| New baby Green Cheek/IsPetCo selling their birds too young? - CLICK HERE for the Pet Manual Forum Home Page |
| AnotherBirdLover |
Yesterday I Found a baby green cheek conure at a local PetCo and had to
bring him home. I was suprised by how young he is (9 weeks), the store
just got him yesterday, so he didn't have much time to be (negatively)
effected by their practices. He's still a bit wobbly and fell off his
pearch once yesterday. His stool is solid, he doesn't have any
noticable problems around the nose or bottom, his feathers were very
clean, etc...
I feel like PetCo sold him a bit too young, but now that I have him I
want to be able to tend to any special needs a bird this young has.
Right now he seems a bit shy and is not very active (is this common
with 9 week olds that have been brought into a new environment?).
I don't want to ask too many questions here, I'm already making
arrangements to take him to see a vet just to get his first checkup. I
just want to know if there's any special care a bird this young needs.
He is eating on his own; I've got him on KayTee Exact: Conversion and
Weaning Cockatiel pellets. I've also purchased him a little green cage
tent which I think he slept in last night. Anything I should watch out
for in a bird this young?
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| Joanne |
"AnotherBirdLover" <Jeremy.Deats@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1117026157.812834.28670@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> I don't want to ask too many questions here, I'm already making
> arrangements to take him to see a vet just to get his first checkup. I
> just want to know if there's any special care a bird this young needs.
> He is eating on his own; I've got him on KayTee Exact: Conversion and
> Weaning Cockatiel pellets. I've also purchased him a little green cage
> tent which I think he slept in last night. Anything I should watch out
> for in a bird this young?
>
Vary his diet (dark green and orange veggies) and stay out of the damned
filthy pet stores unless you intend to follow excellent hygiene practices
before returning to your bird. Washing hands is not enough.
If he is eating on his own and not loosing weight (do you have a gram
scale), he's not too young. GCCs are great eaters.
He should be easily climbing around his cage. If not, make sure his perches
are not high off the cage floor. Monitor his tent for loose strings and
loops he may get caught up in.
--
Sincerely,
Joanne
If it's right for you, then it's right, . . . . . for you!!!
Play - http://www.jobird.com
Pay for Play - http://www.jobird.com/refund.htm
Looking for Love? - http://www.jobird.com/hearts.htm
Garden Kinder CDs
http://www.jobird.com/cd/gardenkinderhome.html
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| Graham Townsend |
On Wed, 25 May 2005 06:02:37 -0700, AnotherBirdLover wrote:
> Yesterday I Found a baby green cheek conure at a local PetCo and had to
> bring him home. I was suprised by how young he is (9 weeks), the store
> just got him yesterday, so he didn't have much time to be (negatively)
> effected by their practices. He's still a bit wobbly and fell off his
> pearch once yesterday. His stool is solid, he doesn't have any
> noticable problems around the nose or bottom, his feathers were very
> clean, etc...
>
I followed your earlier, very touching thread about Pippen. Just wanted
to wish you the best of luck with the new addition to your family!
All the best
Graham
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| Alex Clayton |
"AnotherBirdLover" <Jeremy.Deats@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1117026157.812834.28670@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> Yesterday I Found a baby green cheek conure at a local PetCo and had to
> bring him home. I was suprised by how young he is (9 weeks), the store
> just got him yesterday, so he didn't have much time to be (negatively)
> effected by their practices. He's still a bit wobbly and fell off his
> pearch once yesterday. His stool is solid, he doesn't have any
> noticable problems around the nose or bottom, his feathers were very
> clean, etc...
>
> I feel like PetCo sold him a bit too young, but now that I have him I
> want to be able to tend to any special needs a bird this young has.
> Right now he seems a bit shy and is not very active (is this common
> with 9 week olds that have been brought into a new environment?).
>
> I don't want to ask too many questions here, I'm already making
> arrangements to take him to see a vet just to get his first checkup. I
> just want to know if there's any special care a bird this young needs.
> He is eating on his own; I've got him on KayTee Exact: Conversion and
> Weaning Cockatiel pellets. I've also purchased him a little green cage
> tent which I think he slept in last night. Anything I should watch out
> for in a bird this young?
>
Sounds great!! You are doing it right taking him in to be checked. They
should give a heath guarantee that gives you a few days to have the bird
checked. It's VERY normal for a tame bird to act like yours when they first
go home. I have seen many very tame birds, that would climb all over you in
the store, then when people get them home they want to just stay in their
cage and watch for a while. It's a big change for them. Even my Macaw acts
scared the first time he gets to go outside every spring. After being inside
only for months the first time I start taking him outside it's like he
forgot what the "world" looks like <G>. A move to a new home is a big deal
even for a young bird, he should very soon be fine. Let us know how it goes
at the Vet, and how he is doing after a few days. I'm sure he will be fine.
--
Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.
--Benjamin Franklin
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| Linda Ambrose |
"AnotherBirdLover" <Jeremy.Deats@gmail.com> wrote:
> Yesterday I Found a baby green cheek conure at a local PetCo and had to
> bring him home. I was suprised by how young he is (9 weeks), the store
> just got him yesterday, so he didn't have much time to be (negatively)
> effected by their practices. He's still a bit wobbly and fell off his
> pearch once yesterday. His stool is solid, he doesn't have any
> noticable problems around the nose or bottom, his feathers were very
> clean, etc...
~~~~~~~
Jeremy:
Best wishes to you and your family on the purchase of your new baby
green cheek conure. I'm sure you're in for a lot of happiness and fun
as your little guy gets older and finds his way in the world. I'm in
the process of raising some baby budgies and, even though it's a lot of
work, it's such an enjoyable experience. Good luck with your new pet.
---
Linda
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| AnotherBirdLover |
Thans Linda,
Best of luck with your budgies, we have two budgies in the same cage
and they are inseperable, but very entertaining to watch. Our little
blue budgie was actually one my wifes Christmas presents last year (and
our first bird) she didn't have the patience to train him, so we got
him a friend (green Budgie, another male) we watched them carefully,
there was a bit of bickering, but that stoped after the third day
(maybe they were establishing rank?). They've been inseperable since
then and since they have each other they don't like to stay with humans
very long.
Our lesson learned was if you want a companion bird, keep them in
seperate cages.
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| Linda Ambrose |
"AnotherBirdLover" <Jeremy.Deats@gmail.com> wrote:
> Thans Linda,
>
> Best of luck with your budgies, we have two budgies in the same cage
> and they are inseperable, but very entertaining to watch. Our little
> blue budgie was actually one my wifes Christmas presents last year (and
> our first bird) she didn't have the patience to train him, so we got
> him a friend (green Budgie, another male) we watched them carefully,
> there was a bit of bickering, but that stoped after the third day
> (maybe they were establishing rank?). They've been inseperable since
> then and since they have each other they don't like to stay with humans
> very long.
>
> Our lesson learned was if you want a companion bird, keep them in
> seperate cages.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi Jeremy: Budgies are great little guys. Even if they're not so
"people friendly" on a one-to-one basis, a cage full of budgies is a
wonder to see. Over the last couple of months, I've had a few problems
with budgies pairing off causing bickering among some of the males vying
for the females' attention, but on the whole it's not been a major
problem. I have one pair sitting on a bunch of eggs right now. I
candled them last night, and even though several were clear, there are
quite a few that look fertile. Hopefully if all goes well, I should
have a bunch of baby budgies in the near future.
I've been following all your posts about conures and how you plan to
hopefully acquire more birds in the future. Just recently I purchased a
pair of lineolated parakeets (also called linnies) and they have turned
out to be a wonderful surprise. They are the *greatest* birds I think
I've ever had and I've had many, many birds over the deades. Right now
I have budgies, lovebirds, parrotlets, a quaker and now the linnies.
They are really neat birds ... very interesting, intelligent, playful.
Since they're a true pair, they're bonded with each other. But in spite
of that, they're friendly with me (although a little shy) and are quite
lovable. They're learning to talk right now and if I could use one word
to describe them I'd have to say that they're *different* from any other
bird I've ever owned. I think if people were more familiar with them,
they'd be on the top of the list as favourite pet birds. So I just
thought I'd recommend them to you if you are, in fact, set on acquiring
more birds down the road.
Again, good luck with the latest family member. I hope he brings you
and your wife years and years of joy.
---
Linda
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| AnotherBirdLover |
Thanks, Katin has definately filled that void in my life. I was a bit
worried about buying another green cheek because I thought the similar
behavior would just remind me of Pippen and dissimilar.behavior would
make me feel rejected or miss just miss Pippen more , When I first got
Pippen he was about two weeks older than Katin is now, but the behavior
in the birds is very different. I've never once looked at Katin and
thought that's Pippen. He's has really helped me focus on the positive
memorie, but filling that void I don't focus on the loss anymore. To
most of the world (looking at photos of the two birds) they may look
like identical twins, but there's something completely different there
(even with all the similar behavior) all this just reaffirms my belief
that there's a spirtual connection there. For some of us (bird lovers
:), these's animals are special gifts, a reminder of the joy and
fullfillment that can come from things human hands can not create. For
anyone who has experienced the loss of a of bird and is struggling with
reservations about buying a bird of the same species, I can only speak
from my experience, but I say go for it.
I'm keeping a diary of Kadin's development/behavior (I didn't get this
idea from a book, but it just makes sense. It will help me more easily
detect behavior changes should they occur). Each day she becomes a
little more active, and opens up a little more to me. The last few
days we've been working on the "step up" command.. The hardest part
right now is folllowing Mattie Athan's advice (Guide to a Well-Behaved
Parrot, ISBN: 0764110306) and not cuddling too much since she is a
baby.
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| Linda Ambrose |
Jeremy: I think keeping a diary is a wonderful idea. Taking photos of
Kadin in the different stages of development and growing up would be an
added bonus and something you'll cherish over the years. They do change
quite a bit physically as they become adults. You'll definitely notice
a change in colour as time goes on because as birds mature, their
feather colours deepen and "set". I've noticed this in all my birds as
they've grown from babies to adolescents and then to adults.
It's very true that although you may have two birds of the same species
(even the same gender), their personalities can differ greatly. They may
share certain traits (species-related), but character and personality
vary from bird to bird. That's what makes them special. I mentioned in
one of my previous posts that I had lost a very young male celestial
parrotlet to a sudden illness. Chickie was not quite two years old, but
I missed that special parrotlet personality ... the spunkiness and
outgoing character, the charming ways. As soon as I was able, I did get
another male celestial but Coco's personality was somewhat different
from Chickie's. Coco's a charmer, of course, and exhibits many typical
parrotlet traits but he's shyer and more reserved than Chickie was. I
love Coco for who he is and that's perfectly fine as I wouldn't want or
expect him to be a carbon copy of Chickie ... just as you wouldn't
expect Kadin to be a replica of Pippen. They are all so special, each
one of them unique and that's what endears them to us.
Good luck with the training. It can be a bit frustrating and you'll
find that there are days you'll progress really well ... jumping two and
three steps ahead, and then other days when you'll go back a step or
two. Time, patience, perseverance and a calm, quiet atmosphere ... all
good things to have when working with, and bringing up, a well-loved
baby parrot. Take care.
---
Linda
~~~~~~~~
"AnotherBirdLover" <Jeremy.Deats@gmail.com> wrote:
> Thanks, Katin has definately filled that void in my life. I was a bit
> worried about buying another green cheek because I thought the similar
> behavior would just remind me of Pippen and dissimilar.behavior would
> make me feel rejected or miss just miss Pippen more , When I first got
> Pippen he was about two weeks older than Katin is now, but the behavior
> in the birds is very different. I've never once looked at Katin and
> thought that's Pippen. He's has really helped me focus on the positive
> memorie, but filling that void I don't focus on the loss anymore. To
> most of the world (looking at photos of the two birds) they may look
> like identical twins, but there's something completely different there
> (even with all the similar behavior) all this just reaffirms my belief
> that there's a spirtual connection there. For some of us (bird lovers
> :), these's animals are special gifts, a reminder of the joy and
> fullfillment that can come from things human hands can not create. For
> anyone who has experienced the loss of a of bird and is struggling with
> reservations about buying a bird of the same species, I can only speak
> from my experience, but I say go for it.
>
> I'm keeping a diary of Kadin's development/behavior (I didn't get this
> idea from a book, but it just makes sense. It will help me more easily
> detect behavior changes should they occur). Each day she becomes a
> little more active, and opens up a little more to me. The last few
> days we've been working on the "step up" command.. The hardest part
> right now is folllowing Mattie Athan's advice (Guide to a Well-Behaved
> Parrot, ISBN: 0764110306) and not cuddling too much since she is a
> baby.
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| Alex Clayton |
"AnotherBirdLover" <Jeremy.Deats@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1117414534.536423.20850@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> Thanks, Katin has definately filled that void in my life. I was a bit
> worried about buying another green cheek because I thought the similar
> behavior would just remind me of Pippen and dissimilar.behavior would
> make me feel rejected or miss just miss Pippen more , When I first got
> Pippen he was about two weeks older than Katin is now, but the behavior
> in the birds is very different. I've never once looked at Katin and
> thought that's Pippen. He's has really helped me focus on the positive
> memorie, but filling that void I don't focus on the loss anymore. To
> most of the world (looking at photos of the two birds) they may look
> like identical twins, but there's something completely different there
> (even with all the similar behavior) all this just reaffirms my belief
> that there's a spirtual connection there. For some of us (bird lovers
> :), these's animals are special gifts, a reminder of the joy and
> fullfillment that can come from things human hands can not create. For
> anyone who has experienced the loss of a of bird and is struggling with
> reservations about buying a bird of the same species, I can only speak
> from my experience, but I say go for it.
>
> I'm keeping a diary of Kadin's development/behavior (I didn't get this
> idea from a book, but it just makes sense. It will help me more easily
> detect behavior changes should they occur). Each day she becomes a
> little more active, and opens up a little more to me. The last few
> days we've been working on the "step up" command.. The hardest part
> right now is folllowing Mattie Athan's advice (Guide to a Well-Behaved
> Parrot, ISBN: 0764110306) and not cuddling too much since she is a
> baby.
>
Glad you are enjoying your new friend. I thought you would. Parrots are very
intelligent, and because of this they all have personality. No two seem the
same, even if they look just alike.
Glad you are following the advice about not over doing the attention at
first, it is very hard not to over do this at first with a new bird.
Keep us posted.
--
Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.
--Benjamin Franklin
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| AnotherBirdLover |
Just took him to the vet today. I weighed him again yesterday (one week
from last time) and he hasn't gained or lost any weight. The vet gave
him a good look over and said she saw many signs that he was healthy
(of course they can't say for certain about some problems that require
lab work), but she didn't push for me to get those test.
-Jeremy
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| Sprite |
Xref: 127.0.0.1 rec.pets.birds:212702
"AnotherBirdLover" <Jeremy.Deats@gmail.com> wrote in
news:1117673604.731763.193950@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:
> Just took him to the vet today. I weighed him again yesterday (one week
> from last time) and he hasn't gained or lost any weight. The vet gave
> him a good look over and said she saw many signs that he was healthy
> (of course they can't say for certain about some problems that require
> lab work), but she didn't push for me to get those test.
>
> -Jeremy
>
When I picked up Loki from his breeder to bring home I think he was
around 8 weeks old. I found her at a bird fair when Loki was probably
about 4 weeks old. While talking to this woman and playing with this
adorable green cheek, she asked if I wanted to take him home that day. I
knew what her answer should be to what I replied. I told her this was my
first bird. She nodded and said it wasn't the time to learn how to hand
feed and he was not quite weaned yet. She suggested I pay 1/2 that day
and the remainder after he was weaned and could come home. That turned
out to take only another month or so. She comes through my area
frequently for bird fairs and by the next one he was ready.
I do recall he was not very good with his feet when I brought him home.
He learned to perch on my finger instead of sitting on the palm of my
hand within a couple of weeks. It seemed it took no time from that point
for him to be dangling upside down from the top of his cage like a
chickadee! Except I never see chiackadees dangling by a single foot lol.
He's quite agile now, rides a verticle cage bar down to the cage floor
like it's the bat pole.
I have found my green cheek to be a good teacher :) He's taught me as
much as I have taught him I think. He still hasn't learned that alarm
clock mimicry is evil on week-ends tho *mutter* He does give warning
tho, he starts out about 40 minutes after I would normally get up. He
quietly says "Bad bird" Says that maybe a dozen times THEN he mimics
the alarm. Then of course I tell him he's a bad bird :)
The diary is a great idea! I've kept a spreadsheet of all the
words/sounds/phrases Loki has learned and when I first heard him use
them. It's been interesting to see how a word or phrase may go unused
(at least when I'm around!) only for it to show up out of the blue maybe
a year or more later. His favorite word is beep! That started when he
would scream usually because I was not in sight. I would quietly say
"beep" and would not return to the room until he stopped screaming and
quietly said something back. Eventually he learned to reply with "beep".
He seems to have discovered that beep sounds alot like the microwave
being set also. Every time I touch a key he says beep! Im not sure when
he made that connection tho lol.
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