Hardy's story

[SallyQZ]

Hardy is my Maxi Pionus. His breeder was Jan from this board, and I know she has mentioned him here before. She loves him very much!

Hardy had his right wing and right foot nipped off in the nestbox. Jan pulled him from the nest and handfed him with the other chicks. As he grew, she gave him every opportunity to interact with the other chicks. He learned to eat fresh food, climb on low perches, and even scale a boing with his friends.

I had been thinking of adding a pionus to my flock for a few months, and stumbled upon her website one day. As soon as I saw him, I knew he was special and would make a wonderful addition to the family. Jan already had a couple people who had offered to take him, but that involved shipping him and she didn't want to subject him to the stress of the flight. I live within driving distance of Jan, so I contacted her and she agreed to give him to me.

He is an amazing little bird! Very outgoing, confident, and pushy. Terrorizes the galahs by tugging on their tails whenever they get close, and hogs the sofa so that my kids can't sit down. He's fairly trusting and will go to everyone in the family, although he prefers to be with me. Very vocal too, and tries new words/phrases every day. I had read that Pi's weren't great talkers but Hardy talks up a storm.

Here's some pics of Hardy, including some borrowed from Jan's website:

 

[Anne & Gang]

awwwwww t hat story is so heartwarming..what a sweet little one he is....and looks like your beautiful horse likes him too!!

 

[SallyQZ]

Actually, Cordini was wondering if Hardy was some new type of horse snack. When "peeps" come out at easter, I give them to my horses as treats. In fact, I'll hide them around their stalls so they go looking for them (free range peeps!) - a type of horse foraging! LOL!

So Cordini was wondering if he was going to be allowed to eat this moving treat...

 

[lotus15]

I LOVE Hardy's story He is just the most adorable little guy I've ever seen!!!! I have such a crush on Maxi Pi's...

 

[SallyQZ]

And I have such a crush on capes!

When I had 3 parrots, I told my husband that I had the perfect flock and didn't want to add any more birds. Unless the perfect pionus came along. Then came Hardy.

So now I tell my husband I have the perfect flock and don't want to add any more birds. They all get along (more or less) and can be out at the same time, it's not too crowded in the birdroom, and everything is harmonious. However, if the perfect cape came along .....

 

[lotus15]

And I have such a crush on capes!

When I had 3 parrots, I told my husband that I had the perfect flock and didn't want to add any more birds. Unless the perfect pionus came along. Then came Hardy.

So now I tell my husband I have the perfect flock and don't want to add any more birds. They all get along (more or less) and can be out at the same time, it's not too crowded in the birdroom, and everything is harmonious. However, if the perfect cape came along .....

I am fairly certain that despite my love for Maxi's... I'll never be a Maxi owner myself. Lola is SO much work and my very distant future dream is to get her a Cape friend, so I don't think I could handle another Cape and a Maxi! So, you'll just have to post LOTS of photos and stories about Hardy for me!!!

 

[SallyQZ]

ok, as long as you puts lots of pictures and stories of Lola. Although that hurts rather than helps .... in fact, my husband is cursing you out right now. I saw your video of Lola playing with her super megafone and I bought two for the cockatoos. As if they aren't loud enough as it is ..... LOL!!!

Couple nights ago, as they were bellowing into their super megafones and drowning out the tv, my husband yelled "Where did you say you got the idea for this toy?!?!" You're on his hit list now.....

 

[lotus15]

ok, as long as you puts lots of pictures and stories of Lola. Although that hurts rather than helps .... in fact, my husband is cursing you out right now. I saw your video of Lola playing with her super megafone and I bought two for the cockatoos. As if they aren't loud enough as it is ..... LOL!!!

Couple nights ago, as they were bellowing into their super megafones and drowning out the tv, my husband yelled "Where did you say you got the idea for this toy?!?!" You're on his hit list now.....

Who, me???

 

[SallyQZ]

It's actually worse than just the super megafone (although that's pretty bad in the hands of a cockatoo). I mentioned about your awesome cage too and how one day I'd like to get expandable habitat ss cages for all the birds, plus a cape just like Lola. He thinks you're a bad influence on me and the bank account ....

 

[lotus15]

It's actually worse than just the super megafone (although that's pretty bad in the hands of a cockatoo). I mentioned about your awesome cage too and how one day I'd like to get expandable habitat ss cages for all the birds, plus a cape just like Lola. He thinks you're a bad influence on me and the bank account ....

Wait until you read some of Saroj's threads!!!!

 

[CosmoKramer]

Welcome to the Avenue!! What a great store and a beautiful boy!

Wait until you read some of Saroj's threads!!!!

She's gonna want a super bird room, and a pair of Caiques to go along with it!

 

[SallyQZ]

Wait until you read some of Saroj's threads!!!!

Oh, I've already done that! I've shown my husband the grey house and said, "oooh, the cockatoo's would LOVE this!" and I also need a bigger bird room so that I can add several atoms and get-a-grip nets.

I told him that I get so many great ideas from this board and he just smiled. Or gritted his teeth. It was one of the two...

 

[Jan]

Ah, Loree, that really is a nice story and then some! Also, did you guys know that Hardy's name started out as being "Handy"? I was calling him that then after Loree had him she was confronted by someone else about how cruel that is ... (I think it went that way) she can tell you more.

The most memorable little Maxi that I ever raised in all my babies I've had. I could read his mind and know what exactly he was thinking. I use to also spread out blankets along the floor where the counter was at being that I let babies play on the counter and eat... a few times Hardy said or at least was thinking, I am no different and he'd jump down onto the floor or sometimes purposely fall, I even watched how he did it!

 

[SallyQZ]

Yes, he's pretty good at taking a dive to the floor! He deliberately jumps off his flagstone perches to the tray of his cage, and if I leave the room while he's on the sofa, he'll jump off the sofa to follow me. I cringe everytime he hits the floor, so I usually take him with me everywhere I go. Or at least put him on the floor first.

Jan is mostly right about his name change. I have a handicapped friend who said that naming him "Handy" was labelling him. As she is handicapped herself, I told her that I would rename him out of respect for her feelings. So he became "Hardy" because it was close to Handy and because it describes him to a tee!

 

[Jan]

I have several videos on YouTube of Hardy and this first one shown is of after I discovered his foot and wing when I had pulled the babies from the nest to bring in for hand feeding.

This next one is of him like the day before he goes to live with Loree ...

Also, here is one of him sitting there and showing the other Maxi's in the brooder.

 

[SallyQZ]

Isn't he the cutest little thing EVER?!

 

[Jan]

Yep, he sure is!! I was watching a lot of my baby bird videos on YouTube... oh I wanted to post them all here! anyway if anyone is interested in seeing more of Hardy or other of my baby birds you can visit www.youtube.com/pionusparrot The 2009 year was my last breeding season, it makes me really miss the babies, especially when they'd be out playing on the counter and eating there. Thanks Loree!

 

[prettyinpink]

 

[SallyQZ]

And here is a video of Hardy zooming around my house shortly after I got him.

YouTube - Hardy - handicapped Pionus parrot

I've got a new video of the birdroom, with Hardy's new cage. But I can't find the usb cable to download the video from the camera! Too many cables in this house, grrrrrr.

 

[Bethany]

Oh, Hardy is so adorable
Makes my heart melt!