I had a pair of hawk headed parrots when I lived back in Texas. It was rough. Living in a mobile home. Looking for the next tornado. Trying to give them the privacy they needed with all the activity in the house. Me working all day. They went to a friend and I had not seen them for years. I learned that they had a smoker in the house and the birds were kept in the living room! I won't go into how I felt about that.
Now I have a place with a huge basement and lots of room. Windows that look out on a grassy area, they can see me gardening but most of all quiet, quiet, quiet. I don't really know the ages. They are up there.... They were part of a bird trading deal for a couple of cockatoos back in the late 90's. I had a wide assortment of nest boxes and gave them one meant for an amazon. Shavings, Rafia, sticks, they chew like crazy destroying (customizing) the nest box. I've had them downstairs now for three months. The tail feathers show a lot of wear and the aggression levels are really up. The female was handleable back in Texas but not now and I don't expect her to be right now. Chief as I called him and sweetie pie are knocking around downstairs. I had them in my art studio for awhile and did a portrait of them. They were not set up then. I might post one or two of the pictures I did of them sometime later on for others to see.
I had some reservations about taking them in. My arthritis is pretty restrictive as far as climbing stairs goes but, as I see it, all I need to do is visit them once a day. Lots of good food. No one else goes in this room. I keep the door locked since neighbors do wander in along with my husband and startling birds like these can lead to cracked eggs or an injured female. I have clearly put a sign on the door. Breeding Birds! Quiet! Keep Out Please! I've seen Chief chase her away from people who come in the room as some cockatoos I've bred notoriously do. I am really kind of excited about hand raising. We will see what happens.....If I just give them a quiet place to live out their lives I will be so happy. They will too. Who could need more? It's thundering and we just had a huge rainstorm with hail. They love it I know.
I can't help rescuing old friends.
Kate
Now I have a place with a huge basement and lots of room. Windows that look out on a grassy area, they can see me gardening but most of all quiet, quiet, quiet. I don't really know the ages. They are up there.... They were part of a bird trading deal for a couple of cockatoos back in the late 90's. I had a wide assortment of nest boxes and gave them one meant for an amazon. Shavings, Rafia, sticks, they chew like crazy destroying (customizing) the nest box. I've had them downstairs now for three months. The tail feathers show a lot of wear and the aggression levels are really up. The female was handleable back in Texas but not now and I don't expect her to be right now. Chief as I called him and sweetie pie are knocking around downstairs. I had them in my art studio for awhile and did a portrait of them. They were not set up then. I might post one or two of the pictures I did of them sometime later on for others to see.
I had some reservations about taking them in. My arthritis is pretty restrictive as far as climbing stairs goes but, as I see it, all I need to do is visit them once a day. Lots of good food. No one else goes in this room. I keep the door locked since neighbors do wander in along with my husband and startling birds like these can lead to cracked eggs or an injured female. I have clearly put a sign on the door. Breeding Birds! Quiet! Keep Out Please! I've seen Chief chase her away from people who come in the room as some cockatoos I've bred notoriously do. I am really kind of excited about hand raising. We will see what happens.....If I just give them a quiet place to live out their lives I will be so happy. They will too. Who could need more? It's thundering and we just had a huge rainstorm with hail. They love it I know.
I can't help rescuing old friends.
Kate