Pigeon Talk

[backyard pigeons]

I'm sort of jonesing for an Olive update.....

Me too.

 

[memphis]

And the baby parrot. Hope all is well....

 

[biophiliac]

I'm sort of jonesing for an Olive update.....

Yep, me too.

 

[Pyxis]

This isn't pigeon related, but I've talked about my parrots here before

Everybody meet Cricket.

Cricket came to live with me today. I saw an ad on Craigslist for him and decided he would come be part of my flock. He is over five years old, but beyond that I do not know his exact age. As so often happens with parrots, he has been bounced from home to home and I am his fourth owner. I will be his last; he has found his forever home.

He is on a seed diet, which is bad for parrots, and worse yet he's on one of the cheap ones full of sunflower seeds and other fatty seeds. I've switched him to Zupreem Smart Selects and will be switching him fully over to pellets soon. It also sounds like the only treats he ever really got were millet spray and those honey seed sticks. Soon he will learn the joys of fresh fruit and veggies, though it will probably take me awhile to convince him they are safe to eat.

All his toys were little mirrors, which aren't great for parrots, and no fun things to bang around or chew or destroy. Oh, and also a string of mardi gras beads hung over a perch, for some reason, which I have just noticed and will be removing because that's not safe at all. I added one small undyed rope and wood chunks type toy to his cage to get him started. He doesn't seem afraid of it, which is good.

He's in his old cage right now, which luckily is actually not too small for him. But after he settles I'll be moving him into a cockatiel palace.

Right now we are at the first stages of getting him used to me, which is me just sitting quietly in his sight. He's watching me type this. Next I will sit by his cage and read to him, and then we will start working on 'Step Up'. He was hand tamed for his previous owner, so I don't suspect we will have trouble there. Then I'll clicker train him Might even get him wearing a Flight Suit, so he can come outside.

 

[biophiliac]

This isn't pigeon related, but I've talked about my parrots here before

Everybody meet Cricket.

Cricket came to live with me today. I saw an ad on Craigslist for him and decided he would come be part of my flock. He is over five years old, but beyond that I do not know his exact age. As so often happens with parrots, he has been bounced from home to home and I am his fourth owner. I will be his last; he has found his forever home.

He is on a seed diet, which is bad for parrots, and worse yet he's on one of the cheap ones full of sunflower seeds and other fatty seeds. I've switched him to Zupreem Smart Selects and will be switching him fully over to pellets soon. It also sounds like the only treats he ever really got were millet spray and those honey seed sticks. Soon he will learn the joys of fresh fruit and veggies, though it will probably take me awhile to convince him they are safe to eat.

All his toys were little mirrors, which aren't great for parrots, and no fun things to bang around or chew or destroy. Oh, and also a string of mardi gras beads hung over a perch, for some reason, which I have just noticed and will be removing because that's not safe at all. I added one small undyed rope and wood chunks type toy to his cage to get him started. He doesn't seem afraid of it, which is good.

He's in his old cage right now, which luckily is actually not too small for him. But after he settles I'll be moving him into a cockatiel palace.

Right now we are at the first stages of getting him used to me, which is me just sitting quietly in his sight. He's watching me type this. Next I will sit by his cage and read to him, and then we will start working on 'Step Up'. He was hand tamed for his previous owner, so I don't suspect we will have trouble there. Then I'll clicker train him Might even get him wearing a Flight Suit, so he can come outside.

Oh wow! Cricket is going to be a very happy bird.

Mardi Gras beads? really!?!

I hope we can now look forward to updates on Crickets progress as well.

 

[backyard pigeons]

This isn't pigeon related, but I've talked about my parrots here before

Everybody meet Cricket.

Cricket came to live with me today. I saw an ad on Craigslist for him and decided he would come be part of my flock. He is over five years old, but beyond that I do not know his exact age. As so often happens with parrots, he has been bounced from home to home and I am his fourth owner. I will be his last; he has found his forever home.

He is on a seed diet, which is bad for parrots, and worse yet he's on one of the cheap ones full of sunflower seeds and other fatty seeds. I've switched him to Zupreem Smart Selects and will be switching him fully over to pellets soon. It also sounds like the only treats he ever really got were millet spray and those honey seed sticks. Soon he will learn the joys of fresh fruit and veggies, though it will probably take me awhile to convince him they are safe to eat.

All his toys were little mirrors, which aren't great for parrots, and no fun things to bang around or chew or destroy. Oh, and also a string of mardi gras beads hung over a perch, for some reason, which I have just noticed and will be removing because that's not safe at all. I added one small undyed rope and wood chunks type toy to his cage to get him started. He doesn't seem afraid of it, which is good.

He's in his old cage right now, which luckily is actually not too small for him. But after he settles I'll be moving him into a cockatiel palace.

Right now we are at the first stages of getting him used to me, which is me just sitting quietly in his sight. He's watching me type this. Next I will sit by his cage and read to him, and then we will start working on 'Step Up'. He was hand tamed for his previous owner, so I don't suspect we will have trouble there. Then I'll clicker train him Might even get him wearing a Flight Suit, so he can come outside.

he's soo cute! I Love cricket already! Please give us frequent updates! (Do you have a parrot thread?) you need one! I have been very interested in cockatiels, and have been reading lots of books about them. I dont Think my parents want a house bird... do you have others curently? I know you did have one, named Fizz. and last question... I know most people say no, but in Tennessee weather, could one be kept outside during the winter? We rarely get into the teens. I was thinking a small avairy, with a enclosed box outside for a pair. thoughts?

 

[Serin]

I'm sort of jonesing for an Olive update.....

Me too.

Yep, me too.

And the baby parrot. Hope all is well....

Sure. She is well. She is her old self. Loves everyone. Very affectionate. No more eggs! She is out all day again. She hated sleeping in the huge dog crate once Rowan was rehomed so I'm going to sell it... She is happy back in her old spot in the front room. Her cage now is smaller since I had rearranged which birds were in which cage but its mostly just her bedroom and she has her little pink bed back and sleeps in it every night.

Nemo the parrot is doing very well. His bad leg regained full functionality. He gets around fine now barring his inability to fly. He can climb up cages and furniture. He's very affectionate, lives to be held and is already trying to say words. I take him outside a lot and he likes to explore. He has a little parakeet friend he snuggles and if he can't see him in the house he gets upset.

He and Olive have a totally peaceful indifference toward eachother.

This isn't pigeon related, but I've talked about my parrots here before

Everybody meet Cricket.

Cricket came to live with me today. I saw an ad on Craigslist for him and decided he would come be part of my flock. He is over five years old, but beyond that I do not know his exact age. As so often happens with parrots, he has been bounced from home to home and I am his fourth owner. I will be his last; he has found his forever home.

He is on a seed diet, which is bad for parrots, and worse yet he's on one of the cheap ones full of sunflower seeds and other fatty seeds. I've switched him to Zupreem Smart Selects and will be switching him fully over to pellets soon. It also sounds like the only treats he ever really got were millet spray and those honey seed sticks. Soon he will learn the joys of fresh fruit and veggies, though it will probably take me awhile to convince him they are safe to eat.

All his toys were little mirrors, which aren't great for parrots, and no fun things to bang around or chew or destroy. Oh, and also a string of mardi gras beads hung over a perch, for some reason, which I have just noticed and will be removing because that's not safe at all. I added one small undyed rope and wood chunks type toy to his cage to get him started. He doesn't seem afraid of it, which is good.

He's in his old cage right now, which luckily is actually not too small for him. But after he settles I'll be moving him into a cockatiel palace.

Right now we are at the first stages of getting him used to me, which is me just sitting quietly in his sight. He's watching me type this. Next I will sit by his cage and read to him, and then we will start working on 'Step Up'. He was hand tamed for his previous owner, so I don't suspect we will have trouble there. Then I'll clicker train him Might even get him wearing a Flight Suit, so he can come outside.

Thats so great. You are doing everything right!

 

[backyard pigeons]

Sure. She is well. She is her old self. Loves everyone. Very affectionate. No more eggs! She is out all day again. She hated sleeping in the huge dog crate once Rowan was rehomed so I'm going to sell it... She is happy back in her old spot in the front room. Her cage now is smaller since I had rearranged which birds were in which cage but its mostly just her bedroom and she has her little pink bed back and sleeps in it every night.

View attachment 1904529 View attachment 1904530 View attachment 1904533

Nemo the parrot is doing very well. His bad leg regained full functionality. He gets around fine now barring his inability to fly. He can climb up cages and furniture. He's very affectionate, lives to be held and is already trying to say words. I take him outside a lot and he likes to explore. He has a little parakeet friend he snuggles and if he can't see him in the house he gets upset.

View attachment 1904538 View attachment 1904536 View attachment 1904535 View attachment 1904537

He and Olive have a totally peaceful indifference toward eachother.

View attachment 1904540




Thats so great. You are doing everything right!

I'm so glad! They all look so happy! Are you going to keep Nemo?

 

[Serin]

I'm so glad! They all look so happy! Are you going to keep Nemo?

Yes. He's just the sweetest little bird. I need to get him a bigger cage but pet bird supplies cost an arm and a leg... And he's too small for the dog crate. He'd fit out the bars... Or get stuck trying.

 

[Pyxis]

he's soo cute! I Love cricket already! Please give us frequent updates! (Do you have a parrot thread?) you need one! I have been very interested in cockatiels, and have been reading lots of books about them. I dont Think my parents want a house bird... do you have others curently? I know you did have one, named Fizz. and last question... I know most people say no, but in Tennessee weather, could one be kept outside during the winter? We rarely get into the teens. I was thinking a small avairy, with a enclosed box outside for a pair. thoughts?

I will definitely keep you all updated

I did have a Quaker named Fizz. He passed away about a month ago I had decided then that I would wait awhile before getting another parrot, but then Cricket came up on Craigslist and it seemed like he needed me.

Cockatiels are fantastic. My first ever real 'bird loves' were cockatiels. When I was around twelve, I took in a rescued 12 year old and fell in love. He was abused, and I rehabilitated him. He was very tame with me and never once bit me, despite his previous owners telling me he was 'mean'. He had fatty liver disease due to a lifetime of poor diet and didn't live much longer after he came to live with me, unfortunately.

I'm not sure I would try keeping them outside in winter. Temperature in the teens is getting pretty low for them. Where they live in the wild, temperatures usually only ever get as cold as 40 F.