Contra Freeloading

 I recently attended a seminar where one of the topics was Contra Freeloading.  I hadn't heard of that one either!  Simply put, it means when a parrot chooses to forage rather than eat from an easily accessible source. 

Rooster has been a guest for a couple of days and I noticed that he is doing some feather picking.  He seemed to prefer his Harrison cubes to any other food so I created a foraging opportunity for him. 

I took a handful of Harrison's out of his bowl and inserted them in a wiffle ball while he watched.  He was very intrigued.  Then I placed the ball in the crock next to his Harrison's.  He chose to go for the wiffle ball!  Contra Freeloading was demonstrated. 

He picked it up and tweaked a cube out of one of the holes.  Yea, go Roo!  Of course he dropped the ball and I reinstalled it in his bowl but he continued to select the option of  the ball over just getting the food from the neighboring bowl. 

This foraging gave him a job to do and he seemed to enjoy each cube thoroughly.  It also took a lot of time to eat.  Challenging our birds is a constant, and keeping them engaged in their own entertainment is vital.

Joshua Has Visitors



Joshua Loves Claudia

 Joshua is still very shy about stepping onto a hand.  However, he is not bashful about giving "kisses".  We humans call them kisses but to Joshua, he is just trying to get fed or feed his perceived mate!  "Sharing food" is a mate-bonding experience.  Since Josh feels insecure, he calms himself and requests assurance by exhibiting this behavior.  He gets regular visits from Claudia while her dad, Hermann, recovers from a health issue.  Joshua misses Hermann and says his name as if to ask for him.  Lucky for me Joshua loves Claudia just as much. 

Joshua now has full wings and will fly about the living room with ease.  He landed on the highest Atom yesterday and would only come down for Claudia!  Birds feel safest when they're above the fray.  Josh saw absolutely no reason to come down.  He would have stayed up high for the whole day!  I had to run errands and couldn't let him stay aloft.  Claudia used her wiles and some juicy grapes to lure him down for some up close face time.  Thank you Claudia! 

Boarding a sensitive bird.

Boarding can be stressful under any circumstance.  Jasper is one of my regulars.  He certainly has some feather issues and his mom and I gratefully count the feathers as they grow in.  I go to great lengths to send Jasper home in good condition.  This go round he came to me with some tail feathers and chest feathers!  I supply a cage filled with preening enrichments and foraging toys.  He gets his spray bath and out-of-cage time and we just keep our fingers crossed as the days tick by.  He's a happy little camper and he knows how to keep busy.   

Parrot Yoga

Stretch Those Drumsticks!

Cage activities are very important and most parrots spend the majority of their day inside of a cage. 

However, getting the chance to come out of the cage and flap their wings or stretch their legs is vital.  A bird that doesn't get to do this will become bored and lose muscle tone. 

Hanging an Atom from the ceiling is the easiest solution.  It is easy to maneuver underneath and it spins!  What fun the birds have flapping and spinning.  They especially like to do this when I mist them with a water bottle. 

Chauncey here just enjoys a long stretch.  He's a muscular bird and observes the world in a very social and intellectual way.  He always has a comment to make, even upside down!  Atoms are available from Mother Pluckin Bird Toys.  They are a fantastic investment in your parrot's activity levels. 
http://www.motherpluckinbirdtoys.com/




Artie's Official Poop Shirt

  Artie is much loved by Keith and Margie.  She, yes SHE, was rescued from a horrible situation and is now thriving.  She has a special relationship with Keith, seen here reluctantly.  We have all worn parrots now and then and we all know what happens to our clothing when this is practiced...  having a special shirt for the occasion is a good solution. 

Artie gets her collar off tomorrow for another chance at freedom.  We will keep our fingers crossed that she doesn't start any self destruction.  Parrots deal with stress and anxiety in obsessive compulsive ways.  Then, unfortunately, it becomes a patterned behavior.  Breaking a patterned behavior is very difficult.  We don't always understand the triggers involved or the relief they get from doing hurtful things to themselves.  Psychology is complicated. 

Active Goffins




Luve Goffins Romping On Top of Her Cage

  Luve has a lot to do inside her cage.  She is very active, as most Goffins are!  Their hyper activity disorder is one reason these birds are difficult to keep feathered.  They go from one activity to the next and soon run out of new challenges.  When Luve is here I have to move things around and fill her foraging toys twice a day, if not more.  When I am present, I just open her door to allow her to romp on top of her cage.  She loves it and seems much happier.    

Toy Challenges

Starbird SpinaRoo Foraging Block

Starbird Toys has a great new foraging challenge for our parrots.  It's called a SpinaRoo.  Chauncey, my master puzzle solver, took one day to figure it out.

But I swiveled the blocks slightly to allow him to see the food treats inserted inside.  Tomorrow, I will close it up and see how long it will take him to discover his pistachio nuts.  This toy comes in two sizes.  The one seen here is the large version.  I highly recommend this toy.  http://www.estarbird.com/products/SpinaRoo.html



Lulli Guzzles His Bottle

 Of course, one can use just about any container to create a foraging toy!  See Lulli here?  He loves to guzzle a pine nut out of a bottle.  He is fast as lightning.  The bottles end up on the floor of the cage...making the SpinaRoo a better choice!

Challenging our birds to find their food treats is so important. 

Are Parrots Birdwatchers?



Luve Watching Chickadee Nestbox



Luve, a goffins cockatoo,  was having a fine day outside in a large flight cage.  I would go out periodically and mist the parrots with the hose.  They loved it! 

However, I soon noticed that Luve was fixated on the hanging nest box hung near my door.  A pair of busy Chestnut Backed Chickadees have been raising their family in there for the last couple of weeks. They have the perfect set up with the netted area being predator free.  They slip through the netting easily and are constantly bringing large juicy bugs to their babies.  Luve was enthralled!  She stopped all activity to watch and listen.  Does she realize what is going on?  Perhaps... 

Ahhhh SpringTime!

This weather has been so wonderful.  Finally I can rotate the parrots to the outdoor cages for some time in the sunshine and fresh air.
 
Big Bird and Knuckles seem to love it and they would choose to stay out all day long if they were allowed to.  Actually getting them to come inside is such an ordeal that they get to stay out for extra long periods. 

Whenever one is dealing with two bonded birds, there is a dynamic of protection and cooperative resistance that is exhausting.  I have resorted to having another person stand at the back of the enclosure, on the outside, to pose as a distraction.  They are more inclined to step up for me if another person is "looming" at the back. 

As with any behavior, the trick is not to allow it to become a "game".   Luckily, I have the schedule that allows for patience and calm.  I will go out and bring everyone else inside using the command, "Ready?" "Time to go back!"  It's a routine that Knuckles and Big Bird watch intently.  Then, they KNOW it's their turn. 

I request the initial step up...they refuse and rush to the back of the large enclosure.  I go into the house.  They wait there and wonder and move back to the door area.  Then I go out and ask again.  If they move away again, I go back inside.  The third time, I ask for some assistance from my son or anyone who is here visiting.  The "Good Cop, Bad Cop" method is always successful.  For one reason, they know that it's time for them to go inside.  And second, they are unsure what that other person is doing and feel more comfortable coming to me.  Behavior management is an ongoing challenge.  Keeping the drama out of the process is key.  Subtle manipulation...

A Grey Kind Of Day

It's probably difficult to see the various greys in this photo, however, they were all out of their cages and enjoying a rousing chatter with each other.  I love it when I have a group of greys.  They truly talk and whistle to each other as well as myself.  It's like a party!  Currently, I have Buster and Joshua (my greys) as well as Apollo and Minna, two guest greys.  I can see their inquisitiveness in watching each other.  They mimic the other's phrases and continue to learn. I'm wondering if my two greys will start saying, "Gotta go to work, make some money, to go to Gayle's!" Apollo is an exceptional talker and seems to love coming here.  They also mimic the behaviors such as eating and climbing.  Timid greys come out of their shell and boisterous greys settle down to the routine easily.  

Why Parrot Nanny?

Recently I was contacted about potentially boarding two cockatiels here.  Trying to negotiate the rate, the mom suggested that the two tiels remain in their cages and only eat the Kaytee seed that she would bring.  That's not what Parrot Nanny is all about.

I pride the bird care here on quality care, out of cage time, excellent foods, misting showers, and attentive experienced observation.  Each bird experiences a vacation of their own.

I would follow any instruction to the tee to make the client feel comfortable.  After all, I am at their service.  But I would strive to educate anyone who feels a caged life of seed only is not doing any parrot justice.  Our birds deserve more. 

Here is what life is like around here for cockatiels!  They truly have a ball.



Fresh Air and Flight Time




Sunshine or Shade?




Indoor Playtime Hanging Out



 All the bird guests at Parrot Nanny get top notch treatment.    Again, I respect any request for special diet, or not to go outside, or even to remain in the cage. 

However, negotiations for rate discounts are solely based on length of stay and/or multiple birds.

Ben Gets A Visit from Kiku




Kiku Visits with Ben

  Kiku has returned for a mini vacation at Parrot Nanny.  When Kiku comes, the excitement is loud!  Ben loves Kiku and likewise from Kiku. Immediately Kiku got to work on Ben's pin feathers on the back of his neck.  They are allowed to fraternize for some of each day with both cages left open.  They hang out and climb around happily.  Oh happy day! 

However, one must be careful when approaching this area.  Kiku is VERY protective of old Ben.  He gets very possessive.  That's why this photo isn't very good.  I tried to capture their mutual bliss as they were cooing and chattering.  But Kiku alerted to the intrusion and placed himself between me and his buddy.