Wingy

Jake never ceases to amaze me. I think he is practicing to join the circus when he grows up. His stage name will be Bat Bird The Toe Dangling Wonder. He loves to hang upside down by a single toe nail, swinging away and doing battle with what ever he has decided was the enemy. I am ready to jump out of my chair and grab him while he spins, wiggles and flaps doing a wheee look at me, darn its getting away, whack, take that, how dare you come back and hit me. He is such a nut.

That is an idea. I could use a few more boings if I can find some large shepherds hooks to make stands.

I love your idea on the perches. Having something portable would come in handy. Storm and Jake look so much alike. Was Storm hatched in Canada or the US?

Jake is a picky one too. He liked the Zupreem Nut but that made him itch. We've tried all the Zupreem kinds along with 2 varieties of Pretty Bird, Higgins and Harrisons. So far all he eat is Zupreem Fruit. Like you I am not a fan of the dye but I can't make him eat something he doesn't like. I'm still trying to find a local source for the Hagan Tropican pellets to try them. They have the fruit flavor and smell without all the coloring.

Hmmm. I am going to have to think on this one a bit.

Strange that there is nothing listed for Europe at all. You might try and e-mail the company to let them know there is nothing listed and to get the information. Here is the listing for Harrisons http://www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/buy/

Jake also wants my shoulder or head and I don't want him up there. I put my foot up on the couch/chair and place him on my knee. He seems to like that and its a compromise we can both be comfortable with. Maybe that position would work for you.

If they eat bread or oatmeal you can hide ground up pellets in that. You could also try grinding them, mixing with some seed, maybe some nuts, adding a bit of water just to hold it together, and shape into treat sticks. To dry it again place on a cookie sheet in a warm oven.

One of those hand held steamers will blast the poop and bits from the grate really quick. Just lay it on a big towel and have at it.

Welcome Gus.

Honestly its just time and learning about each other. He will come up with his own "language" to convey what he wants. It will be up to you to figure it out. My buddy Jake is only a few weeks older than Storm and he does a little more grown up version of that sound now. He usually wants me to take him somewhere when he does it but that is just him. He had developed other sounds that mean I want a bite of that, rub me now and one for I'm happy to see you. Every bird is different and figuring it out is trial and error just like you did when your kids were little babes.

Jake does something very close to that when he's begging.

What a sweet baby.

I was having an awful time getting Jake back into his cage. It was a battle that neither of us was happy about. Then I discovered Jake would about walk through hot coals for a piece of rotini. Now there is a routine of giving him a choice, he can go in or not but he doesn't get the rotini without going in. I am hoping that eventually I'll be able to place that rotini inside his cage and he'll go in on his own but that hasn't happened yet.

I love battle time. They get so mad when something dare touch them. Jake has a habit of crouching to walk under a low hanging bell and then punishing it for touching his back. He yells at it, charges it and then like Gilbert shakes the heck out of it.

I'm glad Oliver likes his new house. I don't know about you but I'm always thrilled with I buy something new and my guy runs right over to it all excited. Some people swear that height is not an issue with our feather babies but I have seen the results of changing the cage height first hand. Something happens when height is altered.

Its snowing! Jakes palace is between two windows that are set high up in the wall (the bottom of the window is 5 ft from the floor and the top is 8 ft from the floor). This morning started out cloudy but the lake effect machine got going and the sky opened up sending big poofy flakes swirling though the air. Jake saw them through the window. He doesn't know what to make of the falling white stuff. He has retreated back to the safety of his cage top but his neck is stretched out just as far as it can go so he can watch out the window. I warned him that he hasn't seen nothing yet and to wait until the thunder snow comes. I have a large shallow roasting pan and once there is enough to scoop I'll fill the pan and bring it inside. He loves ice cubes in his bath so he might like playing in a pan of snow.

I do alright going past the babies but there was a rescue group at the last bird fair with an 8 year old CAG that tore at my heart. The look in her eyes can only be described as emotionless. I talked with her for a bit and while she didn't shake and wasn't stressed its like she didn't even see me there. I talked with my partner in crime about her and when he went over to talk with her she growled at him and became very agitated. If it wasn't for her behavior toward him it would have been very hard for me to leave without her. I don't want another bird. I am extremely happy with 1. When grandbirdie Isabelle comes over I am more than happy to send her home.

Instead of a sheet how about a micro fiber throw. Lets face it putting a sheet on the couch looks tacky and there is no way to disguise that it is a sheet. Perhaps your husband would be willing to compromise on something that is decorative and protects the furniture from accidents while you continue to work with her on where to potty.

So my fear that the missing tail feather would come in darker than the others is opposite of what actually is happening. It is coming in with more red than its neighbors. He doesn't pick at it but now he looks like he's got a stripe. It has been fascinating watching it emerge and lengthen. I try and get a good look at it every day but of course mister curious wants to see what I'm looking at so he turns around. I think we have finally started turning a corner in the food battle. He wants to eat nothing but safflower seeds and that is just not acceptable. I have tried numerous pellets which he turned his nose up at or ate for a little while and then refused. He was eating the Zupreem Nut but then I noticed that the area around his eyes became itchy. I took those away and the itching went away, I gave them back and the itching resumed so it is something in that particular pellet that he is sensitive to. We went through the Zupreem Harvest Blend, Wild and spicy, and Natural, Harrisons, Pretty Bird and Pretty Bird Avigold the dreaded Kaytee and finally the Zupreem Fruit. He seems to be liking the Zupreem Fruit and will eat about a dozen. I would rather he not have all the artificial color but he needs to eat more than safflower seeds during the day. The vet is concerned that he has not put back the weight he lost when he came home. After weaning he was a steady 290 grams but when he came home he fell to 245 and now he stays between 247 and 249. She really would like to see him closer to the 290. So we are working hard at getting him to eat.

Congratulations. Lots of new TAG households this year. My little buddy is a hair over 7.5 months old. He has wrapped himself around our hearts (and our wallets lol).

Have you tried offering him something to hold in his beak and then picking him up? I use toys instead of food so its not a reward but more like a here you hold this kind of thing.

Jake hasn't, thank goodness, but most of my lamps are ceiling lights.

Sometimes the tissues contain aloe or other additives. They are also often include recycled product which may or may not be food grade. Check what you have carefully and if your not sure call the company and inquire. I offer coffee filters because they are food grade and not made from recycled material that could include something toxic.

Jake is also a destroyer of shells but doesn't eat the nut. He doesn't get peanuts but gets almonds instead. I think he gets a little of the almond meat but mostly he just digs it out to throw it.