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We bought two flight suits for Novolo! She's completely unafraid of them, and objects strenuously but not fearfully to being dressed up in one. This means we can skip the acclimation phase and go straight to getting her used to wearing it! I'll be making a tiny felt pirate hat to go with the pirate suit 
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Oct 30, 2012 19:48
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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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Oct 31, 2012 20:02
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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 |
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Nov 1, 2012 06:56
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Novolo figured out how to unhook dangly earrings from my ears. That was a fun moment. Buddy, our last GCC, actually crunched up one glass bead.
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Nov 2, 2012 18:54
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SaNChEzZ posted:Word on crazy corn:  I just sat down to lunch.
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Nov 2, 2012 22:44
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The Doctor posted:Well, no, I only bought the box a couple of days ago and she has been very aggressive for over a month. I bought it because I thought it would help, but if it is going to be a contributing factor instead then I will get rid of it. Bird behavior is kind of funny. Some problem behaviors you can think of as the bird "asking" for something. For instance, a bored bird will "ask" for stimulation by destroying things and screaming constantly. A socially deprived bird will scream for attention. A hungry bird will bite the poo poo out of you for your apple. However, animal behaviors (including a great deal of human behavior) are manifestations of basic urges. We're used to our urges being satisfied through these manifestations, so when the bird presents a problem behavior, our impulse is to indulge it so that their urge is satisfied - give the bored bird toys, pay attention to the lonely bird, and feed the hungry bird. Problem is, some urges get more intense the more you indulge them, and the nesting/mating urge in birds is one of those urges. You have to find a way to lessen Birdy's urges, and giving her things that stimulate that behavior (nesting objects and materials) is not going to work. Instead, you can change her light schedule and put her on a strict 12 hour light, 12 hour dark regimen. You can also rearrange the cage and remove the things that she hides in/behind.
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Nov 11, 2012 08:38
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Since we destroyed the last treat clip, I went to a local Petsmart to pick up more and see the birds. They had a totally doofy cute GCC in a little box who was super interactive with me as well as the budgies next door. In the big parrot enclosure, they had two Jenday conures who were adorably preening each other as I walked by. After I got what I needed and walked back, I came around the corner to find them loving in their food bowl. They saw me laughing and just stopped and stared at me like so  . I wanted to buy them and name them Circe and Jaime.Anyway, as soon as I got home and set up one of the clips on top of the cage, Novolo promptly started humping it. We've been lazy with her light cycle and it's showing.
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Nov 12, 2012 18:53
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Captain Log posted:... it isn't as dark as I wish it was, even with blinds closed, lights off, and cage covered. Yep. You should find material that doesn't let much light in. Dark denim works well.
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Nov 13, 2012 01:40
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Novolo has been awfully puffy lately, and she weighs in at is 52 grams today. I looked back in the last thread, and she was 60 grams right after we got her. I'm a bad bird owner and I haven't been weighing her regularly, so I don't know if this is recent or not. I'm super worried though, so we will be taking her in to the vet for a checkup soon. She's still active and chipper, just.. puffy. Edit: appointment is at 4:30 tomorrow. Pile of Kittens fucked around with this message at 19:00 on Nov 14, 2012 |
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Nov 14, 2012 18:51
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Yeah, I'm not going into work today so I can sit at home and warm her up in my lap and coddle her. It doesn't help that my housemate is in labor right now, so I'm a ball of nerves.
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Nov 14, 2012 22:54
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Uuuugh, gently caress, I think her crop is swollen. It feels like a little puffy balloon, and I can't feel her keel at all. And her feet are cool if I don't keep her warm on me. I've been keeping her snuggled in my lap or under my shirt, but I'll definitely crank up the temperature and tell my boyfriend to Deal With It. She has actually been just as active as usual, though she quiets down when I put her in my lap, probably because she's enjoying being warm enough. eta: Yeah, we've got her on Zupreem pellets, but they changed the shape a little (it got smaller and the banana-shaped ones are pointier) and maybe she's not eating as much? I've been offering her millet and apple a few times today and she's eaten her fill each time. Guys, I am so terrified I'm going to lose her. I don't think I can take losing another bird. In other news, my housemate delivered uneventfully, and we are now +1 baby. Pile of Kittens fucked around with this message at 03:08 on Nov 15, 2012 |
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Nov 15, 2012 03:05
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Oh man, while googling things in sheer terror, I did get a laugh out of one urban homesteader's treatment for sour crop.quote:Sour crop can be the side effect of the first 2 problem, food in the crop starting to ferment and turn sour.... this comes with a ripe smell coming out of the chicken. Withhold pellet/ hard food, feed yoghurt and water, for myself I "rinse" the chicken by pumping water into the crop, hold the bird upside down and squeeze the water out (repeat 3-4 times). Think I should try that with Novolo?
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Nov 15, 2012 03:17
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We all made it through the night, and I learned that I rather love being in an 85 degree room all night. Reminds me of Burning Man, I guess. This morning I asked my boyfriend if we could just keep our room this temperature all the time, and he just glared at me. Novolo is looking less puffy, but is also quieter than usual (but still clambering around and begging for my granola). Our appointment is at 4:30. I'm considering skipping class so I can continue shoving millet at her. I'll be damned, she's back up to 60 grams. She's refusing to eat her pellets, though... Pile of Kittens fucked around with this message at 18:53 on Nov 15, 2012 |
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Nov 15, 2012 18:49
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She'll have you know that she does not get "the derps" as she is a regal and commanding conure.
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Nov 15, 2012 19:28
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Novolo is much better. The vet looked her over and took some blood and pronounced her reasonably healthy. The tech did an awesome job of making sure we knew about basic bird care (and was particularly impressed that we knew things about nutrition and behavior - apparently there's a lot of seed diet birds that come in). On Saturday we will know how the cultures came out, and we have been duly chastened to not let her have any dairy at all, no matter what acrobatics she accomplishes to get to it. I've been scared straight and I won't be letting her lick my yogurty spoon any more. Thanks for putting up with my histrionic hourly posts, guys. Looks like we're out of the woods.
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Nov 16, 2012 05:01
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I'm such a sucker. Novolo will totally charm me into giving her whatever I'm eating, even when I know it's not great for her. I mean, just a little won't hurt? Okay, maybe a little more... and maybe a little more... 
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Nov 16, 2012 19:16
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Those are nutritionally bad, but lactose can cause an intestinal fuckup quite easily apparently. Soy yogurt it is. Good thing I live in a vegetarian house with a buncha hippies who will happily eat the extra, because I'm not eating that poo poo.
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Nov 16, 2012 20:47
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loving hell. She's back down to 54 g, but not fluffy at least. And she refuses to eat her pellets. Think I should try soaking them in soymilk? She loves my granola when it's in that.
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Nov 17, 2012 03:16
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I couldn't figure out what she was staring at below her cage and whining for... then I realized that she could see the bag of millet from her cage. No wonder she's refusing to eat pellets! The millet is so close.
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Nov 17, 2012 03:58
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SaNChEzZ posted:
Novolo sneezes for attention too, because I'll always look at her and primly say, "bless you!"
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Nov 17, 2012 20:47
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We got a call back from the vet. The culture came back clean, but the blood chemistry levels were all wonky in a way that indicated fatty liver disease. This is quite uncommon in young birds, apparently, so we'll be going back in for more testing next week. It won't kill her right now, so I'm not worried, just a bit exasperated with whoever was in charge of breeding and diet that resulted in a 1.5 year old conure with fatty liver disease. In conclusion, here is Novolo trying to eat my boyfriend's glasses while he takes a nap. 
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Nov 18, 2012 03:37
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Fat Dio posted:Does any variation of toenail-buffing perches work? I hate having to clip the Tiny Bird's nails, it's a big ordeal for her and makes her super scared and mistrustful of people all over again. They don't work for nails, and they can cause foot problems, so it's better to towel her. Here's a really good pictorial guide to using a towel and velcro restraint: http://www.hari.ca/first-aid-practice-makes-perfect-when-it-comes-to-towel-restraint/
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Nov 18, 2012 20:35
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Fat Dio posted:The problem is she's a fully flighted, semi-tame, non-handraised bird, and is not comfortable with hands coming towards her. So, at this point you have to consider how stressful it would be for her to be clipped vs how harmful it would be for her to continue the current regime. I would go for clipping and training her to be more hand-tame because of what a problem her flightiness could become in the case of a health emergency or a fire or other issue. I'm letting Novolo have her wings for now because she's been very good about not running away or jumping off me, but if she were to become unhandleable, I would immediately clip her for safety's sake, not just convenience. I know it seems kind of cruel to take away a bird's flight just because it's frustrating and stressful to clip her nails, but do consider emergency situations.
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Nov 19, 2012 06:12
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Yeah, it has a quick. You'll get the hang of how short you can clip them, and it's not the end of the world if you nick her. It helps to have some styptic powder on hand, but cornstarch will do.
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Nov 19, 2012 18:09
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Novolo is eating pellets! But only the green ones and only soaked in pineapple juice. It's a start.
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Nov 19, 2012 23:03
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Does anyone else here daydream about getting a flock of white budgies and dyeing them all different colors with kool-aid?
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Nov 22, 2012 21:41
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Argh. I just gave Novolo a tiny sip of ginger ale, and she shook her head and sprayed it right in the eye. Ow.
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Nov 24, 2012 03:35
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That's a good potato.
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Nov 26, 2012 17:58
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I was THIS close to eating Novolo, feathers and all, last night. She screamed until 2am when I uncovered her and she immediately went to sleep. Sometimes it's just a matter of experimenting until you find whatever it is that's pissing them off. Apparently it was too dark in her cage! Or maybe she wanted to sleep on top or something. I have no idea. I'm all weird from sleep deprivation. That bitch wanted cuddles this morning too.
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Nov 29, 2012 20:44
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Lovebirds are such horndogs.
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Dec 2, 2012 23:27
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How are you holding up, uglynoodles?
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Dec 4, 2012 18:25
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I know it's Christmastime, but you may consider saving up a bit so that you have enough for a possible emergency vet visit in case you get unlucky twice. It's generally a bad idea to get a bird if you aren't down for vet expenditures, especially from a pet store. I also recommend you look for a REAL breeder. Don't be turned off by this guy's complete lack of ethics and common sense. Breeders are usually much more supportive and reasonable, and it's better to support small aviaries than pet stores, at least here in the states. Also, it would give you a chance to ask around... he claims to have breeder friends, yes? It would be a shame if those friends found out about his irresponsible and frankly lovely behavior, wouldn't it? If I were there, I'd skip past buying a new bird and just go throw hot tea in his face and steal his birds and my money back, but I'm a terrible rude American like that.
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Dec 5, 2012 05:05
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I'm glad you've been in touch with her about it! All I know is what I see on the forums.
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Dec 5, 2012 05:46
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There's really nothing you guys can do to convince me that it's a good idea to encourage people to make economic commitments that they will have to just "work out" at a later date if it becomes a problem. In the kitten and puppy threads, it's recommended that you have savings set aside in case of vet emergencies. That all being said, it's now clear (thanks to you guys speaking up for her) that she's not just jumping in with no consideration for how that might work financially for her, and my caution is obviously not applicable. As for the rest of you, you should be VERY ASHAMED and I am wagging my finger RIGHT NOW. Seriously, it doesn't matter as long as you're taking care of your birds. Reminding people of the quite sizable economic risk of buying a fragile bundle of feathers and fury that will fall over for almost no reason (as poor Ripley sadly demonstrated) is never a bad idea before they actually end up saddled with one of these awful dinosaurs. run while you can send help
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Dec 5, 2012 07:37
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I mean, I am the proud owner of a defective Petco conure, so I was mainly just trying to encourage her so she wouldn't just give up on breeders entirely. The 14 day guarantee is a nice thing for peace of mind, but I would expect that from a good breeder anyway. Speaking of the defective little dinosaur, I started giving her some medicine from the vet for her liver. They say not to worry about it unless she finishes the course and is still showing high liver enzymes in her blood work. I still worry. Luckily, she likes the taste of it!
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Dec 5, 2012 17:49
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Take it to PMs, folks. This isn't Petfinder. This made me laugh: http://www.nuklearpower.com/2010/08/12/flight-of-the-terror-birds/
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Dec 6, 2012 03:51
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Because those are beautiful works of art and you are interfering.
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Dec 8, 2012 05:54
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Yep, green cheeks and black caps pretty much just have the quack and squeak settings. Sometimes when Novolo is squeaking in the morning I tell my boyfriend to get up and oil her.
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Dec 9, 2012 18:50
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Pip pip pip posted:Well, you see, you're always sitting there so it must be your cage. Therefore, it's ok for Ritz to poop on it. It's really quite simple How did you teach him to get off his lard rear end? Novolo has a full set of flight feathers and refuses to use them.
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Dec 12, 2012 00:34
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Pip pip pip posted:
More like a bomber.
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Dec 12, 2012 19:10
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