Gus, our lil baby.

[Talon]

Love the pic! Thanks for the laugh today!!

[murfchck]

Glad to give out smiles!

It has been pretty peaceful here past few days, knock on wood!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[murfchck]

So Gus's toys have been hitting the floor from his stand. Water and food bowls wobbly too. That little stinker first will unscrew the toy holder and throw his toy, but wait, theres more... He then unscrews the eye hook that we had to pre drill a hole for and use plyers to put in. He just goes right to it and has it out in seconds. When he removed all that he could he went to his food and water bowls and unscrewed them. Now what??? He has a huge manzanita tree and he is also able to chew the wood off. He is making daggers. I told Pat that it doesn't seem that expensive now when we drop 50 bucks on a wood chew toy if it will keep him from destroying a $500 tree!! On the bright side, it keeps him from screaming for a while!

[birdhouse]

Oh, wood fetishes are fabulous! That means an endless supply of free toys. Just so long as a tree is on the safe wood list it's fair game.

 

http://www.nlpr.org.uk/wood-table.html?height=400&width=300

 

Phenix favorite is apple boughs & that's a little more challenging because they can be absolutely nuked w/pesticides. Since I don't know how long it takes for that to go away (if ever!) he usually settles for wild crab apple.

 

Always the easy keeper Kura loves, loves, loves birch, preferably cut into disks. There's a stand in the back yard. ") So I can bring it in anytime, bake it to be sure there's no bug issues & string it on a chain for her. She's so cute because she always strips the bark all the way around a disk, then chews it to splinters. Reminds me of eating a cookie for some reason.

 

Before the sap starts running & the bugs wake up, you could grab a hand saw & get Gus tons of cheap entertainment. Bet you've got a bunch of random hardware that you could incorporate here, too. Gus could be chewing & unscrewing to his heart's content & it won't cost much more than a little time & creativity.

[murfchck]

So, that is the first list i have seen where crape myrtle is toxic. Since that is the only tree around here that is really accessible, it is all we use in the cages and in the outside aviaries and their playstands for additions, Drangon wood is also something we pick up from the bird shows when they come to town.

http://www.mdvaden.com/bird_page.shtml

I got scared when i saw the link you posted so i searched again and only saw one site that said it wasn't safe and it was the same one you shared. There is a myrtle that is unsafe and it is listed but not the crape. Had me panicing for a second! lol But alas, Gus is destroying the manzanita tree. This thing is so big we could easily have 5 of our big parrots on it if they only would play well with others, lol. We got it when we got Oliver, thought he would really enjoy all that room, but he kept falling off of it and since he can not fly it was too dangerous, we added lots of crape myrtle branches and he got much better on it, then we got Bubba and those two enjoyed it for a few years together but now they have to be seperated so we had this great idea of letting Gus and Lily share it and since they are more active we really thought we finally had a good use for this huge stand. Welp, they will not perch together so Gus is on it. We wanted Lilly to have it but she has to be in a certain area or screams like a banshie and it is too big to move. Now it is being eaten!!!! At the rate he is going, i give the poor tree a year!

[birdhouse]

Very sorry for the adrenaline rush! I know Crepe Myrtle is a all over down south. But it doesn't really grow well in the NE (for which I'm told I should be grateful!). But I never had a reason to check for it before this. Now I guess I'm deleting that link & bookmarking yours. So thanks.

 

Shame you don't have more types of trees, though. Phenix is the biggest chewer here & I can keep him stripping bark for a long, long time if I keep changing it up. Kura hardly touches wood toys. But she will not leave molding alone! I don't even want to think what it would be like if I couldn't keep them supplied w/random branches! I feel really bad about your beautiful stand.

[murfchck]

We have tried something new to seperate them in the cage... Card board strung on the center wall, it is like packing card board and we wove it in and out of the bars. So far they have not even tried to chew it. We did leave the bottom area open and also a corner in case they wanted to visit with each other which they do at night, they pass their almonds back and forth. As far as Lilly eating, still a no go on the fresh stuff so this morning i broke out the scewer to see if that would work. She did attack it as i was trying to hang it so maybe this could work!

[murfchck]

So it worked a little! There was just a slice of banana and 1 hunk of apple left on it when i got home. So, last night i tried with dinner but i put it in little plastic cups and made her forage for it. I can't wait to see if she did.

[murfchck]

And a no go foraging She is so smart, but playing with toys and eating are just things she is going to have to learn i guess. Gus on the otherhand, now has his favorite toy and will play quietly on his stand for hours ( the toy is one of the two he has not unscrewed yet). I told Pat last night we were NOT getting a 3rd Too to try and stop Lilly from screaming!! She will just have to grow out of it.

[Greywings]

I think Smartee Pants has been communicating with your flock his new thing is to work at the water bowl until he tips it over all over the floor. Right where people have to walk past and slip, devil bird. Trying a heavy crock now rather than the stainless steel bowl, fingers crossed.

[murfchck]

Had a little freak out moment yesterday. I am still laughing at my reaction, such a baby i was. You would have thought i have never been around birds in my life. I was filling up the bowls on their stand and when i got to Gus, he took a jump for me and landed on my arm trying to climb up to my shoulder. I had a scoop full of pellets and the container i keep them in. I started spinning in circles, not sure why. After my third spin around and Gus still clinging to me, i just stopped and looked at him and he looked at me like i was a complete idiot. I started laughing so hard i could not even explain to my husband who came into the living room to see what was going on what had happened. It had to be a site for him though as the pellet was everywhere, all over the couch, floor and even on and IN the fireplace. Not sure what happened to me, maybe a flashback from all the neck bites i had taken from him when he flew on me or what! What a waste of pellets too, the dogs sure did enjoy it though.

[murfchck]

Gus and Lilly have a new game. They play tug of war with their toys, yeah!! Gus will stretch out on his stand just enough where Lilly can grab the toy from her stand and they pull back and forth. It is really funny to watch. I tried to get it on video, waiting for the upload to share it. They are also starting to tolerate each other on the same stand, Lilly isn't giving Gus much of a choice since she keeps finding ways to get on his stand, but at least he isn't flying off like he use to. Now our noise level is coming full circle and we are back to the macaws out screaming everyone! lol Gus has also been able to remove all the eye hooks from the stand and we have resorted to attaching the toys to his boing, but since that isn't connected either anymore, we really have to watch him!

[murfchck]

Beautiful day yesterday, thought we would put them out for some much needed sunshine. It was Lilly's first time out and since her and Gus had been doing so well together we put them in the same aviary. BIG mistake, she got very excited and started a fight with Gus who is much larger than she is. Gus lost and has a few less head feathers, a small cut over his eye and a beak hole in his head. Had to pull a blood feather that was broken on his crown. Needless to say, that won't be happening again. Gus is good and all cleaned up but I know he will be hurting today because i have first hand experience with a Too bite and they hurt for days!!!

[murfchck]

So, not so good on the Too bite. All was going good then his head around the bite turned grey and the rest of his little head was bright pink. Going to the vet today.... It never ends

[Greywings]

Let us know how he is doing, those bruises hurt!

[murfchck]

I think Gus knew he was going to the dr. The little stinker wouldn't come out of his cage. I had left work with plenty of time to get him there and by the time i lured him out, i didn't have time to get there before they closed. I am not a good "man handler" so Pat is going to leave work early today and take him.

In our house right now, we have Gus with his head injury, my diabetic min-pin Daisy has a ulcer in her eye that we have been treating for going on two weeks, my chihuahua, Holly, is throwing up, Oliver keeps falling off his stand and Bubba is biting his wing bad. That leaves Lilly, Bongo and Cotay, Betty, Abby and the cat with out issues. ( well they have issues, just not medical, lol)

[Greywings]

Poor Gus must have had a headache and wanted to sleep in.

[Timbersmom]

I agree with you, they know, they just know! I have tried so many different ways of making Timber's vet visits easier to no avail. Now, on "vet" morning, his cage doors are locked as soon as he exits the cage. He doesn't have to guess at what is coming when that happens, but I don't have to worry about drawing back a bloody stub trying to extract him from the cage!

[murfchck]

All went very good with the Dr. yesterday. Gus was not a happy camper, but i was almost in tears because Pat was telling me how great he was treating Gus's injury. Gus had to be held by Pat, the assistant to the doc kept grabbing a towel and telling Pat she needed to hold him and Pat wasn't about to let her. He was very aggitated and would have bit her quicker that sh!t. The doctor finally told the girl to leave the room. The grey area on his head is dead skin and the pink is new skin, duh, now that he says that, yup, thats what it looks like. No infection but he gave us an ointment for it to be on the safe side. When they were done, the assistant came back in and asked about the toe nails, Pat said yeah, he does need a nail trim. The doctor said no way, he was too stressed from the exam and he would not do it to him. I was very glad to hear that. This is a new vet that i think i have talked about before, his name was given to me by the woman who we got most of the birds from and also the breeder where Lilly came from. Get this, the entire visit cost 30 bucks. Not $75 just to walk in the door. He is avian but kinda old, which is scary because i really like him and who knows how much longer he will be working. He does not take appointments after 1pm, it is walk in only and only 3 days a week and Sat till noon.

[katana600]

Great vet report. I am really glad for you to have gotten good news. Your vet does sound wonderful and I have to say I am impressed that you and Pat go together. I had a hard enough time getting my husband to take off work when I needed a ride home from recent tests. LOL. The way both of you are involved with your flock is inspirational. Since you like your vet so much, I am wondering if he is going to train an assistant vet to take over his practice? Chances are if he is only working a few days a week, he has not found someone. It might be a good question to ask him if he has plans or if he has a referring vet with similar methods. You might call his office some time and tell them how much you like his practice and are looking ahead to the time he might fully retire and want to plan your options now. Also, if he hasn't done so already he may formuate a partnership plan for his patients to be seen on his days off. I really admire how your family has immersed yourself in the care of your flock.

[Greywings]

Great advice Katana.

[Acappella]

I'm glad Gus is ok. I have a lot of long distance affection for the little stinker!

[murfchck]

I will call and find out, thanks for that cuz i sure didn't of it!

Oh putting on the meds was just a grand old time. He did not like it at all. We had a full on attack by Miss Lilly yesterday, nasty bite on my fore arm and not really sure what or why. I am not one that runs from birds but i sure did run and had to lock myself in a room to regain my thoughts. I was bringing them out and getting them settled on the stands and Gus stayed behind to help me collect the breakfast bowls and change waters. I had him on my shoulder and i was carrying the tray out and as we walked past her she flew right at my face, i threw my arm up and she grabbed it and just started chomping away. I put her on the stand and went to the kitchen to set the stuff down and was in the process of getting Gus off and here she came at us again. Since Gus is still on my shoulder there wasn't to much movement i could make in fear of him attacking me also so we ran to the front bedroom, luckily she tripped over the baby gate giving us a little time to get in and shut the door and i set him down, in the meantime Lily was beating on the door screaming. I managed to get her put back on the stand and went back for Gus. Right as we came out she did it again. I got Gus to his stand and bless his heart i said in a stearn voice, "No kidding, step off now" and he did right as she was lunging for my foot. I got her up and went right to her cage with her for a much needed time out. She screamed for 20 minutes before i had the courage to go and get her, but she was just fine after that. I really couldn't tell if she was after me or Gus, but Gus never reacted to her and was very calm on my shoulder. The only thought running through my head was "when good birds attack".

[murfchck]

Oh this Texas weather... Yesterday we were in shorts washing our cars, birds outside soaking up the sun, almost 80 degrees. Today, sleet and snow, what a mess. I am even wondering if work is an option tomorrow.

Lilly flew at Gus again today, or Pat who was carrying him. Not sure what is going on, could just be the season. Gus's head looks much better now and he is pretty good about letting us put peroxide on it and the ointment, not great but pretty good. lol

[Greywings]

I can vouch for the Texas Weather and for hormonal Too's. The daylight length seems to have reached critical for Cockatoo crazies. Fred fred who is normally Mr. Sweetness and light actually bit my arm last week as I was not paying him the right amount of attention with two cats on my lap the small dog curled up at my side and Fred getting uppity on the arm of the sofa where I should have been focusing all attention. You may have to just have one Too out at a time right now. Even the Greys are looking for trouble, Whisper was trying very hard to trim a few toes off Pookie or Smokey Joe. It was 82 here yesterday afternoon until the front came through-28 at our back yard this morning with a high of 43 forecast.