Sensitive Parrots

Boarding is tough on any parrot.  Their whole world changes and they are seeing a completely new flock all around them.Luckily most parrots quickly adapt and realize that the new surrondings are fun and the care is sincere and high caliber. 

When a boarder is prone to feather picking, I work hard to ease the stress and make any changes that might help.

Andres, this beautiful girl Umbrella Cockatoo, is boarding here for the first time.  She cages with her buddy, Delphis, a male Goffins Cockatoo.  They have been cage mates for many years.

Delphis is energetic and flies by the seat of his pants, so to speak.  But Andres is more sensitive and the new scenario threw her off at first. 

I found a toy that she adores.  The Avian Maze Craze Block from Mother Pluckin Bird Toys.  She daintily chips off a small piece of the block and then nibbles away at it.  She is now relaxed and improving daily with regard to her chest feathers. 

Bye Bye Pumpkin

I kept this little pumpkin around during the holidays to be cute and decorative. Thank you Margaret for the lovely veggies!

But now, I am eager to get back to a normal home and normal routine, whatever that is!

I pierced the little pumpkin and put it in the microwave whole for a few minutes. 

When it started to steam and hiss I turned off the microwave and let it sit in there for a minute or two.  Then, I carefully brought it out using potholders.  It cut in half easily and I scooped out the hot pumpkin and seeds.  What a feast for the parrots!  Of course, it has to cool first...but they love the stringy mess and the slippery seeds! 

A Busy Christmas

Merry Christmas to my blog readers!  If you wonder what it's like to share Christmas with a houseful of parrots, I can ask Kiku to demonstrate what it feels like! Push play on the video arrow!  He could have gone on for an hour!  What a character!

Sweep, do waters, check foods, serve breakfasts, change papers, and then start over!  But the parrots keep me laughing. While I'm working, they ask "What are you doing?"  If I supply one of them with fresh water, one of them will announce "Water!"  Then the fresh water will immediately be turned into soup or it will provoke a bathing ritual for the whole area!  Get the mop!  Upon entering the macaw room, the chant begins. . . "Cracker?"  "Cracker!"  Which around here means nut.  Life is fun.  The parrots enjoy the entertainment and I enjoy them!

Love It or Hate It

Sorry about the sideways video.  I thought I would be able to rotate it but could not figure out how!  I'm new at this!   But I wanted to show how Big Bird takes a shower as opposed to Lucy, my Scarlet.  One just goes into a warm shower coma, and the other goes into a wild and flapping joyful shower.  Turn your volume down for the lower video because Lucy does not have an "indoor voice".  Enjoy. 

Chauncey Gets A Big Cage

I recently was able to upgrade some of my birds to larger cages.  This is always exciting for any parrot.  It's like moving!  Chauncey went from his regular size macaw cage to a deluxe size cage.  When a parrot is in the same cage for a long time, it becomes cluttered with lots of toys.  I removed everything and then gave some real thought to exactly what Chauncey actually enjoys.  He is big on foraging.  He gets all of his pellets, seeds, and nuts in foraging toys.  The only food served in his bowl is the cooked grains (my famous Psittacine Cuisine) and the Munch Muffins (also a home baked goodie).  If I give him any pellets or seeds in a crock, he uses that specialized long beak to shovel it out to the floor.  Fun eh?  Unfortunately, Chauncey doesn't chew on wood.  He loves anything tactile.  He'll use his sensitive beak to feel the ends of rope, cloth, or shreddable toys.

This new cage change allowed me to place certain toys in different positions. 

Anyone who knows Chauncey, knows that he loves to dance and sing.  So what else would make a perfect toy?  A musical toy!  I had placed this in his previous cage a few weeks ago.  However, being the big chicken that he is, he refused to play with it.  I would push the buttons and sing and dance.  He would do the singing and dancing but not touch the toy!  However, I installed it down near his food bowl and now he is investigating the buttons!  Now, I keep hearing the electronic music and answering my phone...  I'm not the brightest bird in the flock!

Busy Times

Joshua In Large Enclosure

I apologize for not posting lately!  The cold weather and multiple indoor chores has kept me very busy. I miss putting the parrots in the outdoor cages!  I think they miss it too.
 
Joshua, seen here, has been moved to the huge Exotic Enclosure in my living room. He had been in a large "macaw size" cage before.  However, whenever he panicked and flailed about, he was in danger of breaking a wing. 

Bar spacing in a cage is very important.  Most people think of the potential of the head getting stuck.  But actually it's the wings that are most vulnerable.  The wing bones are very light, hollow, and fragile. 

One day, a few weeks ago, when I was toweling Joshua to take him outside, he got himself into a real traumatic situation. He was in the back corner and his wings went through the bars in two places. I held him still with the towel and called for my son to come running.  Paul helped me maneuver the wings out of the bars carefully.  Ever since then, I've been worried that Josh would hurt himself in a panic. 

So, I moved him to the Exotic Enclosure with the narrowest bar spacing (1/2" X 3").  In there, I can work with him without this fear.  He has grown in his wings completely now and has enjoyed flying around my home like a crazy man. It has helped to build his confidence and self esteem. 

He is learning to trust stepping onto the back of a flat hand but will not stay on the hand when it moves. When he is out of the cage and flying about, I lean down and ask him to step up.  He does so beautifully.  However, it is a long and patient process to get him back to his cage because he only stays on the hand for a moment.  He's off and flying at the first sign of transport! I have determined, painfully, that he wants nothing to do with any holding of the toes!  Ouch!

I have a pair of loving and caring people who come to the home regularly to work with Joshua.  Claudia and her father, Hermann, come on different days and consistently work with Joshua to make him feel comfortable with stepping onto hands.  Hands are good, not evil.  They have made huge progress!  Thank you Claudia!  Thank you Hermann!  Your calm and loving attention is making a big difference in Joshua's life.

Breakfast at Parrot Nanny



Buster is a carrotface mushmouth.

 Buster seen here absolutely loves cooked carrots.  He manages to get them smashed all over his cage, window and the floor, not to mention his beak. 


Joshua didn't start out a good breakfast eater.  But now, he digs in as soon as it's served.  Put a parrot next to a good eater and he will eventually learn to enjoy the same foods. 


Joshua digs in now.




Sara waits until later to eat.

 Sara, is new around here.  She watches as the breakfasts are served.  Later in the day, she makes her move.  She will learn to enjoy more than the apples, grapes, and almonds.  She has already learned to savor the Munch Muffins!  Now those are a big hit!

A Quiet Day With Six Macaws

Yesterday was a day for trimming toenails and taking drenching showers. I had had a noisy week with six precocious and squawking macaws in residence.  They really don't have "indoor voices".  Oro and Azul cooperated with the festivities and they all settled down to watch Sprout TV and preen for the afternoon. 

Cockatiels Foraging

Neptune and Devito are two male cockatiels that get very excited about food.  Especially millet seed!  As instructed, I placed a little millet inside this cardboard egg carton and they immediately knew exactly what to do.  Together, they went to town.  It was opened and they were inside within seconds. 

These two boys were very very possessive about any food.  They are both rescues and it is my opinion that they must have gone hungry in their past.  Around here there is plenty of food for all, however, D and Neppie would fiercely defend any communal food bowls when all were out playing. 



This reminded me of anxious and neglected dogs that growl when you attempt to take away their food bowl.  These two would not play nice so I had to rotate their out-of-cage time and then the rest of the flock's out-of-cage time.  Very unusual.  Cockatiels typically flock together nicely.  Each will find their position in the flock, either submissive or dominant.  I feel that the more these two are assimilated into a flock like mine, the sooner they will become comfortable with the idea of enough food for everyone to share.

Please only use clean cardboard style egg cartons.  Any spilled raw egg or dirt could contain Salmonella.

Oro and Azul Share a Cage

I have the privilege of caring for Oro and Azul this week.  They cage together and usually get to go outside for much of the day.  With the cold temps, I am unable to put them out.  So, they are in their shared cage longer than I would like.

However, they get along famously.  Here is a shot of them at breakfast this morning.  Oro gets her first dibs at the breakfast bowl.  But Azul drops in and picks out a hunk of sweet potato to take to the higher perch to enjoy. 

Oro, being the girl, is larger and holds the dominant role in this mostly peaceful relationship. I always have to get Oro to step up and go somewhere in order to have Azul comply and follow along afterwards!  If I take her out first, Azul is happy to cooperate right after.   

Brave Buster

Buster is seen here as the first parrot to brave the scary new Parrot Pulley Gym.  He actually loved it and flapped his wings and held on tight.  Great exercise! 

Of course, bring out the camera and he freezes his posture immediately!  Trying to get a candid or action shot is definitely difficult.  You'd think I pulled out an AK47. 

Please note that Buster is now fully feathered and very handsome!  His feather picking days are a thing of the past.  (Knock on wood.) 

This play area is truly wonderful because when it's not in use, I can easily hoist it up out of the way.  Because I have hard floors, I just wipe up any mess underneath.