Suzzique

Satchel no worrys his beak grew back! Thier beaks are always growing. That is why you see them peeling. It is the old layers of beak peeling off. He was a bit sore for a few days so a bit grumpy. Within a week or so you couldn't even tell that anything had happened. B) Alex is flighted and we had him in the shower with us. He was really soked and decided that he really didn't want to be there any more. So he flew up and over the shower curtain but because he was so wet he pretty much fell from there. He landed pretty hard but seemed ok. So we set him on the towle rack like we always did and finished showering. When we got out I saw blood on the floor under him. I freeked when I saw what happend. We took him right to the vet. I managed to clam down on the way. The breeder had given me one of the do it yourself dna tests (you have to make them bleed and I never could bring myself to do that) and I happened to still have it with me so figured he was bleeding all over the place anyway... :whistle: So we know for sure he is male. My oldest daughter is such a grace and I have spent more time in the er than I care to think about. I've always been able to stay totally calm while dealing with whatever had happened. But with Alex I came totally unglued!

We got Alex before he was fully weaned. We got him last year right when all the major fires were going on here. The breeder that we got him from was right in the path of one of the fires so we took him early. He was on 2 feedings a day when we got him. He was about 11 weeks. Within a week of us getting him he totally refused to eat the formula. So he was about 12 weeks when he weaned himself. He will still do the feeding action with me sometimes but I think it's more of a lovie kind of thing because he is never trying to get food when he does it. Useally we are cuddling when he does it. If the breeder said he has weaned then you are fine with nothing to worry about.

Also birds like cool water. No need to warm it up. Alex hates showers and has no interest in bathing on his own. He wasn't doing to bad until he had a fall a few months ago and broke the tip of his beak off. Now he goes nuts. He is so scared of getting wet. But sense he is now molting and is really itchy....

Mas I'm really not sure why her feathers are so brittle. I can say though if you add some red palm oil to her diet and give her a good sprits with aloe juice it will make a BIG difference for her skin and feathers. Alex was a bit brittle when he was really young. But he is now as soft as a too! This may help with the plucking as well. Softer skin and feathers means less itchy.

I understand that these pictures are a few years old and have never seen any other updates. I would think that if they didn't moult out all the red to be replaced with grey, the breeders would have done just what Kaedyn said.

Yeah while it's ok for us it is not true for our birds! Beleave it or not spinich does the same thing to birds that soy does. So again it's ok once in a while but not any kind of dayly. I have a great book that has helped a lot. It's called Feeding Your Pet Bird by Petra M Burgmann. I got mine used off of Amazon for $.01 plus shipping so a total of $4. I don't know if they still have any that cheep but I know they should have some under a $1.

Soy is really not good for birds. It can leach calcium from thier systoms. So a little piece once in a great while is ok but not as a regular part of dayly diet.

Baxtersmom craigslist can be good, but big squishy is here in San Diego. And if you don't see the post for a larger bird as soon as it goes up most likely you will never see it. There is someone who trolls and flags ANY post for larger rehome birds. I got lucky with Martini in that I did happen to see it as soon as it poped up. I emailed her asap. By the time I was done emailing her and hit refresh her post had been flagged and removed. Forget trying to go threw the local rescue they make it almost imposible to adopt a bird from them. :angry:

Alex is such a jelouse butt I don't think he would ever make friends with another bird. He is always trying to chase Martini and Martini doesn't even like me!

LOL if you can handle the extra mess try giving the whole roll! Alex and Martini love this! Alex was so upset that Martini got a roll on his play area that I had to add one to his. It doesn't matter that he already had one on his playstand!

One of the best things I have heard is to add a half perch to the door of the cage. Then have the bird step up onto the half perch and then open the door. This brings the bird out of his cage without you invading his space. I have heard it works very well.

What about offering her favirot treat? Something that will entice her to go back into her cage. Maybe she is afraid that you are going to try and put her into Rikki's cage agian?

Very cool thanks for the link! I checked and Alex's vet is on there!

I love the pictures! You should fram them all!

I cover both birds because they live in the living room. But Alex never settles down right away. The first thing he does when he goes in for the night is to climb to the top of his cage and hang upside down and chirp at me while I cover him up. I know he also likes to have some of his seed mix as a bedtime snack. He has a cuddle toy that I think he plays with as well.

We must have posted at the same time! Yes Baxter will learn balance on your sholder. It just takes time just like anything else. As you have only had Baxter for 6 weeks I would give him some time yet. He may come around and want the cuddles. Don't expect it to often but he may. Even Alex has his days where he is totally not interested in cuddling. Other days he is like velcro birdy and I can't get him off!

You should be proud of yourself you have done so much with him in such a short time. The head scrach/bite is a sucker punch. Alex does this too. I can tell when it's going to happen by how he holds his head. If it's just down he really wants a scratch. But if it's down and turned like he is looking at something on the floor he is going to bite. I have turned this into a game with him. It's not truely a bite because they use thier beaks like hands. So when he does this I gently shake his head back and forth and say Aaaaaaaaah. He laughs or does his own version of the sound. :cheer:

I would leave it off. Zahzu has been on her meds now for a bit they should be kicking in. She is much happier without it. If you like I can post a copy of what a friend did for the plucking grey that she took in. She has had Holly sense December and Holly is now fully feathered again.

You can find free or very inexpencive birds you just have to keep looking. I got Martini for $60. But she wasn't going to let just anyone have him. There were lots of emails, pictures exchanged ect. Turns out that Martini doesn't like me much but he LOVES my youngest. She is his new mommy. He is so cute! He gets so excited when she gets home from school. I know if he could fly he would fly right to her as soon as she comes in the door.

I just chop them up and let them have them raw. Though they like them cooked as well.

Toni I'm surprised the bell still has the clapper! That is the first thing that goes everytime. And that is both birds!

That's good to hear! Yeah could just be an off day. We all have them even our birds.

Yep love the baby toys! The best are the links! They are great for hanging stuff from and can be used over and over. I also use them to teach Alex his colors!

Nims you said in another post that you will be moving. Will this be happening soon? Have you started to bring in boxes to start packing etc? Maybe that is what has set her off. If not she could just be having an off day or as you said missing your husband.

I totally know what you are saying! That is exactly what Alex is doing. It really is pretty clear for him. But it's just part of his song. He will take the "hello" right into a whistle or chicken clucking and just keep going. Sometimes it's even hello, whistle, hello, cluck, hello ect. He just wont say hello on it's own. Which is totally opiset from his other sounds. He learned his other sounds first then added them to his song. So maybe we will both get lucky! B) :woohoo: :cheer: