Parrot Speak Easy

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AJPeter
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Parrot Speak Easy

Post by AJPeter »

So l think the next thing l will have to read up about is moulting, no sign of it yet though. Today Bilie has done a lot o froraging she has shown a lot of interest in her beads, yesterday she demolished a wooden ladder, yep back to normal!
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

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Billie must be back on form she bit me and drew blood, it was my fault l was rearranging the street furniture. the beast!
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

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I weighed Billie today, first l asked her nicely to step down onto the scales, no way she seemed to be saying so l carefully wrapped a tea towel around her she showed me her displeasure by gentle biting, but eventually she was sitting on the scales. It looked like 300 grams less a tea towel. That is not bad she weighed 254 grams in January and then laid 7 eggs followed by another 3 or more and then finally stopped and l weighed her then a month ago 298 grams. I think weight is an important guide to health.

She shed a wing feather today, is this the beginning of a moult?
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

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My kitchen scales have gone stark staring raving mad, a bit like me, but l put new battery in and got Billie to sit quietly on the scales and she weiged in at 257 grams and this after working out a diet for her, tomorrow l will buy some new scales and ask her to let me weigh her again.

She shed another wing feather today.
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

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I bought some electronic kitchen scales today and tried to weigh Billie but she would not sit still for long enough l think the scales are more trouble than Billie but l think she is nearer 300 grams and so she is officiaally on a diet. I told her "You can eat anything you like but don't swallow."

She shed another feather a body one.
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

Post by Donovan »

moulting / molting (how is it spelled? is this an american vs english spelling thing?)

My bird seems to be moulting all the time. Not sure if that makes sense but about once a month he loses a couple of big feathers... though, to be fair, it's been a couple months or so since i came home to find a huge amount of the little fuzzies all over his cage.
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

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http://www.indianringneck.com/forum/vie ... =2&t=17092

Try this link or search Molt many photos of birds molting, its a bit scary to see those feathers coming out, l got Billie in August last year and she was still dropping feathers, her last one a gorgeous long tail feather grew back. The little fuzzies are like winter long johns they get pulled out as the warmer weather approaches/

I am using Feather up it is a powder which has the vitamins she needs, but I feed her protein, chicken and boiled egg or egg feast make sure Mr bell is getting a lot of calcium, Billie chomps on a cuttle fish bone every day, she gets a lot fresh fruit and veg. Her diets is mostly seeds but she gets grains and porridge made with water in the morning and as a treat at dinner time a little bit of Yogut. I sprinkle crushed oyster shell and crushed charoal on the bottom of her cage. She is over weight and now on a diet.
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

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i am very pleased because Billie's keel bone was sharp and angular a couple of weeks ago but has now flattened and there is muscle either side of the bone. She is a bit tetchy becasue l think a moult is due.
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

Post by Donovan »

Is Billie a fully flighted bird, partially? what?
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

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Yes fully flighted, but previous to August last year her history was sketchy. I believe a my neighbour put Billie then named Bella out of the upstairs window because she attacked his canaries and she landed on the grass below where other neighbours drew my attention and l picked her up on my hand, mostly becasue in the past l ran a pet shop and am used to handling animals and bird and reptiles and Uncle Tom Cobley, my neighbour says he had Bella for two years and got her off some one else. She looked very young last year there are some photos on "Parrot speak"
Billie flies around the room here but she would rather l pcked her up from cage then fly. I think she is about 2-3 years old.
This year she laid 10 eggs. And just before the egg laying the vet said she was under weight, so after the last egg l was fattening her up but now she tips the scales at 300 grams and so has a reduced diet.
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

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Yestersday l took her outside in the cat box for a bit of fresh air; today when l said we could go outside for awhile she could not get into the box fast enough, outside people came up to say hallo she was very excited and sang beautifully it was a lovely and warm spring day.
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

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Got a new worry, Billie sqwarks when she lands after flight, I have checked her feet and legs also poked around her wings, nothing there that hurts her. if it continues to happen it is off to the vet
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

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Well the sqwarking when landing was just a fad, today l left her out of her cage while l went shopping she was very good, I was gone about two hours, none of my stuff had been moved, so l will leave her out again on another time/
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

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Billie is molting, the feathers are just dropping out. She shakes herself like a dog and feathers fly off in all directions. I gave her a good misting with rain water, which l collected when my roof leaked, she just sat their soaking up the mist. Afterwards she looked awful with wet feathers clinging to her so l gave her a quick dry with the hair drier. She loves that and started to preen as soon as l switched it off. By lunch time she was dry and we went out and sat in the sun for an hour.
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

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I was using some nail clippers to trim my nail and Billie became quite alarmed l think the vet used nailclippers on her but I sensed her fear and tried to show her that l was not hurting myself but she calmed down when trimmed my nails in another room.
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

Post by SkyeBerry »

Wow, your Billie is big! So what do you and the vet think a good weight for her will be? My Skye is fit at 125g. The only other IRN I have seen in person is an even smaller lutino female. The highest 'average' weight I had seen on the net was 140g.
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

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Billie is an Alexandrine hen and weighs 225 grams although my scales are up the swanee so l am not sure of the exact weight but when the vet weighed her in January just before she laid 10 eggs she weighed in at 257 grams and the vet said she was under weight the ideal figure is anything between 200 and 300 grams. Billie has big bones so do l. Well that is what l told the doctor when l stood on his scales!
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

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An Alexandrian, that makes so much more sense. When you first mentioned 300g, I thought boy that bird....has big bones. :wink: When you said the vet thought ~250g was light, that was when I checked the average weights and then posted my question. So, is the Alexandrian character much different from what you read here about ringnecks?
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

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Yes in the early days l was posting how l dealt with her and this caused uproar because IRN are really very different in character, Billie is docile in comparison.

I like the way you do your hair, l like the way you do your cage, l like the way you sharpen your beak- "OUCH!" that l do not like.

I never wanted to train Billie with rewards, positive reinforcement they call it, l just let her find her own way and she does it like all the other birds. Steps up (sometimes) goes back in her cage (sometimes) She sits on the top while l cean the lower part then she eats her seeds while l clean the top part, she is just as territorial as other birds she bit me today becasue l put my hand in her cage to straighten something! She knows where and what l want and is happy to oblige in her own time.
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

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Poop on the wall is it a secret message? I suppose it is a bit like reading tea leaves, they go hand in hand.
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

Post by SkyeBerry »

I'll have to go read your other posts sometime. I am a very curious person. Not surprisingly Mom told me my second word was 'What's that?' :lol:

With regards to rewards, food treats often get Skye a little too focused on food to accomplish a 'training' task especially if I am trying to touch his beak. Understandably, instead of holding still, he moves his beak to investigate the hand to find the treat, even if I have been treating him with the other hand. In my opinion, 'Good Bird' is positive reinforcement provided the bird sees it that way. I'm pretty easy going, whatever works 'works' and I'd say go with it if you and your bird are happy with it -> provided of course it is not punitive in nature - versus negative reinforcement. People often get those two mixed up.

Regarding the poop - wondering if I psychiatrist should check it out? Maybe it could be read like an ink blot test? Maybe I should take a picture, photocopy it in black & white and ask the psychiatrist what he sees just to see what is going on in his mind? Now that could scary! :shock:
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

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Dear Doctor Skye my bird is trying to speak, opens her beak and makes an ech sort of noise but no words. When l got her last year she said Hallo twice but not a mumbling word since. I think she has lost the "how" She sings beautifully when l am out of the room but when l come in she gets tongue tied.

Because L let her find her own way attitude, l was throwing my ideas to newbies much to the concern of the older members, but now l am the one who gets tongue tied.

I do try to make people laugh from my posts so glad you were able to laugh. If you were to read Parrots speak you would find it oodles to long and quickly realize that l am short of noodles
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

Post by SkyeBerry »

Hi AJ - well, when she said 'hello' did you say 'hi' back? "How are you?'' "Like your feathers."
She sings!? Boy I wish one of mine did. :mrgreen: She sound like she has stage fright. I have read many parrots will talk up a storm with their owners, but as soon as someone else comes into the room they become mutes.

Oh, now I am going to have to read some Parrot Speak to see what you are trying to hide. :wink: Whether you are short a few noodles, bricks,marbles, or a few flight feathers I do not mind. I have no problem admitting I am probably a little crazy. As far as I am concerned, it is the people who think they have no problems that are the ones to look out for.

I wonder how long it will be before I get some of the older members concerned?
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

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When a visiter comes Billie makes a big fuss of them warbling away she says far more to them than she says to me l just get taken for granted. She has been eating like a horse recently l knew she was under weight as my wonky scales said she was 225 grams at the end or March, so l decided to weigh her today on some new scales.

No amout of treats or threats did and good she just sat there and her body language was no way! So l crept up on her ( l'm a big creep!) and put my hands around her and grabbed her she beaked me and stuggled like mad but l was able to plonk her into the scales, no sooner than l had let go she was off flying to the window to get away from this madman. Scales revolted as well and turned them selves off.

So l went and got a towel and wrapped it around Billie she was so surprised at my approach she did not struggle, l carefully lowered her onto the scales which were still revolting and wanted to weigh Billie is litres so l switched the scales to grams and they showed zero, so l had to lift her off, zero the scale put her back on but then l could not read ths dial as the towel covered the apperture by now Billie had cottoned on to what was wanted and stepped off the towel and stood on the scales without moving, scales settled down and showed 258 grams PHEW!

I was going to put her on a diet especially as this evening she wolfed a large portion of Shepherds pie but l was so pleased because back in Janauay the vet weighed her and said she was a little underweight at 257 grams. How ever l think l will be careful with her food from now on.
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

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Going on to your post Skyeberry l was very worried about Billie's hormonal behaviour and was crashing other people's threads looking for answers so InTheAir suggested l should have my own thread AJ and Billie's hornonal behaviour, many people contributed and helped me cope with Bille but as l wanted to write about other things l started a new thread Parrot speak, which became Parrot speak easy.

Bille tries to speak she opens her beak but only makes an Eck noise. I do not want her to speak becasue it would not be what she wants so say but a repeat of words she has heard. It is more fun watching her body language and listenting to her sounds. When l go out of the room she has a particular call just for me, sort of "Where are you?"

MissK is going on about "Don't shoot her dog" but l do not read much as l wrote three novels 20 years ago which when l showed them to my pastor he said "This is not the sort of book a Christian would write." Too true mate! But they make me laugh when l read them but l could never let a publisher have them as they are too personal. almost autobiographies. My spelling is atrocious! The lead character is called Elefantis.
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

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Billie is dropping feathers but she still looks tidy. Maybe it is all the Feather up!

An amusing thing happened today a lady freind of mine dropped in to see Billie and I, and was Billie jealous! You bet! Billie was on the edge of the cage about to dive bomb Janet but l paid Bilie a lot of attention, when Janet left Bilie was very upset to be left on her own while l locked the front door when l got back Billie ignoreed me but l had to go out and Billie flew to my shoulder twice in an effort to stop me. She has not flown to my shoulder since well before the egg laying. And is not keen on flying full stop.

And she would not go to bed at the usual time so l ignorred her and then she allowed me to put her to bed.

Don't shoot the dog has surfaced. Do not tell MissK or she will want me to read it.

Where can l hide it?

I could bin it but then l would have to own up. AH! There is a nasty gap at the back of my desk under the computer l am worried Billie might fall in there as she has alreay explored that area looking for a nest site. If l push the book to the back of the shelf with a bit of luck it might fall down the hole and be lost for ever!
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

Post by SkyeBerry »

Well, I hope you continue to write your own thread as I enjoy reading it. :D I think I would try and jam the book into the hole behind the computer so that Billie does not disappear permanently. Who knows what may lurk inside?

I have not used Feather Up but I have read quite a few references to it. Some of my birds molt once or twice a year- finches. Others molt year round - parrots. I believe it is because they do not experience the change of season weather while indoors.
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

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I used to be the manager of a pet shop and we had about 30 finches there were several breeds and we used to employ young people to work in the shop and one forgot to put fresh seed in the feeding boxes of the finches and by morning they were all dead! Shame.
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

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Oh dear! Don't shoot the dog book has slipped down the back of my computer desk and will be lost for years.
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

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Oh that is a shame! Would you like me to send you my copy? :lol:
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

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First class at high street Moon.

It is good to know about condtional training but it is not something l wanted for Billie, Pavlov trained his dogs to respond to commands but as l said not for me. Billie does repsond to what l want but in her own way and time, Sundays we have Shepherds pie together usually at 6 pm but l was late starting the cooking and when it was not ready on time she started to scold me. l told her it comes to those who wait patiently. It was jolly hot when l got it out of the oven but she could hardly wait for me to portion hers off so it was about 7 30 pm when we sat down together.

Later she would not go to bed at her normal bed time and for her it is 7 pm but when the clocks went forward she has been spinning out the going to bed by 30 mins but tonight it was nearly 8.30 pm before she would sit on her sleeping perch. I find the best way to get to onto that perch is to ignore her. She finds the best way to get me to respond is to scream.

There are vey good articles in Norhern Parrots blog but not something l can copy they were talking about scent and plug ins, mostly they are safe but aresols are definitely out.
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

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One day when Christopher Robin was six his mother took him to the village fair and bought him a tombola ticket and he won the first prize a teddy bear called Winnifred. So Winnifred slept with Christopher Robin as as best pals do and he called her Winnie but one day Christopher Robin was quite ill and threw up but Winnie could not get out to the way fast enough and was covered in sick, and ever after she was known as Winnie the pooh.
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

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I'm very chuffed, Billie has begun to talk again, shortly after l first got her she said "Hallo" twice and never spoke again until yesterday she was repeating Hallo and several other sounds and again today she was making sounds and trying them out.

Today has been has been a topsy turvy day l was playing at the church organ this evening, so l left the tv on for her when l want out for the evening service, when l got back l do not think she had realiesed that l had gone out, usually l get a big wecolme home from her. But she just nodded when l came in. I let her stay up this evening but when it got to 8.30 l thought enough is enough and l tried to get her to go in she was having none of it and bit my fingers as l attempted to remove the upper perch, and l wanted to show her that it did not really matter by giving her a kiss and she nearly bit my nose off, l got it back just in time!
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

Post by SkyeBerry »

:lol: Hi Peter. So happy Billie might be deciding she has something to say to you! You must keep us informed. I really enjoy listening to my Skye. When he starts to mumble it means he is working on a new word. Then a couple days later, he uses it like he has always known it. I wonder if he practices the new word out loud when I am not around?

I should not laugh when you say your nose has been bit. I know it hurts. When Skye decides to be cheeky he will ask for a kiss, push his beak against my lip, then give me a quick nip, and immediately take off. Little bugger! He just started this last week. After three nips I decided "No more kisses for you." It has been a couple days. I'll probably end up with a enough bigger bite next time just so he can let me know he was displeased for getting cut off. What we put with for our birds!
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

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Billie makes me laugh she grinds her beak and mumbles at the same time it sounds so funny, she has not got past Hallo but at least she is trying. We had stew and rice this evening, she prefers corn l prefer broad beans,

"You can have beans on toast, or beans on a plate but beans on the table cloth costs more, you can have beens on your shoes look out where you tread, or has beans under you feet they cost more, you can have runner beans if you can keep up with them, kidney beans but no dialysis here, broad beans if you go on diet, French beans Parley Vous? Beans in bed there is no accounting for taste these days."

"Beans under the table cloth? You are joking surely!"
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

Post by sanjays mummi »

Sanjay has shed a couple of wing feathers these past couple of days, so yes, it is moulting season here in the UK, and I am dusting his melon, or papaya, depending on which he has, with "Feather Up".
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

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Sanjay is late or Billie is early she started three weeks ago. Feather Up is doing its stuff she looks good a few wing feathers mostly body feathers, she lost a tail feather in August last year and must have been moulting before l got her, she picks her own time for baths and has had two this week l have misted her at least three times with rain water, l also have some Aloe Very in case she gets itchy.

She gets a lot of fresh fruit and when it is sunny and warm l take her out to sunbathe in a cat box for about an hour. She has fads aobut food pear is her favourite but last week it was pomergranite she wont eat figs, she had gone off yogurt and cheese, will not eat cooked chicken but wolfed shepherds pie made with lamb! She has gone off vegs. But is back on corn cobs, she loved the parrot stick from Wilko.

This week l hope to buy a transparent polythene mat protector. I shall cut it up; a small strip at the back strips on each side and a big piece for the front. I am sick to death of newpsapers and treading in her poop, now l can scoop her poop up with a tissue.
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

Post by SkyeBerry »

All I can think of is: "Beans, beans, the magical fruit, they make your ...." but the rest might offend someone. Maybe I'll send you a PM if you do not know it.
After Billie ate the pomegranate, did it take you forever to wash the juice off the walls?
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

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Yes and no, i gave up long ago trying to stop Billie from splattering the walls with fruit, she does it with porridge too! I offered her a paper serviette to wipe her beak but she thought it was afters. The wall papper was flock and whitish but now it floral!

I am sick to death of newspaper on the floor to catch poops and food l forget and tread in it so now l have put down some place mats and hopefully friday buy a carpet protector and cut it to shape.

Biile makes me laugh when she grinds her beak and talks through her teeth at the same time it sounds as if she is mumbling!

The poor thing is looking ragged, but l think the moult is going well, she is not itchy and new feathers are growing. We sat out doors after brunch but l thought it was too cold so we went back but two hours later she wanted to out but 2o minutes later she called the shots and we went back in. As soon as l put the cat box on the table is down there sitting on the threshold.
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

Post by sanjays mummi »

AJ, if only you had said earlier about food spatters, Sanjay has a sheet on curtain wire around the back and sides of his palace, it protects my expensive wallpaper , and I swap it once a month for a clean one. Today he was doing his flypast thing when I realised just how big he is now! I was told by an expert he was fully grown at 16 months, and had my doubts, just comparing him to photos taken last year, he has really put on a spurt of growth!, also noticing the deep ring around his neck has a turquoise hue. I have always had clear plastic mats (wilko) around his area. Oh, and he endorses Wilko seedy bars and alfalfa rings very muchly!
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

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Sanjays muumi l must look out for alfafa rings, burt sad to say she will not figs, l bought some propper ones from Asda, and some of the thing Sanjay like she refurses to eat, you know you can buy jelly pots in Asda? Billie picked one up and threw it onto the floor which was a clear indication that she did not want any more. When she has porridge if l do not hold the spoon at the right angle she pushes it away. Also she liked a quarter of a pomegranite so l bought a load and now she has gone off them and back onto corn cobs.

I keep the cage about a foot from the wall and this deters most fruit splatter, l like MissK's idea of installing perplex sheets a good idea but am still waiiting to see a photo of how they worked. I like your idea of cotton sheets on a curtain rail but not for me. I like to weigh Billie regularly for an Alex she is about the right weight at 241 grams, eats like a horse looks like one too!

I hope to look in Wilko on Friday l will keep my eye open for clear plastic mats as cutting up a clear carpet protector might be harder then l think, Argos sell them £7.99
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

Post by AJPeter »

How is Sanjays moult going, is Feather up helping? Biille has slowed down, her breast looks ragged but she has not lost any more wing feathers, she had a good soaking of Aloe Vera today.
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

Post by sanjays mummi »

AJ, no more big feathers at the moment, the plastic carpet protectors are cheaper in Wilko, I don't have a local ASDA either. Sanjay much prefers dried figs, but only gets them as a treat, once a week he has a bunch of fresh coriander to shred, as Alfalfa rings are not cheap, and a once in a blue moon thing. I prefer cotton back curtains because they let air in, especially in the summer when nights are humid. Someone told me Alexandrines are much sweeter natured than ringnecks, but I have never met one to make a comparison.
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

Post by AJPeter »

Billie is beginnig to look ragged l told her so but she took a large doze of umbrage and as every ones know nobody can make you take umbrage it is the most foul tasting medicine ever devised only you you can take it. We were told in my prep school never to end a sentance with a prepostion but we always did it!

She bit me twice today the first time after l put her seeds in and then tried to put her bath in but to add insult to injury she bit me again when l thought she wanted to be lifted down and l waved my hand near her with out looking. :shock:

Twice bitten one shy, l still think she looks ragged.

Billie is back to her normal bedtime, 7 pm. I cover her cage with two blanklets, I pull the curtains turn the light off and listen to my TV with head phones but she still huffs and puff under her blanket!
AJPeter
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

Post by AJPeter »

Billie manages to undo nuts, she can unscrew those D rings. it is quite funny watching her grip the nut give it a turn and then grip it again and turn. She undoes those nuts that hold her bowls in position, l am little worried as some nuts she has undone have disappeared! She is also quite good at prizing off the bars those green plastic clips that hold food etc.
SkyeBerry
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

Post by SkyeBerry »

Does Billie have any of those clever albeit expensive 'enrichment' toys? She sounds like she would likely do well with them.

re: mat protector - you could probably get some scrap pieces of sheet vinyl really cheap from a flooring company or hardware store - there are also the peel and stick tiles or a vinyl tablecloth or do you know the term coroplast? http://www.boltsigns.com/Coroplast Usually cheapest at the local hardware store. This stuff comes in handy for a lot of things. I have seen it as large as 4' x 8'. I think it was $12. Approx. 6.50 British pound.
Mary
AJPeter
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

Post by AJPeter »

I have a tufted carpet and have to soak pataches she has pooped on but l hope to buy carpet protectors tomorrow, l have some plastic place mats down at the moment which are great and look good. No l have never heard of coroplast l looked at your link and it is not quite what l am looking for.

Billie is not really intersted in toys her cage is littered with them, the ones she likes best are a row of beads above her door and foot toys as long as the prize is not too difficult to find. The millet spray must stick out and be easy to pull or she will just drop it.

Food is what she wants and as l make our meals breakfast/dinner she is calling out worried l would have eaten it all before she has had a look in. She is back on Pomegranite and polished off a quarter today, l hope tio alternate corn and pommegranite weekly.
AJPeter
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

Post by AJPeter »

You can have spam yesterday and you can have spam tomorrow but you cannot have spam today, yesterday never goes and tomorrow never comes. There seems to a lot of spam about.
sanjays mummi
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

Post by sanjays mummi »

Sanjay has gone off pomegranate, he has spells of fancying something then going off it for a while, the exception being pointy and bell peppers, and dried figs. I cover the cage at 8pm, he always signals bedtime with body language, and still greets me with "wot wot?" In the morning. Easter Monday I gave the palace a steam clean, he loves a clean habitat. I don't know about Spam, but a piece of chicken goes down nicely, as does cooked egg, I have never offered wet food such as oatmeal.
SkyeBerry
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Re: Parrot Speak Easy

Post by SkyeBerry »

Sanjays mummi - Hi. I have thought about using a hand held steamer, but have been worried I would be aerosolizing bacteria and moving into small crevices where I could not get it out? Am I just being paranoid? I know hospitals use steamers but I believe they use water vapour which is hotter than steam.

Mary
Mary
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