Ah sun conure having her fruit....

[nadinbrzezinski]

well I took today Connie, it is that time of the year to take all birds to the vet...

And while talking about their diet, I have rare birds. You see, our kids eat pretty good diets... since they eat what I cook. So today the rascals had some steak... yes we had that for lunch, they got some. Some cooked veggies and of course smashed potatoes.

Most parrots suffer all kinds of malnutrition (do I know it... Cookie was there) because people feed them candy, no fault of their own, with them bird mixes. but we were talking about it. I am one of the very few bird friends that actually feeds the birds such a mixed diet, lucky omnivores I got...

Of course she also got groomed, so she got really scared... her flight license is off until her next molt... but she is a happy bird.

If you have any of these exotic birds and have access to a good avian vet, do talk diet with him or her. A good diet is essential for their well being... hell and long life... right Tuky, our senior citizen in the house... only a 23 year old Tiel... and he is now walking all over again, now that his meds are given every day... twice a day.

Yep, one more bird to go to the vet... our Nanday... he is such a handsome boy. After seventeen years he still has pink feet.

[david13]

1. Good for you, etc. A question. Well, it relates to my cat also.

As my cat does the same thing.
I was out at Anacapa island, home to about a million sea birds. One part is the white gull types, every 5 or 10 feet.
The other part, the brown pelican every 5 or 10 feet. But the birds, not all but some, some are silent, but others sit there all the time and squawk their heads off. I looked at some of the birds. I even asked them, what were they squawking about. The silent ones remained silent, and the squawkers would squawk without regard to my voice or my presence.
My cat does it also a lot. Just meows as loud as he can. The vet says, maybe he just likes to squawk.
Any ideas what, or why, or what they are saying?
dc

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. Don't know, the birds that squak, from experience

have needs that need meeting. Our boys will squak when they want to go to bed, or in the morning when it is time to wake up... yes me, do silly human tricks... somebody has to feed them breakfast... and if they need something. Water comes to mind.

Also it might be an Alpha bird kind of a thing, the dominant ones leading the chorus.

[elleng]

2. Any pics you can share, nadin?

Would love to have a bird or so, but landlord says 'no.' Had Cockatiel, and loved her! Watched her learning!

Heard a bird or 2 from neighbor's window, and may try to visit.

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. One of these days I should post them in my blog, easier than the

flicker account to be honest

[elleng]

5. Thanks for reply.

I met neighbor, with his beautiful African Grey yesterday! Walking to his car! NICE guy, apologized first in case squawks had disturbed me!

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. Those are so intelligent birds

and I am watching Tuky taking his afternoon nap. He is a 23 year old 'Tiel... not young anymore.

I wish others could share the joys (and work) that comes from keeping these guys. THough I would say most bird owners are really not fit for it. They are not pets... not in the normal sense that is.

[elleng]

7. Right. Neighbor said he's never been in a cage,

could never be because he'd figure out how to get out! Brain as 'good' as dolphins + some others.

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. We do keep two of them in cage for sleep

but the Nanday has been known to get out when no one is looking.

The Tiel mostly does not stay in cage... but they still need limits. We are dealing with three years old that never grow up, my eternal toddlers.

[elleng]

9. His Grey is 3!

I think he said 'house trained!'

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. Yeah connie is house trained

ah the fun years are still ahead, that is the teen age years. The only advantage over their human counterparts, they don't ask for the keys. After that I am not so sure

[mopinko]

11. a pelleted food is better than nothing.

variety is best for their psyche if not their body. but it is hard to expand the diet of a lot of birds. i think that sharing your food with them is the best way. if not, if you can get them to accept a pelleted diet, at least it is nutritionally balanced. boring, but balanced. and only one hurdle.

i have a lory who is very picky. she loves her nectar, and eats a few fruits. but she will not touch corn or broccoli, which a lot of them love. and lory pellets are for throwing on the floor.

the timneh grey will take a bite out of anything that i will share, and eats most of the moveable feast that shows up in her dish. pellets, nutriberries, this seed mix, that seed mix, avicakes, a bite of bread, a little chicken.

the budgies are spoiled. they eat their pellets when the seed is all gone. if i don't give them the pellets alone at least a few days a week, they will start to hold out to see what is in the dish tomorrow.

the big girls are very overdue for the vet, and the nail trimming. i can get them to let me do it, but i just can't seem to get a light enough touch. they are always bleeding. especially the lory. her nails are black and they grow like crazy. and she does let me know when i get it too short. time to let them hate the vet.

birds are not like other pets, tho, you are right. they are still wild things, however much they might like that we feed them. and if you can't take a bite once in a while, don't get a bird. the timneh is very measured, and only bites for a reason. the lory, well, i guess she has a reason in that goofy brain somewhere, but spray bottles and hand held showers just don't register as weapons of mass destruction to me. brooms, ok. but....

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. on bytes

it is funny, the cockatiel has bitten me three times in almost 24 years. And the three of them, it as my damn fault. One was after a quake. Bird was freaked, got hand in there... well he bit.

Second one was over holding him for a procedure, he was freaked

The last one I "stepped" on his tail feathers. He pinched my toe.

The Nanday and the Sun will byte more often.

The Sun is being a sweetheart right now... she is a good girl...

But I always remember, these are wild animals and I am part of THEIR flock. It is an honor in a way.

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. Oh finally done wiht the check ups for the three kids

they all are in excellent health, even our now almost 24 year old cockatiel. He needs his meds, picked them up when I took the last parrot for his checkup. That is the Nanday

He had his feathers clipped, and crazy bird was flying all over the place.

He's such a calm bird, even if a little wild.

He's just a good boy overall, and after almost losing him to a bad diet, it is a pleasure to have him going around, and even scaring all of us with his flight antics.