| DuCorps 'Too and Glasses Phobia |
[Mar. 3rd, 2008|10:21 am] |
Hi Friends
I have a DuCorps Cockatoo whom I love dearly, 2E (two-ee). He's 10 years old, and I got him second-hand from my sister (who had also gotten him second-hand!) when she decided that she wanted another African Grey instead and her husband made her get rid of parrot (which is understandable - she currently has 7 birds altogether! Plus, I was happy to take 2). I've had him for a few months - since about July or even August - and I've noticed that he has quite a few...well...quirks. For instance, he doesn't like it when I wear hats, he hates my cell phone, and, most annoying, he despises my glasses. Hates 'em. For no reason that I can tell.
Now, this wouldn't be a big deal except that he's given me some really, really nasty bites - the most recent of which I am now typing with. This bite is on my pointer finger, and I'm afraid that it might have gone down to the bone. It's very, very swollen and bloody. I mean, it stopped bleeding, but...yeah...anyway. He's also bitten my ears, neck, and face as a result of his hatred of my glasses.
So I'm asking - begging - what can I do here? It's so frustrating! 2E is an otherwise, loving, affectionate and funny little creature. I don't like being angry with/bitten by him, but I also don't want to let a parrot dictate what I wear. Of course I can wear contacts, but doing this all the time is really out of the question. Plus, I look good in my glasses!
So how can I help my 2E? Any tips to help me and my darling little 'too would be great!
Thanks!
Julia |
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| Male or female? |
[Mar. 3rd, 2008|02:10 pm] |
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I just bought a canary that's supposed to be a male, but when I play recordings of singing canaries for "him," "he" doesn't sing, only cheeps. Does that mean "he" is really a "she"? Or is "he" just not singing because he's not fully comfortable in his environment yet? |
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| hello |
[Mar. 3rd, 2008|02:37 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  good | ] |
Alright so I'm already breaking my trend of typing on my bird only journal, but I can't help it because its a hassle to log in and out. So I'm just saying whatever to that notion. Anyway, be that as it may, I have been interested (for the far future, I've still got a ways before I graduate college and move out on my own) in getting a Macaw. I've read up on the Macaw in general and I know I'm looking at getting a Hyacinth Macaw. Unfortunately, one of the more rare and harder to care for ones, but I fell in love when I was reading about them. They're gorgeous in color and I just fell for them. I'm not dead set on one, however, because I realize that if its a bit too much for me to handle, I shouldn't even try to get one.
I'm looking at getting one as a baby. I want to get the bird young and start training it as a baby with the way it should and should not use its beak. Now I realize that I can do the same with an older, rescue bird, but I've got my heart set on getting one as a baby. I may end up with a B&G or a GW Macaw (both of which are lovely, I know of one that I would love to get at the Birdie Boutique but I know that I have neither the financial resources needed nor the space, alas).
What I'm looking for is helpful hints/tips the like for going about and making your Macaw purchase. Now this will be a few years or so down the road so I have enough time to make sure that I make the right decision in getting one since I also want to be a lawyer and I don't want that to end up souring my relationship with the bird, nor to end up being one of the many who give their bird to a rescue. I would absolutely hate myself forever if I ended up having to do that (beyond the circumstances of an absolute need to get rid of the bird or something similar).
So does anyone have any REALLY GOOD literature that I can go buy from a bookstore or something? I've read on the web and I want to get something in a book as well, maybe about the certain species and what they're diets are, if they differ, that sort of thing. Remember, this is a bit in the future so its not entirely pertinent to get every single detail right now, but to get a good understanding would be lovely.
Thanks so much!
I shall post Dakota and Lexus pictures for you guys soon. :) They both say hi. |
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| Pest control. |
[Mar. 3rd, 2008|03:29 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  distressed | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Success - 슈퍼주니어 | ] |
I've noticed silverfish recently in my bedroom (ew ew ew) and was wondering if there were any preventative methods that are bird safe to use to get rid of them or at least to stop them from finding solace in my bedroom for whatever reason.
I vacuum regularly and don't have anything that I can think of they'd want to be snuggling in (I've found some hanging out in my bedskirt which is made out of rayon and from what I've read they tend to like to nibble through fabrics) and my room is where the bird's cage is so unless they're snacking on the mess he manages to make that's too small to be vacuumed up, I'm clueless. I know there's moth balls (bird safe though?) but the only things I've come across with google are chemicals. It's just grosser than anything, really. :/
And so this isn't completely text only - ( 3 pictures. )
Thank you. :) |
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| Help Please! |
[Mar. 3rd, 2008|04:12 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  crushed | ] |
Hello all, I need some serious advice about Petey (aka Cap'n Jack, the blue & gold macaw). He has aggression issues... *big* issues, with a big, nasty beak. I've worked with troubled birds in the past & have helped others with their birds. I rescued Petey from a tough situation- he'd been rescued previously from an abusive situation, but the person who did the rescuing was military & ended up getting deployed. Petey was then left with his wife... who was terrified of Petey & very intimidated by him. Petey took this & ran with it, he loved using his beak & vocal abilities to scare her & get what he wanted (more time out of the cage, more bananas, etc... the gal was more experienced with smaller 'toos & was at wits end) Well, I've had him now for over 6 months & the trust has been building slowly. He's gotten to the point of letting me scritch his head & such, I've been very careful to avoid areas that could be interpreted as mating behaviors. I've read several books, tried various approaches (some have actually shown results)- but Petey is still *very* aggressive on a regular basis. I'm a patient person for the most part, and known as "zookeeper" for a reason... but I'm at wits end with Petey. A few days ago, he bit me- *hard*. Not only drew blood in several places, but gave me a bone bruise (very nearly broke it). It wasn't a "warning" bite, it wasn't panicked, nothing was going on to scare him- only thing I can think of is that somewhere in his pea-brain, he got the idea I was putting him back in his cage. *Not* an excuseable reason for him to bite me. I'm very disappointed, feel very discouraged- and to top it off, I'm rather scared of him now. That really hurt, and I'd rather not have it happen again.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to where I should go from here? I actually sat & cried for a bit about this, not from the pain (though that brought a few tears too)- but because I feel like a "birdy-mom" failure...
Leslee & Petey |
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| yesterday |
[Mar. 3rd, 2008|05:07 pm] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Kalamazoo | ] |
| [ | mood |
| | content | ] |
ziggy's grandma came to visit her at our new house, and gave her cuddles:
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| Too much moulting? |
[Mar. 3rd, 2008|06:05 pm] |
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Hi guys, is it possible for budgies to molt too much? I swear the budgies just got over moulting a couple of weeks ago, and they're at it again. The feathers are crazy! I don't know if the weather has them confused - we had a very light winter here in Calgary and now it's seems very springlike. Is it possible to keep moulting in check, or could there be something environmental that is causing it? They're not balding or anything, they just look a little scruffy! |
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| help azul! |
[Mar. 3rd, 2008|10:44 pm] |
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I don't usually do things like this, but this really stirred me to want to do something. I came across this site just moments ago. It's the Arizona Exotic Bird Rescue, Inc site (a non-profit organization). They have a bird there named Azul - a Blue-Headed Pionus, who has had nothing but a rough life. He's suffered from being stripped from the wild, infested with mites, and has known nothing of a good home - he's been passed around a lot.
Help Azul with monetary donations for the appropriate medical care he needs! |
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