I did have two concerns:

*1.*  When I started this Email this morning, she had not eaten much at
all that I had seen her eat, (this is from when I got her Thursday
night) other than grapes and nibbled a few raisins and a bit of the
millet.  The Zupreme pellets were "mouthed" but not eaten, she tasted
peanut shells but left the nuts, the same with some conure and parrot
seed balls and parrot and conure dried fruit and veggie mix.  I was
getting very concerned that she was not eating well.  Her poops were
mostly clear water and a bit of green, not much white.  But that
suddenly changed about an hour ago.  She started really scarfing up some
diced yams that I had, her poop went to brown with some urates and her
energy went up.  And she started closing her eyes as she ate, almost as
if with pleasure.  Maybe I'm seeing something that isn't there but I
think maybe she is relaxing a bit?  Maybe she, like some other birds,
gets ready for sleep by eating a lot before sundown?

4/26/09

Hi Beth, I just read your email April Showers/May flowers.  Very interesting, I didn't know birds could eat flowers.  We have so many dandelions right now and I was wondering what part of those they can eat? 

Also, I have been afraid to sprout, afraid of mold..even though I use GSE in the soak water when I germinate.  Just me being paranoid I'm sure. ; )
The mix I use, TOP all in one seed mix that can be soaked and served or sprouted has the following ingredients: Certified Organic Human Grade Ingredients: Barley, Rye Berries, Spelt, Kamut, Buckwheat, Millet, Milo, Sunflower seeds, Pumpkin Seeds and Rice. 
Does germinating have the same health benefits as sprouting?


Thanks!

Debbie
 

Oh Beth this was wonderful email I thoroughly enjoyed all the experiences with the new babies.

I have a question about my cage that I just bought last year.  I had a pair of parakeets in and would like to use this cage for the new baby. Do you know of a good cleaner to clean everything with so I can be prepared? I still have the cage that the Sun Conure was in and it has a powder coating but in a few spots I noticed had a little rust so I don’t want to use that cage for that reason. That one I had for 21 years for her whole life. ThanksJ

Donna

If I am cleaning a cage outdoors, I get everything off of it and then spray down with a 1:10 bleach to water solution. Rinse, rinse, rinse!! Then, leave in the sun for a day. The sun dehydrates most viruses. Freezing things does not by the way. There are many other cleaners out there, but some do not kill everything. Novalsan (Chlorhexidine) does not kill polyoma is the one quick example I can think of. Bleach does kill...even the color on your jeans so be careful. Inside, I use vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. This is described at this link.  http://www.pamperedpeeps.com/cleanerperoxide.htm

For rust, I wash with vinegar and paint over it. This is a great article on painting cages  http://theparrotuniversity.com/repainting_bird_cages.php 

Hi Beth, I found this on ParrotChronicles.com about germination and sprouting, germinating is the point before they get ready to sprout, which is usually just overnight 10-12 hours.  From what I understand they have the same nutritional value at both points. 
I may try to go ahead and sprout and if it doesn't turn out right, mold, slime or doesn't smell like it should, I can toss them.  

I have one of my baby's pictures as my computer desktop and can't wait to get my hands on that little fluff ball! 
Debbie
Mimicking nature
When we germinate seeds for our birds, we mimic an organic process that brings the seed to a perfect, enzyme-rich stage for feeding. Nature does this all the time: seeds in the soil soak up the moisture from melting snow and spring rains. As water enters the seed, it replaces the enzyme inhibitors and the seed plumps, ready to turn all its stored energy into a seedling that will push through the soil to reach its new energy source, the sun.

These Crimsons are very snuggly. Actually, the Pyrrhuras tend to be that way. Obviously, the men at the airport are getting to know me and I keep thanking them for being so good to our birds. We do pray as each baby leaves for its safety and that it blesses the home it enters. Make sure your baby is getting lots of fresh foods.
Yes it is huge!! do you know of any one that would wanna buy it? i bought it and its pretty nice it needs some work but me and my father are going to completely restore it and hopefully sell it so i can buy another one for my YSGC that is alittle bit smaller lolz!!Try selling on Craigslist? I don't know of anyone. A quick reminder for all that bar spacing for these Pyrrhuras (Green cheeks and Crimsons) should be no bigger than 5/8 of an inch. I only have one more question; can you recommend a specific cage or direct me to a website? Thanks again Nicole

I love our California Cages. They are so well made and the paint does not blast off like some when I power wash them. I also like the Avian Adventure cages.

Tutu has discovered a new game.  We have a varnished oak table in the
dining room and Tutu seems to like to go "ice skating" on it.  Sometimes
she starts running on it with all the aplomb of a guy sprinting on a
frozen pond in bowling shoes.  Wings, feet and tail are everywhere then
she puts on the brakes and skids around.  Then she will get on the back
of a chair that is about 2-3" above the table.  She will jump to the
table and skid around then she starts hot footing it around back to the
chair, slipping and sliding all the way.  Something like kids wearing
socks on a polished floor.

Naturally, we are in hysterics!

And I didn't know Crimson bellies could defy the laws of physics. 
Somehow that 10" bird can take a full bath in her 3" diameter water
bowl.  I don't know how you taught her that but I'm going to try the
same thing by fully immersing myself in a kitchen garbage can.  If she
can do it, so can I!

Dan

Dan, what great writing style you have and thank you for the updates as the days go by. I can completely relate to the hysterics. It is constant here with the babies all pulling their antics. Their antics keeps us in love with them.

Update 5/1/09
 

Hi Beth-

Just setting up our big cage today for Papagaio and our Cockatiel BiBi. When you say 5/8" bar spacing, what does this mean? Is there a certain diameter perch we should stay away from?
Papagaio is having a great day. Eating lots (oranges, beans, Zupreme etc) and checking everything out.
They are beautiful birds aren't they.

Becki  Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

I am so relieved to hear when babies ship happily. Band 227 is a very sweet bird. That was a long plane ride for him! We have had such great success with the airports. I am soon going to have to ship only on Continental due to our temps increasing. I have a Timneh Grey named Papagaio. She was my pet Timneh for years and is now out in our aviary. Hi Beth,

Luna  (Crimson Bellied Conure)  is doing fabulous! She loves to hide under blankets and pillows to fall asleep! I took her outside yesterday in her flight suit to get some sun, she loved it! I've put her in her suit, almost every day, she seems to not mind it so much!

I was curious, how much of a "store" credit (lol) do I have to go towards a YSGC? Not ready for one just yet, but soon I think. I would like a boy so I can name him Oliver! =)

Thanks
Mary C
Right after weaning, the babies are at such  a good stage for forming strong bonds. I am thankful that our babies get to go straight to their new homes after weaning. I wrote you offlist about the credit and look forward to being able to send you a YSGC someday. Zumo and Kaida just laid an egg yesterday again.

I'm enjoying hearing about all of the babies' antics! The cup bathing had me laughing. Pippin would actually bathe sometimes in a Dixie cup-- actually seemed to prefer it to bowls, etc. I wonder if birds sometimes feel more secure in smaller containers? (She also liked to bathe in the sink, but that was on my finger.)

I was just wondering about the heat and birds. Do you take your birds out at all in the summer? Since I'll be getting my GCC right at the start of Arizona's long summer, I kind of hate to keep him in until the fall! Maybe just quick little excursions around my apartment complex? Do you take your birds out at night at all? Sometimes I go to evening concerts in the park or outdoor movies at night in the summer, and I'm wondering if that's something the bird could enjoy....or if it would still be too hot...or if the dark would be frightening??

Thanks,
Stephanie

I think hearing about everyone else's babies makes the wait somewhat more bearable?? We do still take our birds out in the heat, but watch them for they will pant when too hot. Many times in the summer, I am going someplace with AC and don't have to worry. We take them on walks early or late to be able to be out. They will get used to the dark if you venture out and will come to trust you more. If your bird is panting, you will need to find a cooler. Hi Beth, hope you and your family are well!   

Do you have the suits in hunter green for green cheeks?  or the lime?  I'd prefer the hunter and if not then the lime. 

Is the DNA test possibly back yet?  I'm really anxious to find out.  : )

A couple more questions...what size Roudybush do you feed?  I'm going to place an order in the next couple of days and want to order the size the baby will be use to eating.  Mine eat the crumbles.   What kind of seed do you use?  I buy Volkman and wanted to see if that's ok, if it's not the kind you feed, to switch my baby over and not cause tummy upset.

Thanks so much!

Debbie A

We have the Junior small training suits in yellow for  $23 and then we have the regular suits for $29 in Lime Green, Royal Blue, Red, Kelly Green and Purple.

The DNA results are not back yet.

Hi Beth

Here are some pictures a friend sent to me of his yellow naped Amazon.  This is the one he takes out boat racing all the time.  "Robert" has a vocabulary of about 45 words, loves to sing and will often mix words into his own song!  Here, Jim has him on a 1/4 scale model of a new boat design in the pool on Oahu (no threat of hypothermia there!) Tutu:  I know there are watch repair people but I wonder of there are people that specialize in taking them apart?  If so, Tutu could have a career in watch disassembly!  What a goof!  She could spend all day on my wrist gnawing my watch!  She is a character and a charmer!  Now to teach her the proper use of a jeweler's screwdriver!  On second thought, that could be the downfall of Western civilization.  A Conure with the tools and knowledge to take things apart boggles the mind. Dan

A boating Amazon! Too cute, and a boat his size. Lucky bird.

Yes, parrots do take apart everything. I was trying to nap with my Grey yesterday afternoon. She cuddled up for a while and then spotted the phone. Her focus changed to button removal. I put the phone under a pillow and she was able to cuddle up again.

will you be sexing bands 243 & 244?

I don't sex the babies unless someone requests it and then it is $25. But, if someone says that they would like a male Yellow Sided or a female, then I try to find them one no matter how many I have to sex. The person buying the baby only pays for one sexing.

Hi Beth-

 

I am so excited!  Since we are going to be away on vacation until May 11th can we schedule her flight for May 12th?  I hope this isn't a problem, I had mentioned this before when I first inquired about her.  Can you also tell me how much to I should add for a flight suit?  I definitely want to purchase one for her.  

 

It is so wonderful that you took her on a field trip today and I am glad she enjoyed it.  I can't wait to meet her!

 

I think I am going to name her Brisa.  Brisa means "breeze" in spanish. 

 

Thanks much,

 

Ariana

Brisa went to the post office today. They are so funny their first time in a car. When one goes the other way, they duck!

If I missed anyone's questions, please feel free to ask again! I added many pictures of babies last night.

Hi Beth,

Girl 226 has been biting me really badly. I have tried making her go off balance, holding her beak and saying "no!", and even blowing gently and saying "No biting or easy!". I don't know what to do. I put the two together for one trip out of the cage a day and see her trying to get the boy to feed her. She touches his beak and does the feeding response thing. Do you think her biting is related to being a baby? He has bitten her pretty hard a few times, which makes me not trust housing them together. Was she bitey when you had her? I am feeling discouraged that neither will close their eyes and relax during scritching. They both seem very anxious still. I am not sure if it is because they are living seperately. Any suggestions? Maybe I should give it more time?

Help! Frustrated in MA ....

Laura

5/1/09

 

Hi! This is Lisa, writing for my mom...
>
> Please read our article on biting.
> (http://www.pamperedpeeps.com/bitinggreencheeks.htm) Being consistent on
> your end is critical. Make sure you say, "No, be gentle" always in the same
> tone of voice. Birds communicate to each other by screaming, so when we
> yell, they merely interpret that as communication. Your being consistent and
> giving the consequence every time she bites will be the most important
> factor. Our most effective technique is this and this is the technique WE
> MOST OFTEN USE: when they bite, grasp them on the cheek bones (just below
> the eyes) and gently rotate them onto their backside. Then stroke their beak
> and say your instruction of "be gentle" or "no bite." I hold them there
> talking to them until they relax in my hand. Hear that part...."UNTIL THEY
> RELAX." I even use this hold if they are on my shoulder and nibble my ear
> too hard. I reach up there, while saying "nooooo" and restrain the baby
> under the cheek bones for about 5 seconds.  We have even done this type of
> restraining with her African Grey. She is a delightful Grey that anyone can
> handle and has passed the critical age of sexual maturity.  This is critical
> because many a bird becomes unruly when hormones hit :) We videotaped us
> holding birds in this restraint to help demonstrate this technique.  We have
> used this same training technique with birds as large as Congo African Greys
> all the way down to the small little Lineolated Parakeet.
> (http://www.pamperedpeeps.com/vidbiting.wmv)
>
> I really hope this helps and that everything works out. Time will also be a
> factor, so be prepared to be patient and consistent. Because we are not there, it is hard for me to say whether their anxiety is due to not being together. Are they in the same room? Are they getting lots of fresh foods? You could try them together for about 2 days and see if that helps. No, 226 was not bitey at all during handfeeding. It is almost always the boys who go through the nipping while here.

 

Do remember that they have only been with you a very short time. But, please keep asking so that it doesn't get out of hand also.
> ~Lisa
 

Beth, I  just had a question about Pippi.  Sometimes when I go to get her out, she will start making loud noises and running back and forth.  She does bite me, but not hard at all.  She was actually doing it a lot, but has not done it for about a week.  Is she just being moody? Or is she trying to play? I can't tell.  Once I get her out, she is as calm and snugly as can be.

Thanks,

Molly & Pippi

Hi Molly, Please also read up on the nipping link. There is a section on that page that talks about the difference between beaking and biting. It sounds like beaking and not biting, which is acceptable for pet birds. The Green cheeks typically will run back and forth when they want out of their cage and on their person. The running is excitement to see you. If she does bite too hard, I would hold under her cheek bones and tell her, "nooooo, be gentle."

 

Birds go through stages as they mature as far as their moods are concerned. The most important thing is that you don't get frustrated and that you keep working with them.

5/3/09

 

Hi! This is Lisa, Beth's oldest daughter...

I am so glad that Papagaio is doing well! They really love their fruits and veggies.

 

5/8" bar spacing means how far apart the bars are on the cage. If the bars are too far apart, the bird could get it's head through and get stuck, so an ideal size for Crimson Bellies is 5/8".  There is a lot of information about perches on this page http://www.pamperedpeeps.com/perch.htm.

Making sure that your bird has perches that he can fit his foot comfortably on is a must! The bird's foot should not be stretched and it should not  be touching underneath of the perch. Make sure that your bird has different size perches. If he is always on dowels or on the same size perch, his feet will cramp into one position and arthritis or other diseases may occur. A perfectly round dowel is bad for your bird's feet. Make sure your perches vary in diameters and in hardness of the wood or material they are made out of. Parrots actually "rest their feet" by gripping perches of different diameters. The tree branches that they perch on in the wild are not all the same diameter. Even on one limb, there is a variance in diameter...some parts being thinner, others wider. Rarely are they the same size from one end of the limb to the other. Just like our feet get tired during long shopping trips and feel better when we change shoes, our birds' feet feel rested by changing perches because the grip is different for different size perches. To help with this, you can look for "orthopedic perches" that are made with various sizes on the same perch. Using different perches gives your bird the variety he would find in the wild.

Hopefully this helps some!
~Lisa

 

Lisa, thank you so much. This was extremely helpful. I have had bird since I was a child but had never had the importance of varying perch size explained to me.
Papagaio is doing great. He was nippy at first but responded very quickly to holding his head and saying "be gentle, no bite". Our cockatiel Bibi is not sold on Papa yet but we are hoping they will warm to each other.
Becki
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Yes, as I had emailed you, he was just being a bit nippy in his last few days here. I can't stress ENOUGH how well restraining the head works to stop this behavior   http://pamperedpeeps.com/bitinggreencheeks.htm   I need to elaborate on this page again, because so many people try so many other methods. (laddering, blowing, the earthquake shake).  Some of these methods are effective, but I choose the restraining method for the reason that I can always be consistent. Here is an example, if the bird is on my shoulder and nibbles on my neck too hard or bites my ear, I can't ladder or blow or shake, BUT I can do the restraining method. I can always be consistent using the restraint method; whereas, using the other methods, I have to alternate which one I use. I am not sure if this consistency is the key or not, but I do know that it has taught nipper after nipper to not nip here in our home  The other key is to be gentle and persistent. Keep using an encouraging voice to them.

Beth and Lisa, 
Aleta (#232,) is doing fantastic!  She is such a kick! 
 
I have never had a baby bird that stayed flighted and it is very amusing!  We like to believe she is very smart (don't all parents!)  She started flying from my head to my husbands head, and back and forth.  I do believe because of her missing toes she can grab groups of hair better than trying to grip a shoulder or finger.  My husband went across the room and "yodeled" to her and she flew to his finger.  I called her back (I do not yodel!) and she flew back to me.  She went back and forth a couple of times when called. She was so proud of herself!! 
 
I thought because of her missing toes she would need her bowls low for a longer period, but she never went to them; prefering the bowls at the normal level.  She has a happy hut and her favorite place is to sit on top of it and preen and mumble sweetly. She has eaten some apples, oranges, carrots and mixed veggies as well as her mash and seed.  She eats well.
 
She is a very sweet and lovable bird, but also playful and curious.  Perfect for our family.  Thank you for working so hard to make sure your babies are so well socialized.
 
I have some pictures I will send you in a couple of days. 
Donna

(Aleta is a Pineapple Green cheek) We were with her sister just last night and she is a doll, too. She has much less toes and held on as her owner ran across her yard with the mini donkey chasing her. You are welcome. I had a very sad phone call today from a man who bought a Pineapple last year and it died yesterday in an accident. I can't imagine how sad that it when you lose a bird pet. It has not happened to me, yet... I bet you can yodel if you try! We really enjoyed meeting you and showing you the menagerie at our home.

Thanks for the quick response. Yes, they are housed right next to each other. They are in a quarantine room which is away from most of the household action which is unfortunate. But, they just have to hang in these for a little longer.

Yes, they are getting lots of fresh foods and I have been sprouting for them too. They don't seem to be eating the mash as voraciously as I expected. I have not forgotten that they are new. I will send you a link to a couple of videos tomorrow to see what you think. Thanks!
Laura

 

I am looking forward to the videos!! 

Hi, Beth--I'm enjoying all of the Q&A prep. I was at Trader Joe's today and found canned sweet potato puree (no other ingredients). Any reason why that wouldn't be healthy in the mash?

Also, I read this article about PVC that's kind of concerning-- http://www.besafenet.com/pvc/about.htm
Thanks,
Stephanie

I think canned would be fine for them as long as you don't see added salt. Thank you for the link about pvc. I was somewhat aware, but had not taken the time to read through prior to this. Having a pet bird really makes you aware of many more toxins than the normal person. If it can hurt our birds, you wonder what it is doing to us, whether the "it" is candles, plastic turkey cooking bags, or pvc.

Hello - Luna (Crimson Bellied Conure) is quiet the character! She is trying so many foods! She loves grapes and cheerios, oatmeal, oranges, apples, mangos... She's eating her roudy bush pellets and zupreem, she doesn't seem to be eating the millet anymore though I still offer it to her. I have finally taken the dishes off the bottom of the cage, as she has never eaten from them! The babies all seem to do very well adjusting to their new cages. Thank you for letting me know!
I was in the bathroom with her on my shoulder, so I decided to splash around in the sink to see what she did.. It was so funny. She jumped down into the water, so i filled the sink up a bit and she went nuts. She fluttered her wings on the top of the water making little ripples and splashes every where. Then she pretty much dived in! She had a great time! Most Pys love, love water.
 

When she was finished, I wrapped her up in her favorite blankie and she snuggled for a while till she was dry! She really enjoys be wrapped up! Still taking a little baby food now and then. Mostly I offer it to her in the morning and then before bedtime, and she still quacks like a duck! LOL The Crimsons do sound like ducks or like frogs. The Green Cheeks sound like crickets. My Grey still loves to be cuddled in a blanket and she is a couple of years old now.- Mary

Hi Beth,
I enjoyed talking with you the other day and I saw the picture on your web site and what a little cutie! My husband and I have a name “Oso Verde” Spanish for Green Bear. We love bears when we camp in the high sierra’s and see a lot of them when we go. So we thought of Oso for the name. That is a new name for our page of names that families have given their babies.You are such a wealth of information I really learn a lot more then I have experienced with my Sun Conure I wish I met you back them maybe he would have lived longer .  Today I went and got some cleaning solution for the cage. Since I would like to use the toys if I could and would like to clean them is 1/10 solution of bleach ok to use on wood toys and ladders and those perches that help with the nails I am thinking they are plastic or just soap and hot water? Also I have a high powered steamer that I use on tile for cleaning without toxic chemicals it is pretty high temp for disinfecting. You have time to disinfect, so I would do the bleach rinse and then rinse, rinse and rinse really well. Then, I would lay the toys out in the sun for a day or more. I love those coconut shells as toys for them but they seem real high priced. Where did you get the one you show in the end of the video that you all are feeding them at the dining table? That has to be the cutest picture with your YSGC in the middle of it playingJ.I have had it so long that I don't know where I got it from. They do love any little cavity. I think that is what makes them to conducive to snuggling. 

I will be using the crate he/she comes home in as his night sleeping crate that is a wonderful idea and I can use they for the travel one also until I can get the nice plexi-glass  one to use.The crate is a great idea. Many Pyrrhuras will not poop in their sleep cages, so you should have a fairly clean situation too. By the way I told my sister with the horses about you and showed her your web site and she loved your horses.Thank you! They are about as addicting as the birds! Tx again donna

 

Beth,
I've been a member of the online BirdBoard.com forum for a couple of years, and I recently posted a baby pic of Band 235. One of the other members recognized him from the Nursery page because she's getting Band 237! What a small world, huh? We're going to try to keep in touch so that we can share pictures as the birds get older since they're full siblings/cluth-mates. I'm wondering if Band 235 will recognize the photos as he gets older...that he'll remember the friendly face. I read a study about budgies recognizing photos of their mates even when they had been separated for years. Anyway, I thought the chance meeting of another clutch parent was kind of cool. :)

Also, Band 237's mom asked when my Band 235's hatch day is....and I realized that I don't know! When did he hatch? I have all of their hatch dates and give a hatch certificate to you when your baby is ready. Jessie checks each nest box daily and when an egg is laid, she records it. Then when it hatches, she writes it on the calendar again. Birds are so fascinating. Look at Zumo's babies and their hatchdates.

                 

233	Zumo 1  233	3/7
234	Zumo 2  234	3/9
235	Zumo 3  235	3/12
236	Zumo 4 236	3/17
237	Zumo 5  237	3/22

Zumo's first baby hatched 15 days before the last baby. That is a huge difference in size and maturation of the babies. Books will tell you that they will lay every other day and hatch on that schedule too, but you can see that these birds don't always read the books. They do keep us guessing and challenged.
Thanks!

Stephanie

 

 

I love hearing all of the exciting stories about new birdie parents and just thinking that will be me soon is soo fantastic!! =) I was wondering if you had a guess of if my birdie(236) is a girl of a boy! and i love the pictures the baby is growing up soo fast i cant believe it!! =) I love my little birdie already!!! he/she is fantastic!! Oh yes i was also wondering if you had an estimate of when the birdie would be ready to come home? just curious =) thank you soo much!!Typically, green cheeks wean in about 8 weeks. Every now and then you get a baby who wants to be handfed longer than usual and I don't like just cutting them off because they are a certain age. In their short little lives, they have grown to trust that we humans can satiate their hunger and I would hate to break that trust. Mary's Crimson is one who wanted to eat past the typical time. Giant Blessings! =)
Monique!! =)
 

This is from Dawn and her band 221! Beautiful picture, Dawn. Thank you for sending. I love the red eyeliner
 

He loves to nap in there.  :-)

 

Dawn

 

Hi Beth,I was on vacation and just checked my email. I noticed that you have a video short of band 239. He looks cute. Is resting on their backs a normal green check behavior?  Also wondering at what age the babies are ready for travel.  I’m waiting for a couple of warm days to clean the cage I’ll be using for daytime housing. I saw your cleaning recommendations of using bleach and leaving in the sun so I’ll follow that. 

Thanks for all the email feedback… it’s fun reading about the experience others have with their green cheeks. Hopefully I won’t have any issues with biting, but I’ll save this for reference.

 Regards,

Becky

I hope the emails help answer some questions for you too. Most of the baby Pyrrhuras do go through a stage where they like laying on their back. If that is encouraged, they will keep this up as mature birds. Some babies are more prone to it than others and we often find them on their backs. Yours is one like that. Birds use their beaks to show emotions and because of this, you will most likely have some bites. But, you can teach him not to bite. I do play with all bird beaks a lot. Birds rub beaks with other birds, and they love it. So, play with your bird's beak a lot.

My parents are visiting from out of town, so I have been offline for a few days. I am planning on shipping birds to Angela and April on Tuesday. Then, we will ship to John/Nina and Robin later in the week. Ariana, I am planning on the 12th. The crates are all ready. I think the babies will be fine with the darker traveling quarters due to Anya playing with the babies in her "playhouse" every week when she comes for piano.

Johh, you asked about Delta vs Sky West. As Phx heats comes on, I am having to ship via Sky West more than Delta. The Delta flight out of Phx (DL 1030) does not leave until late morning. If it is over 85 degrees at shipping time, they refuse to ship. The Sky West flight is early enough that the heat is not up that high yet. I did not look into DL 1784 and I am not sure why right now, but I would guess that the shipping time from Phx was too close to opening time for Phx Cargo. They open at 6 AM and will not accept any birds for flights earlier than 7:30 AM.

Greetings Beth I have reserved a crimson bellied and was interested in keeping the bird flighted with one of your flight suits. From the notes on the site I assume you train them all on the flight suit? and do you leave them flighted? I have a secure place for the bird to be with out an issue of escape and with the flight suit and harness can teach him to go outside with me . I am so excited to have a fully flighted bird with a flight suit. I tried to get my grey to eventually wear one so he could be flighted but because he was not trained on one as a baby and has an issue with body contact other than his head being rubbed (although he is the sweetest guy in the world he has not idea what it is to be other than be gentle and kind I do respect his issue with the suit even though I tried many ways to get him use to it) consequently he remains clipped to go outside. Thanks for your response when ever you get out from underneath the many tasks you endeavor each day.

Regards
jeremy lee

Ps I will want to purchase a flight suit to fit the CB.

5/11/09

 

Hi Jeremy,

 

We do start all the babies in their flight suits as soon as the pin feathers come in. They wear them about 4-5 times per week here. I don't always get the lanyards on them until later.  This is just the start though. It does take about 6 months of continued use and many rewards for the babies to get used to them. Taking them outside is a great reward for them. My Grey gets clipped once per year when our weather gets nice enough to venture out. I usually recommend clipping baby for that initial bonding time, but don't mind varying that for you based on your experience.

 

 

Hi Beth, I have been meaning to send you some pics of my sisters horses so as you can see I was having a blast that day loving on all of them.

Also the one is a mom and its baby colt 3 hours old!

By the way I will be leaving in 2 weeks May 24^th camping in Kings Canyon and back on the June 5^th. How is Oso doing and did you get my email about wanting the flight suits (hunter green) and harness (blue)? Hope you had a wonderful Mom’s day! I have been talking to Jane and ordered 2 little sleeping huts for when Oso comes home, one for the day cage and one for the night/travel crate. I am getting real excited thinking about having another conure again.

 

Take care and talk to ya soon

Donna B

Thank you for the pictures. We had a horse baby last night. Weighs all of 12 pounds!!!
I don't have flight suits in hunter green in the Jr Small size. I have Red, Kelly Green, Fiesta Green, Purple and Royal blue in stock. I also have trainer suits in yellow. I don't sell any harnesses, but you can find them online. Oso is growing up, not flying yet and still struggling to fit in the flight suits!

Beth, to Dan "TuTu's" Dad........

 

This is "Cupid" Skye's Pinapple Green Cheek Conure,

 

While my mom Skye was reading your email, I happen to be looking over her shoulder and I have to tell you, I was really impressed at the new little playhouse you built for "YOUR BIRD!"  I WANT ONE! My mom went out to Pet something or other, and purchased me this boxed-playgym, that was all these different colors (gave me a headache) and had to be glued together... being the brilliant Green Cheek that I AM, I was bored in 2 minutes flat.  I rather like flying around (in my fly suit) landing on Skye's head whenever I have the chance.  I have this little gig that I do that gets her every time......... I pretend to act like an EMU and pace back and forth and chirp, then she takes me out.....it's a little game we play....... but seriously, that playhouse you built rocks and I would like to know if you would build another one for me.......... if not, I understand......... I will just have to learn to use a hammer myself and chop my own wood next..........

 

Bye for now............. Cupid!
 

Skye has a baby from our Pineapple pair that she named Cupid. Cupid is very special in that he is disabled. His parents bit the tips off of his toes and off of his beak. As you can see, Cupid has blossomed into quite a character under Skye's love. Here are some pictures we took of Cupid the other day when we visited.

HI EVERYONE!!!   I just have a QUICK question. Can the flight suit irritate under their wings?  Pippi seems to be bald and red right where the elastic strap sits under her wings. I have noticed she is hesitant to lift her wings for me.  She has started to scream if I even go near the top of her wing.  No biting though, she just shakes her head quickly and screams. I have been MAKING her do the wing game, not because she hurts, just to get her accustomed to it. I am not wondering if it is part attitude, part irritation? I do not want her in ANY pain! Thank you so much! Molly & Pippi

Back to the flight suits, I have never seen them irritate under the wings, but I would guess it is possible. It should not even begin to be tight under there...could you have the suit on incorrectly?   Every now and then, a baby will be timid after wearing the suit. When this happens, back off from the suits and just work on establishing a good bond again. Then, once that is secure, start again with the suit.

My son and I enjoyed watching the short video you had of all of the babies congregating on one of your daughter’s shoulders while doing school work.  I can see how the babies are well socialized and used to human interactions. I work full time and come home for lunch every day, but between my son and I we should be able to continue interactions with the baby. We’ve been trying to decide on a name and so far we’re leaning toward “Darcy” – figure if it’s a girl, it sounds feminine enough, and if it’s a boy could be Mr. Darcy. Remember that name from “Pride and Prejudice”?  It’s somewhat comical to have it as a name as the book’s character was prideful and arrogant, but it’s cute sounding as well.  Regards, Becky

Darcy is a great name! Cupid was chosen because it could be for a girl or a boy.

5/14/09

So I guess I've been accepted into the club???

Thanks for the note......

I've been wrestling with the idea of leaving mine flighted.  We have a cat
which was the major impediment to me finally deciding to get the bird and
flight should help.  But I also have windows way high in my living room that
would tempt a bird.....

I'll figure it out.  The cage I chose has 1/2" x 1 inch gridwork bars
specifically to discourage paws reaching in.  I don't want you to think I'm
being impulsive or careless.

Gary

 

Dan,  I think you may have competition with this Gary joining up with us. Welcome onboard Gary! The cage bar spacing sounds great.

Hi Beth

I got this and read that Cupid wants her Mom to get a "Tutu's gym" made
for her. I can do that so if you want, you can forward my email to her
and she can contact me directly.

Thanks!

Dan

I told her of your offer, Dan. Cupid's mom got very excited and said she would have to pay you for it. I will send you email addy to her. You are a very kind man.

She is wearing the suit correctly.  I think she is just going thru her stages to see how far she can get with me.  Last week, she was sitting on my head all of the time.  When I would go to get her off, she would do the same screaming thing.  That lasted a week, now she is over that.  I just keep correcting her when she screams when i pet her on the back of the neck.  I am sure that next week will be another story!  She is keeping me on my toes!  Oh, and I took your advice.  She has not been on my husband since I talked to you about it.  I think she really is starting to like me now.  She gets so EXCITED to see me in the am.  I was so worried that she would never like me. She is so cute! She is kind of like a child that won't let you kiss them in public, but when you are alone, they love snuggling.  She is VERY much like that! :) Thank you so much!  p.s. EVERYONE is fascinated by her and her beauty!  And how well behaved she is.  Thank you for all of the hard work you all put in to these babies!!! Love, Molly & Pippi

 

These birds read our body language better than we would ever dream. They quickly learn what they can control. So smart. I video'd my Emma tonight that I told you about. She used to only want my hubby, but is finally sweet talking me!

Thanks Beth What a cutie little 12 pound baby grea t picture!

For the flight suit Kelly green would work great. I do plan on keeping Ozo clipped so not sure should I get a flight suit or just a harness . I would like to take him outside on walks with me. Not sure if I should get both or just the harness? Let me know your thoughts. Have you taken more pictures of Ozo lately? You sound like you are really busy with the new horse and all and all the other babies  so  just whenever you get a chance.

Tx donna

Jess is the one who always has the camera in hand, but tonight, Anna was taking pictures of the birds. The horse does take some time, but nothing like handfeeding babies. The mom feeds her! We love raising birds, but it is time intensive and very rewarding.  I now need to edit the pictures and get them on the site. I quickly bagged my harnesses when I discovered flight suits. I love a clean shirt. But, some prefer harnesses.

 

Beth,

Just a quick note to let you know that Band 235 (Green Cheek) is home and doing
well. He's dosing right now, listening to lullaby music. My mom said
he was really quiet in the car, and he was shy when he first got here.
He ate some of the mash we made though (especially the carrots, peas,
corn and mango), munched on seeds and played in the water. He finally
came out of his carrier to have a big poop on the couch. :)

When I took him over to his cage, he got really excited and made his
first little cricket noises that I'd heard. He climbed, tried out the
toys, explored the tent...and fell asleep. He woke up to eat some
seeds, but I think he's on his way back to dreamland. It's been a big
day for a little guy.

I'm still not 100% sure on the name, but I'm thinking he's probably Embry.

Thanks so much for all of the love your family has put into raising
him! Thanks also for the carrier. I think it will work as a carry-on.
I'm looking forward to getting to know my guy's personality as he gets
more comfortable here.

Steph

Your 235 is gorgeous, but is a shyer baby than others. I don't think you will have to deal with nippiness with him. Before you open his cage door, it helps to tell him you are going to be asking him to step up and then move slowly. He then knows what is expected of him. We really loved meeting your mom and you are blessed to have her in your life!

Okay, I spoke too soon about him being asleep! He got a second wind
and climbed around on top of the cage for a while and then tried to
evade my attempts to get him back in the cage. When I finally covered
his cage, he called to me for a few minutes (and I checked to make
sure he wasn't hurt or stuck or anything....nope, just stalling) and
then he finally fell asleep. I just went to check on him, and he's
asleep on top of the birdie tent. When I poked my head under the cover
and whispered to him, he just responded with some beak grinding
noises....so I think he's feeling secure.

Take care,
Steph
 

That beak grinding and tail wagging is a good sign!
 

Hi Beth-

Just wanted to let you know that Sonoma (Soni) arrived safe and 
sound.  As soon as we got home and I opened her crate door she hopped 
up on my arm without hesitation and pretty much refused to get off!  
She then proceeded to beak my t-shirt, fingers, hair and anything she 
came across all the while making sweet little sounds.  She is so 
funny and so FEARLESS!  I can't believe how well she handled the 
transition.  Your family did an amazing job preparing her for her new 
home.  I train dogs professionally and you rarely see a puppy handle 
a transition so well! Thank you Ariana, I am grateful that the airlines do such a good job!

I am also astounded by how GORGEOUS she is.  She reminds me of a 
feathered jewel.  We are so lucky to have her!

She nibbled on some bird seed mix and Harrison's pellets (I have seed 
and corn soaking for bird mash making tomorrow morning) for a bit and 
is now curled up in her happy hut and ready for bed.   I am getting 
ready for bed myself since both of us had a long day.

Two quick questions.

Is her flight suit in her travel crate somewhere?  I didn't see it 
but maybe I don't know where to look. The flight suits are below the newspaper in the crate in an envelope. I put the baby feathers in there too. First haircut! Yes, her wings are lightly clipped. It is called a baby clip. I don't want a baby crashing and breaking the keel bone. If you feel her, you will see that she is lean, lean right now on the keel bone. She will fill in over the next 6 months and she is going to dramatically change colors. If I missed the flight suits and you can 't fine them, please email me or call me, and we can make it right.

Are her wings clipped?  At one point the sound of the cage door 
opening startled her a bit and she flew for a second or two and then 
hit the floor.  In the long run I would like for her to be flighted 
but I have to be really careful in the beginning since I have four 
dogs.  I was going to ask the vet to do it when he does her check up 
but if she is already clipped I won't have him do it.

Thanks again for everything and I'll update you soon on her progress.

Best Wishes,

Ariana
 

Hi Lisa-

 

The certificate is great!  Thank you for sending it.

 

Sonoma is doing great so far.  We are all going to call it a night but I'll keep you guys posted with her progress.

 

Thanks again for everything.  We are so excited to have such a beauty join our family :)

 

Ariana

 

My so smart Lisa is the only one who knows how to make the hatch certificates. I am not as gifted on photoshop.

Thanks, Lisa! I showed the little guy (name still in flux) his
certificate, and he seemed pleased. :) It's very cute, and I'll print
it out once I have color ink in my printer.

Band 235 (green cheek conure) is doing well today. He was kind of shy yesterday...and he's
still shy, but he's coming out of his shell. He's stepping up for me,
preened my hair (and licked/tongued my face) and sat on my shoulder
for a little tour of the condo. He's loving our version of your mash--
particularly the mango, corn and peas.So far, he's been pretty quiet,
except when I put him to bed! Today, he actually seemed really sleepy
and ready for bed, but when I covered his cage, he protested for about
20 minutes! I thought it was pretty funny. :D I was also impressed
with what a huge mess he managed to make while I was at work-- dishes
knocked over, poop in one of the water bowls, food everywhere! At
least I know he found everything. :)

My mom enjoyed meeting you guys too and told me about your new foal.
Congratulations!

Take care,
Stephanie (and the bird with no name)

 Hey, we have "a horse with no name." You are probably too young to remember the song. Sometimes you have to get a feel for personality before the name.

Hello Beth and girls and pets!! =)

I just wanted to let you know that everything is going great!! =)
Ryuk(band 236) (green cheek conure) is just fantastic!! he is like a puppy he has such a personality!! My whole family loves him and I do too!! =) He ate plenty we went to Arbys on the way home and he went in with his flight suit and lanyard and he did great everyone thought he was adorable! =) then my mom drove home and he fell asleep under my hair on my sholder and i took a nap too! lolz!!
then we got home and took off his flight suit and he was it seems relieved! haha but he explored my house ate alot of seed kinda avoided the Zupreem and veggies but ill keep trying he played in his water dish and he also played on the curtins while i watched tv lolz hes such a character!! and i put him to bed about 40 min ago and he was out as soon as i put him in his cage he was out! but during the day he was kind of sleepy too and wanted to cuddle or be pet or walk on my fathers dinner plate!! lolz
Thank you so much for the baby he is a blessing, you guys do a fabulous job at everything!! =) I enjoyed meeting every one! =) you all are so pleasant to be around!! =) i love your home animals make life possible and sometimes on an extremely rare occation impossible!! ;) but thank you for having my mother and I over!!  i have learned so much from this whole experience!! =) i love the baby horse too she is precious!! =) well i will keep you all posted and keep in touch and will probably be asking some questions that come to me =)

Blessings and Kindest Regards your friends,
Monique and Ryuk!! =)

P.S. sorry i wrote back so late! i was just busy w finals, getting home, and spending lots of time with the baby! lolz!
 

We really enjoyed meeting you too. I hope you always stay so positive during your walk here on earth. Everyone calls that little horse Precious...it may end up being her name.

 

There is a new video of a fun trip into Frys Marketplace today with 3 baby Green cheeks. Here we snuck them in and you walked right into an Arbys! The video is on the Green Cheek journal page.

 

5/21/09

 

Beautiful.  I've always liked the personality of the conures.  I've had two but they were exceedingly noisy and my neighbors complained more about them than my moluccan.  I finally was forced to place them with a good friend who lives out in no man's land and I see them often and still have my bond with them. 

 

The pineapploes are just so darn sweet and quiet. Please count on me to get one of yours.  The price is right.  A male would be preferred but since I don't want to breed it either is fine.

 

Keep me posted on them please.  What a shame that the parents did that to the one pictured but she doesn't seem to know the difference.

 

Regards:

 

Lynette

Hi Lynette,

 

I am hoping we get 2 babies from Fuzzy and Wuzzy. One egg hatched and I stole baby and put it under Zumo and Kaida. It was still wet when I found it from just hatching out. Then, I took the other fertile egg and put it under Beau and Rain. They are seasoned parents and should do well. Beau was my oldest's first pet conure. He was the one we would take around to share with the elderly at nursing homes.

 

I included your email (below), Dan, just to help others even though we spoke already.

Hi Beth

Tutu is a snuggler!  She loves hair and she makes the funniest sounds
when she is running around our necks and playing with our hands and hair!

I had two behavior questions:

1.   When we leave in the afternoon and come back later (we have regular
afternoon sailboat races that get us back late).  So the Tutu has been
in her cage for a few hours by herself.  When we return, it may be
10:00, well after her normal bed time but I like to take her out and
scratch her head and stroke her a bit.  Linda wants to put her to bed.

    a.   My thoughts are that she has been alone and quiet and sleeping
for awhile anyway so a bit of staying awake won't harm her.  And being
so social, it is important to have time with her, and that when we come
home, it doesn't mean she is going to bed.
    b.   Linda is concerned that she needs her sleep and should go to
bed then.

We both agree that Tutu needs plenty of sleep but disagree on what that
means and what the balance is between socializing and sleep.Everything you read says to put your bird on a schedule where they get 10-12 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night. If we had behavioral problems I would be listening more to these guidelines, but we don't follow this at all. When I want Emma, she is with me no matter what time it is...and you all can probably tell that I keep some odd hours due to hand feeding. She seems to nap when I am not with her and loves the attention when I can give it. But, if a pet of ours is on an established schedule, they do want you to stick to it. I have noticed this with the pets of my youngest who had more regular bedtimes. Their birds did not like to be disturbed once they were in the routine. . 
2.   When disciplining her for biting, we roll her on her back and say
"No bite!"  but we also want to teach her to roll on her back and "Play
Dead", plus she enjoys rolling over when chasing fingers and getting
scratched.   Could the discipline start becoming confused with play and
visa versa?   We would love to keep her playing and doing these funny
flips and rolls when we tickle her and she gets excited but worry about
the confusion of the "No Bite" punishment vs. play.  What are your thoughts?
Birds can tell when you are playing and when you are teaching a lesson. They notice our expressions and body language very well. When you teach her not to bite, always use the same verbal cue too. 3.   Tutu loves her little plastic "cage" balls with bells in them.  She
runs after them like a kid after the ice cream truck but if I hold it,
she bites my fingers HARD.  She is VERY possessive of the balls.  When I
discipline her, she then leaves the ball alone.  I want to keep her
playing with the balls but not biting fingers.  Any thoughts?Keep the ball between your fingers and her. I have found that when they are wound up or excited, that is when you can expect a bite.
Thanks!
Dan


Got here right on time.  My problem?  There is absolutely NO taming to do.
What the heck fun is that!!!!

I thought she was hiding in the back of the cage out of fear and stress.
Then I figured out she was EATING.  Guess it was, as you say on your site,
just another outing.

You do one heckuva job raising these babies.  She's acting right at home,
relaxed and enjoying everybody.

Thanks for all you do and of course I'll keep you posted,
Gary

 

On the diet, do you mean 2 part seed to 1 part pellets?  I thought the pellets
were the main feed and the seeds a lesser portion?

Gary's bird got to go to beautful Montana!! I wanted him to buy my family and not just a green cheek! I love that country. I mix a bit more seed than pellet into their diet when they are young to help them gain weight. They are thin when they first wean. As they mature, I slowly change this around. I just can't stress enough that the fresh food (sprouts and veggies and fruits) are the critical components of their diet and should be the main feed.

Hi, Beth--

A couple of questions regarding Orion:

1. He's been chasing his tail feathers lately. I think it's hilarious!
I'm just wondering if this is usual for GCCs??Yes, Green cheeks will chase their tails. Of course some of us encourage it more than others. Zumo would do a spin on command. He was  a great pet.
2. I had a sherpa fleece ball (from Choppers) in the cage, and Orion
liked it....maybe a little too much. He seemed to be trying to mate
with it. I took it out of the cage. He's nine weeks old-- was he
really trying to mate with it?? Isn't that a little young? Was I right
to take it away?He is not sexually mature yet, but I have seen this with our baby colts too. They seems to be big boys way beyond their time at about 2 months of age....and then they outgrow it. I think creatures go through various developmental stages. These stages effect each differently, but I doubt he is cognitively trying to mate. I think he is just being controlled by his hormones. You have probably seen this with young, young pups too. And, then they outgrow it for a time until the real stuff begins.
Other than that, things are going well. I'm impressed with how smart
Orion is...he's definitely understanding things (like when I tell him
to poop...he's starting to do that....or when I tell him I'm getting
his food, he comes down to wait). Another thing that cracks me up-- he
understands when it's getting near bedtime. He'll seem sleepy and will
go up to his tent when I tell him and get comfy and seem content. I do
a little "goodnight" routine, and he's happy and peaceful. I cover the
cage, and he's fine. Then I turn out the light and step out of the
room.....and a ruckus ensues! He sqwalks and protests for a good
twenty minutes! But...it's not like he didn't know that bedtime was
coming...and he didn't even seem upset about it. I check on him, and
he doesn't seem distressed....he just wants to be noisy! I think it's
really funny. Yes, Green Cheeks protest going to bed. Have you seen the video on our site? It is really funny to the people when we have a group over and they start asking questions. This happened the other night. I told all people present to be quiet when I turned out the lights. Then off went the lights and wammo, the babies start protesting. It is really funny and loud when there are a bunch of them.
Take care,
Stephanie

Haven't picked out a name yet....Just found out today he's a she...Been 40
years since I've had a bird in my shirt.  That time it took months.   She's
already asleep in there...
G

They love dark places. Now you see why they liked the grocery store trip!

 

Hi Beth-

 

Thank you for all of your advice.  Just wanted to let you know that Soni's flight suit arrived yesterday.  Haven't had a chance to try it out yet but am going to try tomorrow.

 

Also, Soni cuddled up and watched tv with me the past two nights before going to bed (in her sleep cage).  Tonight she actually started putting her head down for a head rub!

 

Thanks again!
 

Best,
 

Ariana

Some new bird owners can be overly cautious with their new baby. You don't usually need to be slow or cautious with a handfed baby. They are used to my daughters!  I see this when I meet new bird owners. Hello Beth

We took Tutu with us on a two night, 3 day weekend out to a lodge. We
are trying to include her in our lives as much as possible. It is
interesting and fun but much like taking the kids on a vacation I suspect. I am so glad you are traveling with your baby Crimson! That is one really neat thing about the size of the Pyrrhuras...you can take them anywhere quite easily. Anyway, Linda and I had some questions:

A. How concerned are you with taking a bird outside with wings clipped
and no flight suit? Tutu prefers our company and snuggles against me as
I have been taking her outside to the mailbox and sometimes meeting
folks. She hasn't tried to fly away but I do have it in the back of my
mind, if she were to fly onto a tree, she would be hard to get down and
could climb to the top. Since she does have her wings clipped, and I
have never seen her fly more than maybe 10', do you feel this is OK or
should she just NOT be allowed outside? I have kept her away from trees,
though.I am VERY concerned. It may take many years, but most people lose their bird someday when they start doing this. When a sudden gust of wind comes up, they are gone and can all of a sudden fly where they never could in the home. I have heard so many horror stories from devastated people. They fly with their tails too. Not just their wings. Look at his tail! When they are startled outside is usually when they take off. They suddenly sprout wings. Have you ever been scared and gotten unusual speed or strength as a result? The same happens with birds. I would only take my bird outside in a flight suit.

B. She is getting into the habit of flying to our face and sometimes
scratching us. She grabbed Linda's lip and made it bleed last night. We
want to encourage her to fly to us when we call but want to avoid
getting a face full of bird. How do we train her to not fly into our face?

C. Continuing with the comment below about biting my finger when holding
her ball, it is not that my finger gets in the way, she goes after the
offending digits! She does not try and grab the ball while we are
holding it, she attacks the fingers and BITES DOWN HARD! I did try and
move my fingers as far behind the ball as I could and it made no
difference, she lunges at the fingers and will clamp down! Each time I
roll her over and say "No bite!" but that has only slowed her a bit
while she thinks about the consequences then bites us anyway. And it is
only the ball she does this to, no other toy.
Birds learn if you just continue to tell them no and put them where you want them. Emma used to grab my sunglasses. After many, many repeated lessons, she figured it out. They are smart. We bird owners just have to be consistent and persistent. Boy is she possessive over that ball....hmmm, maybe give up playing with the ball with her? Or, try adding 3 more balls so that she keeps running after then new one! As an aside, she is starting to show signs of understanding when we want
her to go to the bathroom. She has on more than one occasion done her
business when told the command "Bombs away!" Clever girl!
Thanks!
Dan

 

Hi Beth,

Band #230 now has a name: he is Pip.  He’s full of beans, very good about stepping up, happily flies to Nina and is very good about pooping where he should: only once on Nina so far, a remarkable feat in such a young bird.  Kudos to y’all for training him up right.

He’s starting to try to talk a little – just in his own private scribble so far, but he’s got obvious sentences in it, even if we can’t understand it.  We suspect English isn’t far away.English with an English accent??
 

He’s about figured out who is who, so he’s ready to move up in the pecking order.  The cheekbone restraint is working fine so far, but it’s sometimes difficult to tell if he’s just using his beak as a third hand or if he’s nipping.If the beak does not hurt, don't discipline it. Allow them to use their beaks for exploration and relationship with you. John & Nina

Thank you for the update. I hope Nina's knee is recovering!?!? Well, I made it home with the Buddy Bird and everyone just loves him.  He's just plain pooped and was falling asleep in Abby's hair.  We're going to keep him out for a bit more then put him/her in the sleep cage.  Thanks again for the great job you and your family do in getting these birds socialized.  We'll be sending some pics to you soon. 

 

The eucalyptus trees along Cotton Lane were just the ticket.  There was, literally, a ton of branches there for the picking.  I found a couple that could easily be used to make a standing floor perch as well as others that will become cage perches and parts/pieces to a hanging perch in the works...

 

One more thing, I forgot to give you the $25 for the DNA sexing for Buddy.  I'll put it in the mail if you would like, or I can bring it with later in June/July when we pick up the Crimson.

 

Thanks!

 

Jeff and Drea

 

Eucalyptus branches and leaves are both good for the birds. Fresh branches make great cheap throw away toys for your birds.  As do pinecones! Wash all well http://pamperedpeeps.com/branches.htm 

 

Pine Cone Toys

Pine cones are a cheap fun toy for parrots. Be sure to thoroughly clean and disinfect them. Make sure that they have not been exposed to insecticides.  Avoid collecting branches from areas near highways or where there is a greater likelihood of the plant life absorbing toxic emissions from cars.   You can clean branches with a non-toxic disinfectant (diluted bleach solution of 4 parts water to 1 part bleach), rinse and dry thoroughly. We then place them in the oven at  225 degrees for 30 to 60 minutes. Turn off your oven and leave the cones inside for 2 hours. Do not turn the over up higher due to the danger of starting a fire. The seeds inside the cones are a special treat and are safe for the birds to eat and your birds will have a blast destroying the cone. A fun way to encourage them to play with the pinecones is to brush them in peanut butter, and sprinkle with bird seeds, pellets or crushed cereal. Hang in the cage by tying with thin leather. 

hi beth!
thanx for the speedy reply!  zumo is quite handsome as are his children!

i think they will be fine! i will need shipping to michigan. do you have an aprox ETA? i just get concerned for the little guys if traveling during the hot summer months. we also will be needing a trainer suit for junior. and while personality is priority #1, i was wondering if a confirmation of sex would be possible (i don't know how old they have to be for that)

i will be sending the deposit via paypal as a bank transfer so just confirm the details with me and i'll get that out to you.

thanx soo much

mary
Zumo's eggs should start hatching soon and then the babies take 8 weeks to wean usually. I peeked this morning to look in on the immigrant that I planted in their box from Fuzzy and Wuzzy's nest box. No new Zumo babies this AM. I can sex them fairly young once they are inside. I try and leave baby Green cheeks with their parents until they are about 3 weeks old.

Hello guys!! Its been a while since ive been on the computer just been busy w birdie and work and graduations to attend and trying to get my relaxing time in haha!! Well all is going well at my house Ryuk is a fabulous baby to have around the house he is always willing to try new foods even thought most of the time he does not really eat it haha! and he for some strange reason does not like to be in his cage!! as soon as i put him in and sit down he does not hesitate to protest!! haha he loves to be in my hair all of the time i think im going to buy him a maniquin with a wig and a shirt and just let him get his hair time in there!! lolz ;) Everything has been going great and i put his flight suit on yesterday and he did not like it very much but i tryed getting his mind off of it by giving him food but it ddnt really help. so i tryed to put on his suit today and he saw it and made a run for it i tryed to put it on him and he was just funning and screaming and i ddnt have any one to help me get it on him so it did not go on and now he doesnt want me to pet him any more i think it scared him =( and he is being fiesty now like i tryed to take something out of his mouth and he got mad! then he tryed to challenge me and was yelling at me w his featers all puffed so i picked him up in the "Beth grip" and told him to be nice and that worked but he still does not really want me to pet him on his back or on the back of his neck i think he thinks im going to try to put on his flight suit when i pet him on his back, should i keep trying to pet him or try tomorrow again? and my mom make mash but she burn the beans so we are going to make it this weekend for sure but in the mean time ive been giving him corn, carrots, greenbeans, watermelon etc plus seeds n zupreme lolz. but other than that hes been doing great he wants to be out of the cage all of the time and he is a happy birdie and he loves to show off!! when my family and i are at the table he runs on the table and hops around and hes stepping up great he took his first bath yesterday! i had the bathroom sink on and he jumped right in and started to splash around!! it was so funny!The "Beth grip!" Jeff called it the death grip or the vise grip! he is a joy to have around and he is basically fearless!!! very brave! his only secretive fear for now it the flight suit!! haha! ;) thanks for everything he is marvelous!! =) Giant Blessings!! =) Monique and Ryuk!! =)   P.S. sorry this was such a long email!!

Thank you for the wonderful update!! Off to get Gilbert (238) and 243 ready for an airline ride!!! Pray for them. There are some excited families waiting to meet their new feathered friends.

5/28/09

Hi everybody! Billy, we added you to this list so you can get baby tips.....
 

Well, this is Lisa, Beth's oldest daughter doing this update as my mom is really busy today. Don't worry, she'll proofread before I send this, though

 

I had a lady write this week because she had bought a green cheek off of Craigslist and it was  one of our babies. The owner was scared of the nipping and only handled the baby with gloves. Please do not let your bird control you this way. Please keep trying. ALL parrots will test you and don't stop handling them or it will only get worst. 

 

hi beth!
thanx for the speedy reply!  zumo is quite handsome as are his children!

i think they will be fine! i will need shipping to michigan. do you have an aprox ETA? i just get concerned for the little guys if traveling during the hot summer months. we also will be needing a trainer suit for junior. and while personality is priority #1, i was wondering if a confirmation of sex would be possible (i don't know how old they have to be for that)

i will be sending the deposit via paypal as a bank transfer so just confirm the details with me and i'll get that out to you.

thanx soo much

mary

 

Zumo's first baby hatched on Monday (the 25th) and that would make it ready to wean around July 20. Yes, we can DNA sex the baby, and it is $25. We can take the sample as soon as we bring them inside. You will need to let me know if you want your baby sexed. As of right now, your baby is the one who had his head straight back and Lynette's baby is the biggest one in the picture.
 

 

 

Hi Beth and family,

Wanted to ask you a question about Luna (Green Cheek)(band 212). We recently went on vacation for a week and had a bird sitter come by daily to feed, water and spend time with her. When we returned, she appeared to be in a molting stage and looked stressed. Is this normal? My last GCC never looked like this. She has lost a lot of her red color and has more pin feathers than usual. Im concerned enough to take her to a vet if this is a sign of sickness. Hopefully she just missed us and is just a little stressed. She hares a room in front of the window with her "brother".

What do you think?

Derek

 

Could she be plucking, or are you sure that she is molting. If she is just molting, I wouldn't worry about it as they can look pretty ratty during that time! But if she is plucking, that could be stress from you being gone. Plucking can also be caused by food allergies, parasites, metal poisoning, poor diet,  and stress....The pin feathers that you mentioned make me think that she is just molting, and everything will come out fine. Bathing or an aloe spray can help her during this itchy time.  

Hi, Beth

 I wanted to send you an update on Rico. (Green Cheek Conure) He is such a joy to us all. He is gaining weight, I can tell that his keel bone is not as obvious now and he is developing a typical toddler attitude. He lets you know right away if he is not happy about anything. He only fusses a little when I put his flight suit on. I think he realizes that he is going outside when it goes on and he does love to be outside. We have been having a lot of rain here this year and last weekend when we went to the river there was a lot of water running in the streams. He got so excited listening to it on our walk.We used to hike with a Patagonian that would get so excited by the sound of running water that he would talk and talk and talk!! Made us laugh! Today was Bailey’s last day at school for this year and Rico got to go to school to meet his class and teacher. They all loved him and of course Rico put on a show. He let them all hold him and walked all over their shoulders and heads which delighted them. We talked about what kind of parrot he was and how we care for him. I took his balls with us and he chased them all around the floor which made all the kids laugh. The teachers all wanted to know where I found you. Who knows you may be hearing from some of them! Green cheeks love those balls. You all are doing a great job with him!

I  have one thing to run by you. I think I know the answer but thought I would see what you thought. My daughter, who does not live with us, has been playing with Rico since we brought him home and he always seemed to like her. When she would come in he would fly to her and spend time snuggling and playing with earrings just like he did with us. A couple of week ago he started acting differently with her. When she would come in she would get him to come to her and after a few seconds he fluffs up and aggressively attacks biting hard enough to break the skin and bleed. We correct him as you told us by grabbing with two finger below his eyes on the cheek bones and sternly saying “No Bite”. He then sometimes will be ok the rest of her visit and then sometimes we have to do it 2-3 times. I speculated that maybe he now considers our home his territory and us his flock and because she does not live here he tries to drive her away. What do you think and should we be doing anything else any differently.

 Debbie

Rico sounds awesome! It is so fun when they start getting the toddler attitude. It sounds like he is considering you as his "flock" and is protecting you against the "outsider." What you are doing as far as punishing him sounds just right. Make sure that you are always consistent as to the tone of voice that you use and that you consistently consequence him whenever he does it.

 

 

Hi guys! update on Pippi. ( green cheek ) She is doing GREAT!!  She is SO gentle and snuggly!  SHe has not been MOODY at all.  No more screaming when I touch her.  I actually think that maye she got hurt in her cage. She plays so rough with her toys> She now has her outside cage and LOVES it.   She now has 3 cages and is becoming quite the boss around here. THe Dobies and the Chihuahua have a lot of respect for her!  Everyone has setttled down nicely! I feel I can NEVER thank you guys enough! I love her SOOOOOOOO much she has brought TONS of JOY to my life and so many others! Thank you, thank you, thank you!! Love, Molly & Pippi Thank you so much for the update! I am glad that she rules the dogs...it is so funny because the dogs don't seem to realize that the bird is so much smaller than them! Green cheeks typically are not scared of anything. We ate lunch with Cupid today and mom was telling her that the best pets are ones that are mauled. Cupid's owner (Skye) looked mortified, so mom quickly explained that mauling was a good thing. It meant handling the bird all over and ignoring their protests. Skye at this time was grasping Cupid in her fist, laying her on her back and rubbing her cheeks. Cupid was very happy.   Skye also hates birdie poop, so Cupid wears her flight suit daily and has gotten used to it very quickly.

 

It is so nice to read all the updates on all the new babies and it really helps to know ahead of time all the little things they do like when they go to bed and protest that is really funny. Also it is nice to hear that they are so socialized right when they come home sounds like all of your hand raising really pays off .I should be getting my bunks from Jane soon I ordered one for the sleep cage and for the day cage. It sounds like they really like these bunks for both sleeping and rolling around in.. Did you ever find out if Oso is a boy or girl? I need to add that to the invoice. I will be leaving for a vacation on Sunday and will not be back until June 6^th . Our plan looks like we will be driving to pick up Oso (green cheek) on Saturday June 13^th. Let me know if you want I can pay now or when I com back before I come to your place.

Has Oso had a flight suit on yet , I hope he likes it since I will be taking him with me on walks and rides on my shoulder and also sitting out on my patio watching the wild birds eat . I can’t wait to see this little one thanks again for the pictures they were really cuteJ

I was planning on mixing the Zupreme and the Roudybush and a premium  conure mix for the seed and will they still be eating on the floor or up by the perches when I get my baby home?

Thanks for all you do

Donna Braswell

We never DNA sexed Oso, but we can. They results usually come back a week to a week and a half after they receive the samples, and the cost is $25. You can pay when you get back...have fun on your vacation!! He has had a flight suit on, but no baby likes it at first. In time, they eventually get used to it, and may start to like it. But they all put up a fight in the beginning. It really helps if you take them outside when you get it on as a kind of reward.

Mom revised the baby care link and added red to the typing that will tell you what is critical to feed your baby. It is NOT ENOUGH to feed dehydrated veggies. They need fresh or frozen corn, peas, fruits and sprouts and they need this daily in a big dish. Green cheeks are mash pigs. The mash is essential to them. http://pamperedpeeps.com/babycare.htm

Lisa,

We have arrived home with Gilbert (green cheek) and #243. We are babysitting #243 until a decent hour today. The babies are terrific! Gilbert is AMAZING! Meaghan was more nervous than Gilbert was during their first meeting.  We took the babies out to socialize in the car at the airport. Halfway home meaghan decided she wanted to keep Gilbert in the backseat with her. He went straight to her shoulder and started playing with her hair. After about an hour he decided it was bedtime and fell asleep in the crook of her neck. Thank you for such a wonderful little gift. I served as a surrogate to #243. We stopped many times on the way home and got him out. I will send many pictures tomorrow once I get some sleep.
 
On another note, I couldn't find Gilbert's flight suit. Could you check to see if it accidently got left out? He had a purple one?
 
Thank You,
Stacey and Meaghan

Meaghan sounds so cute! The Green Cheeks love snuggling up under hair. It is always great when someone with longer hair buys a baby. Gilbert was a very funny little bird.

 

Beth and Lisa,
 
Wanted to drop a note and let you know how well Aleta has fit into our family and how much we love her! 
 
I recently read that Fuzzy and Wuzzy have laid a couple more eggs and you have placed them with other parents.  That is great.  Fuzzy and Wuzzy struggled as parents but have had some beautiful babies.
 
I want everyone to know even though Fuzzy and Wuzzy had some issues raising their babies and ate a toe or two from our baby;  our Aleta is doing fantastic and has had NO difficulties because of her missing toes.  She is very independent, climbs as well as any bird and is very happy!  I am so very glad that I chose her.
 
She loves to take a bath in a bowl, packs around on our shoulders, and snuggles with all of us. Her favorite place is on top of my head!  Not my preference!! She is a fantastic bird and so well adjusted.  Nothing bothers her and she is not afraid of anything. (my dogs are offended!)
 
I have included a couple of pictures and want to thank you again for the great companion birds you deliver to your customers.
 
Donna

 Isn't it funny how well a "disabled" bird can get around? The lady who has Aleta's sister loves that bird, and she is really disabled. "Cupid" loves going out in her flight suit and has an awesome life, though!  Look at that mug; Mom calls her an English Bulldog!   (Click on picture to blow it up bigger) Aleta sounds like a special baby! They love taking baths, and usually right after you have given them nice, clean water!

 

 

Dakota is doing well. Getting into mischief like usual. Lol

Bethany

 

She is beautiful, Bethany! Thanks for the pictures.

 

Hi Beth: Are there any eggs?  Have exercised some constraint not to call....am anxious to here....

Karen

 

I have been putting off getting back to you because I have not been sure if the parents are going back to nest or not. As of right now, it looks like they are not going to. When the heat hits, the birds stop laying. We keep hoping though, for our temps went back down to under 100 this past week. 

Hi Beth!

Just wanted to send you a quick update and let you know that Lola's (green cheek)
settling in well! About the second week she was here, she started
biting a lot for a couple of days. We attempted the restraint
technique you demonstrate, and this week, she hasn't really done any
biting at all! So it seems like she learned pretty quickly what kind
of beaking was allowed. We are entertained daily by her funny noises
and haven't yet decided whether she sounds more like a piggy or a
frog. So funny!

Yesterday we finally managed to get her flight suit on her after
several weeks of trying. She was so cute! But she kept chewing on the
suit, even when we took her outside. But when she stopped chewing long
enough to look around, it seemed like she was enjoying herself. :)

I have attached a picture of Lola's first excursion outside.

One quick question: is edamame OK for parrots to eat?

Thanks so much for raising such a delightful baby! We love her so
much!!! And the hatch certificate was really cute, too!

April

 

Good job on stopping her biting! A lot of people have real problems getting "the hold," but if you can get it, it works really well! They are such quick learners if you are consistent and patient. Their little noises are so funny! We call the Green Cheeks crickets and the Crimson Bellies frogs...never heard piggy  The flight suit can be quite a fight! She will do so much better if you take her outside right away. They get distracted by everything around them and forget to chew the suit.

 

 I looked online and it looks like Edamame can be poisonous to parrots unless cooked. Before we feed our parrots any beans, we cook them just to be sure.

 

 

Beth,
I know we have 72 hrs. to get Gilbert vet checked but we had to make our appointment for Tuesday because of the Memorial weekend.  Gilbert or Gilly is doing well. He has started biting a bit but Meaghan has watched your videos and she is being very consistent with the No Bite training. Gilbert is doing well with step up. He definitely knows who he belongs to! He likes everyone, but wants to be with Meaghan if she is in the room with the rest of us. I got Gilbert after Meaghan fell asleep last night and after playing for a while he bit. While I had him on his/her back waiting for him to calm down he fell asleep. He was so cute! I let him sleep like that for about twetny minutes and then placed him in his sleep cage. Meaghan is on the couch rubbing his beak as a type. I did want to ask what type of cereal is best to use as a treat when trainig him? As usual, thanks for everything!
 
Stacey

Beth,
I was just wanting some advice on Gilert's behavior. It started yesterday afternoon. When he is taken out of his cage he chirps nonstop until he is put back in. It is a nice chirping sound but the fact the he never stops worries me. Do they chirp constantly when happy and if so then why is qiuet and content once he is back is his cage? Also he is now refusing to step up. His demeanor is still pleasant, no problems except for a little nipping but that has calmed down. 
Thanks,
Stacey

There are different kinds of chirps. If he is chirping a lot when he is with you, that could mean that he is happy, or begging for food. They have different sounds for what they are trying to express. As I sit here and type, I have a baby Cinnamon Green Cheek on me, and she is contentedly chirping the whole time. She is very happy, but she is making lots of little noises. If he is refusing to step up, I would just keep practicing it. If he won't do it, try wiggling the finger you are asking to step up on, and kind of push it against him more firmly. And say "step up" clearly every time you ask. Tell Meaghan good job on learning the hold and using it on him!

 

Whatever cereal they especially like is best to use, but make sure there is no chocolate in it (I.e., cocoa puffs) A lot of birds tend to like just plain Cheerios.

 

She is absolutely wonderful and doing great.  As well as she took the trip,
she is getting much more animated and outgoing with each day so she must have
been a bit imposed upon.  But enough about me.

Did you have a wieght on her when you packed her up?  We have a good food
scale and she was 66gm yesterday.  I wish I'd thought of wieghing her day 1 to
keep track of her growth and will do so now.  Interested in where she started
(on your scale) if you had it.

Also, having adopted her so late in her life, I don't have her true baby pics.
 I downloaded the couple on the web-site but they are small files.  Can you
email me any you took of her?

Thanks again
Gary
 

66 grams is about average for a newly weaned baby. We did not have an exact weight on her, but that sounds very good. She will get more and more outgoing as she gets older. The Green Cheek babies can be pretty subdued, but they become very "cheeky" and cocky as they mature!

 

Hi Beth -

Wanted to share some pics with the people who helped God make it all possible. I took these today: The poor little girl was terrorized by my flightsuit dressing skills! I had figured it out when I put them on the boy. Yes... I am bad... I have still not decided on names. I call the boy Rollie since he rolls around on the bottom of his cage sometimes. The girl is called Rosie usually. I dont know how much I like those though. I was thinkin Merlin maybe... Robin or Ruby...... Jacob or Joshua... I dont know! Anyhow....here are some pics..

http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg39/lktistes/IMG_1719.jpg    - 226

http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg39/lktistes/IMG_1721.jpg   

http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg39/lktistes/IMG_1730.jpg  - 225

http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg39/lktistes/IMG_1727.jpg

http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg39/lktistes/IMG_1726.jpg           

And..... the little girl wishes you a Happy Memorial Day!!

http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg39/lktistes/IMG_1725.jpg

Talk to you soon..
Laura

The pictures were awesome! I loved the Memorial Day one! She is absolutely beautiful. Just keep doing the flight suit, and you will get much more used to putting it on. Thank you so much for sending us the pictures. 

 

Good morning everyone,

I was so nervous picking up Archimedes you can't even imagine.  You know my home is full of children and other pets and was very aprehensive about bringing him home.  Scared to death as it was almost 3 years waiting for this precious baby.

I first want to thank you so much for spending so much time with Jessica and me on Sunday as I know how busy you are with church and your family.  You are such an amazing person.

Well, he sat on the back of the seat all the way home just looking around.   He lost his balance one time, scared me, but since he was wearing his flight suit and lead wo I hung on to the lead rope to steady him and he was fine. 

We walked in the door with everyone anxiously waiting.   I had warned everyone to be quiet when we walked in.  Right!  How do you keep two 5 year old's quiet when they are so excited.  But, when we walked in the door Archimedes sat on my shoulder and thanks to your amazing training and socialization he had no problem accepting everyone.  Everyone had to hold him and love on him.  He fit right in.

He hates being in his cage.  He sits on top of it.  So I know that when I do get the play gym and hanging gym he is going to love it.  He doesn't belong in the cage. 

Binx, our very large dog is still curious about him but does very well with him, Archimedes has taken to everyone.  Even my cat ignores him.  Yipee!!!   He is eating well and just wants to be with us all the time. 

He is starting to feel more comfortable as he seems to be getting a little bit ornery at times.  But he still loves and steps up perfectly. 

He is truly loved.  Even the twins have held him, and even cuddled him in his blanket.  

I had is flight suit on, no problem at all.  He did start to chew on it and I finally took it off hm.  I am going to try to put it on him every day.

Well I need to go check on him as he is sitting on top of his cage.  He is getting more vocal though. 

Oh I did want to ask you one question.  He should still be sleeping during the day?  He took several naps and actually laid down on the top of his cage and slept for a while yesterday.  But he is eating well and seems to be quite happy.

Hugs to everyone and I will keep you updated as the days go by.

Connie.

 Thank you so much! He was a very sweet Grey. The pictures were awesome! Babies sleep a lot and it is perfectly normal for them to take lots of naps.

 

Hi Beth.  Attaching a few photos of dinner time.  As you can see, no problem eating.  He is eating dinner with us.  His seed bowl is on the table he had fruit and decided he wanted the girls grilled cheese sandwiches and home made potatoe chips for dinner. 

Hugs.
--
Connie

 

 

Beth,

Gilbert is doing great still. He put on his flight suit yesterday and is getting better with step up. Let me know when you get the results from Gilberts sexing. Also, is okay to give to give raw bell peppers along with his oranges and other fresh fruits?

Stacey

 Raw bell peppers are great for birds. Most raw fruits and vegetables are very healthy and an essential thing to feed your bird. There are some that are poisonous including avocado, raw onion, raw tomatoe, and apple seeds. Apple seeds concentrate the insecticide sprayed on the fields, and thus we leave the part of the apple with the seeds out of the bird's diet. 

 

Hi Beth,

Pip is starting in on his nippy stage as he starts to figure out who’s boss.  How do you feel about using a separate cage as a timeout cage, for a maximum of five minutes at a clip?  The point here is not to punish him, but rather give him a short, sharp reminder that nipping is not acceptable, kind of like the Naughty Chair.

He’s starting to say “Step up” and “Hello, Pip,” albeit in a very scratchy voice that probably only we can understand.

Thanks,

John & Nina

Hi Beth,

So now Pip has graduated from nipping to all-out biting.  He got a hold of the back of Nina’s hand this morning, and when he was told “No,” he got a devilish gleam in his eye and got a better hold.  Since Nina has difficulty scruffing him because her hands are small, are there any other ways to deal with this?

Thanks,

John & Nina

 We have had many kids learn "the hold" on birds and have no problem. Practice learning how to grab him quickly in times of non-conflict. When I was 9 years old, I got an African Grey, and she was only 2. I was told that before she was sexually mature to learn how to restrain her. So, when she was not biting, I would practice grabbing her head, and I got to the point where it was mere habit. That way, when she started biting, I was confident and able to grab her no problem. Make sure to read the page on our website about what to do if your bird is biting: http://pamperedpeeps.com/bitinggreencheeks.htm 

 

If you use the cage technique, it tends to separate the behavior from the consequence by a couple minutes. Animals learn quicker if the consequence happens immediately after their behavior. The "hold" is an immediate consequence and thus they know why they are in trouble. It is also easy to do if the bird is on your shoulder and is biting your ear or neck. You can just reach up, grab the head, say "no bite", and then move on. We have found it to be very quick and effective. If you read Stacey's email about Gilbert, it says, " He has started biting a bit but Meaghan has watched your videos and she is being very consistent with the No Bite training. Gilbert is doing well with step up. He definitely knows who he belongs to!" And April's email about Lola says, " About the second week she was here, she started biting a lot for a couple of days. We attempted the restraint technique you demonstrate, and this week, she hasn't really done any biting at all!" So if you are able to learn how do it, it does work very well.

 

Beth,
 
We are getting really excited about bringing our bird home soon, brand 245! We feel like we are kinda preparing to bring a newborn home, except the cage cost more than the crib did! Is saturday good to come get 245? We need an adress and directions to your place and a good time of day for you. The morning will be better for us, I have to be back in Flagstaff at 5pm. I really have no idea where you live! 
 
Do you sell food?
Should I just go to our local pet store to get food? What is that mix called you buy?
Fresh fruits and vegies right?
 
We are excited!
 
Thanks a million,
Diane Lott
 

We  do not sell food, we buy our own at Pratts, a feed store in Glendale. Our seed mix is Zupreem maintenance pellets (cockatiel size) and Deluxe Small Hookbill. When you pick up your baby, we will give you a sample of the food they have been on. Fresh fruits and veggies are absolutely essential to a new baby bird. When they first come home, they can be stressed and they need the fresh food. Make sure to read this page on what to feed your baby when they come home: http://pamperedpeeps.com/babycare.htm. Oranges, apples, watermelon, and grapes are favorite fruits that we have found, and yams, corn, peas, and carrots are favorite vegetables. We look forward to meeting you on Saturday.

 

Hi Beth,

The baby arrived just fine, and I picked up from the airport. It was an adventure finding the cargo delivery area, but all went well.  Darcy seemed busy with his food and didn’t seem too concerned about the change of scenery. You and your family did a wonderful job of socializing him as by the end of the day, he was quietly snuggling on my shoulder. He slept quietly all night and this morning happily jumped out of his sleeping quarters to greet me.  

 

He does seem to be into chewing skin at times, but he’s easily distracted from it and is very cute and sweet.  I will review your articles for recommendations to discourage the behavior per your suggestions.  

I’m very happy with the baby, and thank you so very much for all that you do. 

Regards,

Becky

I love the name Darcy! Is that from Pride and Prejudice? He is such a funny bird, and despite his skin chewing, is so silly and innocent that it is really funny!!! Thank you for being such a great home for him.

Hi! This is Lisa again, answering for my mom, who is bed-bound with the flu.

 

First off, if I haven't answered your emails for a couple days, or if you have pressing questions, please feel free to call me. 623 694 9431.

 

If you haven't checked the Green Cheek nursery page for a while, there is a fun sequence of Zumo's babies growing up that you may like to see! http://pamperedpeeps.com/gccnursery_09.htm

 

At this stage, I think baby birds look like aliens! :D

Orion (band 235) (Yellow Sided Green Cheek Conure) is doing well. He's really come out of his shell, so to speak, and is MUCH less timid. He's exploring and cuddling and falling asleep snuggled against my face. (He tries to snuggle in my hair, but I have extremely short hair so this isn't so successful!) I've heard a lot of people talk about GCCs sleeping and playing laying on their backs. With the exception of Orion's nightly going-to-bed tantrum (in which he sometimes lays on this back, screams and kicks his feet and chews on his toes), I haven't seen Orion do this. However, he loves to sleep on his side! It's so cute, and he'll have one little leg up in the air or curled against him. :) Also, I've been surprised how much Orion already uses his feet to hold things and am wondering if most birds have "footedness" the way people have "handedness." Orion seems to be a leftie. :)

Take care,
Stephanie & Orion

Thank you so much for the update, Stephanie! As Orion gets older, he may tend to sleep on his back more...maybe, I'm not sure about birds being "left-footed" or "right-footed." I know that horses have "a side" just like people, but I don't know about birds.

 

 

Thank you so much for adding me to your mailing list! I always knew you guys were fabulous breeders from your great informative website, but keeping in touch and being a support system for your birds' owners is a wonderful thing to do!

 

Band #131 (formerly known as Pita Bird) (Yellow Sided Green Cheek Conure) is doing GREAT! I have no idea why these people wore gloves with him and had stopped all handling. Not only is he is a sweetie pie and not biting at all, he is actually very preoccupied with my lips and constantly giving gentle kisses and nibbling. LOL.

 

He is a delightful bird and in just a few days we feel like we know him so well and like he has been here so long. Not only are we so happy with him, but we can tell he is so happy to be here too.   :)

 

Michelle

I am so glad that you were able to do this well with him. When people give up on a bird, it is really sad because they can do it, and if they can work through the nippy stages, GCs are such great birds! Congrats!

 

 

Beth,

Orion's been doing the head bobbing/ regurgitation thing-- not actually bringing anything up, but I try to distract him once he gets started. He tends to do this when he's hanging out near my face or if I touch his beak. I think some of the time he does this when HE is hungry. Suggestions on for how to handle this?

Thanks!

Stephanie

When a bird bonds closely to you, they think of you as their mate. With a breeder pair of birds, they male regurgitates and feeds the female during the "courting" process. I am surprised that Orion is doing this already as he is so young, but this may be what he is doing. We used to have a Jardine who constantly regurgitated to my mom. This bird absolutely loved her, and thought of her as another bird!

 

Beth,
I was doing some research and found that Fig branches and foliage are safe for birds, (except for Weeping Fig Trees). My Grandmother has one so I was thinking of getting some for Gilladora. (Cinnamon Green Cheek Conure) Have you ever used Fig branches before. We now also have a potted Hibiscus in Meaghan's room.
 
I also wanted to let you know that we have begun sprouting Garbanzo beans.
 
One last thing. I am worried about getting the millet from our pet store but I don't won't her to go without it either. It is in a big tub with a lid but it is right buy the bird room. Anyone who wants some just opens it up and grabs what they want. I also know that Laurel got her Millet from there that Saturday, which also concerns me. Every bird that gets purchased is carried right by that tub. Is that safe? If not, does she need to go without millet until I can order some from off the internet or is there a way to sanitize it before she gets it?
 
Thanks, Again,
Stacey

Fig branches are fine to use for birds, but we have never used them. For perches, we use Manzanita, Mesquite, and Eucalyptus. For fresh foliage, we feed Hibiscus, Calendula and Nasturtiums. There are many other fresh flowers to feed your bird, and fresh foliage is extremely good for your bird. There is more information on feeding live food on this page http://pamperedpeeps.com/flowers.htm

 

If you buy millet from a pet store, I would bleach the outside of the container. Our intense Arizona sun kills any bacteria left on products, so when we bring a cage, feed, or anything that has been around other birds into our place, we leave it outside in the sun for a couple days. This kills any remaining diseases or harmful things on the item. Some people think that freezing feed kills bacteria, but there are actually some diseases that thrive in the cold. The heat of the sun works much better.

 

Great pics and congratulations......  

I’d be really excited if Zoey (Yup, finally settled on her name) wasn’t already settled in:  One of those would be mine, ya know..

One thing that concerns me:  We’ve been weighing her  as I told you on a digital kitchen scale.  Expected to chart her growth.

She’s lost 6 grams this week.  She was 66/7 g last Monday, down to 62 on Wednesday and is only 60 today.  She spends, literally, hours a day eating.

Should we be concerned?  

I’m planning on adding some roasted peanuts and almonds to her cup as I know those are high density.  Any other suggestions?

She’s otherwise active, feathers are in great shape, color and condition, loves her baths, happy to take off and fly (as far as she can get), etc.  So no outward signs of a problem of any kind except that show by the scale

Gary

 

This email from Gary was more of an emergency nature, and my mom answered him privately off list. But, I wanted to post it on here so that you all would know that weighing a bird every few days is very wise. Birds are masters at hiding their illnesses. In the wild, a sick bird is picked out of the flock quickly. Thus, they have learned to hide their any sickness until it is too late. But, as a bird owner, you can detect their illness by a drop in weight. The update on Gary's bird is below, and all is well.

 

We're up to 64 gms today.  Will keep checking, but that's 4 gms in 3 days.
I'll  keep you posted....
Gary
 

Being the scientific types, we're guessing that she lost SOME weight, but
that first one (the 66/7) was probably somewhat high making the later 62 and
60 seem particularly concerning.

I mean we're talking grams here.  If I were to check, I'd bet one of their
droppings is at least 2-3 g (maybe I'll weigh one now that I've thought
about it.  So if your first weight is just before and second just after
droppings, it could make a 4-5g swing around the actual weight...

Thanks for your concern, and we're going to keep watching her daily,
Gary
 

 

 

 

Beth,
    Band #238 may be going thru an identity crisis. Once Gilbert was decided to be an unsuitable name for a female the name game has been nonstop around the house. At first Gilly was an acceptable alternative..........then not really. Meaghan wanted a name she really liked for #238. Deciding (on her own), that the Gil part should remain for #238's sake Meaghan came up with a name fit for an elfin princess, Gilladora. However, after two days of using this rather long name we were on the search again. Gelda...........kinda cute but didn't match her. After running thru many normal names it was decided she was too special for such mundane names us silly humans use. So, this morning we got down Meaghan's Mythology book and delved in, Isis was a fast favorite, but repeating it with those s's over and over just wasn't pleasant, (or so I was told). No one in the realm of Greek mythology seemed fitting enough; Hera too plain, Pandora might inspire her to be a bird that would cause trouble. Persephone, at last we had found one and it was from one of Mom's favorite Greek stories. Until Meaghan read her story and realized she was taken from her loving Mother. The search was on yet again. Artemis was close but alas if only we had gotten two birds then it would fit. Artemis and her twin Apollo, (this seemed like a not so subtle hint that some of the Hill children have caught bird fever). Might I add that #238 was in on them all and seemed ambivalent to every name in the cannon of Greek mythology.
    After Egyptian, Aboriginal and many others we tried Norse mythology. The first good sign came when Meaghan found out most of European fairytales draw heavily from the myths of Norway with their fairies, elves, and dwarfs. The search was afoot. Unfortunately, the names of the few women in Norse mythology were not too appealing. Frigg, and Sif were ousted without even reading their stories. Meaghan liked Idun's story but not the name. Then EUREKA(!!!), Freya pronounced (Fray ah). She is the Norse Goddess of beauty and love.  Everyone loved the name, (and trust me it is hard to get an 11, 8 (Meaghan), 7, and 2 yr old to agree on anything).  Most importantly #238 chirped when that name was presented to her. Of course the final decision was Meaghan's and she adored it completely. So she then read all she could find on Freya to make sure it was an appropriate fit. EUREKA AGAIN! One of Freya's enchanted items was a feather coat that gave anyone who wore it the power of flight. The name must be Kissmet. So after an easy time naming #238 as a boy, (Gilbert was the first name picked and it meant Bright Promise). The new Hill family member has been appropriately named. Hopefully we have not caused Freya to spin into an identity crisis. 
Stacey
 
P.S. For Meaghan's future Husband's sake may they be blessed with all boys or he with the patience of Job. LOL 
Stacey
Oh my goodness! Your email had me laughing....I don't think that Freya will have any sort of an identity crisis, but what a funny thought! And I love the comment about Meaghan's future husband  Are you blaming all the indecision on Meaghan?!?!?

 

So sweet! I love the itty bitty baby pics!
 
Cheeka is home now, the drive went really well with her in the car. She loves all of us. The only time she is ever onery is when I put the fight suit on and I am going to do it everyday even if it is like a bad dream. My kids adore her and she is eating well. I just posted some of her on my blog! Check it out.
 
http://uintagirl.blogspot.com/
 
You have such an amazing thing going on and an amazing family. Your girls are so beautiful and nice, they were so helpful with my kids and the bird!
Thanks a million,
Di Lott

Thank you for your compliments! Keep up on the flight suit, and you will eventually get better at it, and she will eventually get more used to it.

 

 

Hi Beth,

 

Sorry for the delay in the update on Band 218 and Band 234.  My computer is down at the moment.  My trip to the Airport Cargo went rather smoothly, and my babies were patiently

awaiting my arrival.  As soon as I got home they were eager to be let out of their carrier.  Both Tinker Bell and Peter Pan "stepped up" onto my shoulder ratherly easily.  Sweet!  They took to their eating bowls as soon as they were introduced to their double decker home.  Also, they love oranges and grapes, but have eaten everything that I have placed into their food bowls, including vegetables.  Hearty appetites!!!  I knew almost instantly who was Tinker Bell since intuition told me that her friendlier nature revealed her maturier age.  I was correct in this assumption when my son indentified their band numbers for me.  Blind!!

Additionally, I am so jealous since both seem to love my sixteen year old better than me.

They climb all over him, especially while he is texting on his phone.  Does this sound familiar?  The little piglets even tried to eat out of his plate which my meticulous son resisted.  So, I went and got a smaller plate and placed it near him, and they both loved this proposition.  Futhermore, I could not believe how estatic they became when I placed a hut in their cage because they made funny chipring noises for nearly 30 minutes while taking turns running through it.  (LOL)  Last night, I opened the window so that my cats could get a cool breeze while laying on their cat bed.  You cannot believe how routy that they my lovebirds and conure got.  The people that were in the park that lies in front of my apartment window must of thought that they were in the jungle.  Next, I want to tell you about how all four of them were perched on me that first day I brought them home.  As per our phone conversation, my lovebirds were just starting to perch one me, however, I looked like a bag lady at the park feeding the pigeons with all of them perched on me.  The first couple of days I had to fight my lovebirds, Jack and Jill, off them.  Thank Goodness Tinker Bell stood up to the plate and fought back a couple of times to deter further behavior.  Peter Pan is much more meek because of his younger age, and Tinker Bell actually guards him like her own hatchling.  Not to worry, however, since they have finally settled down into a happy socialized flock.  They "step up" when out of their cages, but they will not from inside of their cages.  This behavior developed with the onset of their flight suits.  Peter Pan puts up the biggest struggle, and he can literally turn around in the thing if I am not careful.  Tinker Bell, however, sulks the most about the whole ordeal, and It takes her a while to play after I've put them on.  It doesn't hamper Peter Pan, however, because he will start to play immediately on his play station and the curtains.  Both will pull on them for a little while initially and then after that will go about their business.  Tinker Bell is not as timid with people, but plays less, while Peter Pan plays more and dislikes socialization.  I think he enjoys our outside walks more as well since he immediately settles down the moment we walk out the door, and Tinker Bell clings to me more during these excursions.  Last, I bath them both daily in my kitchen sink while my lovebirds perch on me and sing.  They are so jealous that last night they intentionally got inside the conures cage and bathed over and over.  This behavior was after I had just bathed the two conures and was rerunning some water.  LOL..  Thanks for the lovely pair and the DNA hatch cetificates that your daughter just recently sent.

Robin

They sound like so much fun, Robin! Yep, grapes are definitely a favorite with birds...as well as watermelon. They really like all fruit, and the vegetables, too. It is really good that their appetites are hearty, as that means that they are healthy, and eating all the fresh food keeps them that way.

 

And yes, birds climbing all over while you are trying to text, talk on the phone, or type on the the computer is so totally familiar! And of course, the birds want to help push all the buttons, and take the phone from you . Tell your son that he will get used to the birds eating off his plate...they are pretty clean animals over all. He sounds like my younger sister; your description made me laugh and think that it sounded so much like Anna, "Get these birds off my plate!" The only thing I don't like is when they fly onto the table and land feet first in the guacamole dish! Waste of good guacamole!

 

It is very good for birds to take baths. I don't bathe my African Grey, Liberty, as often as I should, and when I do, so much dander comes off her that it is amazing. She loves the shower because she can whistle and it echoes off the sides of the walls. The Green Cheeks seem to like the baths that they can play and splash around in more than the shower, though.

Hi Lisa,

Thank you so very much for the Hatch Certificate… it’s so wonderful to have it.  Things are going well at this end… It’s a getting acquainted process and Darcy is getting used to going from a large family to being an only child… His cage is by a window where he can see outside activity when he’s alone and I visit during my lunch break from work and play with him for a little while.  We spend more time in the afternoon and evenings. I have set up a cage in the back yard to experience the outdoors for now, and hoping that once we have a routine going, I’ll introduce the flight suit.  

Darcy is sweet and very inquisitive and loves being on my shoulder and finds mischief everywhere.  I think you have done a tremendous job of socializing your babies which is great as they are fearless. I’ve been also reviewing your articles on behavior, foods, etc. They are very helpful.

Thank you again for all you have done.  I’ll take some pictures in the next few days and will send to you. 

Best to your and your family.

Regards,

Becky

It sounds like Darcy is going to be a very spoiled only child. I would start the flight suit as soon as you can because the sooner you start, the sooner he will accept it. There will be a fight in the beginning, but the more consistent you are about doing it, the better he will get!

 

Hi guys!! =)

Just an update on Ryuk (band 236)!! =) his is doing great he is soo funny!! we took him out to the stores and to go eat the other day and every one loved him he did not really like his flight suit but once we were out he started to ignore it =) then we put it on him yesterday and he did alot better we took him out side and he was relaxed and took him walking he has also started to finally eat mash!! so yay! and my cockatiels love it! oh yeah he does not like my cockatiels  when they are out he walks up to them like he is going to be friendly then he attacks them and they get scared and fly away so they dont play anymore lol.

 we just got back from vacation and when we came back he was nippy he did not want to be pet or anything i dont know if he was mad because we left and he was not let out of his cage for every second of the day but hes getting better about it now hes not as nippy and he lets me pet him more, he loves to be in my hair and he has been trying to feed my sister and i. lolz he was just doing that like a min ago, he does not like his day time cage at all even thought it is huge and has toys in it is that normal? oh yeah also it seems as though he has picked up a new hobby i guess u can call it he humps one of his toys alot. do birdies hump things? well that is what it looks like because ive had a pair that used to mate but ive never seen them hump thier toys lolz it that normal? should he even know that that is? well idk hes been doing that for like 2 days. any ideas? but other than that he is doing great he love to take a bath, eat off of my plate, hes healthy and playful and very energetic lolz so thank you so much for all of your hard work he is truly the best bird i have every had!! plus he likes me more than my sister haha!! ;)

Giant blessings!! =)
Monique and Ryuk!! =)

 

He probably doesn't like his daytime cage just because he doesn't get to be out with you. I would doubt that it has anything to actually do with the specific cage more so than him just wanting to be out. Ryuk is definitely not of the age to be sexually mature yet, but we have seen with our boy puppies and our boy baby horses that they go through "hormone surges," where they act very "studly" for a while, and then it passes. I would guess that this is just a phase and that he will pass out of it.

 

 

Dear Beth, and Family,

 

It feels so good to have a bird around again! Well, Buddy is doing great! He (or she??) has settled in and gets along well with all of us. He loves to be scratched around his head (ears, neck, head, under his beak) and he also likes to be scratched under his wings. Abby is pleased as can be that she can touch, hold and play with Buddy. I guess I can say the same! While Buddy has an affinity for Jeff, he see seems to be everyone's bird. Nacho, for as cool as he was, was the boys' bird and he wanted little to do with Abby or me.

 

Buddy has been a busy bird. Besides getting to know us and his new home, he's mastered several Lego obstacle courses, slayed aliens and bad guys (action figures),  and has explored new territory including several hand made houses  (crafted by Gabe, Matt and Abby out of boxes) . He's been to the  boys' school several times, he's been to Target, The Office (my employer) and also made a debut at Fantastic Sams, when I brought the boys to tame their wild manes. The ladies at Fantastic Sam's had no issues with Buddy  and thought he was a sweet bird. At Target, we learned that if we pretended he wasn't on a shoulder and didn't do anything to draw attention to the bird, people either didn't notice or didn't say anything. We were fine as long as he didn't scream "eek" in eardrum-busting-conure-fashion. Buddy experienced deja-vu when he was hidden under Gabe's shirt (remember Fry's?), so we could grab a snack and a fountain drink from their dining area. We didn't want to get in trouble there... you know...."Target police." <VBG>

 

You did a great job with Buddy. He has no problems with strangers, new situations or places,  or with sounds like the vacuum or hair dryers. On the last day of school, we invited 5 boys over for  a swim party, which meant 8 kids including my own, and he was unphased by the volume that 8 kids created (which was nothing compared to the sound of the kids leaving school, but the after school party lasted 3 hours)!  Buddy was actually begging to come out of his cage. I was concerned that the  boys  were being too rambunctious, so  Buddy was  was either in his cage, or in his flight suit, but he got a chance to interact with all of the boys. He didn't bite anyone! 

 

We were wondering, do you sell bird back-up alarms that can be installed so we know when a poop is coming? Buddy is proving to be easy to potty train because he so obviously backs up before he lets one go!  Maybe we can train him to say "beep, beep, beep" when he backs up! LOL! We think he says "hello" and "what, what" already! It's that gravely sound. Can birds talk this young? 

 

Buddy also will not poop in his sleeping cage. We think that is so odd!  But you will not hear me complain about one less cage to clean!  :) 

 

It's been fun having a baby bird  and watching how he develops. We see he still has some of the baby reflexes like the wing flipping (we say "flipper flap) like we saw them do when the were hand feeding (we loved the "baby button" video... all the videos, actually. Thanks for posting so many pictures and videos). He does it when he's really happy, excited or very hungry. Too cute! You know he still recognizes your voices? If we play a video off of your web site, he gets very excited when he hears one of your voices or the sound of the baby birds! You were training a bird to fly and saying "Come here baby", and he flew across the room! Buddy has mastered stepping up, but he is still clumsy! He's working on grasping things with one foot so he can chew on them, but he still falls over. We're so mean, because we laugh every time!

 

Like Tutu, Buddy loves his little jingle balls, but fingers beware! He can get very excited and will bite! I'm glad Dan brought that up  and you shared it with us . We just stay out of the way when he gets to playing with the jingle balls. Buddy also likes Bakugan balls, and those hollow, plastic golf balls. Jingle balls are his favorite, though.

 

Thank you  so much for our very sweet bird! We are looking forward to meeting Baby Crimson!  

  

 

I love all the stories about him! He was Anna's favorite bird because he was so cute and silly. Yes, he could be talking at his age. In fact, we had another baby go home about two weeks ago, and her baby was already saying, "Hi, baby!" Really funny! Thanks for the pictures and we look forward to hearing more as he grows up!

Update 6/20/09

Thanks for the update and answers, Lisa! Tell your mom we hope she gets better soon!

For the person wanting good millet, Chopper's Bird Toys sells the millet from Miller's feed stores (the big, fat kind) with 4 huge sprigs for $1. Anyone can order this online.

As far as Orion (Green cheek) & the regurgitation, I'm wondering if it's because I've been quite sick and losing a lot of weight. I'm wondering if he's trying to help an ill member of the flock??? Just a thought.....

Thanks,
Stephanie

 

Hi! This is Jessie. I am answering the emails for Mom. We have had very busy days due to 5 little houseguests. They kept us running!!! Their mom was in the hospital so we were the babysitters. Fortunately, they love animals, and our critters are part of the reason they want to come here.

Thank you for the get well wishes! Mom got better just in time to take in 5 kids for 3 days. Mom has not been on her computer as much so if you have urgent questions, please feel free to call.

 

Also, thank you for the information about the millet. Miller's is where we get our mammoth millet  If a bird is regurgitating because of sickness, they will fling their heads after bopping up and down. If they just bop up and down, then it is because he loves you and is "courting" you!

 

 

Hi Beth and all, I hope you are feeling better.  Things have been hectic at home.  Archimedes (Congo African Grey) is amazing.  He has attitude.  I try to get his flight suit on every day, he hates it but everyday is easier.  I started back to work this morning so we will see how he does.  I still don’t have my gyms from Wayne.  I am really starting to worry as he won’t answer my emails or my calls now.  I paid him almost $850 2 months ago and still don’t have my gyms.  I am really trying not to panic but I think I am now. 

Archimedes is starting to mimic a whistle that my son does every day.  You can almost hear him trying to talk.  Everyone holds him, even the girls, Winter is only 5 and she loves to walk around with him on her arm.  Summer, her twin, is a little scared because he can have attitude at times and is a little nippy.  Not winter, she has no fear and even when he gets nippy she shrugs it off and still wants to hold him.  Amazing.  You did such an amazing job socializing him he fears nothing.  Not the cats or the dogs.  However, we have discovered he doesn’t really like our big dog very much, but I don’t see any fear in him at all.  

We keep him out of the cage most of the day, well at least while I was at home.  He has a basket of toys that he rips apart.  The basket that is, he does play with the toys at times, but he sure likes to bunch on that basket.  

Everyone says he is getting fat.  I want to bring him out to see you all but I can’t find my land line.  So I need to order another one from you. 

I do hope you are feeling betting.   

God speed,

 Hugs to you all. 

Let me know when it would be good to come out for another visit.  I am sure Archimedes would love to see you.

Thank you very much for the update on Archimedes!  That is very good that you try to get his suit on every day!!! Eventually, he will get used to it. I have been putting a flight suit on my Blue Crown Conure off and on (like I put it on for a 3 weeks about every day, and then leave off for 3-4 months!) for 6 years, and she still doesn't like it going on. But, I haven't been consistent  That is amazing that Archimedes is picking up on the whistle already!! Wow! Emma (Mom's Grey) loves her basket of toys! She likes to chew on both the basket and the toys! That would be great to see you and him again!!!  Just a short note to give you a status on Darcy's progress in her new home. She's adjusting nicely to new routines.  Spending time in her outside cage and was visited by the neighborhood Junco, humming bird and the Tufted Titmouse. I don't think they were happy to see her though, but in time, they'll get used to her presence. Darcy has lots of personality, let's me know when she's not pleased. Is this normal for her age and type of conure? My other Green Cheek had a more retiring personality. Darcy has different sounds for different moods and activities which is really cute. She doesn't bite as often, and loves settling in for the night snuggled close to my neck while I'm watching TV or reading. She doesn't like being put to bed though and complains for
a short while then settles in for the night. I'm using the carrier for her sleeping cage as it's small and cozy.  There is a fuzzy sleeping tent in their but she doesn't seem to like sleeping inside, but it's a soft area to use for the night. My son commented that she is fearless and that's a very strong compliment to how well she was socialized.  She takes everything in stride which is great. I haven't tried the flight suit yet as I'm waiting for her to be more comfortable with being handled by me, in particular her wings. The flight suit is hanging by the side of the cage, and I will try to use it as a play thing this week.

Hope you're doing well.
Becky

Yes, green cheeks have lots of personality, but Darcy was more animated than some of the others. Hi guys!  Beth, I am praying for you!  I hope you get better soon! Pippi went to an open house @ Doberman Rescue Unlimited in Sandown NH yesterday. She was an absolute HIT!

EVERYWHERE I take her people are fascinated by her. She has been such a joy! She is a happy little girl. I LOVE her so much! I can NEVER thank you and your family enough.

PS Pippi HATES her outdoor cage!  She constantly looks in the window for me when she is out there!  She starts bobbing her head for attention.  It is so CUTE! She HATES to be alone!

 

God bless you all, Beth, get better!

Love, Molly and Pippi

 

Molly, it is great to hear how Pippi is doing. I am so glad you kept persevering and kept asking questions. Birds do challenge us so much as pet owners. They are very social, moreso than many other creatures. She looks at you as her mate and/or her flock.

 

 

This is an email from a lady who bought a bird from us earlier on. You can see that her bird did bite, but she got him through it. You can get them them through the "nippy stage" if you're consistent. Her comments also echo what many of you are learning...that green cheeks do not like pooping on their people.
How are you? We are great!!  We survived Sunny getting "mature" and he  
is more fun then ever, although I call him my ADHD bird :).  He never  
stops & I swear the only time he sleeps is at nite in his sleep cage.
 We recently rescued a Quaker.  She is six, had been on a seed only  
diet and kept in a back bedroom, also never had a bath.  She has come  
along way in time we have had her, but the screaming when ever anyone  
comes into the room is bad!!! She also is a random pooper, not like  
Sunny, I am desperate for flight suits for her.  So I want to order  
her size trainers plus lanyard.  I will get the mail order out  
tomorrow.  I do want the three and 1 lanyard.
 
She and Sunny do great as long as they Aren't close enough to peck, then
 They start pecking at each other.  So we keep their cages by each other  
but keep them apart. 
 
Suzanne 

 

The below email came from a fellow breeder and the information here was new to me, so I included it all for you.
 

Hi all, I am on another board for Conures...Just in the last week a friend had her 4 year old Jenday Conure pass due to Conure Bleeding Syndrome...The bird was in for a regular vet check and it went into cardiac arrest due to internal bleeding caused by CBS. It was brought on by the stress of having blood drawn and had a seizure before any blood was even drawn. CBS is rare, but can happen in any Conure.

Here is some information on Conure Bleeding Syndrome (Erythremic Myelosis in Conures or Hemorrhagic Conure Syndrome) from the Abridged Edition of "Avian Medicine: Principles and Applications" by Ritchie, Harrison and Harrison. I'm summarizing:

It is an endemic disease in Blue-crowned, Peachfronted, Halfmoon and Patagonian conures. There is no mention of Sun conures, but everything else I've read suggests that they are prone to this as well as ALL conure Species. The main characteristic of the disease is periodic bleeding that is eventually fatal. One theory is that it is caused by retrovirus (polyoma virus) but that's not been proven. Also, most believe that the disease is triggered by a calcium deficiency.

Here's some info on their suggested treatment suggestions:
"In birds with idiopathic hemorrhage, such as in conure bleeding syndrome, injectable Vitamin K1, Vitamin D3, calcium and antibiotics are indicated."

SOOOO... I think that those of us with conures should make sure they have adequate calcium and Vitamin K (found in foods like broccoli) in their diets

 

Hello! 

Just wanted to let you know about the baby's arrival. (Cinnamon Green Cheek)

 

What an adventure this little birdie had.  As you know, the scheduled arrival time was 5:57 but because of the delay in Houston, he arrived at 10:15.  The woman working at the cargo office asked me, "What's in there?"  when I told her she said "I am terrified of birds."  Too much Alfred Hitchcock I guess.  Before I left, I took a little peek in there to make sure he was okay.  I was very impressed by how well you packed that little guy in there.  It was very cozy and safe and he had plenty of food and water.  Somehow, he managed to poop in the seed bowl, I hope he didn't eat any of it.  After the insanely long flight, we had an hour car ride home, what a little trooper he is!  When I opened up his cage, he slowly walked up toward the door and started nibbling on my finger and stepped up.  He was not nervous but a little cautious.  He was not yet sure about letting me give him a  head scratch.  I could almost hear him thinking, "I don't know you that well yet."  I was very surprised when he was perched on my finger and decided to show me that he could fly, and further than I expected! I think you did a great job with the clip, I've seen birds get their wings clipped who then try to fly and drop like potatoes.  I've decided to let his wings grow, I want him to have the joy and excercise of being flighted.  I took a day off of work and we are getting well acquainted today, he is as sweet as I thought he'd be.  He has decided that he likes head scratches more now.  I haven't decided on a name yet.  My girlfriend likes disney and we are leaning very much toward Zazu. 

 

Thanks very much for everything! 

I will send you pictures soon, 

Billy

Billy's green cheek flew all the way to NY. This is the second time this year that we shipped into La Guardia. Here is my link about clipping wings for those of you who have not seen it.  http://pamperedpeeps.com/flytime.htm  Not every home is safe for a flying bird, but I love when an owner can make it work!

 

Im glad to see every one is doing good i hope your feeling better Beth i heard u had the Flu!! no fun!! =( well Ryuk is doing good but he is always trying to eat out of my mouth and i heard that our saliva is not good for them so im trying to get him to eat out of my hand lolz and he is still doing the humping thing but i hope he will get over it soon, he has kind of been going through a grumpy stage this week but i hope its only temporary!! lolz and he hates being in his cage im try to have im think that being in his cage some times is ok but he wont listen to me haha! And i take im out every day and put his flight suit on at least once a week hes getting better with that so its good he loves to chase things that move too its so funny watching him run and hop and skip!! he also loves to take baths!! he doesnt hesatate to go near running water haha its great! and he wants to eat almost every thing we look like we are going to eat lolz hes eating his mash he actually likes it so yay!! =) so thank you guys soo much!! =) love and blessings!! =) Monique and Ryuk   Birds have moods and they have seasons. But, they are so worth it. Emma is next to me saying her "good girl" again and again, and making it difficult for me to type. She has her moods too. At night, she is always snuggly, but in the morning, her beaking is fast and rougher, and she gets more disciplines.   Hi Beth ~ I have a question for you if you don't mind. I have two pairs of Gouldian Finches. One pair is now laying their first clutch. She has done great up until today. She has laid one egg each day and is up to 8 eggs. Today is day 9 and thank goodness not another egg, 8 is enough! But today she has no interest in setting on her eggs. She actually started setting on her eggs on day 5. I don't know why she has a change of interest today. She really played and ate and would hide from her mate occasionally as he is still "after" her. Now our other pair of Gouldians had their first successful clutch in Feb. and did very good. She still has somewhat of a black beak...some days it looks blacker than others. She is very receptive to the male's singing and mating dance for her. Do you think I could possibly stress her out if I put a nest box back up in their cage and placed at least half of those eggs in there for her to set on. Would she go right to setting you think? Also since I'm a newbie with the Gouldians having babies, can you tell me when the eggs look more pink does that mean they are fertile or when they look more white? Any help you can offer is much appreciated. Also, little Joseph (Crimson Bellied Conure) is such a delight. He loves everyone and has the sweetest personality. He is really starting to show his funny side, he is quite the entertainer. He eats wonderfully. He still isn't too sure about eating his blueberries...which is funny because Noel and my sun conure love them. I tell him how lucky he is to be getting those blueberries. He is getting a little more red on his belly. Blessings, Phyllis Jessie got sent to bed and now you all have me, (Beth) Hi Phyllis, You seem to know already that the black beak means a female Gouldian is ready to breed. The darker the beak, the more ready they are to breed. I am not going to be much help to you on your Gouldians, for we never used Societies or other means of fostering. We just leave them together till they figure it out. The wonderful thing about finches is that probably 95% of them figure out how to raise a family if you leave them alone. If you start using fosters, many of them never learn. Parrots on the other hand, are very hard to correct, if they eat eggs, or don't brood or eat babies.   Our current Crimsons were plucked by their parents while they were in the nest box. The neat thing is that their feathers are coming in red as a result! They are almost ready to go home to Jeff's family and to Jeremy.   Hi Beth-- I sent out the check on Thursday but realized I included next to no information with it. D'oh! I figured I'd send you an e-mail to let you know it's on its way. As someone who's never dealt with a breeder before all of this stuff is new so bare with me and my newbie questions. If given the option, I'm hoping to have a male bird to avoid egg-binding problems that I've read can arise with female birds. I didn't know if I should have included an extra $25 with the check for a sexing fee, or does that come later? On a completely unrelated note, I was wondering what your birds sleep in/on. There seems to be a plethora of options, but I'm curious what you find is the best for your animals. Thanks again for all your help. Your site is just amazing. I can't believe the pages upon pages of information you have (always with pictures and video, too!). It's such a great tool for me and my family. Laura   You can pay for sexing as the final payment draws near. As you can tell, you and Sue and Robin and John, have all been added to this list. If you would like to read over past emails to see previous questions and answers, they can be found at www.Pamperedpeeps.com/babybirdnewsletter.htm   Below is a link to a fun toy site!  http://www.cheepparrottoysntips.com/index.html     Happy Father's Day to all you dads!

Update 6/29/09
 

Hi Beth,
I thought I would drop you a quick update on Lindbergh. He had his first free flight out side last week. All went well and he was outside for a total of about two hours. He has been outside a total of 4 times now and he seems to be very comfortable with it. He sure is fast and aerobatic when he flies. We stay outside with him while he is out. Lindbergh has also started to talk. His first words were "step up" and "come here".
Best Regards
Larry S

You have done really amazing things with this bird! The video that you made and sent us is incredible, and now the free flight. Amazing! For those of you who have not watched Lindbergh, he rivals African Greys with how easily he learns tricks.

 

Hi Beth and family,

 

Glad to hear that you are feeling better after your bout with the flu.  Buddy is doing great.  I can't tell you how happy the whole family is having a bird that enjoys everybody (as opposed to Nacho who pretty much only bonded with the "boys" in the family).  His personality is really starting to shine and he's become quite the vocal little bird.  No talking quite yet, but he's using that little gravely voice that they use to talk more often and mumbles his pleasure (or sometimes his discontent).  :-)

(Our current Crimsons were plucked by their parents while they were in the nest box. The neat thing is that their feathers are coming in red as a result! They are almost ready to go home to Jeff's family and to Jeremy.)

We're getting excited about the pending arrival of the new crimson.  We have this big empty cage just waiting for him/her and I'm sure that Buddy would love a little companion.  We house-sat a little grey cockatiel for one of Gabe's friends and Buddy was very interested in being friendly with her.  She was a sweetie that had a head scratching addiction.  :-) 

We all thought the pictures of the poor plucked baby birds were so cute.  We can't wait to meet this little bird in person!

 

Thanks again for the update!  Look forward to hearing from you.

 

Jeff and Drea (and the kids, dogs, cat and Buddy)

It has been amazing to me how many of the babies start talking soon after they arrive in their new homes! We had one lady call the day after her bird arrived and tell us that he was already saying, "Hi, baby!" Having these little Crimson Bellies with the red on them is really fun. Normally, they don’t get the red until after their first molt, so they are really pretty babies!

 

Just a quick note-- Orion and I made it safely to DC. Orion was a great little traveler and has quickly adjusted to a new location. He wanted to extend Father's Day wishes to Zumo. :)

Stephanie

Thank you, Stephanie!! We hope your health is better??

 

Hi Beth and family

I hope you are all well!  Just an update on Tutu.  She is becoming more and more adventurous!   She is climbing and running around everywhere.  And what a character!  She is beginning to like the swing I made for her and will get it swinging pretty quickly at times. 

 

She has become very good at pooping on command (Bombs away!) and will give it the "Ol' College Try" sometimes even if the "Gun isn't loaded" so to speak. And while that's great, what she has NOT learned is to NOT go when she isn't told so more work to do on that. 

 

She is still biting a bit but what we are doing now that seems to make a stronger impression than just rolling her on her back and holding her beak and saying "No Bite!" is to take her into her cage IN ADDITION to rolling her on her back.
Dan

Good job, and keep it up on the biting. At the bottom of this update is an email from Veronica who bought her bird from us about one and a half years ago. She has turned into a great bird, but everyone will have to struggle through their times of biting. If you stay consistent, all will turn out well, but if you don't, the bird will learn to take advantage of you. Keep up the "no bite" and it sounds like she is a very fun little girl!

 

 

Hi Beth,
I'm so excited about the Green Cheek baby.  I think you said it was band number 255.  If I'm wrong let me know, I was thrilled and forgot to write it down.  I look forward to seeing pictures of him/her.  I love the new ones you posted with feathers just coming in, how adorable.  I am on my way to the bank and the post office.  I didn't have time over the weekend with Graduations and all.  Hope all is well.  I really enjoyed talking with you.  Thank you so much for putting my name on your baby list.  I can't wait.  Georgie the Parrotlet was having fun last night.  I gave him a piece of Swiss chard he rudely walked away from it , jumped down on the sink, grabbed one of the huge leaves I was cleaning and started running away with it.  I guess he told me.  He was not impressed with that small one.  What a character.  Well, thanks again and you should have an envelope at the post office in a few days.
Sue

Your baby is band 255. They are growing up quickly and they are fat little things! Arizona is soooo hot right now, and when we look in the nest boxes, the babies are usually laying on their backs. It amazes me that the parents still go in and sit on the chicks in 109 degree weather. Sometimes, the mom and dad will go sit in the mister spray until they are soaked and then go in the box with the babies! The deposit made it here safely!

Hi Beth,

1. Question on the seed.  You say "as babies" they eat deluxe small hookbill seed mix. How long should I feed this?  What type of seed mix shall I offer after baby graduates from the dlx sm hookbill mix?

2. If possible I would like to work out arrangements where my baby would come to his new home on or anytime after August 1st. Please let me know your thoughts on this.

3.  Now for the long one (sorry)...I'm "nesting" and anxious to begin preparing to nourish our new baby bird (not to mention enhance the diet of our resident Quaker buddy!).  I am probably taking this overboard, please bear with me!
Do I understand the recipe for Pampered Peeps Parrot Mash?

I soak (plump) the corn, the pigeon mix, and the bean mix. Next do I simmer/cook the corn, bean and pigeon mix?  Then do I leave morsels intact or do I puree? Next I steam yams and carrots and then puree? Add frozen mix veggies and froz corn. On to the fresh veggies, do I steam or leave raw? Next I add undercooked pasta/rice.  Do I freeze portions at this point? Or do I add the citrus and fresh fruit and then freeze? Do I leave the peel on the citrus? Lastly, defrost and top with fresh sprouts and romaine. 

Did anyone ever tell you your website is awesome! ; )

Warm Regards,
Joey
We always feed our Green Cheeks and Crimson Bellies the deluxe small hookbill, even as adults. Sorry to confuse you on that! Your baby will be 8 weeks old (weaning time) on August 2nd, so that will work out perfectly! After we soak our corn/pigeon mix/bean mix, we do cook it because some beans can be poisonous if not cooked. You can leave them all intact. We finely chop (in the food processor) the yams and carrots just because it is easier than chopping them all up. The frozen veggies can be left raw. An interesting thought here is that frozen vegetables have been proven to have the same amount of nutrients as fresh ones, and that freezing doesn't reduce their quality at all! We add our citrus and fruit before we freeze sometimes and after we freeze sometimes. It is probably easier to do it all before you freeze because then you can just put a little pile of mash on a plate and be done.

 

 

Hi Beth and Girls!

 

I check your website every now and then and seen that you still have 2 babies available. I was thinking about buying my sister one. I would like to give her a boy if you have one. The last bird I bought from you was
Donna.....here birthday is 2-22-08 with the band # 169. I would like then to be unrelated just in case I have to bird sit. I've had so much fun with my birds that I truly believe that it'll be only pet that I'll ever have.

 

A good friend gave me her cockatiels and they had their first clutch (4 eggs) in early May and with my families help we hand fed them and took care of them until they were fully weaned. We decided to give them to family members since we grew so attached to them and didn't want to see them go. As it is I already have 3 large cages that take over my den room....