New to lovebirds

Archive > Pet newsgroups > rec.pets.birds

New to lovebirds - CLICK HERE for the Pet Manual Forum Home Page

Wendalee

Greetings!
In 2-3 weeks a baby lovebird will be ready for me to pick up and take
home from a local breeder. I'm very excited and have her/his cage and
toys all ready and waiting, I've also read as much as I can find on
the subject of lovebirds on the net as well as 'The Lovebird
Handbook.' I'd like to think I'm well prepared for my new pet, however
as all birds are different I thought I'd come here and ask anyone who
wishes to share, to reply with any advice or fav lovebird stories.

Many Thanks!
Wendy

Alex Clayton

AlanWilliams

"Wendalee" <wendalee7@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:71c2a8df.0406011045.40190819@posting.google.com...
> Greetings!
> In 2-3 weeks a baby lovebird will be ready for me to pick up and take
> home from a local breeder. I'm very excited and have her/his cage and
> toys all ready and waiting, I've also read as much as I can find on
> the subject of lovebirds on the net as well as 'The Lovebird
> Handbook.' I'd like to think I'm well prepared for my new pet, however
> as all birds are different I thought I'd come here and ask anyone who
> wishes to share, to reply with any advice or fav lovebird stories.

Kale. Always keep kale in stock - they adore it and putting some on the
palm of your hand is a great way to convince them that hands aren't evil.
Broccoli is mine's second favourite.

Try to feed him a huge variety of food. Young lovebirds are normally taught
by their father what can and can't be eaten. Unless they experience a lot
of foods when young they can become shy of new food.

They adore shredding things. There are some "toys" that in the UK are
called pinatas (as in Mexican). They are palm leaves and coconut fibres all
wrapped around and tied up. Dismantling them is apparently almost as much
fun as "helping" me with the crossword. My lovebirds don't seem to enjoy
toy toys, only things they can get their beaks into. In my experience, you
can waste a lot of money buying toys you think they'll enjoy and they'll end
up shredding up paper instead - sort of like children preferring the
cardboard box to the expensive present.

Buttons. Be very careful about wearing anything with buttons around him.
He will probably enjoy de-buttoning clothes almost as much as shredding
paper. Most of my T-shirts are missing some or all of their buttons and I
have to keep my proper shirts well away from them.

Without re-opening the "clip/don't clip" war, it's probably a good idea to
teach the youngster about windows and mirrors. Just let them sit on you
close to a window and see that you can tap it i.e. that there's something
there.

On the subject of "wars", there is seed v pellet. I'd recommend seed + lots
of fruit and vegetables. Cue "pellets are scientifically balanced"
response.

When the youngster calls to you, say something back. It's unlikely (but not
impossible) that he'l learn to talk, but it will make him much happier. If
you start thinking you can almost understand them - join the club.

When a young bird moves home, it is possible for them to regress, so that
even if the baby has weaned he may revert to wanting at least some
handfeeding. It may be a good idea to prepare yourself just in case.

Don't touch his feet unless he is very friendly to you. When lovebirds
fight, one of the main targets are the toes and he's liable to misinterpret
your actions. OTOH one of mine adores having his toes stroked, much more
than having his neck scratched.

Don't grab him. If you do need to take hold of him, then keep on talking to
him and do it very gently. Grabbing a bird is something a predator does in
nature and will convince him that "hands are evil". Some people suggest
using a towel, but I think it just makes them more scared.

Don't kiss him on the beak. It can make him ill and is liable to confuse
him about his relationship with you. I'm not joking :-)

Be prepared for emergencies. Have the number of an avian vet (or several)
and find out the times they are open. It's a good idea to take him in for a
checkup within the first few days. Have some styptic powder in case your
bird cuts himself - they can bleed a lot in a short time.

If your bird ever looks ill then it will be feeling very poorly. (They try
to put on a brave face as sick birds are easy prey in the wild.) Take it to
a vet ASAP. Don't be tempted to ask on here about what might be wrong with
it :-)

Lovebirds get a lot of information from their beaks and tongues. Just as
baby humans put things in their mouths, a lovebird will try to "beak" lots
of things, including parts of you. There is a big difference between
beaking and biting. If a lovebird wants to bite you, then you will be
missing a chunk of flesh.

Hair. They enjoy playing with hair. If you use hair products e.g. hair
spray or dye, then I've heard it's a good idea to stop them learning they
can play with hair.

Be very careful if you get any other birds. A lovebird is quite capable
(and very happy) to use his acrobatic flying and strong beak to maim or kill
a much larger bird.

Finally, enjoy his company. They are great fun and can be very loving
companions. I spent this evening watching TV with two snuggled up in my
T-shirt after they got tired out doing vertical spins on my fingers:-)

> Many Thanks!
> Wendy

Alan

jmcquown

Wendalee wrote:
> Greetings!
> In 2-3 weeks a baby lovebird will be ready for me to pick up and take
> home from a local breeder. I'm very excited and have her/his cage and
> toys all ready and waiting, I've also read as much as I can find on
> the subject of lovebirds on the net as well as 'The Lovebird
> Handbook.' I'd like to think I'm well prepared for my new pet, however
> as all birds are different I thought I'd come here and ask anyone who
> wishes to share, to reply with any advice or fav lovebird stories.
>
> Many Thanks!
> Wendy

I have a lone Nyasa lovebird (Peaches) about 7 months old now. She has so
much fun with the toys in her cage. She adores ringing bells and pulling at
the rope toys and grabbing onto and nibbling anything wood or leather.

She loves kale, as Alan suggested. She also loves slices of Gala apples
(lesser so Granny Smiths, and she won't touch a red apple of any kind). She
also loves to nibble on carrots. It's important to continue to interact
with a lovebird, so that it bonds with you. Again, as Alan suggested, when
the bird calls out, respond, reply. Keep the bird interested and let the
bird know you are interested in what he/she has to "say".

I swear Peaches is trying to say "Peaches", even though they aren't known to
be great talkers. So when she calls out "PeeeChez" I reply back "Peaches!"
in the same tone and she repeats it, then starts whistling. I whistle back.
She's a funny little bird. I can walk over and start talking soothingly to
her and she'll slowly close her eyes and tuck her head back. It's almost
like I'm hypnotizing her.

A friend of mine who owned a petshop which specialized in birds suggested
this as a treat: Boil some green lentils in water until just tender. Stir
in some frozen mixed veggies which include corn kernels, peas, carrots,
until the veggies are tender. Let this mixture cool, then feed in a treat
cup. She swears the lovebirds in the shop went NUTS over this mixture.
Also, for the "shredding" thing, she suggested spreading an old fashioned
(that is, no metal parts) wooden clothespin in peanut butter and then
rolling it in seeds, clipping it to a bar of the cage and watch the bird go
to town.

They are such pretty and fun little parrots. Good luck and have a good time
with your new one :)

Jill and Peaches

Gloria Carr

"Wendalee" <wendalee7@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:71c2a8df.0406011045.40190819@posting.google.com...
> Greetings!
> In 2-3 weeks a baby lovebird will be ready for me to pick up and take
> home from a local breeder. I'm very excited and have her/his cage and
> toys all ready and waiting, I've also read as much as I can find on
> the subject of lovebirds on the net as well as 'The Lovebird
> Handbook.' I'd like to think I'm well prepared for my new pet, however
> as all birds are different I thought I'd come here and ask anyone who
> wishes to share, to reply with any advice or fav lovebird stories.
>
> Many Thanks!
> Wendy

First of all, Hurray to you for doing your research and getting all the
things you need BEFORE you get the bird! Already you are off to a good
start. Others have already made some great suggestions, I'd like to add to
them.

#1 is find out exactly what the breeder weaned him or her onto and feed him
that for the first week or so, even if it isn't a good long term diet. When
I was working at the store I found that most newly weaned birds could either
adjust to a new diet or a new home, but not both at once. You can always
change his diet later once he's settled in, but starvation will kill a bird
very quickly. Always make sure that a newly weaned small bird has millet
spray and use a shallow dish at the bottom of the cage (placed so the bird
can't poop on it from a perch) in addition to a normal food dish for the
first couple of weeks. For a long term diet I recommend going by thirds,
that is one third fresh food (kale, cooked lentils and grains, carrots,
other veggies and fruits, etc), one third pellets, and one third seeds. The
easiest way to feed it is the cooked stuff for an hour or two in the morning
(uncooked veggies and greens can be left in all day), pellets during the
day, and seed when you get home. Baby birds should have pellets and seeds
mixed together all day to encourage them to eat. Pellets probably aren't
strictly necessary, but I like to use them as a dietary supplement to cover
for anything I missed in their fresh foods. Pellets, despite what the
manufacturers say, should not be fed as the majority of the diet, in fact no
one food should be. Variety=good.

#2 Go get a new bird checkup with an avian vet as soon as you get your bird.
If there is anything wrong with your new baby you'll know at once, and will
be able to tell the breeder (its hard for a breeder or store to wiggle out
of responsibility for selling a sick bird when the vet checked it before it
even came home first). If there isn't anything wrong (and an ethical breeder
will never knowingly sell a sick bird) then it gives the vet a chance to
make some baseline measurements (weight, etc) of what your bird looks like
when it's healthy. This will also help you establish a good working
relationship with the vet, if you don't have an avian vet already.

#3, If you can make sure everyone in the house handles the bird on a
regular basis, this will help prevent from becoming too bonded (and
therefore overly protective) of one person. Lovebirds can be down right evil
when it comes to protecting someone they think of as their mate, or
protecting their breeding territory (ie cage). LOTS of out-of-cage time, as
much as you can do, is the best way to prevent this.

#4 Here's how to make a GREAT (and cheap!) play perch for your new buddy. Go
to a craft store and buy a cheap basket with a shallow bottom. Make sure
that the basket you buy has no paint or varnish on it or any nails or
staples. I usually get mine from Cost Plus. Wrap the handle with sisal rope
and line the bottom with paper towels. When wrapping the handle you can add
metal or plastic rings (make sure the ring is solid and not something like a
key ring) from which to hang toys off of. I find my birds LOVE these even
better then the expensive playstands I bought for them, and the best part is
when they get too chewed up and start looking ratty you can just throw them
away and not worry about how much it cost you. This play perch is light
enough to carry anywhere with you around the house, or on road trips, etc.
Total cost is usually $5-$10US as opposed to $30-$50 a normal small
'table-top' perch costs, and they seem to hold up nearly as well. A play
perch confines most of the mess your little buddy makes into one easily
cleaned spot, and still allows you to have him outside of the cage.

Good luck with your new buddy!

Gloria

pianoharp

"jmcquown" <jmcquown@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:w3dvc.2181$2M1.421@bignews3.bellsouth.net...

> She's a funny little bird. I can walk over and start talking soothingly
to
> her and she'll slowly close her eyes and tuck her head back. It's almost
> like I'm hypnotizing her.
>

You do have to watch out for that. Mine would literally fall asleep so
deeply in my hand that when I tried to put her back at night, she'd nearly
fall off the perch! Even though she was a very healthy bird, she would
apparently be pretty much sawing logs, as far as birds go, and I had to make
sure the feet had hold of the perch before letting go. Kinda weird, because
most of the time they naturally grip the surface.
One other thing, give her a Pop Tarts or tissue box, paper-clipped or
somehow (strongly) attached to the cage bars. If you use paper clips, just
make sure the points are on the outside. Your bird will love going in and
out, scratching and tearing it up. Just throw it away after a day or so,
because they poop a lot in there.

Wendalee

Wow!! Thank you so much for all the great advice and suggestions!!
In the past I've had 2 parakeets, so technically this is not my first
bird to share a home with, however other than my beta fish(Sushi) and
visits from my boyfriends dog(Nacho) the lovebird will be the only
animal in the house. As of now, I am leaning towards wing clipping
and giving her a diet of seed, pellets and fresh veggies/fruits. I'll
of course ask the breeder what she is doing for the birds now and how
she has raised other birds in the past and kinda make final decisions
from there.

What are your recommendations for the first week a new bird is in your
home? do you suggest letting the bird have some time to himself in his
cage to get used to his new house. Or should you start interacting
and leaving the cage open immediantly?

Thanks for the advice about mirrors, and also for the tip about birds
reverting to handfeed possibly at first. I'll make sure to ask my
breeder the appropriate questions as she is hand feeding them. Oh and
I'll look for one of those pinata toys too!!

Thanks again!! Great Advice!!

Wendalee

Thanks Gloria!
That is a good idea for a play perch!! I know just the place nearby
to get a basket like you mentioned too!! Also there is a large vet
near my house in Houston, TX where I've heard they actually have a
whole avian program, I need to stop by after work sometime to check it
out to be certain if it's where I want to take my bird.

Things just got busy at work..... I'll write more in a bit....

Thanks Again!!

Alex Clayton

"Wendalee" <wendalee7@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:71c2a8df.0406020526.293f8973@posting.google.com...
> What are your recommendations for the first week a new bird is in your
> home? do you suggest letting the bird have some time to himself in his
> cage to get used to his new house. Or should you start interacting
> and leaving the cage open immediantly?
>
> Thanks for the advice about mirrors, and also for the tip about birds
> reverting to handfeed possibly at first. I'll make sure to ask my
> breeder the appropriate questions as she is hand feeding them. Oh and
> I'll look for one of those pinata toys too!!
>
> Thanks again!! Great Advice!!

Even tame birds that are all over you at the store or breeder will often be
quiet and subdued when first brought "home". It's all new to them. They are
all different though. See how it reacts, if it acts scared, best is to keep
the cage out of the "traffic area" so the bird can see what's going on.
Spend lot's of time going to it, talking to it, offer treats, and play it by
ear, and see how the bird reacts. Some take right off in a new house, some
need a few days to get used to it.
Watch out for the Dog when it comes over. They carry a bacteria in their
saliva that's toxic to birds. Also as the bird gets older it may well attack
the dog, causing a problem. Love Birds often are lion hearted little guys. A
dog that gets bit, may snap at the bird.
Enjoy the new guy, thay are a ton of fun!!!
--
If at first you don't succeed blame someone else and seek counseling.

Toucanldy

>From: "pianoharp" xxpianoharp@tampabay.rr.com

> Mine would literally fall asleep so
>deeply in my hand that when I tried to put her back at night, she'd nearly
>fall off the perch! Even though she was a very healthy bird, she would
>apparently be pretty much sawing logs, as far as birds go, and I had to make
>sure the feet had hold of the perch before letting go. Kinda weird, because
>most of the time they naturally grip the surface.

There is something, that most people don't consider. If a cage or aviary has
enough room, you should put in a shelf. Sometimes birds like to stand on a flat
surface, instead of perching.

Regards

Wendalee

Well I got an email from the breeder today and she sent a pic of the
babies.....they are perfect!!! I mean imagine the most pretty normal
peachfaced lbs and these are what you picture!!! I'm very excited!!
She said their personalities had started showing several days ago and
that they are all so sweet and adorable. Needless to say i'm excited
and a bit nervous as well!! She said it will still be another week.
Soooo, i guess i just wanted to share that!!

Oh and I do have a question..... I must be twisted or something cuz i
hate taking off work(i just have a normal work week as an accountant
so it's not like i have a thrilling job or anything, i just like to be
in the office i guess) at any rate but occasionally my boyfriend will
beg me to get out of town for a 3 day weekend or something. Do any of
you take your birds with you when you go away for a weekend? is the
bird happy just being with you or is it the opposite and is it not
worth taking them along? my next door neighbor I actually went to
highschool with so it's no problem to ask him or his wife to pop
over(i live in an apt so next door is a couple steps away) and check
on the bird and tend to it when i'm gone. however i was just currious
what your thoughts were on this.

John C

"Wendalee" <wendalee7@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:71c2a8df.0406020629.7a74099b@posting.google.com...
> Also there is a large vet
> near my house in Houston, TX where ...

Just how "large" is this vet, anyway? :o)

"Wendalee" <wendalee7@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:71c2a8df.0406030650.63a9fff2@posting.google.com...
> Oh and I do have a question..... I must be twisted or something cuz i
> hate taking off work(i just have a normal work week as an accountant
> so it's not like i have a thrilling job or anything, i just like to be
> in the office i guess) at any rate but occasionally my boyfriend will
> beg me to get out of town for a 3 day weekend or something. Do any of
> you take your birds with you when you go away for a weekend?

I'm with Alex on this one. Great idea to take the bird with you...may even
seem like being on a great adventure traveling. Keep a close eye on your
bird at first though...some are better travelers then others. Good idea also
to have a neighbor look in for the bird as you said as well, if you don't
bring it with you. However, here's what I wouldn't do (and know some ppl who
do this): Going out for three days, I wouldn't leave the bird at home alone.
Even if you have what appears as sufficient food, the bird may dump it all
out the first day. He won't starve in just three days, but he won't be happy
either.

Finally, this "normal work week as an accountant" business: I hope to God
they ain't "normal" weeks like the ones I often have. My birds HATE tax
season. :)

John

Wendalee

Well I don't mean the vet himself/herself is large, heehehe!! I'm
honestly not real familiar with vets and i was imagining that animals
other than dogs and cats would have their own specific clinics,
however this one has many vets that treat a range of pets, birds
included but all in the same location so I was thinking that made it
'large.' yes i know, lots to learn!!!

I am one of those fortunate accountants that other than the quarterly
reports and making deposits and payments, i really don't have to mess
with tax!!! YIPPEE!!! I'm an in-house accountant so i handle only the
day to day accounting for the company i work for. i do have to
babysit the auditors when the come see us and spoon feed the cpa firm
it comes in to finalize our statements, but for the most part I just
keep the wheels turning on a daily basis and i'm still kinda new as
well.....only out of college 1 year so there is much much much more to
learn!! Eventually our hope is that I'll be able to get more and more
involved to the point where the billable hours go down with the cpa
but..... he probably won't like that much!!!

Yeah the next door nieghbor will be really handy if i should get out
of the city for a couple days and not be able to take her with me,
they really wouldn't have a problem at all popping over to change,
feed, water and even play with my bird a little!!

Thanks for the advice!!!
Wendy

Wendalee

I GET TO PICK HER UP TOMORROW AFTER WORK!!!! YIPPEE!!!!!!!

Alex Clayton

"Wendalee" <wendalee7@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:71c2a8df.0406080447.67419e@posting.google.com...
> I GET TO PICK HER UP TOMORROW AFTER WORK!!!! YIPPEE!!!!!!!

It "looks" like you may be a little excited? <G>
Have fun, I'm sure the two of you will have lots of great times together.
Post a picture when you can, we all love to see other's birds.
--
If at first you don't succeed blame someone else and seek counseling.

Wendalee

So I got off work yesterday and hightailed it to the complete
otherside of the city....i ended up getting stuck in traffic tho so it
took over an hour and I thought i was gonna have to call and tell her
i was gonna be late but I got there just in time. This is the most
beautiful lovebird ever!!! Seriously, she is so perfect that it's
almost like she's a painting! and so sweet, the breeder handed me to
her and she didn't mind at all that a stranger held her and she just
kinda checked me out. the breeder was super nice, we met in one of
those big pet supply stores that allow you to take your pets
inside(petsmart to be specific) cuz she wanted to show me what kind of
food and supplies she is using. We chatted for awhile and she told me
to get some millet spray just to ensure that she does eat something
the first day. right now she is feeding her birds pro-grow. I had
looked for it in stores but couldn't find any, come to find out i had
the wrong idea of what it is when i looked for it. pro-grow is the
food mix that comes with a recipe and you bake it up like muffins, she
said that pro-grow replaces the need for pellets(basically i'm
thinking it's the same stuff as pellets, just in a baking mix). she
gives them a seed mix that looks like 'trail mix' for birds. it's
just different kinds of seeds that have been fortified. she had
already clipped her wings.....i kinda want them to grow out a bit to
where she can glide at least. there's gotta be a happy medium as far
as wing clipping goes to where the bird can't hurt themselves with
full flight but at the same time are capable of gliding so that they
don't seem to vulnerable, know what i mean? anyway, i was a bit
preoccupied with the baby that i accidently left my cell phone in the
breeders basket!!

on the ride home she...I named her Lola btw.... Lola was kinda shy at
first but then she started to climb around her little carrier and i'd
put my finger at the bars and she'd nibble at it, i have the feeling
that when a bird bites you that there's no question about whether or
not it was a bite so i'm thinking this was just nibbles, it's really
cute and she made these little squeeky noises. i'm guessing their
voices become more of a squawk as they mature??? but for now she
sounds so sweet!! she seemed quite happy with the drive tho and the
whole way i talked to her really softly. Then we got home and she's
been uncomfortable i think ever since. the breeder had 3 babies hatch
and she kept them all in the same cage, so now Lola has this rather
large(at least i feel it's large) cage all to herself and without her
friends and not to mention it's in a strange new place. and it was
after 7oclock when we got home so i think by then she was tired from
the big day with all the new changes. i wasn't real sure how to go
about taking her out of the carrier and putting her in her cage, i
didn't wanna just grab her tho cuz she seemed to be timid. finally
tho i brought the carrier right up to the cage and had both doors open
and i ended up having to pick her up, again she didn't bite or really
protest or anything, it's just she didn't jump into my hand so she
just needs to get used to me is all, i'm still a stranger. I was
thinking since she had played around in her carrier in the car that
she would start jumping around her cage right away checking things
out. but she really didn't at all. so i'm kinda getting the
impression that she's uncomfortable and also perhaps not used to that
much space all to herself. i talked to her for about an hour and then
it was getting late and i read that lovebirds need 12 hours of sleep??
is that so?? so i decided to cover her cage and let her rest and not
have to worry. i did take a peak at her and she slept with her feet
on the side wall of the cage and her beak hooked onto a bar as well,
her little eyes were shut but she slept on the side of her cage like
that. that struck me as odd, but i think she's just really uncomfy
with the rest of her cage yet?? oh and i don't think she can glide
cuz well..... she didn't, altho it could have just been that again she
was in a new place and not comfy with exploring yet, but i kinda got a
feel that if she fell from the top of the cage that she would sink
like a rock. so i think the breeder just clipped her wings too much??

this morning before work i took the cover off and changed her
bowls(and they do make a mess, she must mistake this one water bowl as
a toilet!!), i couldn't see where she had eaten but i'm pretty sure
she just went straight to sleep last night. so i'm gonna have my bf
check on her on his way to work and see he can tell if she's eaten, if
not then i'll call the breeder. it might be that she needs to be hand
fed a little bit till she's comfy with her surroundings. anyway, i
placed pieces of her pro-grow muffin(the breeder said she'll eat a
quarter of a muffin a day) here and there throughout the cage to
ensure that she finds it. I did pick her up and hold her for awhile
against my chest and petted her, she seemed to relax a bit actually
and i started rubbing her head and she closed her eyes so she must
really like that cuz it looked like it put her to sleep. she nibbled
again on my fingers and then i put her back in her cage close to some
food. and then i finished getting ready for work and before i left
she was up on her high perch and starting to nudge a toy with her
beak. so hopefully that's a sign that today she'll start exploring.
or maybe i have too many toys in there and it's overwhelming..... i
dunno, i'll just have to see how she's doing when i get home.

at any rate thanks for listening!!!
Wendy

Just Molly

"Wendalee" <wendalee7@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:71c2a8df.0406100534.40e9fe52@posting.google.com...
,<snipped>i'm kinda getting the
> impression that she's uncomfortable and also perhaps not used to that
> much space all to herself. i talked to her for about an hour and then
> it was getting late and i read that lovebirds need 12 hours of sleep??
> is that so?? so i decided to cover her cage and let her rest and not
> have to worry. i did take a peak at her and she slept with her feet
> on the side wall of the cage and her beak hooked onto a bar as well,
> her little eyes were shut but she slept on the side of her cage like
> that. that struck me as odd, but i think she's just really uncomfy
> with the rest of her cage yet?? oh and i don't think she can glide
> cuz well..... she didn't, altho it could have just been that again she
> was in a new place and not comfy with exploring yet, but i kinda got a
> feel that if she fell from the top of the cage that she would sink
> like a rock. so i think the breeder just clipped her wings too much??
>
> this morning before work i took the cover off and changed her
> bowls(and they do make a mess, she must mistake this one water bowl as
> a toilet!!), i couldn't see where she had eaten but i'm pretty sure
> she just went straight to sleep last night. so i'm gonna have my bf
> check on her on his way to work and see he can tell if she's eaten, if
> not then i'll call the breeder. it might be that she needs to be hand
> fed a little bit till she's comfy with her surroundings. anyway, i
> placed pieces of her pro-grow muffin(the breeder said she'll eat a
> quarter of a muffin a day) here and there throughout the cage to
> ensure that she finds it. I did pick her up and hold her for awhile
> against my chest and petted her, she seemed to relax a bit actually
> and i started rubbing her head and she closed her eyes so she must
> really like that cuz it looked like it put her to sleep. she nibbled
> again on my fingers and then i put her back in her cage close to some
> food. and then i finished getting ready for work and before i left
> she was up on her high perch and starting to nudge a toy with her
> beak. so hopefully that's a sign that today she'll start exploring.
> or maybe i have too many toys in there and it's overwhelming..... i
> dunno, i'll just have to see how she's doing when i get home.
>
> at any rate thanks for listening!!!
It was a long day for her so she was tired and she is in a strange new
environment with a strange new person. Her instinct is to sit still and suss
it all out. Such a shame the breeder clipped so severely that she falls to
the bottom of the cage. I am glad you aren't going to feed pellets. Birds
were never designed to eat those bloody dreadful things.
Have you got some good bird behavioural /training books?
May I suggest:

--
'Guide to companion parrot behaviour'
'My parrot my friend'
'Guide to a well behaved parrot'
'Birds for dummies'

Wendalee

ok my bf checked on her and he said that she was climbing around on
the walls and that she chirped at him a little and that she had eaten
some of her muffin and also some millet and he saw her doing the
cuttle bone thing and he changed the water bowl again and before he
left she was taking a nap on the main perch with her head tucked. so
i guess last night was just rough as expected cuz she seems to be
better today!!

Alex Clayton

"Wendalee" <wendalee7@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:71c2a8df.0406101017.60b8f5ff@posting.google.com...
> ok my bf checked on her and he said that she was climbing around on
> the walls and that she chirped at him a little and that she had eaten
> some of her muffin and also some millet and he saw her doing the
> cuttle bone thing and he changed the water bowl again and before he
> left she was taking a nap on the main perch with her head tucked. so
> i guess last night was just rough as expected cuz she seems to be
> better today!!

You're doing fine. It's very normal for them to not have much appetite at
first. Sounds like the bird found a great home, you should both be very
happy! Don't forget a picture!
--
If at first you don't succeed blame someone else and seek counseling.

Wendalee

PICTURES...... follow the link!

http://groups.msn.com/LolaTheLovebird/shoebox.msnw

Toucanldy

>Subject: Re: New to lovebirds
>From: wendalee7@hotmail.com (Wendalee)

>PICTURES...... follow the link!

Very cute!!

Regards

Alex Clayton

"Wendalee" <wendalee7@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:71c2a8df.0406110539.3cff46fe@posting.google.com...
> PICTURES...... follow the link!
>
> http://groups.msn.com/LolaTheLovebird/shoebox.msnw

AWESOME!!!
Looks like you made a great choice on a cage, lot's of room, lots of toys.
Just what she needs to keep her self occupied when you are gone.
I see she already wants to get on the net too, smart bird <G>
--
If at first you don't succeed blame someone else and seek counseling.

AlanWilliams

Daemon

AlanWilliams

"Daemon" <daemon@necropolisbbs.darktech.org.remove-qwd-this> wrote in
message news:40CB4E05.180.recpbird@necropolisbbs.darktech.org...
> To: "AlanWilliams" <alanrw@monemvasia.freeserve.co.uk>
> Re: Re: New to lovebirds
> By: "AlanWilliams" <alanrw@monemvasia.freeserve.co.uk> to rec.pets.birds
on Sat Jun 12 2004 04:11 am
>
> > > http://groups.msn.com/LolaTheLovebird/shoebox.msnw
> >
> > Oh she's cute. She looks so tiny on top of the cage :-)
> >
> > Are there any shredable toys in the cage?
>
> lol I found when I still had my lovebird that there was practically no
such
> things as non-shredable toys when she really set her mind to it.
>
> Only one really survived her (and I've still got it) - a 4" tall M&M
figure
> that she used to beat the hell out of, but just couldn't destroy.

What's an M&M figure? It sounds as if it should be made out of chocolate.

Alan

Daemon

To: "AlanWilliams" <alanrw@monemvasia.freeserve.co.uk>
Re: Re: New to lovebirds
By: "AlanWilliams" <alanrw@monemvasia.freeserve.co.uk> to rec.pets.birds on Sat Jun 12 2004 11:04 pm

> > > > http://groups.msn.com/LolaTheLovebird/shoebox.msnw
> > >
> > > Oh she's cute. She looks so tiny on top of the cage :-)
> > >
> > > Are there any shredable toys in the cage?
> >
> > lol I found when I still had my lovebird that there was practically no
> such
> > things as non-shredable toys when she really set her mind to it.
> >
> > Only one really survived her (and I've still got it) - a 4" tall M&M
> figure
> > that she used to beat the hell out of, but just couldn't destroy.
>
> What's an M&M figure? It sounds as if it should be made out of chocolate.
>
> Alan

I collect odd things, see... M&M items are amoung them. I had the lovebird
out of the cage one day and she sidled up to a little 4" tall plastic figurine
of an M&M guy that I had sitting on the coffee table, squawked once at it, then
threw it down and proceed to beat the hell out of it. It was hilarious... She
knocked it around the table for a while, then pounced down on it when it fell
to the floor, and continued to kick its plastic butt all over the living room.

I gave it to her, in her cage, and it was one of her favorite toys. Any time
she was in a surly mood (quite often... she was a moody little one), she'd
take her frustrations out on it.

...Ralph Abramo
...In the shuffling madness...

John C

"Wendalee" <wendalee7@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:71c2a8df.0406100534.40e9fe52@posting.google.com...
> (and they do make a mess, she must mistake this one water bowl as
> a toilet!!),

Hi Wendy. Sounds like you got yourself a fascinating little fid there. Just
wanted to make a quick comment about the mess in the water dish though. They
do that--just depends upon where the tail is pointing when they have to
poop. You want to make sure you change the water frequently anyway, but
especially if you see poop in it. I've even had it where I'd give it fresh
water, and not five minutes later: PLOP. Grrrr. Time to change it again.
I've also had the (expensive) experience of having a bird go sick on me and
rushing him to the vet. Diagnosis: poop intake (actually, the bacteria it
had most likely came from drinking soiled water). Turns out it would soil
its water during the day while I was at work and drink out of it throughout
the day.

One solution that works well is a water bottle attached to the side of the
cage, and they drink from the spout at bottom. For three of the birds I now
have, I was able to successfully convert them to bottles over time. My
newest Quaker isn't quite ready for that yet, and I'm always having to
change his water a few times a day at least. Thing is, you often have to get
them used to the bottle before they dare to drink from it--if you switch
them cold-turkey, a bird could very easily dehydrate & die from not drinking
at all.

There are other solutions besides bottles as well--the main issue is that
you don't want to let the bird drink water it has pooped in. Won't
necessarily mean that it'll definitely kill or even make the bird sick, but
increases the chances.

John

Alex Clayton

"John C" <jnsterNOSPAM@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:Vh3zc.3907$Wr.876@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net...
>
> "Wendalee" <wendalee7@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:71c2a8df.0406100534.40e9fe52@posting.google.com...
> > (and they do make a mess, she must mistake this one water bowl as
> > a toilet!!),
>
> Hi Wendy. Sounds like you got yourself a fascinating little fid there.
Just
> wanted to make a quick comment about the mess in the water dish though.
They
> do that--just depends upon where the tail is pointing when they have to
> poop. You want to make sure you change the water frequently anyway, but
> especially if you see poop in it. I've even had it where I'd give it fresh
> water, and not five minutes later: PLOP. Grrrr. Time to change it again.
> I've also had the (expensive) experience of having a bird go sick on me
and
> rushing him to the vet. Diagnosis: poop intake (actually, the bacteria it
> had most likely came from drinking soiled water). Turns out it would soil
> its water during the day while I was at work and drink out of it
throughout
> the day.
>
> One solution that works well is a water bottle attached to the side of the
> cage, and they drink from the spout at bottom. For three of the birds I
now
> have, I was able to successfully convert them to bottles over time. My
> newest Quaker isn't quite ready for that yet, and I'm always having to
> change his water a few times a day at least. Thing is, you often have to
get
> them used to the bottle before they dare to drink from it--if you switch
> them cold-turkey, a bird could very easily dehydrate & die from not
drinking
> at all.
>
> There are other solutions besides bottles as well--the main issue is that
> you don't want to let the bird drink water it has pooped in. Won't
> necessarily mean that it'll definitely kill or even make the bird sick,
but
> increases the chances.
>
> John
>
>
>

The water bottles are a great idea, and don't they make a covered water and
food bowel too? Seems like I have seen them at the stores. Have kind of a
dome top to help keep the "stuff" out of the food and water.
When I got my Macaw he was trained to use a bottle, bought a nice,
expensive one for him. problem was he soon learned that when he was out he
could climb around and take it off the cage. <G>. I would imagine with the
smaller birds like hers this would not be a problem. That's the one big
advantage to the smaller birds. I have never had my Tiel or Conure take
anything apart. The Macaw has yet to find anything he could not take apart.
Kind of a combination wrench with feathers.LOL
--
If at first you don't succeed blame someone else and seek counseling.

John C

"Alex Clayton" <alexx1400@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:qD3zc.3930$Wr.1073@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net...
>
> The water bottles are a great idea, and don't they make a covered water
and
> food bowel too? Seems like I have seen them at the stores. Have kind of a
> dome top to help keep the "stuff" out of the food and water.
> When I got my Macaw he was trained to use a bottle, bought a nice,
> expensive one for him. problem was he soon learned that when he was out he
> could climb around and take it off the cage. <G>. I would imagine with the
> smaller birds like hers this would not be a problem. That's the one big
> advantage to the smaller birds. I have never had my Tiel or Conure take
> anything apart. The Macaw has yet to find anything he could not take
apart.
> Kind of a combination wrench with feathers.LOL
>

Ya know, the first thing I did after sending that message about the poopy
water, was to go and change Puppy's (new Quaker) water since he had gotten
food in it. I walked into the kitchen & no cheeit, 2 minutes later, he was
bathing in the dish & I had to change it again. Grrrrrrrrr. Ugly but cute
though.

The biggest problem I had with my fids & their bottles was them chewing on
the top edge of the bottle. They'd eventually poke a hole in it (plastic,
not glass bottle) and next thing you know, the damn thing would empty out in
no time flat. An extra plastic top solved that though & haven't had any
trouble since.

My sun conure is back on that throwing food kick again--every day for the
past couple weeks. Looks like it's time to pick up one of those covered food
dishes I saw at Pet World.

John

Alex Clayton

"John C" <jnsterNOSPAM@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:hnqzc.586$w07.372@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net...
>
> > Ya know, the first thing I did after sending that message about the
poopy
> water, was to go and change Puppy's (new Quaker) water since he had gotten
> food in it. I walked into the kitchen & no cheeit, 2 minutes later, he was
> bathing in the dish & I had to change it again. Grrrrrrrrr. Ugly but cute
> though.
>
> The biggest problem I had with my fids & their bottles was them chewing on
> the top edge of the bottle. They'd eventually poke a hole in it (plastic,
> not glass bottle) and next thing you know, the damn thing would empty out
in
> no time flat. An extra plastic top solved that though & haven't had any
> trouble since.
>
> My sun conure is back on that throwing food kick again--every day for the
> past couple weeks. Looks like it's time to pick up one of those covered
food
> dishes I saw at Pet World.
>
> John
>
>
>

LOL!!
When I got my BCC he came with a Quaker. They both loved to take a bath in
their water dish, would make a hell of a mess, looked funny as hell watching
them trying to get in the dish. The cage they had at that time had a large
flat top, so I took an oval serving platter, set it on top of the cage full
of water, and the Quaker took right to it. Took the Conure a while, but
after seeing the Quaker having so much fun, he decided he would try it. A
couple times a week they would get in there and have a great bath.
--
If at first you don't succeed blame someone else and seek counseling.

"At Last... Dog Training That's Guaranteed To Teach You How To STOP your Dog's Behavior Problems Quickly And Easily!"

Learn How To Quickly And Easily Train Your Doggie To Be Well Behaved At All Times