Amali

Vegetable tanned leather cord is a good alternative for toy building to jute or sisal and since it is processed with vegetables rather than chemicals, it is bird safe.

Softer than pine - balsa wood. We don't waste time or money on that anymore though! Ha! As an accountant, I still come across adding machines. You can get the rolls of paper just about anywhere - Walmart, Sam's Club, Office Depot. Pulling that paper off the roll and then shredding it at the bottom of her cage is one of Amali's favorite daily activities.

I used to order from Nalani Toys years ago, and used to have no problems. Not the same luck on my more recent order and I know someone else posted about issues with not getting an order they placed as well.

A quick search found these sites - though I have not ordered from them so cannot say how reputable they may be. http://pine4parrots.co.uk/toymakingparts.aspx http://www.birdyboredombusters.com/ - located in Canada but will ship worldwide http://www.cabirdnerds.com/ - located in the US but will ship worldwide (This company is one I will personally vouch for; order from them often and have never had a single problem.) http://scarlettsparrotessentials.co.uk/ToyMakingParts.aspx I hope one of those can get you what you are looking for

Years ago, I used to order from them with no problem. My most recent order never got processed or shipped (and luckily, no charge to my card). I tried calling them, left a voicemail, and never heard anything back. I won't give them another shot.

For all colored pieces, I use the food coloring that is intended for cake decorating/frosting. I just paint it straight on with a paint brush and allow to air dry. You can buy it at most any craft store. Mainly I use pine for all of my toys. I've used softer woods on occasion (especially when Amali was younger), but she tears through that way too fast now! I order a lot of my parts - including quick links - from California Bird Nerds. A link to the stainless steel links - http://cabirdnerds.com/ssplj.html - and they also carry nickel plated (zinc free) hardware. I have ordered from this website a ton of times and have no complaints at all. They always throw a little surprise in the box which is nice

1. Nutriberries for bedtime snack 2. Adding machine paper to shred 3. Sandy perch to sleep on 4. Mom to wear old t-shirts that Amali can put holes in 5. Water bottle for baths - much preferred over the shower

I, too, have that same Lixit bottle. I've had no problems with leaking at all. I do, however, also keep a bowl of water in Amali's cage so it is up to her which source of water she goes to. I did this so that if (when) she dunks her food and makes a mess out of her water bowl, she would still have a clean source of drinking water to go to during the day when I'm at work. This seems to work for us as Amali will use both the bottle and the bowl.

I guess she just needed me to post so she could prove me wrong. Amali spent about 30 minutes on her stand this afternoon - yay! It isn't near as long as I'd like her to be out independently, but it is a huge step in the right direction.

I take Amali in the shower with me and she just perches on my hand. I hold her up near the shower head and she will reach in to get a drink and end up drenched before it is over. I just keep my hubby on stand by duty to come take her when she's done

This is the stand: https://www.windycityparrot.com/Bird-Parrot-Play-Stand-HQ-Model-A.HTML I have wrapped many of the metal parts with hemp cord to make it easier to grip and I've put familiar toys out of her cage on it, but she won't even stay put for 30 seconds. I'm afraid that letting her be flighted is not a good option for us. Living in TX means ceiling fans running most of the year.

As many of you know from my introduction post, Amali is my new 4.5 month old TAG. She is doing extremely well - eats just about anything I offer, took to showering with me after having never been bathed by the breeder better than I ever could have hoped for, and seems to accept anyone in the family pretty well even though it is clear that I am her favorite right now. The one problem we do have is that she doesn't ever want to come out of her cage and play independently on her playstand. Whether I try to put her on her stand or I try to have her on my lap, the floor, a table - she refuses to stay and just wants to go straight to my shoulder all the time. While this is sweet, and I do love having her with me, I also need to be able to get things done around the house. I would love for her to be out of her cage more without having to constantly be held. Any suggestions on getting her to be more comfortable spending time out of her cage and on a stand?

I'm new to the forum and just read Betsy's story ... how heart-breaking! I can't even begin to imagine how hard it has been on you. I hope you at least showed the horrid vet the autopsy report ... simply unreal. I would say visit your boss' babies and see how you feel rather than make a decision right now.

More baby pics

A little bit may stick around, but not much at all. I have been just putting a few days' worth of paper in and then using a hand vacuum and some vinegar/water to sanitize the tray when the stack runs out. Then refill and repeat.

It is actually an adding machine paper roll. Cheap and she loves it!

I put pics of toys up in the homemade section. I don't think the babies care how simple they are - Amali seems to enjoy them all. I put Amali in the tub and ran just a little water to introduce her. The first time, she did a lot of flapping around and I stayed close to reassure her. Then the second bath was much more relaxed for her. I would imagine that she will be actually enjoying them before long at this rate. At least I hope so!

Doug, I have heard of cases of Salmonella being found on pigs ears, but I'm not sure on the others.

Lastly, a few talon toys ...

And a few more

Here are some pictures of the many toys I've made Amali so far. I order almost all of my parts from California Bird Nerds. Great prices and good service.

Thanks for the warm welcome! The name Amali actually means "hope" in Swahili. Between where the species comes from and a strong desire to do a mission trip to Uganda, I thought an African name was appropriate. I'm really thrilled with her - and am grateful to the breeder in many respects. There are a few things I wish had been done a bit differently, but what would help me isn't always necessarily workable for a breeder. Amali did not have her wings clipped until the day I brought her home - actually minutes before we loaded her into her crate. I'd have preferred she had time to adjust to it in a familiar surrounding, but the breeder doesn't do it because then it seems unfair to the clipped bird that his/her clutchmates can still fly. I can see the point ... I'm just very grateful that Amali hasn't seemed to have any ill effects of the clip taking place in conjunction with the move. There is also the problem that because she has been so used to being flighted, she doesn't know what it means to stay and play on a playstand. I've not been able to put her on her stand and walk away without her attempting to fly to me. Just one of those things we will have to work on over time. Amali had also never been bathed up to the point that I picked her up. I figured birds would be much like other animals in that, the younger you introduce stuff, the easier it is. So, Amali had her first bath on Sunday - which she was not real crazy about - but for her second bath this morning, she seemed much more accepting. So I don't think this one hurdle will take long to overcome. I'm afraid I failed at getting more cute baby pics last night - that's what happens when you have a 'zoo' to care for (horses, donkey, dogs, kids ... ). But I do have some pictures of tons of homemade toys that I will try to post shortly in the other section. I have made every one of Amali's toys ... and done a ton of research into bird safe materials. Making toys with one of my daughters prior to Amali's arrival kept us busy rather than chomping at the bit too much!

I get pre-cut white paper liners. The cheapest I've found so far is Drs. foster and Smith online. I can put a good sized stack in the tray and just peel off the top messy layer each morning. They are coated almost like wax paper on one side so no soaking through to bottom layers.

The only shots I've snapped so far were taken on the way home with my phone so forgive the poor quality. I will have to get the camera out tonight and get some better ones!

I've lurked here for awhile as I waited for my baby TAG to be ready to come home, and decided it was time to register and introduce myself. My name is Rebecca, and our little four month old girl came home last week. Her name is Amali. I went to the breeder's house to pick which baby (of two) I was going to bring home. There was no picking ... at least not on my part ... Amali picked me. She jumped right on me and refused to let me put her down. I guess because she picked me, it has made the transition to our home much easier than I anticipated. She was beak grinding and napping in her carrier on the drive home and then was chowing down on all the food I gave her within 30 seconds of being in her new cage once we got to the house - all of which really surprised me. I look forward to reading and learning more as Amali gets older.