Timbersmom

Timber is a very picky eater. He will eat cooked sweet potato, cooked mixes like Higgins and soak'n'serve. He won't eat chop or birdie bread, both of which I have tried numerous times. He will eat sweet peas and a bit of broccoli if I put it on a skewer. He is a junk food junkie of course, and will eat anything deemed bad for him (i.e. pizza, cheese, hot dogs, etc.) He does like pasta and meat, which is a little surprising to me. Since he is so thin, the avian vet said to feed him meat if he will eat it and he does. He likes several kinds of cooked beans. He likes to shred artichokes (I cut the ends off, peel off some of the outer leaves, wash it well and open it up then toss it in his cage). I'm not sure how much he actually eats, but he enjoys the process. As for dry items, he eats nutriberries and a quality seed mix. I still give him 3 cc's of juvenile formula morning and night per the vet's instructions. He's a mess!

If you have the hooks on hand, would your mom notice if you changed them when she wasn't around?

I've seen the scratching behavior too and agree that it is foraging/normal behavior.

I call Timber a lot of things. Timber Dale (misbehaving), Timbert, Timberto, baby bird etc. Sometimes I actually call him Timber...

Oh to know what is going on in that little grey head...

Timber (TAG) is Lord and Master of all he surveys.

So sad

Neoow that isn't a Brit thing, that's a human nature thing! We do the same here in S. Illinois. Too cold/hot/wet/dry etc. here also!

I can't believe it has been 5 years either Ray! Cricket is gone but never forgotten. I firmly believe that we will see our beloved pets in the afterlife.

Timber bites with intent at times, and I have not been successful in reading his body language. It comes out of nowhere. Thank God it isn't often. He will bite others routinely if they put their hands where he doesn't think they belong (anywhere in his space). He was rehomed and I think he had some bad experiences with previous owners. I've had him about 7 years, and the bites have become less frequent with time thankfully. I tried to tell myself that he didn't really know how much damage he was doing, but he also knows how to give a pinch so that excuse bit the dust. Wish I could read his mind! Sounds stupid, but it hurts my feelings when he bites me. I spend so much time working with him and taking care of his medication etc. (I'm whining now). What an unappreciative little critter he is. Then he puts is head on my stomach for scratches and makes his baby bird cheep and all is forgiven. Yes, I'm a sucker...

I made a stupid grammar error on a twitter post the other day. You can't edit a tweet (or at least I can't figure it out), so I had to delete it and repost. So annoying.

Nickraph, he/she literally carries the cube to a spot and sits on it. I knew he/she was a real weirdo... He will have bloodwork at his next annual checkup, I think I'll bite the bullet and have the gender check. I'll also ask the vet about it and see what he says. The vacuum really annoys him. He follows me around on his cage trying to attack the vacuum (got me once instead).

I have a similar backpack for Timber. I bought it for the same reasons, but he has never taken to it. It sure is convenient for trips to the vet etc., but when I try to take him outside for outings he doesn't appreciate it. Good for you and Alfie on your success!

This is a strange one. First, let me say that we don't know Timber's gender for sure. Timber like ice cubes. I put them in his bath to lure him in. Recently, hubby decided to put a couple of cubes in his water for him to enjoy. Timber is still in his handicapped cage since his seizure issues. So, there is a towel on the bottom of his cage to help if he falls. He fishes the icecube out, puts it on the towel, and sits on it. Wings spread a bit, looking like he/she is on hatch position. He/she stays there until the water melts. Then he goes on with his day. Any thoughts on this? It is very strange to watch. He doesn't seem upset when the cube melts. If we put the cubes in when he/she is out of the cage, He just picks them up, carries them around and eventually settles down to chew on the ice.

I feel for you, I have to travel 100 miles to get to an avian vet. Well worth the trip, as you said, if it is for anything but nail/beak trimming. I am fortunate to have a local (20 miles) vet with avian experience who does a good job on the trims. I almost lost Timber a few years ago by taking him to the locals. I won't make that mistake again.

I agree that parrots are rehomed at an alarming rate. I'm shocked when I see how many are "available." I know there are real situations where people have no choice, but that number doesn't match the number of parrots available to rehome. So sad.

The skewer works every day for us. I put his fresh peas in the pod, broccoli and cauliflower on it. He will at least nibble on some of it. If I put them in a bowl they will be untouched all day.

Timber does 3 very distinctive meows, I'm assuming from homes he has lived in. When I'm in the other room or upstairs, he will run through his repertoire of all 3. The third sounds like a cat caught in a trap or something. It's actually pretty distressing! I have two cats and it gets my attention when I hear that one, until I remember it is Timber. His mimic ability on animal sounds is uncanny.

Glad the battle is over and Corky can relax as queen of her domain for another day I hold Timber up to the window so he can see the outside birds eating from the feeder or in the bird bath every morning. He looks at them with disdain then at me like why are you wasting my time. I'm convinced he doesn't know he's a bird...

Love the pictures Timber is definitely one of the family, and is convinced that he is the most important member too.

No I didn't know that! What an interesting topic. Is Illinois on the list?

I had to look at my profile, but I've been here 7 years! It is hard to believe.

LOL nothing replaces the spoon. I've had exactly the same experience. When trying a new food, I always start with me standing there holding the spoon, which is annoying, but he loves it for some reason. He will often eat things from a spoon I'm holding that he won't touch in the food bowl. As to the shiny bowl, been there done that too. I always have to set any new thing close to his cage for several days (sometimes stretching to a week or more) before he will tolerate it. I'm retired now, and sometimes I wonder when I found time to work!

Timber loves butter beans (the big lima type bean). Than again, beans are one food he will eat cooked, so I guess that is no surprise. He isn't as fond of limas, but will eat them once in awhile.

Timber eats foods with cheese, and loves a bit of sharp cheddar once in awhile as a treat. I honestly hadn't heard of anyone having the problem the bird talk editor had! Wow. I have to wonder how much cheese she feed the bird?