Scale is Important

Charlie here was just groomed. He is such a good little guy and cooperates with me. He calmly steps onto the scale so that I can keep a running record of his weight. The loss or gain of weight is an early sign of health issues. Having a scale allows you to keep tabs on your birds overall health.

Homemade Toys Work Just Fine

I always keep a treasure trove of toy making supplies on hand. I can put together an irresistable toy in minutes.

Charlie here didn't take very long to find the balsa wood block on this version.

He almost goes into a coma as he digs into the soft wood. He loves it!

Simply having some polly rope and stringable items at hand along with a creative toy maker makes any bird' s day exciting.

Summer Camp For Parrots

Don't have an outdoor cage? Wish you could have a day or longer to yourself? No bird chores, or, a chance to really move the cage and clean the area without your bird supervising you?

Book now for some birdy daycare or boarding at my place. My outdoor cages are large! They all have shade and the entire area is netted to prevent intruders from the sky or ground. I will go out frequently and mist the parrots with the hose and give them attention. Bamboo branches are an added treat to denude.

Lots of fun, not to mention the opportunity to see other sights and other birds.

Of course indoor cages abound as well. All birds come in before dusk to comfortable cages set up with a waiting snack.

Bono the Budgie

This is Bono! He is a tiny little American Budgie. He is staying with me while his mom is away. My job is to try to make him comfortable perching on one's hand. Right off the bat, he was not interested at all in stepping onto the hand.

The first thing I did was to trim his wings. His ability to fly kept me mostly one step behind in our taming sessions. After he is hand tame, he can be allowed full wings again. Trimming isn't forever.

The next thing I did was remove the mirror in his cage. If he felt a camaraderie with that "other bird" he wouldn't need the companionship with a human. Bono came here in a small cage with a tiny door and perches and toys that were too big for him. I moved him into a larger cage with a wide swing out door and outfitted it with small perches and budgie size toys but no mirror. The large door gives me access to work with him. These few changes, along with lots and lots of patience, has shown some improvement in his demeanor. Hopefully, by the time mom comes back, he'll be eager to step onto a finger! Tomorrow, the scary hand will be holding sweet golden millet! Now there's an enticement!

Matilda Spread Eagle Bird

Yesterday was the day for greys. I had them all outside enjoying this fantastic weather. As described in yesterday's post, Joshua spent his first day outdoors. He did very well once he relaxed. He even seemed to enjoy the spray mist shower from the hose. Buster really gets into the misting! He can't get enough! However, Matilda (shown here) was perturbed at the thought of getting wet! She (he) acted like the sky was falling. However, after observing Buster's gusto and even Joshua's enjoyment, she too exhibited signs of "bring it on!" After all, it was a hot day. Even Claudia, who had time for a visit with Joshua before retrieving her Munchkin, enjoyed getting some of the over spray. Fun was had by all.

Joshua Outside For First Time

This morning I found Joshua walking down the hallway. He has been very good about staying on or near his cage thus far. He was not in favor of stepping onto anything, be it stick, hand, or towel. I had a client arriving any minute...

I gently toweled him and gave him some much needed skritches on his head and neck. This relaxed him and I was going to put him back in his cage when it occurred to me how much he would benefit from a lovely day outdoors. He had watched the other birds outside from his open window. I placed him in the largest cage and he immediately went to the ceiling of the cage and remained upside down for a good ten minutes! I took Buster out to the cage next to him to make Joshua feel more comfortable. (Buster on his rope ring is pictured.) Joshua uprighted himself and started to move about. This will be an exciting day for Josh and I know he'll relax and enjoy it. Getting him inside, however, will be tense.

Knuckles Accepts A Rope Perch

Well, it took long enough! But Knuckles has finally accepted the rope roosting perch that has been inside his cage since day one at Parrot Nanny. I've learned to rejoice at each baby step! When he first arrived he had not been used to being inside a cage. He had spent most of the time on a tree stand. A cage actually allows him more exercise as he can climb all over using the bars.

Slowly he started to actually maneuver around the cage but he would avoid the "scary rope" as it was different than his usual manzanita.

Now, as you can see, he has learned that rope is fun to chew up! I wonder how long that perch will last?

Munch Muffins!

I've gotten many of you hooked on my Psittacine Cuisine cooked grains and now I've created a new Psittacine Cuisine Item... Munch Muffins! (Named after Munchkin who devoured all the leftover crumbs!) These are organic and tasty made with Oat Flour, Barley Flour, Almond Meal, Ground Flax Seeds, Rolled Kamut, Coconut, Pecan Pieces, Sunflower Seeds, etc. etc... They are savored by the parrots here both large and small. I sell them in packs of nine for $5.95 but if you mention reading this, I will send you home with one free Munch Muffin for you to try out. I know your parrot will relish each bite.

Venus If You Will

This little darling was with me for a few days. She was another one of those corsage birds. I would bring her out and "wear her" while I tended to the small bird room. Also, at night, she would love coming in and watching TV from the vantage point of my chest. Now try to get that kind of service from another boarding facility! I love my job.

Whew! Hot Outside!

As the temps climb, our pets need extra supervision. Parrots seem to thrive in the warm temps but a soaking mist shower is a definite must have. Here you can see Chauncey enjoying every drop of a misting shower. And, as many of you know, Chauncey loves showers and will verbally invite you to take one. "Hello" "How are you?" "Do you want a shower?" Be sure your parrot has shade and cool water. Also be aware that predators, such as hawks, can come after your bird even when it's in a cage. My outdoor area is netted to prevent curious predators from venturing in too close. www.americannetting.com

Big Bird Sweet Girl

Big Bird spent some time in the Exotic Enclosure yesterday due to the strange cool and windy day. She has a habit of hanging on the cage door "begging" to come out. I'm sure she would have been fine outside, however, I felt more comfortable keeping her inside. If a parrot is fully feathered and healthy, the overcast day is surely not a problem. Their layers of feathers including the soft down feathers underneath give them a nice insulation from the cold.

Joshua's World

Joshua has a pretty good life. He still is terrified of being handled. He spends his days rollicking in and out of his cage. He looks longingly to the outdoor cages when the flock is out there. To bring the outdoors in, I open the windows and supply him with either a branch of bamboo or a stalk of geranium. He loves shredding the leaves off of the stem. I have Odie, the umbrella cockatoo, staying with me for a few days. Odie comes up to watch TV with me every evening. He and Joshua have become intrigued with each other. Of course, I don't allow fraternization, but they observe each other with amusement.

Go Ahead, Make My Day

Here's my sweet old man, Buster. He is certainly going through a cycle of feather picking at the moment. He typically cycles through good times and bad with regard to his plumage. Yesterday I went out to retrieve the parrots from their outdoor flight cages and Buster was adamant...He did NOT want to come in. "Would YOU pick up this bird?" I simply backed down and told him that I would come back for him. I then went to the next parrot and brought in each one. When I came back for Buster, he was in a different and more cooperative mood. Sometimes, you just have to be sensitive to your parrot's feelings and actions. Insisting on cooperation doesn't work well with obstinate parrots!

When Bird People Travel

My traveling is done vicariously through my clients. Recently someone came home from visiting a The Nicholas Wildlife Aviary on St Vincent Island in the Grenadines. These parrots are magnificent. Imagine having one come down and land on your head! This was a very unusual occurrence according to the caregivers at the aviary.

Taking vacations to these beautiful spots on the globe will help the people appreciate the treasures they have and help with the conservation of the species and habitat. Perhaps a trip down to the St Vincent Botanical Gardens and Nicholas Wildlife Aviary is in your future!

Knuckles Supervises Big Bird Suns

Knuckles has gotten quite used to waiting inside while his companion gets outside for some sunshine. While BB gets a good misting outside, Knuckles gets a spray bottle soaking indoors. Both are looking pretty shiny now!