Alexandrines

[zooman]

Geeze that would drive me crazy too, on both counts i know tiago does his beg squawk and im ok with it anytime but right when i get up when im still sleepy the last thing you want to hear is a squawk, i dont get mad at them because i know a. its natural for them and b. its my fault im sure i gave into him many times when he first did it and reinforced it. I try to give them the attention and so far fingers crossed they are ok for the rest of the day and dont drive me crazy. Only time they are annoying is when im out for the day doing errands or a day trip and they dont get their time with me, then they get moody. I took zuri out to the park today and he enjoys the time outside.As for the food issue id say give him less to waste and the deeper bowl is a good tip or ive seen bowls you can buy that are designed for that in mind and in the long run would be cheaper than the food waste. or even a tray for now at the bottom like a food tray from a restaurant and lay it on the bottom and save at least some food.

[bettyboop]

Isn't it funny , we know when they get mad at us , and the fact they do get mad and moody is amazing .

They each one have a personality, they do learn from us and it is so funny to me they do what we do , like wanting to eat what we eat , when we eat , because they are social , they are not loaners , thay love comapany and attention and they show excitment over certain things . Last night , Zsa Zsa was mimicing some sounds that I make to her , and some of my whistles , she has started talking a bit more .I have noticed when I make her stay in her cage , but in the room with me she talks more . I actually read once a while back , birds who are in their cages more talk more than birds who are out .That does it Sammy is never going back in his cage again , LOL....As I have told you guys , he talks non stop . It is OK with us that he is such a jabber box , but when people come over , they just look at us and always say "Doesn't that get on your nerves "? Lets us know for sure it gets on theirs .Oh well , he is our baby .

They are outside today , and I am loving it .It's like they are at the baby sitters .LOL.....

Mary

[zooman]

Yes it does amaze me too. They are great company too. I always before getting birds thought of the budgies and how they are boring to an extent. I have an aquarium and its calming etc and love it too but i cant think of any pet that can make you feel and react to your feelings like a bird can. I know dogs are close but ive never had one so i cant compare but no walks in -20 degrees so thats a def plus. I know my brother hates my birds and when one accidently poops on the tile floor he gets grossed out but it doenst bother me anymore a quick wipe and gone. At the beginning the noise was annoying but i got used to it so i know what you mean my family says the same thing but we get used to it. Do you have an outdoor area for yours?

[bettyboop]

No , I don't have an outdoor area designated for my birds ,but I have a large patio which is covered and off of the patio there are 5 foot wide sidewalks that go around the back of our home .So I take them out in their travel cages and they have sun and shady spots . I mostly get them out on the weekends .During the week with work , I am just too busy and tired to stay out with them .They love it when they do get out . They are so quiet and calm when they come back in , it must be good for them .Natural light and fresh air .We have 29 Oak trees in our yard , so there are many types of birds and squirrels everywhere.They listen and watch so intently , and always try to mimic the bird sounds .It's neat , I enjoy watching their reactions.

Mary

[Tycos_mom]

Sorry I never did answer your question on weather Raja my baby is talking yet. He's not but he's trying. He making sounds that sound like talking all the time. I guess he's practicing trying very hard to get it right. He's so funny He's always trying to make friends with the Cockateils he really wants to play with them but they either run from him or hiss at him, He fluff up his little head feathers at them as if to say cut it out let just play. He's starting to develop more of a personality now and its so cute. he loves to play peek a boo with a dish towel or anything for that matter he was chewing up a paper towel the other day and when I walked in he imediatly stuck his head underneath it so I would say peek a boo and then when I do he sticks his head out and then back under again. They learn so quick when they are having fun learning. I just love him so much they have the cutest little faces I've ever seen.

[bettyboop]

Hi Pat,

yes they do have the cutest little faces. I love them .

If he is practicing , it won't be long .Males are better at speech than females or at least it seems that way .Zsa Zsa is talking a bit more than she was , who knows why .I love their voices , it is so clear .They learn so quickly , as you know.

Mary

[zooman]

oh that sounds nice for them and safe. I have to take mine out in his harness to the local park and im always fearful of hawks theres many in my area im sure they wouldnt try anything but im being careful you know? As for tiago the best i can do for him is his carrier since he wont let me put a harness on him, wish i could. Ive been drawing up plans for a new custom carrier but havent had time to actually make it yet.

 

Wish my 2 birds would try and make friends well zuri is jealous and wants to fight tiago and tiago wants nothing to do with zuri so its def not a friendship lol

[bettyboop]

Oh my birds are not in the same cage, no way Zsa Zsa hates Sammy . She picks fights with him all the time .My birds are not friends , I can't have both out at the same time and I never let Zsa Zsa see me working with Sammy , she has a fit .

LOL....

 

Good for you , making your own travel cages . My husband says you can buy stainless steel cage material at garden /feed stores .He was going to make our birds , but we found these from our breeder for $45 each and he said that was a good deal .Hope it works out for you .

Then you will be really proud of it .It won't look like a girls carrier either.

M

[zooman]

Hmm thanks for the tip ill have to look for that in the stores. I was going to use the carrier i have take the top off and build a dome over it and that could be very useful.$45 doesnt sound bad either if its stainless. and def manly enough for me.

 

I know what you mean by being jealous zuri is the same where tiago isnt jealous hes just ok with it when i hold zuri, hes very independent so thats probly why.

 

Its been really nice temps outside here so i wish i could take them our regularly but just sucks i cant take both out at the same time, i always run out of time between everyday life.

[bettyboop]

What about just buying an inexpensive bird cage with a nice lock on the door ? That is basically what my travel cages are , but strong enough to withstand their beaks . Or go down to the local feed store, or farm and ranch store , they sell galvanized wire caging ,used for rabbit cages, that you can buy in sheets , you cut to the size you need , put 4 pieces together .Crimp the edges and put together with these brad things . You cut a whole in the front and brad the front door on and then they sell the lock for the door.If there is a Feed Store around you , they can help you build small carry cages with a handle on it for a very small amount .They are very safe , because of the way they are put together .We had rabbits at one time and my husband built all of their cages.It's just so you can take them outside , it isnt as though they will live in there.I have seen people use these at bird shows when they buy a bird , gotta get it home some way .Just some ideas , hope it works .

Mary

[Tycos_mom]

My travel cage is just a nice powder coat cage that I bought from petsmart for 55.00 its 18"x15"x20"high its got a big door that opens and becomes a play place it has 2 handles on the side it works great right now I'm useing it for my newest cockateil until my other cocateil get used to him and then I'll put them together in the big cage. this is a picture of it

[zooman]

thanks for the tips ladies, and im trying to keep it very light and small enough to carry around with ease, but not too small where they'll be cramped, so thats why ive been stuck. I have a plastic carrier now and its a covertible type wher the top comes off easy i just need to figure out a way to put a top on and so it will allow sunlight clearly in. I have alrady put a sandy dowel in so work in progress

[bettyboop]

Well , I am sure you will figure something out .

How is Tiago doing , is everything OK with his wing clip? Hopefully he has adjusted .

Zsa Zsa is getting more verbal , and eating like a piggy . She has been so lovey this week , perched upon my shoulder like I am a tree . She preens on my shoulder and slaps me in the face with her tail , and wings .She is so funny .

M

[Tycos_mom]

I'm glad tto hear that you got over her little hissy fit when she bit your cheek. sounds like she is sorry and she's letting you know how good she can be. Raja likes to flap his wings when he's on my shoulder on hot days its kind of nice I have a little personal fan to keep me cool:laugh: I was looking through the want ads because I lost my little cockateil the other day and I noticed there is a 2 yr old female alex in there. apperently very friendly and gentle. they want 2 hundred dollars for her. I have to think about it but mabie I'll get her. do you think thats a good deal or not

[zooman]

Tiago is doing well, hes not as active chewing the wood toys but i think right after the summer last year he had a few months he wasnt into it much too, but myabe im being overly cautious, Other than that hes doing fine, i got used to looking at the clip so i dont notice it as much so im better too. So you find zsazsa eats well, thats one thing tiago doesnt do well compare to my grey, he eats very little but then again zuri is a pig so comparing the 2 doesnt hold well. How much of the regular pellets would you say yours eats per day? like teaspoons wise?

 

as for getting a 2yr old alex, hmm i dunno i know you have tons of experience and love but they arent eh most easiest to keep tame i noticed a difference in 2 months during his molt i left him alone and has taken me a while to get the touchyness back. From what ive read and talked to breeders and etc, they need more work than the avg bird, that being said if he came froma great home than maybe.Raja being so young, it is the major developing time for it to so you dont want to take away from that, but of course somehow you manage the rest and havent gone insane sooo..up to you.

[bettyboop]

So glad you and Tiago are doing better .

You know the lost interest in wood , ZsaZsa has done this very thing before , so I bought a huge bag of these things that look like pop cycle sticks and she loves them .There isnt too much to them and they are very soft but it at least got here interested in wood again .Which is a beak conditioner as you know .I know I have three sets of toys , that I rotate every week and that helps to beat the boredom.

As far as pellets , she may eat like three teaspoons per day , but not everday .She likes food , our food .So when I prepare our dinner , hers is dished before I season .She loves baked fish , chicken , pork but not too keen on red meat .She eats potatoes , mac and cheese, veggies , eggs, of course these are all in very small amounts .She loves collard greens. I used to hang these leaves on her cage and she would really go after them .I have foraging cups which I place carrots, apples ,almonds . grapes in and she has a blast .She is a big eater and always has been....

M

[bettyboop]

Sorry Pat about the cockateil , what happened ?

 

For the most part Zsa Zsa is always sweet .However the first 6-8 months wasn't so.She was quite a bluffer with that beak .It has taken a lot of one on one with her to get her where she is . She despises our Grey , so that part is not fun anD it takes a lot of handeling to keep her tame .

M

[Tycos_mom]

Ya I have raja that needs allot of attention right now. He gets aleast 2or3 hours of my time on a daily basis that alot more than my other birds get they get talked to all day long but actual one on one is probubly about an hour a day with each. Raja is extreamly sweet though I must say he loves to be pet from the top of his head right down to the end of his tail. he will just snuggle under my chin and lay there for hours making baby noises while I pet him. I wouldn't want him to go wild because I had another bird that requires the same kind of attention. I think I'll just get another cockateil a friend of mine offered me a wf lutino cockateil for half price mabie I'll get her instead.

[bettyboop]

You can ask Zooman , when these guys molt they turn into little green monsters.If you plan on Raja continuing to stay sweet , keep on petting , because if it stops they loose their tamness.

I am so sorry about your Cockateil .I didnt catch the post till this morning .My Mom was ill this week and I have been running .I am so sorry Pat , I hope you are OK . That is tough , loosing a baby .So sorry.....

Alexandrines are great birds , I wish I could get one for $200.That is a great price, however I don't like the idea of starting out with one that is 2 years old.Do you know her history?

Hugs ,

Mary

[Tycos_mom]

Thank you for your condolinces about Spike Its getting a bit easier now but for the first couple days I was crying all they time. I get so attached to these little guys they are just like my chilldren and to lose them is very hard. I worry about Raja all the time he was clipped when I got him and his breeder obviosly didn't know what she was doing because he falls like a rock. he loves to climb and play like all birds and he climbs the ropes that I have that are knotted and hung from the ceiling. when he does that I'm always afraid he going to fall because he can't fly at all. If he ever did fall i'm sure he would break something if it didn't kill him. I can't wait till he gets his flight feathers back.

All birds are grumpy during molting time but that doesn't mean that you stop handleing them Fergie my Amazon is going through the worst molt I've seen in the 7 years I've had her. she won't let me touch her very much but I still step her up and spend time with her just us two. just because their molting you don't just let them be and not spend time with them. I think its important for all birds to have one and one attention all bird will go wild and phobic if its not handled on a daily basis.

[bettyboop]

I know they are like our kids . I remember loosing our TAG , it was so sad for a long time .I still think about him and his big stainless bell hangs by my back patio door . Sometimes a bird will sit on it and it rings , I always think of him .He will always be missed...

M

[bettyboop]

Do you have an opinion about adding another Alex to my flock .Since Zsa Zsa is so attatched to me , do you guys think she would accept a male of her own kind into the flock . I am just wondering if she hates my CAG because he is a different species or because he is another bird ?

M

[Tycos_mom]

The only problem is that she may like him more than you and decides she doesn't wantto hang out with you anymore. you would have to spend the same amount of time with her that you do now and pluss you would have a new one that would need an enormous amount of time. she would probubly be jelous of him at first so if you decided to spend time with them both at the same time don't put her near your face because she may have displaced aggretion if she can't bite him she may bite you. Its up to you they proububly would become freinds and in time she would get over her jelousy thing.

[Tycos_mom]

I was thinking the same thing there is a beautiful lutino female Irn at the rescue where I live. She is so gentle and sweet you can lay her on her back in your hand and she's happy as a clam. I thought I might get her.

[bettyboop]

Go for it Pat, if she is that gentle , sounds great .

M