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Wingy

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I finally found some mustard greens. Jake took one bite, started to chew and spit it out shaking his head. He doesn't like the mustard greens at all. Tonights trial was turnip and collard greens which got a luke warm response, he took a few bites of each. Tomorrow he'll get an artichoke to destroy during the day.

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I finally found some mustard greens. Jake took one bite, started to chew and spit it out shaking his head. He doesn't like the mustard greens at all. Tonights trial was turnip and collard greens which got a luke warm response, he took a few bites of each. Tomorrow he'll get an artichoke to destroy during the day.

 

how do you prepare the artichoke for Jake? Marco has been eating the turnip greens cold like chopped up like lettuce :D but we havent tried an artichoke yet. She kinda likes brussel sprouts lately.

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I buy the artichokes that have leaves that are a bit loose and are squat instead of really pointy. I cut 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch off the top, cut most of the bottom stem off, bend it outward just a bit to loosen it moreand stick it on a skewer. Jake seems to like it more hanging than placing it in a bowl. Sometimes I will place in the shell almonds, drinking straws or acrylic foot toys between the leaves. I leave for work very early so I can't make him breakfast but I do give him vegies that aren't going to spoil while I'm gone.

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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.

Edited by Wingy
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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.

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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.

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doesnt it make your heart skip thinking they will fall? :eek: Marco does that too and has taken a small dump from doing it but hasnt hurt herself

 

Oh gosh yes. He has added to my grey hairs. To my partners dismay I added back the piece at the top that allows the boing to spin.

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I coaxed Jake on the scale today. 277 grams. Woo hoo. Ever so slowly his weight is creeping up to the magical number of 290 grams. Finally finding a pellet that doesn't make him itch and that he likes is paying off. He has been so much more active and affectionate toward us now that he is more satisfied. He still eats very little during the day but short of quitting my job I have accepted that it is just his way.

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  • 3 weeks later...

There have been many new and exciting things going on here in the past few weeks. As I have said before the vet says Jake is severely clipped but that is not stopping him one bit. Since day 1 here we have encouraged him to use his wings and over the past few days he has started to fly where he wants to go instead of begging for a ride. He can easily fly from his cage to his play tower or from his table top play gym to the couch. His confidence really grew once he figured out that he not only needs to target a landing spot but how to successfully land on that spot (hopefully this will translate into fewer bent and broken tail feathers). Jake has also discovered that he can climb down the play tower and end up on the floor. These are both a blessing and a curse since Jake is on a mission to add a cats tail to his cage. The poor kitty is terrified of Jake and runs away when ever he climbs down onto the floor. This, of course, encourages Jake to chase her.

 

Talking wise Jake has learned many new words and phrases.

Hellooooooooo (think Mrs Doubtfire)

Hi

Good Morning

Whatcha doin'?

Why

What

Kiss kiss (and the kissy noise)

Gimmie kiss (and he pauses to wait for a kissy noise from me) He loves this one and the interaction because I always try and give a kiss. Some days my pucker gets sore.

Good boy

Oh boy!

Rock n roll

Lets go.

Love you

Step up

Whats goin on?

How are you?

 

There are many other words and phrases he is working on but they just aren't clear. He has an incredible amount to say and chatters all the time. He is not bashful when he has something to say. He greeted the neighbor with a loud HI. We are now working on giving words meaning by putting names to objects and actions and I am very excited for the future to see how much "human" he learns and how much "parrot" we learn. He has already shown us that a certain click means touch my beak, another means give me a scratch and there are certain chirps for come get me and I want (the I want is still a guessing game because it seems to be generic).

 

Looking back it is hard to believe how much has happened in the past few months. I would like to thank everyone here. Without all of you cheering us on, offering words of encouragement, and sharing your stories/ideas, life would not be as sweet as it is today and Jake would probably not be a part of our lives.

 

Silly Jake on Christmas morning.

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Edited by Wingy
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Jake is just an adorable boy, I am glad you have him in your life to keep you smiling and enjoying his antics. It is funny about the tickle, Gilbert said that when he first came. He says "wanna tickle?" and he would be asking for a scratch. Every now and then he will say it and surprise me. I never knew how much we would be repeating the things he says rather than the other way around. Jake will have you trained in no time at all. He is just precious.

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i finally got marco an artichoke ... she pretty much destroyed it lol dont know how much she actually ate I hate that stuff everywhere lol

 

Artichoke is fun. I figure, even if Jake eats only a bite or 2, the dollar it cost was well worth it. There is such joy in their faces when they are rooting through, ripping and shredding stuff.

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Did you steam it or just let her go for it raw?

 

I give it Jake raw. I buy the short fat ones and cut the top to remove the majority of the pointed tips. I then pull it a bit to loosen it up a bit. You can stuff it with nuts in the shell or plastic toys as well.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Jake shed his first flight feather today. He opened his wings just a bit for a shake and out it came. He has shed so many feathers its a wonder he isn't naked. I have saved all but the down. I will keep a few and give the rest to a coworker who makes fishing lures.

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