birdhouse

LOL Got this flash of you & your tool belt working like mad to fix whatever while Louie is happily destroying something else in the next room. I have a feeling you're going to learn the names of all the thing'ies by the time Louie's done. Good luck with that!!

... or what about Jewel?

How did it go at the vet, Karen?

I kiss my fids all the time. But... Since it's a little like sticking my head in a lion's mouth, I'm always sure to make it on their terms. I do it to show affection, not as play. So, it's low energy & very short duration. I am also aware that we can be trading bacteria. So, I usually aim for the body with a lot less kisses on the top of the beak/head. Bobbing the head back & forth at another can be a threatening posture for parrots. Actually connecting can be considered aggression. So I avoid that type of contact to keep from getting nailed on any given day when someone's being moody.

You said she doesn't like misting? You could try putting a cup of oatmeal bath in her cage. It shouldn't hurt her at all to drink it & she might bath in it. Do you actually rub the sheath off when you scritch Kaleah? Some of my birds like to sit for quite a while & let me do that. They'll grab me if I start working on the wrong feather, though. Then they still expect me to keep preening. Sometimes, they'll grab me if I try to stop, too.

Thanks for updating, David. I'm very sorry to hear that Shanti isn't home, yet. But I'm still wishing for a happy outcome.

... especially such a big baby! And what a beauty!! How about naming her Selva? In Spanish it's pronounced Seelva & means rain forest.

If you saw our versions of a bird show, you'd laugh. Thank you for a little idea of what they could look like.

20+ years ago. When everthing about bird keeping was different. When I found him he was sick. The vets told me he would never be healthy. They also said he was incurably insane & should be destroyed. Any other choice would be cruelty. So, they were wrong. But I originally signed up to take care of him, with no expectations that he would ever really be a companion parrot. I was just compelled to give this magnificent wreckage the best life I could. His name is Phenix. Our first few years were extremely difficult. He still has trust issues. He still occassionally bites (hard!). He still doesn't socialize so well. If I knew then what I know now, would I go back & do it again? YES, only better.

Unfortunately, "better quality" can be a bit of a crap shoot. Phenix' first big cage was a King's Cage. I spent a fortune & it got ugly faster than any other cage I've had. I've never bought another one since. Kura is in a 32nd hand Prevue Hendryx macaw cage that I got at yard sale. It's heavy gauge chrome plated wire & hasn't got a mark on it. Huge door, cleans up super. Doesn't weigh as much as the wrought iron so it moves around nicely. It's one of my favorite cages.

Why oatmeal, Dave?

A decent quality powder coated cage can last quite a while, if it's treated right. It's lifespan will be shortened by things like power washing, chemicals or being left out in the sun. My cages have gone about 8+ years without anything more than some occasional surface rust at the feed doors. The birds take baths, so there isn't much that can be done about that. I just take them apart & clean them with lemon juice & salt every so often. Cost aside, I'm honestly glad to get new cages periodically. I've learned what I like with each cage. Cages are getting designed better, too, even though I think they can still improve. And it's just fun to get a whole new set up after a while.

Thanks, Judy. A buck's maybe 5-1/2' tall without antlers, around here. I've been picturing little, miniature deer running around since I heard that.

She can have an infection. Phenix got a bad one from eating & drinking out of the dog's bowls, little probelm child! You said she was living in filth & eating canned veggies, which were likely allowed to turn. By all means, see if the vet can see her as soon as possible. Glad you spotted that so quickly. Please let us know how it turns out.

Just because she's been dealt a lousy hand, doesn't necessarily mean that she's actually damaged. Just maybe dinged up some. You probably know more than you think & you have a great heart. You've got everything it takes to get Sadie over her issues & give her a good life. I hope the other birds are moving on to such great homes.

Phenix is the only one to have been that sick & it went on for about a month. For that, it worked best to set up a hospital cage in the bathroom & keep the heat on in there. He had a quiet place that I knew was a constant 85 degrees. It was also away from the other birds, with instant access to the sink so I could wash as soon as I handled him.

Greywings, that vid is cool. Thanks! Judy, Birdnut - someone told me that deer are the size of a large dog down south. Is that true?

Better safe than sorry. I think maybe it would be a good idea to give the vet a call & see what they say.

Anything, yet? And was that your post on 911 Parrot Alerts? Is Shanti loose somewhere in Ventura County CA?

LOL Thanks, but I'm not sure a guy from the Evergreen State is going to interest my girl from the Bay State just now. I'll ask Kura, but I don't think a long distance relationship is exactly what she's got in mind. She's also got an admirer... comes from a good home, nice family, sweet boy. I knew Kiwi Mai Tai before I knew Kura & they've been spending time together for a few years, now. The first time they met, we set them on the deck in their carriers. Kura did the ekkie freeze. Kiwi immediately started bobbing, toe tapping, eyes pinning & yelled,"SNACK !!!" We were rolling! However we may have translated that, it meant love at first sight to Kiwi. Under the circumstance that also means they haven't been allowed to see each other this year.

Has anyone got any experience with eclectus females going thru puberty? Kura's having a tough time, again. She's antsy, posturing, aggressive with her toys, snippy. A whole lot of the usual sex drive in overdrive type behavior. A whole lot. I read everything I could find about ekkie hormonal behavior after she feather barbered herself this spring. There are a lot of different theories about diet, light, sleep & pretty much everything else. I'm wondering if anyone has suggestions from personal experience. I really want to try to head off any more feather destruction. I'm also afraid she may start laying eggs. There, again, I've read multiple theories about what's best if that happens. The only extremely hormonal bird I've had was a tiel. The only solution with Theo was to let her breed. I'm really hoping this isn't the case with Kura. I don't think I'm equipt to breed ekkies.

:eek: Holy Cow you scared me!! Now that my eyes are normal sized & I'm breathing again... Very cute!

Sounds like you've really given him a lot of choices. I would have thought swinging from the chandelier would have been a sure winner! Just goes to show, you never know with these guys. Apparently, I'm not as adaptable as the rest. I don't know that I'd give up, yet. He likes to be high & able to hang, so maybe keep trying to work with that. I still think he might like an orbit or a cargo net. I'd try hanging a really, really big wood toy made out of pine pieces & natural wood from the ceiling. In the meantime, I wouldn't give him free range anywhere that wasn't bird proof, if there is such a thing. And maybe, he likes your reaction. Janet's right. Greys can absolutely laugh. If Brutus starts, you might find out that he gets a good laugh out of teasing you.

Fledgling, maybe. All grown up... naw! In that pic at least, she still even has a little of her baby face. No doubt, though. She is a handsome girl!

Congratulations on adopting Sunshine! Glad to hear this is working out so well. Hope the trip to the vet is all good news.