Animalspirit Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 ... but I can't get the images in here. I wrote the story in dutch, and translated it into english. The story is on my homepage, and I took the URL of the images from there. So how does it work on this forum? It's a story with 25 images.<br><br>Post edited by: Animalspirit, at: 2008/10/08 23:17 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Animalspirit Posted October 9, 2008 Author Share Posted October 9, 2008 Oh well, I read the topic on the Welcome Forum, so I will upload the pics on Photobucket and then try again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Animalspirit Posted October 9, 2008 Author Share Posted October 9, 2008 Sorry, still didn't find out how to put the pics in my story. You'll have to wait...<br><br>Post edited by: Animalspirit, at: 2008/10/09 08:41 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Animalspirit Posted October 10, 2008 Author Share Posted October 10, 2008 Yessss!!!!! I succeeded in putting the english translation online. Here you can read my story, in its original colors! The parrot that nobody wanted... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvparrots Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 Liked the story the first time I read it, loved it the second time with great pictures. You are a writer, am I not right? Can't wait to read more of your stories. Thanks!!!:cheer: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Animalspirit Posted October 10, 2008 Author Share Posted October 10, 2008 Well... yes, that's what I want to be. I write stories and perform sometimes as a storyteller and singer. But I need to find an editor for my writings. The story about my adoption parrots has been published in "Parrot Society", in the UK, and I will have another one published there. But I have to write it first... If I could only earn my living with writing, training parrots and doing educational programmes... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siobha9 Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 Its a lovely story! Thanks for sharing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tibanks Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 Hello..Loved your story, thanks so much for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 Nina, thanks for sharing that story with us, I enjoyed it very much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMustee Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 I loved your story. So many people are like that with parrots and it just makes me sick! The ending to your story couldn't have been better, thanks for posting it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tycos_mom Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 Thats a great story it is a story that many of aour parrots can relate to I'm sure. My Tyco went through three homes before I found her starving and chewing her feathers now she's also in her forever home happily playing and being loved she is my amigo very good story. You should get it published. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Animalspirit Posted October 10, 2008 Author Share Posted October 10, 2008 If I have this one published, I should take it from Internet. A publisher told this to me. So for the moment I decided not to have it published. I think the story would reach more people this way, you see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casper Posted October 11, 2008 Share Posted October 11, 2008 Thankyou for sharing this lovely story with us. Its so sad to think of birds actually going through life like that. Caroline Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Animalspirit Posted October 11, 2008 Author Share Posted October 11, 2008 Yes, that's true. This story is a combination of different cases of course, all made into one recognizeable story. Actually, I wrote it for children, because they are the future generation of parrot keepers. The character of Clarice is what I thought was the ideal parrot keeper at that moment. She uses the 5-step method, developed by the dutch avian vet Hooimeijer, who also studied in america and was much influenced by Liz Wilson. This is the vet shown in the story. At this moment I would do the training a little different, but I keep my parrots the same way Clarice does. I am studying to become a parrot behavior therapist, and my goal is to advise people with their parrots, so that they can stay in their homes instead of being adopted. I will use this story for my final exams, writing step-by-step programmes for each owner of Polly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mistyparrot Posted October 11, 2008 Share Posted October 11, 2008 It's a lovely story Animalspirit and great pictures. But I don't like the wing clipping part. My Misty flies free in my house but if he ever broke anything I would never punish him by clipping him. I realize you don't mean it as punishment but that is what it is. If you are going to advise people on parrots please find ways of showing how to cope with flighted parrots rather than mutilating them for convenience. Clipped parrots are not safer than flighted parrots. Sorry to be so preachy about this but I feel strongly about this topic. Steve n Misty {Nature-00020095} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Animalspirit Posted October 11, 2008 Author Share Posted October 11, 2008 I wrote this more than three years ago, with the knowledge and experience I had on that moment. and yes, there was the wing-clipping. A few months earlier, I had my first parrot, a free flighted Senegal. He flew around in the living room, like your grey. But... he started to attack me. At that moment, I knew little of parrot behavior, and I got into contact with people from a dutch senegal forum. They told me there was a meeting for parrots and their owners. I went there by train, my Senegal in a crate. When I arrived there, I noticed many parrots sitting in a "play-jungle"made of willow and elder branches. They were all clipped! Mine wasn't, I thought it was like mutilating them. But I also wanted my parrot playing freely in that jungle. They asked me if they should clip my bird, and after a little thinking about I said "yes". There are many arguments for the "pro": you can take your bird outside. If you don't have an outdoor aviary, this is the way to provide your bird of his share of fresh air and direct sunshine. The birds can't really flu, except in a downward glide-flight, which prevents them from crashing into windows indoors and cars outdoors. The risk of losing your bird by an accidentally left open window are diminished. And of course, Drs. Hooimeijer, the vet that promoted the 5-step training system, is strongly against free flight. But... there are also many arguments for the "con": a bird should develop his flight muscles. A flighted bird can live a more bird-like life than a non-flighted. I am sure about many greys being rather frustrated about their life as a pet. But those shouldn't be kept as a pet at all: they should live in gigantic aviaries, in large groups, like they do in the wild. My experiences with my first African Grey ( who, BTW, served as a model for the story) made me change my mind about the methods shown in the story. But, since I don't have an aviary, I keep my birds clipped. For me taking them outside is more important than having them flighted in my small 7x4m living room. I want them to play around in the forest, to feel the earth and the grass under their feet, to chew on decayed wood, to climb in trees and jump down in glide-flight. A baby parrot should be raised by his own parents in co-parentage with the breeder. He should learn to fly first, to have the flight muscles fully developed. And, the most important of all: he should be exposed to direct sunlight, to avoid the development of rachitis. Too many young parrots have weak legs and crooked toes because they have always been indoors. If you wnat your bird flighted, make sure you have a large outdoor aviary, and train your bird to come back on cue. If you really want to fly your grey, start training from scratch, and practice in large indoor rooms, such as a riding hall. Other alternatives are of course the Aviato harness. Keeping birds, however, always brings dilemma's. Bird training is an important skill, clipping or not clipping is a personal choice. Clipping a bird makes him easier to handle as a pet, but behavioral problems could be solved only by training. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted October 11, 2008 Share Posted October 11, 2008 Thanks for posting this story. I have printed it and am going to share it with our grand children. It sheds a light on any type of pet ownership that most parents do not know or teach to their children. The story format you have used is certainly perfect for the target audience you intended. Also, thank you for not publishing it yet so more people (Like Me) can view and print, then distribute it to their immediate family that will then share it with others. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaxtersMom Posted October 11, 2008 Share Posted October 11, 2008 What a great story. I loved it!!! Thanks for sharing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janfromboone Posted October 12, 2008 Share Posted October 12, 2008 What a wonderful story. I'll bet I'm the only 58 year old that can tear up over a story like that with cartoon pictures. By the way I loved the art work. Did you do that too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Animalspirit Posted October 12, 2008 Author Share Posted October 12, 2008 Yes, I did. At the time I wrote the story, I had no drawing materials, so I decided to create them in the "Paint"programme on my computer. I first made a raw sketch, and then zoom in to big format to make the details the way I wanted them. I had my observations of parrot behavior of course, but for some details I took my CAG Tabu and used her for a model. Not all details, because she was a plucker and looked horrible except her head and feet. Here's a portrait I made of Tabu and me on the bike. The "raw sketch": Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Animalspirit Posted October 12, 2008 Author Share Posted October 12, 2008 And then the final result. Tabu often went with me bringing mail, which she liked very much. She could hide under my coat if she wanted, but she mostly insisted on sitting on her perch. Later, i had a much higher "bicycle stand" with two perches, on which I took Tabu and Borre. She loved to hang upside down, especially when we went over a viaduct, with heavy traffic driving some five meters under us... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anmlhggr Posted October 12, 2008 Share Posted October 12, 2008 I loved your story, it was so touching! :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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