Alexandrines

[zooman]

I own 2 birds well they own me im sure they'd tell you all but its hard to find people that have alexandrines. My little one Tiago is 2 and a half years old and just got his male colourings ive been waiting for this since the day i brought him home. I actually cared more about this than his talking, which they are great talkers as well. I'll share a picture of Tiago. but im wondering how many people own them and what they think of them especially if you own a grey like i do as well, how yours differ?

[bettyboop]

Hello Zooman ,

 

Tiago is beautiful . His ring is awesome and he looks so well cared for .

I have a 18 month old female Alexandrine ,who I have had since she was 4 months old . Her pic is on my profile page .

I adore her , she is sweet and is on my shoulder non stop. She eats with us , thinks she is human , sits with us while we are watching TV , and loves to go outside in her cage with us.

She is still very young , so to compare her to our Grey CAG 3 year old isnt really fair . She is just as attention needy as he is , although she does not like for us to pet her as he does .She does not like our Grey , and he gives her no attention . I actually prefer her over my Grey , she isnt afraid of anything , and she will check anything out, without having to warm up to something which is so typical Grey .

She says a few words , but I think the male speaks more than the females . But our Grey never shuts up , so who cares if she talks , I welcome the silence .LOL...

She loves to chew up wood and so does our Grey, however she goes through much more than he does , she has to be watched , she gets into things , like the sugar packets and anything else left on the counter . She gets in the sink , she is a hoot ..She is full flighted , how about yours?

Well now it's your turn and if you have any questions , please ask ?

So glad you have an Alexandrine ..They are so much fun .

Bettyboop

[zooman]

Well mine is 2 and a half now just got his male colourings in his last molt it happened so fast well the colour change that is in 2 weeks he had 90% of the pink and black. I was soo hoping he was male when i bought him it was a 60/40 chance seeing as i didnt do a dna test on him went on the fact he had a small ring started when he was a baby. Well Tiago is night and day different than my grey. They dontlike each other really ive only had them together once and it looked like trouble so i spread them apart. Zuri my TAG is very interested but tiago isnt..haha. Your right they arent the most touchable i can manhandle zuri but just lightly pet Tiago, talking well zuri has an edge there too but tiago is a great talker too. They are both very spoiled and Tiago is a huuuge wood chewer geeze i have to buy the wood and make my own toys and he is still going through about a 2" x3" x 6' long worth of pine wood a week that i cut up tried poplar and he can do it but he gets mad when he has trouble destroying it. Zuri has to be very soft wood or he loses his patience quickly. Energy level Tiago is content preening himself on me peacfully and just enjoys it zuri cant stand still drives me crazy and theres only a year difference in age. I find my alex is more needy though which is strange because they are known to be more independent birds. and has to be around me or in eye sight or wont be quiet. a question i have for you is what does your alex weigh? no vet gives me a concrete weight. does yours eat alot mine seems to preen tons not pluck just very vain bird whereas zuri eats alll the time..

[bettyboop]

HI ,

 

She weighs around 7 oz. Our breeder says 7 -9 oz . is normal for adult Alex's. She eats a lot .

Loves her wood and shreds ceral boxes , like crazy.

What does your bird eat ? Also what part of the world do you live in ?

Mary

[zooman]

k ill have to do the conversion with that weight haha we use grams here. I actually live in Ontario canada about 2 hrs from the border to niagara falls NY. My birds eats the Hagen lifetime pellets, then just about everything else my grey is 10x fussier than Tiago for eating and trying new foods. I give them also the Hagen fruit and nut mix daily as well. Ti answer your otehr question i clip both of my birds because i just not willing to try and test them outdoors. I can get a harness on Zuri but never on Tiago unless i force him to wear it. I am just waiting for him to finish his molt than its trim time. I find that tiago is a VERY good flyer that tail spreads open and just glides. So im sure they'll live longer this way.

[bettyboop]

We use grams also , ounces make more sense to me .I apologize , I do not remember what the conversion is .I always ask my vet to give it to me in oz.'s.

My birds are not clipped , they only go outside in their cages.When we have company , they are inside their cages the whole time .It is easier for us to stay on guard all the time with full feathers , besides my Alex can still fly when her wings were clipped.The Grey has too many accidents when he is clipped , he doesnt know he can't fly .Oh my , he just falls to the floor according to the owner before us .He has never been clipped while we have owned him .

Did you purchase your Alex from Darlene Johnson at My Little Darling's Avairy ? She is a Canadian Alexandrine Breeder, very smart lady , she has helped me with some issues when I first brought Z home .

Zsa Zsa molted from Feb . to May , I thought it would never end , but it did .

Today it is very windy here and she has been crazy , does your Alex act skiddish (SP?) when the wind is blowing ?

Feel free to post or PM when you want to chat about the Alex's or have a question .

Mary<br><br>Post edited by: bettyboop, at: 2008/09/03 01:57

[zooman]

I know what you mean even clipped last year he flew really well, light bird compared to the greys so thats probably why. I had mixed feelings about clipping but seeing as i take them outdoors i rather know they cant fly far even if he caught a breeze. Do you have one of those open type carrying cages for outdoors? I wanted to buy this plexiglass one thats totally clear all around but when i thought about it it seemed like there wasnt alot of air flow so he'd get hot really fast. And no i didnt buy from her she is a very smart lady i went to her website many times for info. Unfortunately maybe she was busy but i sent her many emails and never got a reply for help. I bought my two birds at a local pet store that petsmart bought out recently here. Now im struggling to find bird supplies theres keeps dwindling weekly. I was lucky the very nice lady at the store weaned him very well and socialized them and loved them she actually was sad when i took him home, so i owe her for doing a great job. I def know what you mean by skittish tiago is very scared of the outdoors in every way, whereas zuri the grey is very scared to new things indoors but very confident outdoors go figure. and i did the conversion mine is just slightly heavier than yours but im sure its because hes male.

[bettyboop]

Oh my Alex isn't skiddish , only when it is windy . It seems as though on windy days , she can't settle and I see her looking outside when the trees are blowing . Right now we are getting some of the Hurricane wind from the coast . She has always been this way . Our home has a lot of windows and she loves to sit near them .

I have never taken either bird out side except in a cage . I have pretty big travel cages , I use to transport them . I agree about the plexi glass , they do look hot .

That is great about the lady who had your Alex before , she made the difference .My breeder did a great job , however she was so busy with birds , she didnt handle Z as much as she should have and like I said it was hard to get her as tame as she is now . I have been bitten a lot from her . Now she is totally bonded and she doesn't bite anymore .

They are such great birds .

Which of your birds do you like the best ? I like the Alex more because she isn't afraid and she is so brave when it comes to new stuff . I tell her NO , and she says no, no, in that cute little Alex voice .I love it

Yes , the males are heavier , so look s like our birds are right where they are suppose to be .Did you say your Alex is molting , that will also affect his weight and attitude ?

M

[zooman]

oh ic, well thats good she isnt i can imagine winds like that would make her a little uneasy. Do you ever notice how they can just tell when something is hovering over them outside? Ive seen Zuri just stare up in the sky and i look up and its a plane so far up its hardly visible but he noticed it. I have to say i like Zuri better he is soo much more affectionate and a little clown. Tiago is much more independent which i like. I cant seem to get zuri to play with toys in his cage he'll sit there and eat and sleep but i never notice his toys touched, and yes i do rotate them and have bought and made numerous toys. On his stand he'll play all day. I think that was the downfall of the store weaning im sure they didnt want to afford numerous toys to play with and that became his habit. Tiago did just molt and very quickly this time and he did drop weight but avgs about 215 grams all year. He did lose a bit of weight during molting. and def his attitude he didnt want to be touched much which is ok. Does yours get testy during molting? Are her nails like thorns? ive noticed that between the 2 tiago's nails are terrible and zuris ive never cut and are hardly bad.

[bettyboop]

Yes , you are so right when something is over head they clue in on it like radar. Amazing sight and sense they have , but they are birds .LOL....

Yes , both of mine need nail trims , however I do have some of the gritty perches around their food sations which helps. I tried once to clip Zsa Zsa's nails , it was a mistake , never again . I just take them to my breeder , she does Z's for free for life since I purchased from her and she charges $7 for Sammy which is dirt cheap...Easier on everyone , I'm not the Bad Guy either...

My Cag likes little foot toys better than anything .I buy toy making supplies from a company called Naoni , they have all kinds of things , so once a year I buy a ton of stuff , and it last a while . Plastic animals , wood blocks , shredders, beads etc....

Sammy never has gone through a molt like Z , he sort of looses a feather here and there all the time , but she went through a three month molt , her first and she was like the little green witch from hell . She was not a happy camper at all and neither were we . She even growled at us .I felt so bad for her , I finally started giving her vitamins , and it seemed to have helped. I was so happy when it stopped.How long is your Alex's tail , did it grow in length after the molt ?Z's did , I think it is longer everyday , I'll measure it and let you know . I love the colors in her tail , they are so pretty .

Our Grey is all over us , and never stops talking , he is very verbal , if you say something new to him in the morning , he will say it back in the eve. He picks words up like a dog does fleas.LOL...He bites me and goes after my face , so he really is my Husbands bird .I don't handle him anymore and sad to say , he is only out when my Husband is home . He is a brat , he hates the word NO, and when you say it , make sure he is arms length away or he will bite everytime , so it is better he isnt on you , when you say it. He is very distructive also , goes after my wood tables and bar stools. He has tons of wood to chew on at his playstand and cage but just enjoys the furniture .He eats one whole apple without seeds per day , and if you don't give him more when he finishes what he has , he will say over and over APPLE , APPLE IN A BEGGING VOICE , drives me nuts ..... I just focus on Zsa Zsa and that makes her happy.

Neat birds , but only my daughter will bird sit , no one else will put up with them .The Grey is so messy , throws food everywhere , I have to clean carpets once a month . I call him the PITA BIRD, pain in the a-- ......later

Mary

[zooman]

Yeah i would never try and cut their nails, they are dark so it would be too easy to have them bleed on me. Even the vet did it the first time. But i dont know why but after i hold Tiago my arm is like all red and like im allergic to his nails dont have that prob with the grey. Im actually taking them for their vet visit this week how much does a vet check-up cost around you? I am kinda worried Tiago's beak is peeling further up than ive ever seen does yours do that. Im worried he's not getting a vitamin etc. and causing this, any ideas? Im lucky i have hardwood floors but i still bought a couple mats and lined them under their cages for protection.

[Tycos_mom]

I have the smaller version of a Alex I have an Indiam ring neck and it sounds to me by this conversation that my Irn is very much like his larger cousins. My Irn is still a baby so he doesn't have his rings yet but he is Dna tested male heres some pics of my sweet baby he's 5months old and just the best little bird he's so sweet and is also very needy Likes to be with me all of the time.

[bettyboop]

I never get out of my vet office for less than $150....

It's like a major investment ,I try to only go once per year for yearly check ups per bird . Blood work is expensive.

The beak is always shedding , mine do some , but it usually corrects itself.She does quite a bit of chewing , so she keeps it in good shape.My CAG, his does that some but never anything that looks like something is wrong .I do know they use the wood they chew to keep it in good shape , perhaps try different types of wood, some soft , med . and hard .I will ask my breeder today and tell you what she says about their beaks.

Yes , I will have hardwood floors soon , this is crazy .

I was having a discussion earlier about Alexandrines , do you consider these birds to be large ?

Mary

[bettyboop]

They are wonderful birds , talk to him all the time , he will talk and they have the sweetest voices.

Yes IRN'S are a bit smaller .Your guy is cute .

M

[judygram]

Pat, your indian ringneck is a beauty too, now won't he have that ring around his neck too like the alexandrines?

[Tycos_mom]

Yes he will but they don't get their rings until they are 2 years old. They are very much like the Alexanderines but they don't have the red patch on their wings. their bottom mandable is black and my IRN's average weight is 120gr its almost like the difference between a Cag and a Tag they are simalar in many ways only one is smaller than the other and their are slight diffrences in colourings. Both birds have the same talking abilitys and they both are very intellegent. And only the males get those beautiful rings with the pink jewel on the back of the neck.<br><br>Post edited by: Tycos_mom, at: 2008/09/04 23:52

[bettyboop]

Zooman ,

I talked with my breeder today about the beak question .

She said it is very important that they have soft wood to chew on , it conditions the beak , they do go through it faster but it is necessary. She did say if you are concerned you should always go to your vet . A certified Avian vet...

I buy wood from Naoni toys , they only sell wood that is safe for parrots .They are very picky not to sell anything treated.

I also think wood from Home Depot is treated , not sure but check to be on the safe side.

Mary

[zooman]

He is really cute, looks like hes a bit of an explorer all over everything. I def agree with bettyboop they have really sweet voices and are amazing talkers. I would also add that looking at your flock im sure you know this already but constant handling is key with them I notice my Alex needs to be touched, even the last couple months that i gave him space since he was molting and now he's done and now i have to say he lost a bit of letting me touch him as much.

[zooman]

Bettyboop, I see a vet bill is about the same as it is here, it is a big expense but id rather be safe than sorry since birds hide their illness. I take them once a year as well and trim them myself but the nails i leave till the checkup they use a dremil tool to dull them instead of cutting. and i would def consider them medium i have a TAG and hes heavier but the same size as Tiago but fuller and Tiago has a much larger tail it is still growing since his molt and i see a difference every few days i measured it well as much as he'd let me hes a diva and wont let me touch it too much. Its 2' long and it is quite stunning the colours i save them when he loses them. And thanks for checking on the beak situation i am taking him just to be safe my educated guess is eitehr hes not getting a vitamin like we need to grow our nails hard cause its not the wood its soft pine and untreated i ask the store and looked up the company online. Its even still green and wet from being fresh cut, i just dont buy those. Its just a tad higher than its been so we'll see ill let you know what they say

[bettyboop]

I do hope all is well , keep me posted.

Yes , Alexandrines do have to be handled constantly to remain tame . Also , I think as they get older they need all kinds of new stimulation to keep from getting bored.I am always trying to find something different to amuse her.

Mary

[Tycos_mom]

Thats the same with Irn's you can't just Ignore them for a week or two and then try todo the same things with it that you could before they need daily interaction to keep them being tame and sweet. Thats fine with me though I love spending time with Raja he's so sweet and so playful right now. He love to sit with me and preen my hair. I was wondering if anyone know how old they are when they start to talk. Raja is 5 months old and I think he's trying to talk. but hasn't quite got it yet the other day I could have sworn he said his name it wasn't clear but it did kinda sound like Raja to me.

[bettyboop]

Hi Pat,

ZsaZsa said her first word HELLO at around 8 or 9 months.However , being a female they don't talk as much as the males or so I have heard .I would think her jabber that I could not understand started around 5 or 6 months , so he is probably practicing .I took her into my office and showed her the Alexandrines talking on YouTube and that is really what got her going .Also pet him a lot , as much as he will allow .I have heard petting and bonding is very important .

When I brought Zsa Zsa home she would lunge and bite and scream, so it took me some time before I was comfortable with her.She was hand fed by our breeder but I don't think she was handled enough after weaning , because our breeder had a large hatch that year....As a result , now she will not let me pet on her , she has a fit if I touch her .She likes to be on me and with me , but no petting.I think the lack of this has interupted her speech .She does talk but not like Zooman's Alex and not like our Grey .Although it may be she can't get a word in , he never stops , it's insane how much he talks.

She says , hello, no no no, whatcha doin and na na which I think is night night.She is 18 months old .So work with him and he will talk and your heart is going to melt , they have the cutest , clear voice you have ever heard .Does he wolfe whistle? That is the first thing she picked up around 6 months old ...

He is adorable .I know you love him.

 

Mary

[Tycos_mom]

Yes He started to wolf whitle about a month ago I almost fell over when he did that it was so cute. My breeder did an awesome job with Raja he had 5 cluch mates and she had another cluch of 6 a month later but she manage to socialize and love everyone of them. she sure dotes on them she doesn't work outside her home so she has all day to cuddle and love on her babies. she holds them close and snuggles them all the time. I paid quite a bit for Raja but he was Dna tested and so sweet so I think it was worth the extra money. He cost me $250. She had every colour Ringneck there is I prefer the Green one I just think the look so awesome they just have beautiful sleek feathers they are just a very clean looking bird I think anyway. I'm always cuddling Raja he likes it when I hold him close and pet him from the top of his head right to the end of his very long tail LOL they really do have long tails don't they I think Raja tail is about a foot long right now.

[bettyboop]

Yes, they do have long tails and they get longer.I understand what you mean about their looking so clean and smooth, they take very good care of those feathers and boy don't they preen a lot .

Sounds like you purchased from Little Darlings , Darlene is the breeder there ......

I wish my breeder who also works at home would have been so cuddly with my girl , however I have heard the females are not as sweet as the males.

Sounds like he is a real honey , just keep on doing what you are doing and he will talk .They are very loyal to their owners , mine is on me all the time , she is sweet.....I spent $400 on her , so you did good and you won't be sorry.So glad you have one .

Mary

[zooman]

wow you guys got deals I paid $650 for Tiago me alexandrine. The cheapest around here is $600 but i quickly bonded with him in the store and noticed tell tale signs he would be male like dark red beak and the slight black beard underneath. Like i said and you both have said constant handling is key. I backed off during his molt and im working at getting back his liking of petting. Right now he'll give me kisses with his tongue tangling out and let me bring him under my chin but i try and pet him with my free hand and he climbs on my shoulder no choice for me. Im not going to push him i never was able to manhandle him like i can with Zuri my TAG but i used to be able to pet him. Shower time is my fav with him, are yours the big clowns? mine is, he's all over the place the TAG likes water which is weird compared to other members on here but he kinda flaps and shakes but not the antics my Alexandrine does.

As for talking he spoke a week after coming hime 6 months old and hes actually slowed the talking still says "i wanna shower" "come here" "wanna nut" "i love you" give me a kiss...thank-you" not a big whistler though more of a squaker.