Wingy

How sweet.

Jake here. I heard the man with the food tell someone he called my mommy that I wasn't eating well enough yet so I can't go home. What does he mean I can't go home? I am home. All my friends are here, and the perch I like to sleep on and my toys and my food bowl. I think I know who that mommy lady is and she is ok I guess. She did buy me new toys and laughed when I flew and landed on her head. She even caught me when I slid in her hair and didn't let me fall. She called me a dare devil. Whats that?

Things will happen the way they are meant to so just go and enjoy making some new friends.

I'm afraid your right.

My living room was built with no operating windows, no exhaust fans of any kind anywhere in the house and I don't have central air conditioning. It gets very stale, and sometimes very odoriferous, in here very quickly without an air filter. I would normally keep 2 ceiling fans and the air filter running but once Jake comes home I'll lose the use of those fans when the cage door is open so I am adding an additional air filter just to keep the air circulating.

Doesn't the ion ones used a charge to get particles to stick together making them larger and easier for the filter to pick up? There is/was respiratory issues with the ones that made the particles larger and easier to pick up.

Post removed by author. I am going to rewrite my post and make it its own thread.

I had to Google Pronutro and found it is a breakfast cereal from South Africa. Because of your food choice and since you didn't mention your location I'm going to work under the assumption that is where you are located. I have no idea if your 1 week old was a typo or not but you really need to work with a veterinarian with avian experience to make sure your baby has everything it needs so that he/she can live a long and happy life. There are a number of avian vets in South Africa. If you cannot get to this location http://www.birdandexotic.co.za/ please contact them for a referral to someone near you. Time is critical here because that young of a baby has many needs that are extremely difficult for any 1 person to meet.

That is an awesome website. Thanks.

Should all products with corn (and or oats) as one of the main ingredients be avoided? I only mention oats because when I looked at old fashioned and steel cut oats for a nutritional comparison the grits were a better nutritional choice.

Are you talking about the canned hominy or the dried hominy grits you prepare yourself? I agree with the canned hominy being pretty bad stuff but what about the dried hominy grits you prepare yourself? I just looked at my container and there is no sodium (and I add no salt in cooking). http://www.quakeroats.com/products/other-products/grits/grits-oldfashioned.aspx INGREDIENTS: WHITE HOMINY GRITS MADE FROM CORN, NIACIN*, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE*, RIBOFLAVIN*, FOLIC ACID*. *ONE OF THE B VITAMINS Here is the nutritional information and the human serving size. It contains more vitamins/minerals and less fat than old fashioned oatmeal or steel cut oats. Serving size 1/4 Cup (41 g) Amount per serving Calories 150 Calories from Fat 5 %Daily Value* Total Fat 0.5g 1% Saturated Fat 0 0% Trans Fat 0g Polyunsaturated Fat 0g Monounsaturated Fat 0g 0% Sodium 0mg 0% Total Carbohydrate 32g 11% Dietary Fiber 1g 3% Protein 4g Iron 10% Thiamin 15% Riboflavin 10% Niacin 10% Folic Acid 20%

It sounds like she might be punishing you (or picking up on your stress). Some extra one on one time couldn't hurt. Is there something special that you and her do together that she really enjoys? Maybe playing with toys or a sing/dance time? Something where she really wants to be with you. If nothing else put something funny on tv. Your laughter can help you both unwind.

Does the container have an ingredient list? Is it anything other than fruit? Before people get up in arms about "jelly" it means many different things depending on the country. Sometimes it is pureed fruit with or without pectin, sometimes it is what we in the US refer to as jello, and in the US is it a flavored spread made with pectin and sugar. (I might be missing an example or 2 but these are what I know are called jellies).

I was happy knowing a fruit was a fruit and were really nothing more than candy and that vegies were good for you. I was content with beans being a reasonable substitute for meats. I thought that I ate a well rounded diet. Last night when I was looking for info on pepper seeds I came across the information that peppers are really a fruit. What? So I looked a little deeper, big mistake. http://www.cropsreview.com/what-is-a-fruit.html A little background on what a fruit is. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruit I usually stay away from wikipedia but in this case it had a description that wasn't many paragraphs long. This was an easy to read summary. http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1611/whats-the-difference-between-fruits-and-vegetables About those nuts. So what did I learn today... All the vegies that I like are not vegies at all but are fruits. Grains, beans and nuts are also fruits. Why couldn't brussels sprouts be a fruit? Then I would have had a good reason for not eating them. (Jayd do you by chance have any scientific evidence that brussels sprouts shouldn't be eaten so I can stop my mother from glaring at me from across the table when I don't put any on my plate.)

Edited for content. While some research says that it is fine other research suggests that not only should these substances not be fed but that the parront should never consume them or bring them into the home because even food smells are fatal. So I guess the answer should be no and no peppers either since they are really a fruit.

I don't think your giving up I think your trying to decide what is best. You have my support no matter what you choose.

There are a few if you google bird cages made in the USA you'll get a few.

That just depends on how cold it gets inside. If it can stay above 58 inside then I would cover the back and sides of the cage with a quilt. If it was 50 to 58 I used hot water bottles in the bottom of the cage and covered the cage with a quilt almost all the way. I bought an inverter for the power port (cigarette lighter) in my car and can plug one of those quick heat tea pots in to heat water. I keep several 2L empty soda bottles handy to hold the hot water. I cover the whole thing with a sheet that has been cut down. I don't have a fireplace or wood stove but I do have a kerosene heater and a battery only CO detector to use as a very last resort but again that is only as a very last resort.

As you can see some are yes and some are no and we all have very valid and real reasons for our opinions. So really get to know your bird and see where that leads you because in the end it all boils down to personal preference. If you feel comfortable with your bird on your shoulder then go ahead but if you don't feel comfortable that is alright too. Your relationship with your bird will not suffer for allowing it or not allowing it.

I once read or was told that parrots will pull off the first piece and fling or drop it for the same reasons like we would wash and trim an apple, to remove any outer matter that might be dirty or past its prime. I used to watch the zon do this with all his fresh food. The end was always ripped off and discarded before he would take a bite.

There are numerous stands and play gyms on wheels if your looking for something large. I hope to purchase one, hopefully the builder still has one, that looks like a giant tree house complete with ledges, ladders, a knotted rope swing, replaceable coconut shell halves as toy or treat dishes and multiple branches. It is almost 6ft tall, on a wheeled base, made of grape vine and meant to be chewed up.

I will not be using a sleep cage. The only place I could put it is in my bedroom and I am not quiet in my sleep. I wake myself up almost nightly because I'm either singing in my sleep or snoring loudly. I think it will be quieter for Jake in the living room. I don't go to bed late and he will be welcome to sleep anytime he likes.

I don't let parrots on my shoulder but it has nothing to do with "pecking order" reasons. I never did shoulders for safety, mainly mine. A birds scream is loud and that is not something I want near my ear, birds use their beaks as a third leg and the last place I want them grabbing and holding on is my ear, beaks plus eyes don't mix, and lastly it can be a bit difficult to get a determined bird off your shoulder if you are the only human home. Honestly I really don't like birds behind me unless they are caged because I haven't developed the ability to spin my head around to see what they are up to. In the end it is personal preference.

My partner and I went to visit the baby today where we finally decided on a name (I think). So I would like to introduce you to Jake. There has been some big changes for him in the past week. He has moved out of the tank and into a cage where he is perching pretty well and he is refusing the hand feeding. If he continues to refuse hand feeding and maintains his body weight he'll be ready to come home in about 2 weeks. They put him on the scale today and he weighs 290 grams. The other first is that we got to play together on the play yard. We were able to work on step up and step down today by passing him between us since he didn't know which one of us he wanted more. We also encouraged him to climb and explore using the ladders and perches. Now I am in serious freak out mode because I really didn't expect him to be ready to come home until mid August. I've got the new parront jitters and a house to get ready. I want to get some big pieces of furniture out of the living room and I would like to get the carpet cleaned before Jake comes home.

This might give you some ideas http://lancaster.unl.edu/enviro/pest/factsheets/120-94.htm It is just my opinion but if you want to use boric acid or food grade diatomaceous earth it should be safe to place around the perimeter, seal the room and run an air cleaner for several hours. I have used boric acid in the past and it wasn't that dusty. I must say I didn't use the application container it came with because it didn't pour well. I used a piece of folded paper to edge it along the floor molding.