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May 2018 Mayor of the Avenue... Laylatoo

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expressmailtome

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Our "Mayor of the Avenue" award is presented to a member who exhibits the qualities that distinguish them to be an upstanding credit to the Avenue, a loving, informed, conscientious and caring bird parront and an all around good neighbor.

I am happy to announce that Laylatoo is May's Mayor of the Month.
I enjoyed reading your interview, and am sure that everyone else will as well!

1. What kind of birds do you have (age, species and names)?


I have four female birds. Layla is a approximately 4 year old Rose Breasted Cockatoo, Jazzi is a one year old Rose Breasted Cockatoo, Mali is a one year old Meyers (most likely Senegal hybrid) and Pyper is a 6 month old Congo African Grey.

2. What got you interested in birds?

I had a beloved cockatiel as a teenager that had me smitten. My mom has always loved small parrot species. She had an outdoor aviary with her cockatiels and budgies. I was a registered veterinary technician for many years and when we worked with larger birds I always knew I would someday share my home with more parrots.

3. What have your birds brought to your life?

My girls bring a true companionship unmatched by any other animal. They have really become my kids in a sense and I try hard to keep them happy and healthy every single day. Having my previous bird Jasper got me through the hardest part of my life when my mom passed away from cancer at age 53 (I also lost my dad to cancer about 8 years ago at the same age and couldn’t fathom how unfair life was at the time when I lost my mom too) He always knew how to make me smile through my trauma and tears.

4. What have you learned from sharing your life with your birds?

I’ve learned that I can’t live without them. They fulfill my life and bring me a sense of peace and calm that I sometimes need when life gets tough.

5. What's one birdie memory that will stay with you forever?

Unfortunately it’s a sad one. It would have to be the traumatic experience of finding my sweet Jasper (bare eyed/goffin hybrid) had passed in a cage accident. It haunts me to this day and I have horrible guilt over his passing. But also the moment I laid eyes on Layla after Jasper passed and knew immediately that she would be the girl to help me heal a bit.

6. Where is your birds main living area?

My birds are out in the living room with the family for most of the day. They return to their cages in my master bedroom for sleeping.

7. Did you change things in your home to accommodate your birds and if so what kinds of things did you change?

I had to do some pretty strong convincing with my husband about having the tree stands in our main living area. He’s still not thrilled but knows that we live by the happy wife, happy life motto, and also knows how very important my feathered girls are to me. I also converted my master closet into a bird room of sorts for Mali and Pypers cage. Luckily hubby still has his own closet so he had no say in that decision. No more Teflon, no more pretty smelling candle, no more ceiling fans, no more free roam cats and darn it human children, keep the darn doors shut!

8. Are you involved in any kind of bird related group or activities?

Just my online groups and forums so far.

9. What is the one luxury item you would love to have for your bird(s)?

Stainless cages for all four. And a house with a bit more space that I could dedicate to only them.

10. Is there any bird that you dream of owning and if so why?

Before a couple months ago when I got Pyper, an African Grey would have been on my list. I feel pretty darn lucky to have the girls I have but I would love to own a Gang-Gang cockatoo just because they are so stinking adorable.

11. Describe a typical day with you at home with your birds.

After getting my four human kids to school and feeding the equine kids I uncover the cages at 7-8am. Make their fresh food/ sprouted seed breakfast and set up the meals and water bowls on the stands, clean the stand papers and sing my silly good morning song to them and get all their weights. The girls enjoy breakfast and making noise and playing for a couple hours. Sometimes I will do some clicker training or take them outside in their carriers/harnesses for some fresh air after breakfast. Lunch is a variety of healthy pellets so I switch out their bowls mid morning to the dry meal. Get some chores done (often with a bird on shoulder) and greet the kids from school. Layla loves when the younger kids come home so it often turns into some sort of dance party or loud playtime when they walk in the door. I rotate the girls on the stands so that everyone has lots of different things to see and play with and everyone gets one on one time with mom every day. My boys enjoy playing with Layla so they have their games that she loves. Evening time brings another meal change with more fresh foods. Around 7pm (sometimes a little earlier for Mali because she turns into a naughty green pickle about 5pm who torments the human kids) they get their bedtime song sung and placed in their cages with a couple tablespoons of seed mix. About an hour later I cover all the cages. I’m very very blessed to be able to be home with my animals and children most of the time now because of an amazing husband who works so hard for his family.

12. What have you learned about owning birds that you would like to share?

The commitment to a parrot is unlike any other pet. It truly is a huge commitment and lifestyle adjustment. I don’t go on vacation. The birds are always on my mind when I do need to leave the house. Their diet is so much more important than what most non bird people realize. They are hugely messy, sometimes bratty, and unbelievably intelligent. They are also amazing in every way.

13. If you knew then what you know now about birds, what would you do differently?

I would have waited until My youngest son was a little bit older before I brought home Jasper. It was hard balancing my time with a young child and a needy species of parrot at the time. We made it work though. It’s so much easier now that my youngest is 8 and oldest is almost 17. I feel very balanced in life with time for everyone and not spread too thin.

14. What other hobbies do you have?

I’m a professional photographer but still enjoy photography as a hobby as well.

15. Anything else you would like to share?

Just a thank you for the honor of being able to share and thanks for reading!:).

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TikiMyn

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I loved your interview!! Well deserved, congrats! And ‘a naughty green pickle’ gave me a good laugh:rofl::rofl:
 

Laylatoo

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Lol. So glad you enjoyed it. And that is her nickname much of the time. Spicy little girl she is. Stubborn and so much adorable wrapped in a tiny package.

Thanks again for the honor of being able to share!

I loved your interview!! Well deserved, congrats! And ‘a naughty green pickle’ gave me a good laugh:rofl::rofl:
 

WendyN

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Congratulations!
 

Fritzgerald16

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Congrats!!! You deserve it :)
 

Erikalynnha

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This was wonderful, congrats! Spicy Pickle is what I call Uchtred when she is being a butt so the naughty green pickle comment had me dieing xD
 

Clueless

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Great interview, loved it. Congrats!
 

Tiel Feathers

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:congrats5:
I loved your interview, and your birds are gorgeous. I’m so sorry about your mom, dad and Jasper.
 

Hankmacaw

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Congratulations - great choice for mayor.
 

Nikomania

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:congratsbig::bounce7:
 
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