|
@Tofu Terry remove the box. Going to take two weeks for the bird to fully trust you and it's new environment, so long as it's eating everything is normal. Don't let it out of the cage. @Inglonias You have two options that I can see: 1. Get a pair of birds, budgies or lovebirds are a good option, they won't bond to you in the same way a single bird will but as you will be out all day it will help prevent boredom which is where feather plucking comes from. 2. finches, for the love of god not zebra finches the beeping will drive you mad, 4-6 finches in a decent sized cage are more interesting than TV. These happy little fellows last about 3 years and are ideal starter birds and if you put the work in they can be trained to perch on your finger and whatnot.
|
#
?
Oct 8, 2016 20:25
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 23, 2024 20:33 |
|
|
Thanks for the response! I'll take out the box and keep an eye on the food.
|
|
#
?
Oct 8, 2016 20:48
|
|
|
learnincurve posted:... Right, but that doesn't solve the issue that I see of these birds being super fragile. Finches and budgies are about the same size. Forget a bird plucking itself, I'm scared that I'll go to bed or to work and come back to find the bird or birds dead because I wasn't there to help it. On the other hand, that concern may be because I sped through this thread in the course of a work week, and I saw about half a dozen "My bird died and I don't know why" posts spread over three to four years. Now that I type it out it sounds kind of silly. A bird that would require 24 hour care to avoid killing itself in its sleep would truly be the most  of birds, and probably doesn't exist, right? (Obviously it happens sometimes, but not as often as I think)
|
|
#
?
Oct 8, 2016 21:46
|
|
|
Finches are tiny  Birds are fragile arseholes just sometimes, all it is is something you should know and get your head around so if A Bad Thing does happen then you know it's not your fault and there is nothing you could have done. I don't know of any bird that requires 24 hour a day care (even Mango who is a dick about his water). Birds are simple to look after, clean secure cage, food in a pot, water in another pot, and toys. They are much happier if they have a friend if you are out all day though.
|
|
#
?
Oct 8, 2016 22:13
|
|
|
The self-satisfied look of a bird who has just pilfered half a dozen treats worth of remaining millet and knows I know he'll bite me if I try and take it. He is really enjoying the playstand so far. Yelling from wanting to be near us but having no suitable place for us to monitor him is down, biting aggression from being high up is down, tendency to step up and behave is way up, and it's much easier for me to quickly praise and treat him for going potty on something that is not me or making good, non-yelling sounds. It might just be a coincidence but he went on command once today and then we had a little cuddle 
|
|
#
?
Oct 8, 2016 22:19
|
|
|
Look at that smug fucker
|
|
#
?
Oct 8, 2016 23:55
|
|
|
learnincurve posted:2. finches, for the love of god not zebra finches the beeping will drive you mad, 4-6 finches in a decent sized cage are more interesting than TV. These happy little fellows last about 3 years and are ideal starter birds and if you put the work in they can be trained to perch on your finger and whatnot. Counterpoint: zebra finches are cute as hell even the never ending beeping at anything even remotely squeaky. I had a pair that had two babbies that we kept, both male, and you could hear how they'd copied their dad's song into their own-one of them improved on it and made it longer and more elaborate, and the other was terrible and only managed a butchered version that lasted about two seconds before repeating I loved mine so much, and they were hardy lil' bastards  They were ???, 8, 9, 11, and 14 at the points they finally decided enoughSociety finches are really good too subpar anachronism posted:The self-satisfied look of a bird who has just pilfered half a dozen treats worth of remaining millet and knows I know he'll bite me if I try and take it. That playstand looks pretty nice; I think some other posters in the thread have it too? Never seen it or anything like it available around here-Inko might have liked it because the perches are thinner and easier to hold on to
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2016 12:24
|
|
|
Something I came across while watching dumb videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3IdY13fwLs&t=149s
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2016 13:40
|
|
|
My first birds were four white crested bengalese finches, ringo, paul, george and john, naturally, and they were the most awesome birds a young girl could have. Once got out in my room and I got to witness my mother running around like a mad woman with a net which was the funniest thing ever. Then 25 later my budgies got out and as I was jumping from bed to floor with my net, I noticed my daughter sat on the floor pissing herself laughing and truly knew what karma was.
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2016 13:57
|
|
|
Aussie bird crazies, there's a backyard bird count happening in your country in about a week http://aussiebirdcount.org.au
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2016 16:01
|
|
|
Budgie started eating and drinking today, and somehow does not have a name yet. Definitely male though, the cere is really bright blue. We're thinking Diego. Also looking after this bird while my roommate is out makes me kind of want a bird of my own tbh.
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2016 17:33
|
|
|
I had to put an extra lock on Charlie's cage because I was greeted by him sitting on my nightstand and yelling at me to wake up the past two mornings
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2016 18:08
|
|
|
Had both conures out getting scritches, trying to get them used to each other with no bad experiences, Ohtori was quarantined for safety reasons  At night and had to get sneaky photos to not accidentally set either conure into a fury
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2016 19:51
|
|
|
Battle Pigeon posted:Had both conures out getting scritches, trying to get them used to each other with no bad experiences, Ohtori was quarantined for safety reasons Aw Glad to know I'm not the only one who has birds that get weirdly mad when I point my phone at them.
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2016 19:58
|
|
|
Slaughterhouse-Ive posted:I had to put an extra lock on Charlie's cage because I was greeted by him sitting on my nightstand and yelling at me to wake up the past two mornings  "GUESS WHO'S FREE AGAIN!?"
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2016 20:00
|
|
|
Neddy Seagoon posted:
Dreggon's horror movie is ever closer to being real
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2016 20:01
|
|
|
My cages have side doors for attaching nest boxes because they're super huge breeder cages. I opened one of those to do something in Charlie's cage and he immediately started fiddling with it and that's how he broke out a couple of days later. I actually avoided opening them in Charlie's cage for a long time because I was worried about that. Note that I've been doing the same thing in the cockatiel cage and they've never even thought to try it to break out
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2016 20:21
|
|
|
This morning I went to a local aviary/bird shop (not a PetSmart, an actual local shop) and I hung out there for about an hour. All of the s had already been sold, so I wasn't allowed to handle them (for liability reasons, the store didn't let me interact with birds that had been sold to someone). These birds liked to grab my fingers with their beaks (I wouldn't call it biting, since none of them broke skin), but there was a caique in the back who liked to also grab my finger with their feet. I played with that one the most, I think. Had a little tickle fight with them. I asked a bunch of questions about bird care to the employees and later during my visit, two different people came in who happened to have been the buyers of some of those birds. They let me interact with their birds a bit. They're keeping them at the store for now, I guess to socialize them before making a commitment to bringing them home. I feel a lot better about my ability to keep one or two cockatiels healthy if I bought or adopted them than I did before I took this little trip. My living situation (parents say no birds in their house, and we have a large dog anyhow) and cost (I can't afford to rent an apartment by myself with my job, never mind own and care for a pet in one) still prevent me from buying a bird, but I did buy a handbook to caring for cockatiels. I also found a relatively close bird adoption center. They're having a class next weekend (they require anyone who wants to adopt to take one of these classes first) and I think I'll go. Not like I have much better to do. Not posting pictures because I only took three. One was blurry, and the other two were of a pair of sulpher cockatoos that were second-hand. One had plucked all the feathers around their ears, and the other had plucked their chest so much that there was a wound there. I brought it up with the employees, and they said that they knew that already, and that it looked worse than it was. They apparently only do that in the summer, and it heals in winter.
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2016 20:37
|
|
|
Does anyone have a link to that vine of the caique jumping to disco music? I lost that link and boy am i in a mood for caique
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2016 21:02
|
|
|
Why don't you ask if you can volunteer at the bird adoption centre? If you are a handy sort of a person then that would be a real bonus for them.
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2016 21:04
|
|
|
How can I work on curbing screaming when I leave the room if I'm not there? If both my husband and I are home if one of leaves the room Mochi screams incessantly until whoever it was left returns. I've been trying to consistently say 'bye bye' and 'I'm back' so he understands when we're leaving but I don't think it's sunk in yet. e: I think he thinks we're giving into his screams because hey, if I yell long enough they eventually come back right?
uranium grass fucked around with this message at 01:43 on Oct 10, 2016 |
|
#
?
Oct 10, 2016 01:40
|
|
|
 This is Flip, a boy potato of ????unknown age???? currently at the Wacol RSPCA campus. e:  Get yourself a 2yo female CROWS EVERYWHERE fucked around with this message at 04:54 on Oct 10, 2016 |
|
#
?
Oct 10, 2016 04:51
|
|
|
do not get the clay golem for 25 dollarydoos you will wake up and it will be staring...
|
|
#
?
Oct 10, 2016 05:31
|
|
|
CROWS EVERYWHERE posted:
I get clipping wings but did they clip her tail??
|
|
#
?
Oct 10, 2016 05:32
|
|
|
subpar anachronism posted:I get clipping wings but did they clip her tail?? If she's like other birds I've seen, and judging by the fact she's an RSPCA bird, she may have been kept in a cage too small for her and not let out enough, or flapped around in a small cage while stressed. That can cause the tail feathers to get worn down like that. Some birds also pluck out their tails when they're stressed. Sometimes cockatiels or other birds get night terrors and flap around and damage their tails. There are other reasons like that that don't involve stress or bad conditions (there are some perfectly well-cared-for birds posted here occasionally with stumpy tails) but given that she's a rescued or surrendered pet I'd guess that's probably it.
|
|
#
?
Oct 10, 2016 06:17
|
|
|
When my dad had a little sparrow she also had a stumpy tail for a while after she tried harassing a wild parrot when she was outside (trying to get her to go back into the wild, didn't work very well) and got her tail feathers yanked out 
|
|
#
?
Oct 10, 2016 06:19
|
|
|
chickenbutt
|
|
#
?
Oct 10, 2016 06:51
|
|
|
subpar anachronism posted:How can I work on curbing screaming when I leave the room if I'm not there? If both my husband and I are home if one of leaves the room Mochi screams incessantly until whoever it was left returns. I've been trying to consistently say 'bye bye' and 'I'm back' so he understands when we're leaving but I don't think it's sunk in yet. You simply never, ever come back while he's screaming-he's yelling for you, so by not being there while he's yelling, that is you teaching him that it isn't going to work. The "Bye bye" as a signal is good, especially if you close the door then and no other time, so he'll really get it. Just, be prepared for literal hours of screaming before it cuts down. He's going through the "extinction burst" phase (lookit up for better explanation). Try to wait for even 30 seconds minimum quiet before you go in, and when you do, quietly praise the hell out of him for being Quiet/Nice/Whatever words you want to link with chill time. Instantly shut up and leave when he yells again. He probably already does understand, he's just pushing those boundaries (and will forever to some extent) and being hopeful
|
|
#
?
Oct 10, 2016 12:35
|
|
|
"ok who's moulting?" all four birds look shifty
|
|
#
?
Oct 10, 2016 12:59
|
|
|
CROWS EVERYWHERE posted:If she's like other birds I've seen, and judging by the fact she's an RSPCA bird, she may have been kept in a cage too small for her and not let out enough, or flapped around in a small cage while stressed. That can cause the tail feathers to get worn down like that. Some birds also pluck out their tails when they're stressed. GoldStandardConure posted:chickenbutt just gonna leave this here in case anybody forgot about that time Skillet had a duck butt    
|
|
#
?
Oct 10, 2016 13:45
|
|
|
Mirthless posted:just gonna leave this here in case anybody forgot about that time Skillet had a duck butt Skillet is too adorably cute and I demand more pictures! More! Question for y'all that have moved. Is it ok to keep the birds in their travel cages for the night? I'm trying to sort logistics of when I can get their cages over there vs when my bed will be there.
|
|
#
?
Oct 10, 2016 14:14
|
|
|
Yes you can. We kept Teeka in one of those shoeboxes for boots when we moved from Chicago to Denver Not literally, but compared to his normal cage might as well have been. Also he was out as much as possible but he had to sleep in there
|
|
#
?
Oct 10, 2016 15:18
|
|
|
Battle Pigeon posted:You simply never, ever come back while he's screaming-he's yelling for you, so by not being there while he's yelling, that is you teaching him that it isn't going to work. The "Bye bye" as a signal is good, especially if you close the door then and no other time, so he'll really get it. Just, be prepared for literal hours of screaming before it cuts down. He's going through the "extinction burst" phase (lookit up for better explanation). Try to wait for even 30 seconds minimum quiet before you go in, and when you do, quietly praise the hell out of him for being Quiet/Nice/Whatever words you want to link with chill time. Instantly shut up and leave when he yells again. He probably already does understand, he's just pushing those boundaries (and will forever to some extent) and being hopeful This is going to be hard since we have a one bedroom apartment and the bedroom is pretty much sleep zone only because of poor power outlet placement, but you gotta do what you gotta do. I think I'll run an extension cord in there so I can use my phone. I would much rather deal with these things now than for another year before I tire of it completely and it's even harder to shake off as a habit. Also lookit that duckbutt on wee babby skillet. Interesting to read there are multiple reasons for the shorn tail, I hadn't seen a short tail before except in duckbutted babies.e: I have a ton of good earplugs for sleep so I'm going to make use of them uranium grass fucked around with this message at 15:31 on Oct 10, 2016 |
|
#
?
Oct 10, 2016 15:28
|
|
|
Eejit posted:Yes you can. We kept Teeka in one of those shoeboxes for boots when we moved from Chicago to Denver Oh thank god, my move time is 8 am and I'm like, no way I'm gonna have them trucking furniture around with birds present. Cages over there today, travel cages tonight and then I'll pop them in the spare room
|
|
#
?
Oct 10, 2016 15:44
|
|
|
subpar anachronism posted:This is going to be hard since we have a one bedroom apartment and the bedroom is pretty much sleep zone only because of poor power outlet placement, but you gotta do what you gotta do. I think I'll run an extension cord in there so I can use my phone. I would much rather deal with these things now than for another year before I tire of it completely and it's even harder to shake off as a habit. Also lookit that duckbutt on wee babby skillet. We're in the same situation, a 42m2 apartment (around 400 square ft??), one bedroom useless for anything other than sleeping and storage, and computer/bird room where it all happens. It sucks but it's so great to be able to say Bye Bye and not have screaming follow, or to hang out and have kissing or bell ringing for attention instead of screaming. And in the morning Inko will try kissing and talking before yelling to get uncovered Actually this morning he was making tiny muttering noises, and we were still in bed (so another room), and I said something about how he was being a good bird by being quiet-instantly HEY THERE BABY!!!! HEY BABY!! BIRDIE!! Then when I'd stopped laughing and said how I love that he clearly listens in to conversations, and to the specific sounds/words, he started kissing as loud as possible
|
|
#
?
Oct 10, 2016 17:18
|
|
|
conures are the greatest e: double 
LITERALLY A BIRD fucked around with this message at 01:18 on Oct 11, 2016 |
|
#
?
Oct 10, 2016 17:27
|
|
|
potty training is going very successfully (probably because it is aided by millet)! I told Mochi to go potty and he turned himself around and went off the side of his playstand (which is fine, we newspapered up the area around the coffee table for just that reason). I haven't really owned a bird this smart since my family had an amazon when I was a little girl (and they were not very good bird parents in hindsight). It is weird to be excited about pooping but here we are. How do you guys get variety in your chop, and how much are you offering a day for smaller birds serving wise? I've been relying on frozen stuff from the grocery store since it's already snow season in Canada, supplementing with fresh raw stuff when possible. Usually in the morning it's a little bit of broccoli, some sweet potato or squash, and half a tbs-sized bird bread (made with pellets, greens, a little bit of plain bird safe grains, and as many other veggies as I could sneakily pack in there). He usually drops more on the floor than he eats but I want the option to be there. Pellets are available consistently in his cage.
|
|
#
?
Oct 10, 2016 18:00
|
|
|
Yeah, we live in a loft studio apartment, so the only place to put Alexis when her screaming got too intense was in the bathroom, with no windows or anything. It worked, though, but it wasn't ideal and that was one of the many reasons I felt we weren't going to be able to get her incessant yelling down to an acceptable level in our current living situation, which is pretty much permanent without renovating the place.
|
|
#
?
Oct 10, 2016 19:41
|
|
|
Current birb status: soft but nibbly.
|
|
#
?
Oct 11, 2016 01:43
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 23, 2024 20:33 |
|
|
taco tuesday
|
|
#
?
Oct 11, 2016 12:43
|
|