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Pile of Kittens
Apr 23, 2005

Why does everything STILL smell like pussy?

alucinor posted:

When he's feeling particularly bitey I offer him his reward off a wooden spoon so that he can't use the reward as an excuse to bite. He has a history of saying "gimmie kiss" and then biting people's noses.

I'm pretty sure it was a Goffin's in a pet store that said "gimme kiss" to my boyfriend, then stole his glasses and flung them across the store, cackling madly. Birds are jerks.

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Shark Sandwich
Sep 6, 2010

by R. Guyovich
I was at a bird store that had an Amazon that looked at me and said "Pick Me Up!" so I picked him up and he bit me, hopped back onto his perch and just kept saying "LOL"

marshmallard
Apr 15, 2005

This post is about me.

Deadly Chlorine posted:

Indeed, when I saw his picture my heart just melted and I needed to have a blue throat conure. So adorable :3:

My friend keeps several lovebirds and they entertain each other pretty well, maybe you could look into keeping more than one small parrot? Though in your situation I would advise finches though. They can be tamed to like scratches and all that, my other friend has a bulbul and a canary and a whydah that will just chill on his hand, eat food and let him rub their heads. :3:

EDIT: Oh my god I cannot stand the adorableness

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvRzAUNlXt0

I swear to god all ringnecks are born adorable and stay that way. They'll eat your finger, but still. :3:

That video just reminds me of how incredibly annoying Peep was about trying to bite/nibble/climb into my mouth. ALL THE TIME.

Sweet CupnCakes
Feb 13, 2007

Did you ever walk in a room and forget why you walked in? I think that's how dogs spend their lives.
My boyfriend and I have been visiting the birdy store and we both want birds in the future. We are looking for a place right now so maybe in the next year or so. A couple of birds I have fallen in love with at the store were Cacique (Spelling?) and a very pretty Eclectus bird. Would anyone be able to give me more information on those?

Also, I am really worried about spending a ton of money on a birdy only to have it hate me one day. Are all birds into only guys or only girls or is it just dependent on the bird? I just hear people say 'oh he hates girls so be careful' and that makes me nervous. The lady at the bird store says most birds pick a sex but I am wondering if that is true.

Also, this whole bird puberty thing....it scares me. I already am getting used to bird beaks. They scare me cause I think they can take a finger or eye at any moment. So any bird we get will go through this and possibly want to skin me alive? Or is it different intensity depending on the type of bird?

Thanks for the info!

Kenshin
Jan 10, 2007

Sweet CupnCakes posted:

My boyfriend and I have been visiting the birdy store and we both want birds in the future. We are looking for a place right now so maybe in the next year or so. A couple of birds I have fallen in love with at the store were Cacique (Spelling?) and a very pretty Eclectus bird. Would anyone be able to give me more information on those?

Also, I am really worried about spending a ton of money on a birdy only to have it hate me one day. Are all birds into only guys or only girls or is it just dependent on the bird? I just hear people say 'oh he hates girls so be careful' and that makes me nervous. The lady at the bird store says most birds pick a sex but I am wondering if that is true.

Also, this whole bird puberty thing....it scares me. I already am getting used to bird beaks. They scare me cause I think they can take a finger or eye at any moment. So any bird we get will go through this and possibly want to skin me alive? Or is it different intensity depending on the type of bird?

Thanks for the info!
You may want to go the route that Lenswork and I have gone with. Adopt a post-puberty bird that simply needs a new home due to life circumstances of the owner.

We had a lot of the exact same concerns.

As for birds liking just one gender, it happens, but no, it's not a Thing, any more than it is with dogs or cats (it happens there too).

Training is extremely important for bird behavior such at biting.

If you're really worried about biting you should be looking at a smaller species. That said, while a very angry Eclectus (or other similar-size parrot) can make you bleed, it won't take your finger off.

Andrias Scheuchzeri
Mar 6, 2010

They're very good and intelligent, these tapa-boys...
It's reasonably common for parrots to favor one type of person or another--whether that means they prefer men, or they warm up faster to petite women, or whatever. But it's not a certainty. Parrot puberty...well, yeah, that's bound to happen, it can be awful or okay. Some species are more likely to be difficult than others.

Caiques have the reputation of being VERY high-energy clowns, and potentially quite temperamental. Eclectus parrots are pretty interesting in that the difference between males and females behaviorally (not just in coloration) can be very marked. Pretty much every baby parrot is adorable and fun, just like puppies, so going by "we really liked this one in the store" isn't your best bet.

Have you owned birds before? What qualities are you looking for--noise levels, playfulness, cuddliness, size, lifespan? What kind of daily time do you expect to have, long-term, for a bird? This kind of stuff helps you think about what birds might be right for you.

Captain Log
Oct 2, 2006

Captain Log posted:

"I AINT DYING! Choo choo motherfucker!"
:toot::birddrugs::toot:

I once saw a conure in a bin o' conures without a top. It somehow managed to escape, run across the counter to a waiting customer, bite him, then run back and jump into its cage head first while cackling madly.

Deep Thoreau
Aug 16, 2008

Deadly Chlorine posted:

Indeed, when I saw his picture my heart just melted and I needed to have a blue throat conure. So adorable :3:

My friend keeps several lovebirds and they entertain each other pretty well, maybe you could look into keeping more than one small parrot? Though in your situation I would advise finches though. They can be tamed to like scratches and all that, my other friend has a bulbul and a canary and a whydah that will just chill on his hand, eat food and let him rub their heads. :3:

EDIT: Oh my god I cannot stand the adorableness

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvRzAUNlXt0

I swear to god all ringnecks are born adorable and stay that way. They'll eat your finger, but still. :3:

Listen guys. I'm not a bird person. Really I'm not. Most of the time I find them kinda creepy. But holy poo poo I :3: so hard, and now I Want That Bird. The old thread taught me about eye pinning, and I noticed his eye goin' crazy, he's really enjoying his interaction with that lady! Also that color, so pretty! :swoon:

Why must you do this to me? I can't afford a bird right now don't make me want one. :mad:

Sweet CupnCakes
Feb 13, 2007

Did you ever walk in a room and forget why you walked in? I think that's how dogs spend their lives.

Andrias Scheuchzeri posted:

It's reasonably common for parrots to favor one type of person or another--whether that means they prefer men, or they warm up faster to petite women, or whatever. But it's not a certainty. Parrot puberty...well, yeah, that's bound to happen, it can be awful or okay. Some species are more likely to be difficult than others.

Caiques have the reputation of being VERY high-energy clowns, and potentially quite temperamental. Eclectus parrots are pretty interesting in that the difference between males and females behaviorally (not just in coloration) can be very marked. Pretty much every baby parrot is adorable and fun, just like puppies, so going by "we really liked this one in the store" isn't your best bet.

Have you owned birds before? What qualities are you looking for--noise levels, playfulness, cuddliness, size, lifespan? What kind of daily time do you expect to have, long-term, for a bird? This kind of stuff helps you think about what birds might be right for you.

I am a herper at heart. I have owned cockatiels in the past because my parents liked them but they only lasted a few years until a neighbor kid asked my parents if he could buy them. My mom was sorta sick of the noise so she did. I liked the cockatiels and one of them could sing the Andy Griffith song which was cool but they didn't like anyone and didn't ever want to be touched. So, I don't have a lot of experience. I also don't believe in getting animals without doing research so this is why I am starting now.

My boyfriend wants a big bird. He really likes cockatoos or parrots. I don't know how he can stand the loudness of them personally and I know that cockatoos are very prone to emotional issues and plucking. Parrots just freak me out. (When I say parrot I mean the big ones, Macaws I think).

Personally speaking the playfulness of the Caciques was what made me love them. There were two and they were fighting over a ball and laying on their backs and just being the biggest clowns. They didn't scare me cause they were small and very cute. I would prefer a bird that likes to be touched or held, one that can do okay with long periods of alone time. I work full time and always will. My boyfriend has a varied schedule because he maintains fish aquariums for a living so he can be home when I am not. I don't really mind noise, the cockatiels didn't bother me, but I don't like the extremely loud screaming some of the Macaws were making.

I know nothing about birds really other than they need a lot of attention, you can't cook with teflon, they need to be entertained, and many are not suitable for an apartment. We are looking for an apartment and I don't see us having a house for many years so it would have to be something that wouldn't annoy the neighbors too much.

Perhaps this ideal bird does not exist but who knows. The Lorikeet they had was HILARIOUS but bit me really hard and wouldn't let go. I know, I am assuming with birds I WILL get bit a lot. It's like me with snakes, I know I will get bit eventually dealing with as many snakes as I do.

My boyfriend also likes green cheek conures which were mentioned earlier but I was always under the impression they were SUPER loud. But I think someone said earlier that only some of them are super loud.

Anyways, does this info help at all?

Kenshin
Jan 10, 2007
Yeah, you should probably be looking for a Conure (of some variety, some are quieter than others), Quaker (depending on their legality in your area) Cockatiel (yes, they can be very snuggly), Parrotlet, or other similar small parrot species.

LITERALLY A BIRD
Sep 27, 2008

I knew you were trouble
when you flew in

I'm only slightly incredibly biased due to owning a green-cheek/black-cap hybrid (see avatar), but even before I got to the end of your post and saw that you've been considering a GCC I wanted to recommend the species to you. Aratinga conures, like suns and jendays, are very, very loud, but pyrrhura conures (green cheeks, maroon bellies, black caps) are one of the quieter parrots. The vast majority of my conure's utterances are little grunts, croaks, and purrs. My cockatiel Rosy, by comparison, spends a lot of time being shrill just for the fun of it.

Green cheeks are often described as a big parrot in a little body: they're outgoing, curious, feisty, playful, and oh so cuddly. They can be taught tricks including rolling over, playing dead, and dancing -- I've never done much trick work with Amadeus but he flops on his back in my hand when he wants to be extra cute, and has been known to scamper upside-down along the ceiling of his cage and hang from perches when he thinks he should be let out. He wants to spend the vast majority of his time on me, near me, or being scritched by me, but when I'm at work he entertains himself with jingly-balls and bells and toilet paper tubes.

I live in an apartment with very thin walls -- residents of my building can hear conversations held in the halls while in their apartments and vice versa. I've asked my neighbors whenever I run into them if my birds' sounds are a problem, and I'm assured that they're not.

I've always been a bird person; I grew up with my cockatiel and love her, but I wasn't what might affectionately be called a crazy bird lady until I got Amadeus. If you have the time to spend with a tiny bundle of love and mischief, I think you'll find that a GCC is the best bird for you. :3:

Battle Pigeon
Nov 7, 2011

I am dancing potato
give me millet


Green Cheeks can be loud, but nowhere near as loud as a cockatoo or macaw, etc. They're recommended for apartment dwellers. See if you can go somewhere where you can listen to them in person, and maybe even handle them.

The little birds are capable of drawing blood too, even cockatiels, but birds that are treated well and who aren't naturally vicious assholes (rare) will not bite hard unless you're really pushing them. They'll quickly learn how much pressure to apply, and then will only beak you unless you piss them off in some way-like not respecting boundaries, or forcing them to do something, or they're furious and unable to reach what is making them angry so they'll redirect to you. Puberty will possibly make them more prone to getting annoyed or testing limits, but generally if you listen to their body language and don't put them in situations where they feel they have to bite, they usually won't.

DarkHorse
Dec 13, 2006

Vroom Vroom, BEEP BEEP!
Nap Ghost
I would definitely recommend a conure, probably a green cheek, from what you describe. They can be such clowns and are generally adorable little assholes.

To add to biting chat: a lot of it can be corrected with training, both the bird as well as the owner. Birds react extremely poorly to positive punishment (by which I mean adding a bad thing) but will respond to negative punishment (removing fun things). As an example, you should never ever use pain to correct behavior, but putting the bird on the floor or in a boring room for a few minutes can be used to correct behavior. A much better way is a positive reward for when the bird is behaving well if you can manage it. In all cases it's important to read the bird's body language and respect their moods. They are very intelligent creatures with good memories, and smart things hate sensory deprivation.

More important, though, is training the owners and the people that interact with the bird. Parrots only have two grasping "hands" that double as feet, so when they climb they almost always have to use their beak as well. They will use it to test how sturdy a new support is (like your hand) before committing their weight to it, so you should be prepared for that. In addition, if they do bite, it's important that you do not react (if you can help it) and to not pull away from the bird. Depending on it's mentality, it might have learned that biting people makes them make funny noises (and making loud noises is FUN! :buddy: LET'S SHOUT SOME MORE!). Alternatively, if it's just an innocent mistake, yelling can startle the bird and get it to clamp harder. Also, consider a bird that is partially supported by a hand and clamped down: pulling your bitten hand away will pull on the bird, and it will have to hold on harder to keep its balance. It's better to gently push towards the bird and try to get it to release.

With conures you're most likely to get a nasty ding and maybe a small amount of blood, more like an oozing spot than a torrent. It will hurt for a day or two, but most birds that size will not do serious damage unless they are really, really traumatized.

DarkHorse fucked around with this message at 01:13 on Nov 1, 2012

Frozen Pizza Party
Dec 13, 2005

DarkHorse posted:

I would definitely recommend a conure, probably a green cheek, from what you describe. They can be such clowns and are generally adorable little assholes.

To add to biting chat: a lot of it can be corrected with training, both the bird as well as the owner. Birds react extremely poorly to positive punishment (by which I mean adding a bad thing) but will respond to negative punishment (removing fun things). As an example, you should never ever use pain to correct behavior, but putting the bird on the floor or in a boring room for a few minutes can be used to correct behavior. A much better way is a positive reward for when the bird is behaving well if you can manage it. In all cases it's important to read the bird's body language and respect their moods. They are very intelligent creatures with good memories, and smart things hate sensory deprivation.

More important, though, is training the owners and the people that interact with the bird. Parrots only have two grasping "hands" that double as feet, so when they climb they almost always have to use their beak as well. They will use it to test how sturdy a new support is (like your hand) before committing their weight to it, so you should be prepared for that. In addition, if they do bite, it's important that you do not react (if you can help it) and to not pull away from the bird. Depending on it's mentality, it might have learned that biting people makes them make funny noises (and making loud noises is FUN! :buddy: LET'S SHOUT SOME MORE!). Alternatively, if it's just an innocent mistake, yelling can startle the bird and get it to clamp harder. Also, consider a bird that is partially supported by a hand and clamped down: pulling your bitten hand away will pull on the bird, and it will have to hold on harder to keep its balance. It's better to gently push towards the bird and try to get it to release.

With conures you're most likely to get a nasty ding and maybe a small amount of blood, more like an oozing spot than a torrent. It will hurt for a day or two, but most birds that size will not do serious damage unless they are really, really traumatized.

Or come from a place where human interaction was slim (PetCo is where we got Ritz) sometimes my hands look like those of a meth addict with all the small cuts and punctures.

LITERALLY A BIRD
Sep 27, 2008

I knew you were trouble
when you flew in

DarkHorse posted:

In addition, if they do bite, it's important that you do not react (if you can help it) and to not pull away from the bird. Depending on it's mentality, it might have learned that biting people makes them make funny noises (and making loud noises is FUN! :buddy: LET'S SHOUT SOME MORE!). Alternatively, if it's just an innocent mistake, yelling can startle the bird and get it to clamp harder.

This is absolutely true when your bird is a new member of your home or is being an rear end in a top hat for the sake of being an rear end in a top hat: you don't want him to think he has the upper hand in your relationship. However (and if I'm completely wrong, please correct me) I think reacting with a show of pain is all right once the bird is bonded with you and you trust one another. Amadeus knows how hard he can bite if he's trying to warn me of "danger" or telling me to leave him alone, and if I yelp or pull away he immediately stops and is apologetic. It's rare a parrot intends to hurt his human companion, but their beaks are their most effective way to communicate fear or displeasure.

DarkHorse
Dec 13, 2006

Vroom Vroom, BEEP BEEP!
Nap Ghost
That's a very good point, thanks for making it. Since I cannot responsibly own a bird right now I function most often as a birdy ambassador, so sometimes I forget about established relationships. It's definitely good to let them know when they might have inadvertently caused you pain. Once you've built a bond of trust, your bird is not going to deliberately hurt you. Much. Unless it's really, really funny.

Basically I'm saying that birds are assholes.

:3:

Lenswork
Mar 27, 2010
Birds are assholes. At Zazu's, a large number of birds will say "HI!" or "I love you!" when you approach them. Not one of them means it, they all want to bite you and know that the stupid humans will come right over and provide lots of entertainment for them.

Yet I go back every week. One bird named Mika has taken to following me around. This would be easier if she knew if she liked me or not. Sometimes she wants to step up and hang out and eat a cracker. Sometimes she wants to own the food cart and bite my ankles.

Pile of Kittens
Apr 23, 2005

Why does everything STILL smell like pussy?


This is pretty much how me and my boyfriend are about birds, except reversed. I'm the one that demands that we have a bird, and he just goes along with it. I'm the one that's around during the day sometimes and on a random schedule, and he works a 9-5. We have a Green Cheek Conure.

I think what really makes it work is that we split responsibility. I implement training and take care of the day cage, and he cleans the night cage and entertains the bird when he's able to. We both have an interest in training, so he's willing to follow my lead and take an interest in her conditioning. I make sure that her overall social needs are met by having her out with me during the day whenever I'm around, and he's good for vet bills if she gets sick. He's also good for reassuring me when I start getting all freaked out because she's sneezing a little more than usual and I'm convinced she has avian flu and is about to die. Most importantly, he's great about reminding me to regularly clean the cage, because I'm terrible about intermittent deadlines like that.

What I'm saying is that like any pet, both of you need to have a reason to be interested and engaged with a bird. A GCC sounds like a good match for what you want, and for what your schedules can provide, assuming that he's willing to spend his home time with a poop machine on his shoulder and that you're willing to put a little extra effort in when you're home in the evening.

eta: boyfriend is ADD fallback device

Pile of Kittens fucked around with this message at 07:00 on Nov 1, 2012

Mad Hamish
Jun 15, 2008

WILL AMOUNT TO NOTHING IN LIFE.



alucinor posted:

Does she use sticks and stick-like toys to scratch herself with? If so, work on clicker training* to get her to allow you to scratch her with a stick, then work up to a head scritch with a finger. Make sure she knows that the head scritch will ONLY come with treats, never with any other unwanted touching (nail trimming, picking up, going back to cage, whatever). Keeping your hand curled into a specific position with only one or two fingers being used to scritch may help with that.

*I don't bother with actual clickers, my goffin is afraid of them, I just say GOO'BOOY in a particular tone that I don't use any other time.

Goffins are insanely smart. He's learned everything I've tried to teach him within a few repetitions. However, it HAS to be something he WANTS to do. No amount of sunflower seeds or mashed yams will get him to do something he doesn't want to do. If it's not, he'll make his whiney "nuh-uh" noise and sit there begging for the reward. But he learned to step up to go to "floor" and "window" and "back on house" in literally one repetition each.

When he's feeling particularly bitey I offer him his reward off a wooden spoon so that he can't use the reward as an excuse to bite. He has a history of saying "gimmie kiss" and then biting people's noses.

Generally speaking I can only touch her if her front end is busy with something enjoyable like millet or some red pepper or melon or something. "Oh hey, there's this human and I could rip his fingers off, but he's also holding this sweet sweet red pepper and NOM NOM NOM"

She doesn't seem to scratch herself on anything else in the cage. Unwanted touching is something that pretty much never happens as she really is a bitey little monster. I would like to trim her little Howard Hughes toenails but someone would be horribly scarred by it and I don't think it would be her.

Frankie is pretty drat smart. I've watched her deliberately drop things onto her canine nemesis, and I've also seen her turn around on her perch and poo poo on the dog, presumably on purpose. We can't have toys hanging in her cage because she undoes the little screw-on carabiners holding them up. She figured out how to do it after watching me put in some shreddy newspaper toys for her. She's a clever little bitch.

Jose Oquendo
Jun 20, 2004

Star Trek: The Motion Picture is a boring movie
I've found a few nearby breeders with GCC's and I've inquired about them. What size cage would you recommend for one? My mom has a few cages sitting around which I could use instead of buying a new one.

alucinor
May 21, 2003



Taco Defender

Mad Hamish posted:

We can't have toys hanging in her cage because she undoes the little screw-on carabiners holding them up.

HO HO HO, do I have the thing for you. Parrots can't unscrew these. I have the "Chewable Hangers" version; in addition to threading chewable blocks onto it, I take off the carabiner that comes with pre-made toys and thread one of the welded rings onto the hanging bar so the whole toy hangs off it.

Also try giant steel quicklinks. They're much harder to unscrew than the carabiners, Nim has several of these that he can't seem to undo.

Battle Pigeon
Nov 7, 2011

I am dancing potato
give me millet


Joe Don Baker posted:

I've found a few nearby breeders with GCC's and I've inquired about them. What size cage would you recommend for one? My mom has a few cages sitting around which I could use instead of buying a new one.

Minimum cage size is usually given as 18x18 or 20x20, but the bigger the better. No galvanised wire, round cages, etc. and keep in mind the things you may want to put inside-a Happy Hut can take up a fair amount of room, for example.

Andrias Scheuchzeri
Mar 6, 2010

They're very good and intelligent, these tapa-boys...

alucinor posted:

HO HO HO, do I have the thing for you. Parrots can't unscrew these. I have the "Chewable Hangers" version; in addition to threading chewable blocks onto it, I take off the carabiner that comes with pre-made toys and thread one of the welded rings onto the hanging bar so the whole toy hangs off it.


Those hanging skewers are the best. I've got a few of them and they're so versatile.

Wozbo
Jul 5, 2010
The larger the better. Try not to stay too vertical (think cube like is best), as I notice there's not a lot of room to make the bottom half interesting (I'm experimenting with this guys, I'll have a trip report later).

Things a conure will like:

Bells.
Happy hut.
Preening toy.
Oversized food and water bowls (especially water for getting good splashin and bathin on).
A "landing pad". The top part of my cage has a huge fold down that acts like a landing pad. HE LOVES THIS. Flies to it when he needs to poop, if we are in the room and he's hungry he'll get food, dip it in water, and then go up on it and be social while eating.
Think about one or two small external branches if the cage is nearby where you sit. I have a small concrete branch he uses to jump off and fly to me that's not by where the landing pad is. He's more comfy jumping off of that than the cage itself.

Other thing to note:
Get a computer plastic pad (the ones that prevent all sorts of wheel fuckery) and put the cage on top of that. You're gonna have poops up to 4 - 5 inches away from any edge of the cage, and this will make cleanup easier unless you are on some plastic tile. Ajax + water cuts up even the most caked on bird poops.

Deadly Chlorine
Nov 8, 2009

The accumulated filth of all the dog poop and hairballs will foam up about their waists and all the catladies and dog crazies will look up and shout "Save us!"
... and I'll look down and whisper
"No."

Also arguably the most important thing to look out for in a cage is bar spacing, if it's too large their heads might get stuck in between, which is very dangerous. Make sure only the conure's beak can fit through, or it's too big.

Oh yes, I've been thinking of getting my green cheek a happy hut, but I've heard stories where people's birds ate the lining or got trapped in a stray thread and died. Is this something I should be worrying about? :ohdear:

Wozbo
Jul 5, 2010
My green loves only the medium size green happy huts (they look like one size too big). I noticed he'd pick at one side (preening?), but once I got a preening toy that stopped. Also, make sure to snip the tag as low to the fabric as possible.

Zomodok
Dec 9, 2004

by Y Kant Ozma Post

Joe Don Baker posted:

I've found a few nearby breeders with GCC's and I've inquired about them. What size cage would you recommend for one? My mom has a few cages sitting around which I could use instead of buying a new one.

Ultimately it all depends on how much time the birds will stay in the cage. Amaya and I got by for about a year with some standard cages we got because we had the birds out all of the time. Where they would only be in the cages to sleep and eat.

We eventually ended up getting these and it seems to be for the best. The cages were linked a lot in the last thread and I don't have them saved but I'm sure somebody else will actually add the link.

Jose Oquendo
Jun 20, 2004

Star Trek: The Motion Picture is a boring movie
Thanks for the feedback. My mom has a larger cage at her house for Hannah. I think I'll get that cage and use it for Hannah and put the conure in what he's using right now.

Padje
Sep 10, 2003

I don't much care for the attitude of filthy money-lenders
This is my yellow-sided green cheek conure Martin Scorsese.

Some of his hobbies include

being precious



going to raves



having a snoozy



standing on bread



eating peas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2mrBbxmTa0



I wuv him

Deadly Chlorine
Nov 8, 2009

The accumulated filth of all the dog poop and hairballs will foam up about their waists and all the catladies and dog crazies will look up and shout "Save us!"
... and I'll look down and whisper
"No."

Padje posted:

having a snoozy


I wuv him
Words cannot describe how adorable this is, just sayin' :3: Also it is impossible to not wuv a conure unless you have no heart.


Also I was sleepy and finding pictures of sleepy birds to post on Google+, and I found this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSQmReDboYo

Yup horrifying dinosaur genes present in green cheek conures indeed. Then again I don't like being woken up early as well. :colbert:

Battle Pigeon
Nov 7, 2011

I am dancing potato
give me millet


Steve is being a vicious potato today, biting when we try to move him from places he shouldn't be-and properly biting, hard, not the usual pathetic attempts 'tiels do. It's terrifying. No really Steve.

Padje posted:

having a snoozy



D'awwwww. How old is he?

Padje
Sep 10, 2003

I don't much care for the attitude of filthy money-lenders

Battle Pigeon posted:

Steve is being a vicious potato today, biting when we try to move him from places he shouldn't be-and properly biting, hard, not the usual pathetic attempts 'tiels do. It's terrifying. No really Steve.


D'awwwww. How old is he?

2 years old.

He likes Angry Birds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X869fCsrMYc

Sweet CupnCakes
Feb 13, 2007

Did you ever walk in a room and forget why you walked in? I think that's how dogs spend their lives.
Thank you everyone for the information. I think I am sold on the green cheek. Like I said though, we have many many months before I will even be ready. I just now have a better idea of what kind of bird to do much more research on.

I luckily have good skill with not reacting violently to bites. With snakes you can tear their teeth out or make a wound much worse if you jerk back after getting bit. I was bit during feeding time by my 8 foot burmese python and was very proud of myself for standing there and calmly grabbing her head to make her release me. I was a bit bloody and it hurt pretty good but I think it makes me cut out for other types of animals that may bite. Don't react!

Again, thank you. Maybe once I get everything set up in a few months I'll do another thread to make sure I am doing things right. :)

Kenshin
Jan 10, 2007

Sweet CupnCakes posted:

Thank you everyone for the information. I think I am sold on the green cheek. Like I said though, we have many many months before I will even be ready. I just now have a better idea of what kind of bird to do much more research on.

I luckily have good skill with not reacting violently to bites. With snakes you can tear their teeth out or make a wound much worse if you jerk back after getting bit. I was bit during feeding time by my 8 foot burmese python and was very proud of myself for standing there and calmly grabbing her head to make her release me. I was a bit bloody and it hurt pretty good but I think it makes me cut out for other types of animals that may bite. Don't react!

Again, thank you. Maybe once I get everything set up in a few months I'll do another thread to make sure I am doing things right. :)

Do lots of research on bird health, diet, and training and you should be rather prepared. :) Sounds like you're going about it the right way!

LITERALLY A BIRD
Sep 27, 2008

I knew you were trouble
when you flew in

You know, with all the conures popping up in this thread, I'm beginning to think they're trying to beat the cockatiels at their own game. :tinfoil:

Nymphicus vs Pyrrhura. Whomever wins, we'll lose give them scritches.

Opera Bitch
Sep 28, 2004

Let me lull you to sleep with my sweet song!

Deadly Chlorine posted:

Oh yes, I've been thinking of getting my green cheek a happy hut, but I've heard stories where people's birds ate the lining or got trapped in a stray thread and died. Is this something I should be worrying about? :ohdear:
Depends on the bird from what I've read. Some birds like to chew stuffed things which is where a lot of those accidents come from, while others are due to threads becoming loose and catching on birds' bodies. Baby and Cheeky both have happy huts: http://www.birdsafestore.com/Happy_Hut_small_p/hhut1.htm. The big downside to this brand is the triangle embroidery on the outside since that is more thread that can come undone and create the potential for harm. I check their huts for signs of wear and chewing, but since they are not prone to playing with their huts this type has worked for me.

There are, however, other sleeping tents that do not have embroidery and the only stitching is where the outside and inside fabric meet: http://www.petcarerx.com/catalog/productdetails.aspx?pid=17172& Baby was used to having a hut from infancy, but when we got 5 year old Cheeky she had never seen one before. It took her a few days before she understood what the thing was for and when she doesn't sleep in it, she sleeps in the corner of her cage with her back pressed to it.

Sleep huts are a good place for birds to get away from drafts, sleep, or have some privacy. Just be sure to check them for signs of chewing or wear and snip off loose threads or replace when they get too beat up.

Dudes!
Apr 24, 2012

[quote="Scary Ned" post="408936249"]
Yay! Wild cockatiels! I'm always amused at the thought of wild cockatiels, they're such lovable derpy birds in captivity. Maybe the derpy ones were the ones who were easy to catch...Anyway, if you get a chance to get pictures or video I would be absolutely delighted!


They fly to the opposite position you are watching them from and grip branches and the trunk of the tree!

Sharizard
Jun 15, 2009

I have dumb food related questions for y'all.

For those of you who already have their birds on pellet-based diets, what brands are you feeding them? Also, if your bird had to be transitioned to a diet, how did you handle it?

I tried softening the pellets, which just ended up making a mess. I also tried mixing a cockatiel specific seed supplement with the pellets (1/4th seeds, 3/4th pellets).

I know for a default to try to go for all natural pellets (natural preservatives, natural flavoring, etc). Right now, I'm converting my bird being converted to Higgins InTune pellets, and I'd like to know if there's any other brands I should try / avoid. I wish there was a way to just get samples, but after looking around online on other bird forums, it seems that a lot of companies aren't really receptive towards giving out samples anymore.

When I originally adopted my bird, the previous owner had it eating Kaytee Fiesta Max. I don't know if it's just me, but I think it smells pretty terrible, and I can't possibly imagine a bird eating terrible smelling things.

Also, what's up with those Nutriberries? That stuff smells great, even the hybrid pellet / seed version. Sometimes I wonder if some of this bird food tastes as good as it smells.

Frozen Pizza Party
Dec 13, 2005

I ate a zupreem fruit blend pellet once (that's what Ritz eats) and it tasted like a milk bone. Don't ask why I know how those taste.

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LITERALLY A BIRD
Sep 27, 2008

I knew you were trouble
when you flew in

^^^ Edit: Given how you just admitted to sampling a ZuPreem, I can guess how... :xd: ^^^

I feed my conure and my cockatiel the ZuPreem Garden Goodness blend. I've heard Kaytee is actually a pretty awful brand of pellet, so your instincts were probably good. :) The diet transition was handled by mixing the pellets in with their regular seeds; eventually I transitioned to not adding any seeds at all, and while they were very pouty about it, they were aware that the Boring Beige Stuff in their bowls was, in fact, food.

Don't bother softening it yourself: they'll make soup until it reaches a consistency they like. Of course, this means you need to change water multiple times a day, because not only is it all around-gross, but it tends to smell.

Nutriberries are the Best loving Thing, I use them to reward good behavior, apologize for them being shut in travel cages, and occasionally just add them to their food dishes just because. :3:

And, lastly, if you're looking to find samples, try your local avian vet. Bear in mind, though, that if your bird is on a seed diet he's probably going to turn his beak up at any pellet you offer him while that delicious sunflowery junk food is in his cage.

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