Picky Paco, need advice

[Snowghost]

Oh he is healthy, just want to get him a check up. Tonight I'm making cornbread.

 

[Rain Bow]

Oh he is healthy, just want to get him a check up. Tonight I'm making cornbread.

I bet he'll try that! You may just need to eat a bit 1st.

I assumed Buddy was healthy too. It's possible that he was only sick due to a sponge that I was using to clean with. Threw alk the sponges out after I found out it's almost impossible to kill all the bacteria in them. It also could have been from some fruits & veggies as I was just rinsing them w/ water. I now always use an acidic mux of lemon juice, water & vinegar. I was using salt in there too @ 1st, till I learned how bad it was for birds kidneys. He hasn't ever gotten sick since. My advice is to wash all fruits & veggies w/ @ minimum vinegar & water. It was a very expensive infection which I may habe been able to protect him from. This includes things like squash & melon because a knife can take it from the outside & put those bacterial spores on the inside. I never thought aboutbit w/ watermelon till I read that. Often the fruit or veggie is good but was leaning up against one that may not have been, then using a knife we spread it.

 

[Snowghost]

I've made cornbread before and he loves it. I snuck in some peas and green bean. He slurped up the green pea and the look on his face was priceless, he had pea all over his beak but he hung on to it and ate the whole thing. He is such a stinker.

 

[Snowghost]

I'm sure he is healthy, I just want to get standard level on him on his blood work and weight. It may wait til Spring, my temp job ends in two months and the travel cage is $50.00. I took a cut in pay to take this job but I'm very grateful. I'm just glad that I got Paco when I did, the stress and poor diet would have ended up killing him. His feathers are coming in, his tail feathers too I can't wait to see them. He has plumped up a little too. He is very vocal now and has gotten on the floor a few times and walked around. He doesn't know he can fly.

 

[Rain Bow]

He may fly when his confidence is up more. It sounds like he's made a bunch of progress over time. Remember all he was eating was seed when you got him & go look @ all the good things you've added to his diet. He will get more cinfident, but w/ that he may get a little belligerent. Watch for that as that's when the honeymoon phase is going away... If you don't ignore bad things & reward the good properly, it could become a mess.

 

[Snowghost]

We have made great progress. I figured a whole green pepper would scare him. I split in half, left the seeds in it and stuffed with boiled black beans, brown rice and corn, he ate and shredded the whole thing!! Happy dance. He was laughing last night, this is new and now he is making a funny growling sound, kind of like clearing his throat? Hard to describe. He is sliding down his cage more and looking around. I startled him last night he was at the bottom of the cage. Now I am sprouting chic peas. We have a pretty good routine going and I'm so happy to see him progressing so well. I can't wait for the rest of his tail feathers to come in. They sure are slow!

 

[camelotshadow]

Penny loves cornbread...I make muffins & sometimes add softened pellets in her cupcake. She just get s a few small pieces...

I have not made it in a while & actually I am in the mood for some...I use buttermilk & stone ground cornmeal no flour & coconut oil & a spoon of honey...Not sweet...Yummy

Now I am hungry but I just made 2 small apple cherry tarts for moi...Penny is sleeping & she does not get that,,,

Try splitting a jalapeno lengthwise...easy to hold & they eat the seeds too.

 

[Snowghost]

That's one crazy thing, Paco is the first bird that I have had that will not eat jalapeno peppers or dried hot peppers. He dies adore corn bread amd be making more.

 

[Rain Bow]

Am I seeing that right? His plucked chest feathers are coming in & he's leaving them alone? I how happy he looks w/ the bread

 

[Snowghost]

@Rain Bow Awe thanks sweetie. All of you guys and gals are so supportive! Is it normal that it seems to take forever for feathers to grow in? He has made such great progress I can't stand it. He has been a trooper with me going back to work. Good news at the new ortho, wrist is healing and OT for a month and this brace can come off! Paco hates it lol. Paco is just ole Mr Chatter box tonight! Happy dance!

 

[Rain Bow]

Feathers take forever! Buddy's 1st vet clipped him very quickly when I tried to ask her about clipping. It took forever (over a year for most) but there were a couple that took almost 2 years to fall out.

When they grow back it takes awhile for them to grow out & then it takes more time for the keritain sheath to come off. Baths/Showers & misting can help speed the keritain sheath & make it more comfortable for Paco. I can't tell you how long or even approximate because I never watched it (like those clipped feathers).

I really hated that clipping was done. It made Buddy unstable & a poor flyer. I'm not an advocate of this for any bird.

 

[Snowghost]

I clipped my Amazon one time. Never again. Paco doesn't know how to fly. He has fluttered to the floor when startled twice. He was cage bound all of his life. My room there is not enough room for him to try and fly even though my zon did fly to the top of the door.

I know its a danger of them getting out a door but I had Bugsy with her wings for 25 years. If you stay diligent and are careful they can keep there wings. I do worry that Paco is not getting enough exercise but he is out of cage all of the time walking and sliding up down.

Funny thing here. Does anyone else's bird have a funny night routine?

Paco walks around upside down and swings like a bat a few times, then he settles down and preens while I read a book for a few minutes. I have a touch lamp so I slowly dim the lights saying nite nite.

 

[Clueless]

Secret starts yelling, the bird knows I'll shut the lights off since hubby is in bed.

 

[Snowghost]

Lol sounds like he has you trained!

 

[Clueless]

Lol sounds like he has you trained!

Very much so.

Yesterday hubby tried to get Secret out of cage while I was on the way home from work. He lets MC out fairly regularly but Secret refuses.

He opened door and Secret ran to the back corner of cage, just flat refused to step up on T stick. Hubby gave up and left door open and walked away. Secret ran around the bottom of cage for a while, probably shocked because door was open.

Finally stuck his head out, looked around and scampered to the top of the cage. Again, refused to step up on T stick for the hubby.

When I got home, he said "you try". Of course, Secret refused to step up.

I went to refrigerator, got the almond slivers, showed them to the bird who ran INTO her cage and straight to the perch she steps off of every night to come out of the cage for me.

I've trained her TOO!

 

[Snowghost]

LOL they are characters! Paco munching on birdie bread and veggies. I think he is still picking the bread. I guess next time I'll need to chop it smaller.

Look at his face!

 

[Clueless]

Beautiful.

 

[Snowghost]

Oh he is my stinker!

 

[Rain Bow]

Beautiful, looks calm & relaxed(& 'd)

If Buddy sleeps in his big cage, we play:
"Hide & Go shadow" when I cover his cage.

We also close the curtain on the front door, together before bed every night.

If he sleeps in the bedroom w/ Dad, which has been going on for a probably a year now now, so his end of the night routine he:

Forages in his seed bowl for a bit & we do a ten minute countdown that lasts about 20 minutes.

Then we close the Curtain on the door.

Then We go up the stairs together (he pulls himself up on the rug) while I sing the My Buddy song (where some of the words are changed.

He says goodnight to Daddy

Then he goes into his travel cage & he has a small piece of cracker that's been dunked & I cover the cage & say goodnights & loves you.

Dad gets him up most mornings.

He gets a few treats in between but that's basically what we do almost every night.

 

[Snowghost]

That's quite a routine!