Billy has been here just over a week now. She's a special little bird. She's starting to learn to help me out when handling her. She's figuring out I can't reach her from my wheelchair when she flutters to the floor. The other day she fluttered up to my foot pedals and climbed up my leg to get back in my lap. Just now I rolled up to the cage she reached from my knee to the cage and climbed in for me. My dogs make accommodations for me as well. It never fails to amaze me how generous of spirit our pets are and how they seem to understand and help with any weaknesses you may have. If only society could catch up to our fur and feather babies.
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She's here!
- Thread starter Teri Ray
- Start date
JoJo&Loki
Rollerblading along the road
So glad you two are getting on so well! You’re so right, if only people could treat each other half as well as our pets do. I think they just have more empathy in general. Also, they give us unconditional love which seems to be almost non existent in the human world these days 
Mockinbirdiva
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I'm glad she figured that out... how sweet! Are you able to use your hands at all? If so, maybe keep a long perch that will reach to the floor so she could climb up on it. Plus, you'll be teaching her to step up to a perch and if she ever gets up any higher on something it would make it easier for you to retrieve her. In time, when she's flighted she'll likely fly to you just like my Ruby does... the biggest cuddle bug ever!
yes, I'm able to use my left hand pretty well. I'd have to wrap the perch in something she could get a lot of good grip on. Maybe vet tape. Been reading about target training as a way to lay ground for step up training. Think we'll start working on that in the coming week. My parents met her this weekend she's being sweet and friendly toward them too. She really seems like she'll be a great well rounded feather baby at this point. I feel so blessed she's ours to love.
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She sounds like a beautiful bird. 
Mockinbirdiva
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I'm glad to hear that. Yes, a little vet wrap will help for her grip, and the target training will be excellent. When Ruby was a baby and just flying she chose to fly to my husband all the time. Of course, he was delighted she was fond of him yet, he's not really hands on with my birds but will pick Bob up and let him snuggle up in his arm or chest if it's covered with a shirt because he tests everything with his beak. Ruby was eventually moved out to my "Crimson clan" room and my husband doesn't go in there so I'm her person of choice now. I do think it's a good idea at a young age to let as many people hold her that are willing to hold her. Many do pick their favorite person though!
12 days since our little Billy came home. I think this babe is learning to bark. She now vocalizes at a similar pitch with my dogs when they bark. She definitely recognizes me and my husband now and gets excited to see us when we've been gone or outside for awhile. She seems to really want to join us outside. I bought her a flight suit but I'm not sure if it's too soon to put it on her. Maybe you all could give me some advice? Lol its crazy but I'm considering growing my hair out just for the little bug to play in. Have I lost my mind ? She really loves hair. Hides in my husband's beard all the time and preens him. She's such a lovely little babe, she's a bit shy but if you make the effort to make the 1st contact she warms up to pretty much everyone we've introduced her to. I want to keep introducing her to new people so she is a friendly bird. I introduced her to sprouted micro greens today and tomorrow sprouted legumes and beans. She enjoyed the micro greens. I'm grateful because for the last for days she's not been eating her veggies well. I'm a bit baffled cause she was eating her chop like a champ the 1st week. Now she only wants her seed mix, fruit and well now she'll eat the sprouts but without a pellet diet she needs as much diversity as possible. I keep trying different veggies and am chopping things small for her baby beak. Suggestions? She also doesn't seem to like the vitamins I put in her water. I give her vita sol it's what her breeder used but maybe there's something else ?
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My conure definitely barks! It really makes me laugh when he does it, he's usually yelling at my lovebird haha
Are you intentionally not feeding pellets? No judgment, just curious
yes she's on a raw whole foods diet. The theory is basically, like processed food people eat, processed food for parrots isn't exactly the best nutrition. The diet they would have in nature is optimum for their health so emulating what they would eat as closely as possible to the wild allows their body the most ideal nutrition possible in captivity. She eats a wide variety of fruits and veggies (we're still perfecting this), sprouted seed, beans and legumes (she tried these this week and loved them), flowers (she's yet to eat any I've given), nuts (yet to add to her diet. Their on the agenda for next week ), spices and herbs, mixed seeds, small insects like meal worms (adding this to her diet last as it kinda makes me gag).My conure definitely barks! It really makes me laugh when he does it, he's usually yelling at my lovebird haha
Are you intentionally not feeding pellets? No judgment, just curious
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Mockinbirdiva
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My oldest conure is 12, then 11, the rest are 10 years old. All have been on Zupreem natural pellets as well as Roudybush their whole lives. I feed fresh vegetables and seed as well. If they didn't eat the pellets they wouldn't get any seed even though I do limit it. I've never had any health issues. I don't add any vitamins to their food or water because the pellets are formulated to give them everything they need. Do keep an eye on her weight. If you don't already have a gram scale you should have one on hand and get her used to being weighed while she's young and keep a log on her weight.
have a scale but have yet to weigh her. I need to make sure to prioritize that tomorrow. She's eating a bit of her chop again but not as heavily as she was. She's eating her sprouts pretty well. I try to add in new veggies each week along with her staple carrots, broccoli, zucchini, sweet peppers. Next week we'll introduce beets, and soaked almonds
It's amazing how animals know when a person is not well, or is hurt. They do help out believe it or not. Even birds.
JoJo&Loki
Rollerblading along the road
I love these updates! She sounds very sweet, and you are doing an amazing job with her
Regarding the flight suit, I don’t think there’s a set time to know if she’s ready. She’s showing interest in being outside and loves being with you, so you could try. Obviously verrry slowly, and paying close attention to her body language. The last thing you’d want is a bad experience associated with it. Hopefully others can chime in to help with this!
I really like the Raw diet principle. Now that both my birds are actually eating chop and veggies I may be researching further and doing away with the pellets. Their current pellets were just discontinued anyway, and I had a heck of a time finding those! I’d say just give it more time, there’s always good and bad food days. Just monitor closely she is consuming the variety she needs. As far as supplements, I know Unapproved Vendor Dailies has a few (Kings Gold and Daily Advantage, also the Vitalis would probably be a good fit for you) They’re having a 25% off sale this week too!
Good luck to you and Billy and please continue these updates, I love reading them
Regarding the flight suit, I don’t think there’s a set time to know if she’s ready. She’s showing interest in being outside and loves being with you, so you could try. Obviously verrry slowly, and paying close attention to her body language. The last thing you’d want is a bad experience associated with it. Hopefully others can chime in to help with this!
I really like the Raw diet principle. Now that both my birds are actually eating chop and veggies I may be researching further and doing away with the pellets. Their current pellets were just discontinued anyway, and I had a heck of a time finding those! I’d say just give it more time, there’s always good and bad food days. Just monitor closely she is consuming the variety she needs. As far as supplements, I know Unapproved Vendor Dailies has a few (Kings Gold and Daily Advantage, also the Vitalis would probably be a good fit for you) They’re having a 25% off sale this week too!
Good luck to you and Billy and please continue these updates, I love reading them
Day 15 since Billy Jean came home: a lot of ups and downs this week. She started out on strike from her chop but by late week started eating it a bit if I mixed it with her sprouts. She attempted to hold her bean sprout with her foot for the 1st time but the foot eye coordination wasn't there and she couldn't figure out how to get the sprout within reach of her foot.
She started spending most of her evening out of the cage with us which really seemed to speed up her acclamation to her new home. Some of the naughty rotten conure appeared, which made me smile cause I know she's feeling at home finally. She now tots about going between me and mike. Preening us, giving kisses, nibbling ears, chewing on clothes, burrowing into any nook she can find. She got in our plates for the 1st time and nibbled my pizza as I ate. She also attempted to feed from me like a chick with that head jerk they do. I was honored but unable to accommodate her. No worries I didn't let her in my mouth! She fell asleep cuddled in the crook of my neck most the week. She was in a very naughty mood tonight. Wouldn't settle in to cuddle and nipped mike on the finger in her tizzy. She was told no and put to bed. And that bring us to now the end of day 15 Billy 10 weeks old asleep quietly, happy and healthy in her cage. What a satisfying journey. I look forward to seeing how she changes tomorrow. If I could beak grind I would.
She started spending most of her evening out of the cage with us which really seemed to speed up her acclamation to her new home. Some of the naughty rotten conure appeared, which made me smile cause I know she's feeling at home finally. She now tots about going between me and mike. Preening us, giving kisses, nibbling ears, chewing on clothes, burrowing into any nook she can find. She got in our plates for the 1st time and nibbled my pizza as I ate. She also attempted to feed from me like a chick with that head jerk they do. I was honored but unable to accommodate her. No worries I didn't let her in my mouth! She fell asleep cuddled in the crook of my neck most the week. She was in a very naughty mood tonight. Wouldn't settle in to cuddle and nipped mike on the finger in her tizzy. She was told no and put to bed. And that bring us to now the end of day 15 Billy 10 weeks old asleep quietly, happy and healthy in her cage. What a satisfying journey. I look forward to seeing how she changes tomorrow. If I could beak grind I would.
JoJo&Loki
Rollerblading along the road
Awe Billy
You’re a very good writer Teri! I can really feel the emotion in your updates.
Glad all is well!
You’re a very good writer Teri! I can really feel the emotion in your updates.
Glad all is well!
Regarding the raw foods diet, I learned what I know from a Facebook group called "Avian Raw Whole Food Nutrition". It's a bit more time consuming but I've read some of the owner testimonies and the nutritional information the diet is based on and it seems sound.
JoJo&Loki
Rollerblading along the road
I’ll look it up, thank you!
Day 16: Made great progress on Billy's play tree today. Gotta give my hubby props he put it all together for me. Still needs some horizontal limbs added and then toys and all the good stuff. What I love most is that when we're all done total we'll have no more then $100 in it. The branches were harvested from our land from bird safe wood.
The table I picked up from curb side trash. Only cost we had was for the melamine sheeting, hardware and wheels. Turned out a lot bigger then I envisioned. Oh well can you ever spoil them too much?
The table I picked up from curb side trash. Only cost we had was for the melamine sheeting, hardware and wheels. Turned out a lot bigger then I envisioned. Oh well can you ever spoil them too much?
That's amazing! Basically a tree on wheels! Has she checked it out yet or are you waiting until it's officially done?
I want to get some mealworms for my guys, but I keep forgetting! I agree, gross! I'm a very long time vegan so I love sharing veggies with them but the worms are all theirs! They remind me of what I find after my cats are done "playing" with a centipede. Makes me skin crawl!
