc for cheap at the sell off sale. I spent less than $100 & put away enough to last everyone a long, long time. Phenix cage now has excellent branches & assuming they fit (always a crap shoot) I'd want to keep them. But everything else is going to be all shiny new & exciting!! "{ Wish that was better news for my silly bird. But I can't wait! What exactly is it about a new cage that gives us humans such a kick I wonder?

Phenix cage is 7 yo this spring. It looks more like it's 10 or 12. Very disappointing. By way of warning to anyone who wants to know, it's this model HQ cage http://www.mybirdcage.com/medium-arch-cage.html The paint's started to oxidize in places & it's started to peel a little here & there way too soon. But to be fair, Charm has the smaller version & it still looks pretty good. So, idk. Anyway, I've been looking for a while now. This weekend, I finally bought a brand new A&E 36" octagonal cage on Ebay. http://www.aecageco.com/Products/Space-Saver-Bird-Cages_2/OCT3636-Octagon-Parrot-Cage.html While I should really be excited, I'm actually dreading this because it has so traumatizes Phenix to be moved. I've built cages in front of him. I've left them empty for as long as a month waiting for him to explore & ForgetAboutIt. Everything I can think but he still sits on his food dish & trembles for days. Then he sits still as stone on his food dish for weeks, moving only to get to his water dish & back. It's kinda heartbreaking. So what I'm thinking is trying something totally different this time. I'm thinking about building Phenix' cage in front of him, letting it sit for X amount of time nearby (whatever feels right I guess), then putting him in it but while he's in his carrier. When/if he looks relaxed, I want to leave him in his carrier, in the new cage for however many days until he looks dare I think calm, taking my cue from his reactions. Travel cages are for adventures. As little as he enjoys new things, his responses are notably different whenever he's in that carrier. So I'm thinking it should, could, might help him acclimate better, faster, more easily, theoretically. So what does everyone think of this bright idea?

One, I hope that means you are so thrilled that this chapter (saga, really) is finally done that in future you'll be starting new threads. But we will be hearing from you in the future, right?? Two, I was reading your answer to me & realized that what I wrote didn't sound like that in my head. It could have been taken very differently than I meant it. But you seem to have gotten what I meant. So whew, thanks, bunches for that!

^^^ Because Everything is GreycieMae's . Get it? Got it? Good. lol I use chamomile tea for showers/spritzing when we're "excitable". It seems to be pretty good aromatherapy for them & I think it makes them smell lovely. I throw whole buds into their feed dishes. I do keep the buds limited to a healthy pinch a day for no more than a week. Not because I've never found a recommended dose or limit or anything (& I've looked!). Just because that's a limit that feels good to me for whatever reason & so far (knock on wood) l haven't had any problems. So this was an exciting weekend, I'm guessing. Any surprises, good or bad...?

Some probiotic yogurt is good. I'd say a couple of times a month, maybe? Assuming it's one of the brands w/less fat & sugar. Some brands are way over the top. I'd skip the milk, though. Maybe exchange it for almond or coconut milk on the days you'll be sharing? Or just leave that until after you've separated out his share. My guys are big oatmeal fans, especially warm. They don't care if there's anything in it or not. Me, not so much. So I don't eat it as regularly as maybe I should & I like bunches of stuff in it! But it's simple enough to portion theirs out, then say put my honey into what's left. I'll usually save enough out for a couple of servings so they can get broccoli buds & RPO & other combinations that only they would like for a quick snack later on or maybe their breakfast the following day.

Awwww! Look at him all sweetness & charm for the camera. I suddenly realized that I was surprised he was in full feather. Your avatar is a little raggedy boy & after all this it wouldn't have been surprising for him to have stressed out. So glad to see that he looks like he's been taken care of pretty well. Greyt big welcome home!! What do you mean? Kevin said he was going to have some trouble w/a letter & I was just trying to help get him started is all.

lol They always do. And yes, she's a very busy, very well attended little girl. So why change a thing, right? But lots of things do change over the decades. It just makes sense this would be something that would change eventually. I also wanted to encourage you especially because I certainly never expected it. It literally never occurred to me that is was even a possibility & I damned near fell over whenever I heard him. And of course when I got so excited it made he mute for- idk , a month? And the whole entire time I was so excited I couldn't stand it!! But then he has always been absolutely perverse about doing certain things. Lately, I'll ask him to ring his favorite bell & he just stares. But I walk out of that room & almost immediately I'll hear ding ding ding, "YAAAAY". And I know he's laughing at me. The little bleeper!!

what they said. Probably Sterling's fault. He didn't want to hear her so much that he accidentally whammied it. lol Sterling, don't give up, literally ever. As I've said before, Phenix was a wild caught, abused, who knows how old adult plus about 2 yrs living here. And you might think he'd have said something like "no" or "apple. But you know what the first thing he said was? He called the dog. You just can't guess what's going to trigger it or when, but...

This weekend I realized it was dun dun duh that time of the year at least as far as my guys are concerned. Charm normally wakes everyone up in an explosion of noise, albeit happy or otherwise. The other day I crept into the bird room w/my heart pounding a little because it was completely silent & I was afraid. Nothing was wrong, aside from her filthy mood. Phenix is being super charming. Gives me "come hither" stares at every turn. Can't get enough kisses. Kura who after months of roosting finally left "the nest" a couple of weeks ago is acting all broodie again. That would be the official trifecta heralding spring w/this flock.

To whom it may concern: I am so very sorry after all these many years & the unimaginable patience it took to deal with you fools that you still couldn't manage to get your sorry acts together sufficiently to ship one little grey bird home w/o tons of unnecessary drama right to the very end and potentially beyond. I am also sorry for all the other lucky slobs who have been or will get caught up in you robust bureaucracy, & inefficiency. Since I think we can all agree that it's probably best if I not add much of anything about the red tape I will conclude with my sincere wishes that you too may one day (soon) enjoy all the amazing experiences that your agencies have to offer,

Finally!! :) Congratulations on the beginning of the end!!! :) :) Oh, what did the new owner(s) say about the back yard during the walk thru? Were they surprised?

She knew what she was doing when she found you. Gypsy found the best place around to live out her happily ever after. I'm sorry to hear she's gone. I know how much you'll miss her.

You, me & some little grey birds, huh? lol BUT there is something to be said for new & exciting too. You're trading all the the things you didn't like for some stuff you're really going to love. So any time you're about to have a panic attack, laser-focus on a thing you've said 400 times you couldn't stand, but couldn't get rid of for some reason & flip it off. Or rather wave good bye to it ") You've been too long having to deal w/the worst parts of moving. But pretty soon, you're gonna be in Paradise! :cool:

Do you ever take your guys out for a ride? I mean I get they're so big & there's so many & they do have the whole outdoor set up & everything. But I was just thinking that you'll probably be making many trips to the new place. And if they could go w/you a few at a time, it might help them transition, some. As far as moving the whole circus, if it was mine (& I find even as I say it that I'm kinda glad it's not in this particular instance lol), the first day you sleep there, I'd take them all over in their travel cages & leave them in them for a couple of days. Because that's what travel cages do; visit new places even if in this case it's one room to the next. By the time all the big cages are brought over & set up, everyone has had time to acclimate to the new sights, sounds & scents, generally. And you had the leisure to really set it all up as best as you think, for now. Of course it's always going to be a work in progress, but whatever seems best for the time being. Or maybe you could contact someone in Ringling Bros logistics dept & let them give you a few pointers. ") Boy, the more I think about it, the more I do not envy you. Sincerely - good luck with this.

Fascinating (as the risk of sounding too Spock-like "). I think the comment that when a bird who can fly anywhere chooses to fly to you it's pretty special, pretty much sums up the attraction for these particular humans or most others. But knowing what we know about parrots generally & Greys especially, I'm a little surprised to say the least. I'd love to hear it from their point of view (if only!). I totally disagree w/the comment that it's because of the birds' flock mentality, though. If anything, I'd think that once these babies were finally in a safe flock, they'd be even more likely to reject outsiders as dangerous strangers after all they've been thru. It's been my experience that the more abused the critter, the less likely it is to be social towards humans in particular no matter how group-oriented the healthy specimen's instincts would normally be. One thing I do think though is that it shows yet another correlation between human & parrot psyches(?). I'd love to explore more of this whole phenomenon.

That's cuz you're an old pro. ") I think you may be overestimating how many people can actually pull a slippery, bleeding quill & w/o doing any wing or other damage though. The first time I met Phenix he broke not 1 but 3 blood feathers trying to jump back onto his stand. He was too far away & hit the edge on the way to the floor. Blood everywhere. Thank goodness his caretaker was there to save the day. Calm as if he was plucking a Christmas goose. Whereas I was completely freaked! It was an excellent lesson, though. Every parront really should get someone to show them how it's done. To this day, I don't honestly know how I'd do, if my feet were to the fire. Don't actually want to find out, either.

For a long time we had a great vet who also boarded. It's easy to think all critters hate the vet & wouldn't that be stressful? But it was actually the opposite. After Phenix spent days being the center of attention & admiration, he didn't actually think the vet's was all that bad anymore. Routine check ups actually became a non-issue for the most part which was phenomenal. It made me feel pretty good because there was quality care 24/7 & the best possible medical assistance available at all times.

I'd never heard of that before. But now that I've checked it out it looks like it could have some real potential. If I read right, it's some type of sugar (polysaccharides) basically. It looked like it might be marketed in the US for humans relatively soon, too. I'm going to do some more research. But you may just have found a good addition to the medicine chest there! But even though something I read said it was good on moderate to severe bleeding, I'd wonder about broken feathers since they're actually an open vein. Still, if it can't actually stop the bleeding, maybe it can slow it enough to be a stop gap to buy time to get help. I'd be interested to hear what the vet's generally & avian vets in particular had to say. How did you find this?

Good bye Dave. Thank you for everything you meant to a bigger even flock of birds than you could probably ever have imagined and coincidentally the bunch of strangers who love them. Dave had such a voice, such a presence here. And of course he was such a character. It's hard to think anything but that he'd go on being his cantankerous self for many years to come. This is so very very sad. He will be missed a lot. My condolences to his family & friends.

We aren't very excited about Brazil nuts or hazelnuts. They're okay to play with sometimes. But most if not all of it actually ends up on the floor. Cashews, pecans & walnuts are great. Peanuts are probably the universal fav. But because Phenix came to me addicted they were taboo around here for the longest time. Now it tends to be that they're going to get whatever the humans have. Besides not being the best nutritional value, we're just aren't that into peanuts. So just because of the novelty, peanuts may stay the fav forever. But the thing is, over the course of such a long life, tastes change. In the early years, Phenix thought "appoos" (apples) & peanuts were everything! Now, meh. They pick things up & drop them like we do. That goes for food, toys & activities as well.

Hqppy belated hatchday Corky! But really no worries Ray. Today it's Thursday, Dec 5th it's Birthday & tomorrow it will be something else. Everyday's a party for a spoiled little fid. ") But I hope the rest comes right sooner rather than later. We miss you.