"Official" Opie and Oggie Thread

[Elysian]

I anticipate posting a lot more in the next months, so I'll consolidate..

Oggie is officially the early riser. He started calling out sharply at 6 am

http://imgur.com/BVADsW5

I uncovered him to have a quiet morning chat and a peanut. He tried to promise he wouldn't bite me if I let him out, but I'm not falling for that twice!

http://imgur.com/qnu8eQy

Cypress and Citrine never wake up until almost 8, and after that they really don't start calling until they hear me walking around. Citrine grumbled a bit about the new alarm clock. As far as I can tell Opie is still resting (he is covered), but I heard him shuffle around a little when I talked to Oggie.

Oggie's bite was worse than Opie's - cut deeper and left a bruise - but that might be because he wasn't biting through cage bars and was able to get a good latch on.
It's clearly only a matter of time before he opens those doors himself. I think I'll have to hit the pet store for a cage today/tomorrow rather than have the delay of ordering online.

(Random side story: I went to a new store yesterday - they don't sell birds but they have a B&G and a ringneck dove that live there. The DOVE is the friendliest bird I have ever met!! As soon as it saw me walk by it hopped off it's perch and ran over to me laughing and cooing and asking for a scritch. I had no idea they were so sweet.)

I think I sent half of AA my credit card info this morning. Now that I realize Opie hasn't played with his toys in goodness knows how long, I will make it my mission to find something he wants to play with.
He also really needs perches. Especially a platform perch so he doesn't have to huddle over his dish if he wants to hide in the upper corner.
How I'll get new stuff in the cage without losing a finger is a matter for another day.

So far neither of them seems to have eaten their actual food

 

[Hermesbird]

I’m so happy they are with you now! And oggie is a character that’s for sure lol. Like you know
It may take long but it will be ever worth it. Maybe if you see if opie will step up on a tstick. Possibly to save some fingers for now?

 

[MommyBird]

Blackout drapes may be in your future. My Goffin will get me up at 5AM in the summer without them, and I have to clothes-pin them closed to really make them work.
I'm so happy you were up for this life-changing challenge.
Poor Opie, but I know he will eventually come around. Amazons really like it if you sing but no big theatrical productions yet since he's still scared.
My Amazons do like the whole mahogany pods, they are a bit softer for tentative chewers. (CA bird nerds sells bulk)

 

[Elysian]

Oggie said "good morning!" while I was singing good morning to Opie.

Opie is still shaking and trembling. Its 65 degrees inside.. I turned on the oil heater just in case he is cold.
I have a snuggle up heater but no way to get it into the cage without upsetting him.

I think when the shops open today and I (hopefully) find a different cage for Oggie, I can switch their spots. Opie being near the opening and closing door is not helping his anxiety.

 

[MommyBird]

Oggie said "good morning!" while I was singing good morning to Opie.

Opie is still shaking and trembling. Its 65 degrees inside.. I turned on the oil heater just in case he is cold.
I have a snuggle up heater but no way to get it into the cage without upsetting him.

I think when the shops open today and I (hopefully) find a different cage for Oggie, I can switch their spots. Opie being near the opening and closing door is not helping his anxiety.

The sweeter heaters Avitec used to sell (still available on Amazon) had outside the cage hangers. I would think you could bend some clothes hangers and rig something for the snuggleup.
I can send a pic of the hangers I have if it would help. Being warm does help you relax I think.

 

[Elysian]

The sweeter heaters Avitec used to sell (still available on Amazon) had outside the cage hangers. I would think you could bend some clothes hangers and rig something for the snuggleup.
I can send a pic of the hangers I have if it would help. Being warm does help you relax I think.

Thank you, that is a good idea!

 

[Kassiani]

I have a Sweeter Heater for my naked man, and it hangs on the outside

 

[NightOwls]

Opie is still shaking and trembling. Its 65 degrees inside.. I turned on the oil heater just in case he is cold.
I have a snuggle up heater but no way to get it into the cage without upsetting him.

Did Opie have a vet check before going home?

 

[Elysian]

Did Opie have a vet check before going home?

Yes and no. They were surrendered 1 month ago, and the rescue is also a vet so they do intake blood work, exams, trims, etc before they ever release the birds for adoption.
They did not specifically look at him before I took him home because it just had all that done at the end of April.

I just saw Oggie eating a pellet, so I think he will be fine. I can see that Opie took the peanut and the almond out of his bowl and dropped them at the bottom of the cage. He has also dropped a couple of pellets - so he is at least *touching* his food?

We're leaving for the store now and going to bring back some fresh options for him. I am starting to get worried.

 

[saroj12]

Maybe some baby bird formula off a spoon?

 

[iamwhoiam]

Yes and no. They were surrendered 1 month ago, and the rescue is also a vet so they do intake blood work, exams, trims, etc before they ever release the birds for adoption.
They did not specifically look at him before I took him home because it just had all that done at the end of April.

I just saw Oggie eating a pellet, so I think he will be fine. I can see that Opie took the peanut and the almond out of his bowl and dropped them at the bottom of the cage. He has also dropped a couple of pellets - so he is at least *touching* his food?

We're leaving for the store now and going to bring back some fresh options for him. I am starting to get worried.

Try not to worry. I got Shannon, my YNA, when she was 16 years old. I knew her, though, since she was a baby but that didn't matter to her. When I first brought her home she didn't want to eat. In fact she ate very little the first two weeks. She came with her cage so there was no change in her "living quarters", just the rest of the environment. She wound up losing weight but she was overweight when I got her. She finally snapped out of it, started eating well and also started talking again (or in her case screaming "Help" and "No".)

Hope that Opie will start to feel comfortable with you and his new surroundings. Offer him an array of foods and be patient.

Oggie seems comfortable and happy as well as being outgoing.

 

[Kassiani]

My Opie did not eat much at all for the first 3 days he was home. I would pull up a stool and sit next to his cage near the food bowl. He would finally come down out of curiosity and eat some of his food. It picked up every day from there.

 

[Elysian]

We came back from the store with seed/treat sticks, bird popcorn treats, corn, apples, eggs, berries, broccoli, and carrots

I was unpacking and getting ready to prep samples of all the foods - then I walked into their room and saw my bf already in there whistling at them, and they both already had seed sticks hanging in the cages!

Uhh.. how the heck did those get in there?
He just reached in and hung them. No one came at him no one bit him.

My mom also showed up to take a peak at them. We sat in the bird room, which is definitely a bit warmer now, and Opie wasn't shaking!
He trembled a little briefly when he heard some noises, but not the constant shaking anymore.

And then.. he ate a pellet! He ate two! Right in front of me.

We'll still have a fresh food smorgasbord tomorrow and see what their favs are!

 

[zoo mom]

Sound like he is starting to settle in.

 

[Elysian]

Sound like he is starting to settle in.

He didn't eat much at all, but I'm hopeful.
He also still hasn't moved or played.. he is sitting on the metal food bowl all the time, which can't be good for his feet.

I should have put more perches in there to begin with but I thought he would appreciate sticking with familiar items only.
Now I have to figure out how to add a few more and I'm very nervous about this.
Hoping we can find a treat that actually tempts him so we can lure him.

 

[iamwhoiam]

Shannon stayed in one place, too. Didn't want to interact or play with anything.

 

[camelotshadow]

Sounds like they will be settling in. Patience.
Congrats on your new family & keeping them together.

Ohhh...poi bites are not for the weak of heart. Those massive beaks can inflict. I know & Dolly my Meyers loved to be with me. etc on my hand but sometimes out of the blue she would turn into a crazed terminator & for no apparent reason just chow down & grind into my flesh. Literally hanging from my finger she would not let go. Pit bull Pois.

 

[SumitaSinh]

He didn't eat much at all, but I'm hopeful.
He also still hasn't moved or played.. he is sitting on the metal food bowl all the time, which can't be good for his feet.

I should have put more perches in there to begin with but I thought he would appreciate sticking with familiar items only.
Now I have to figure out how to add a few more and I'm very nervous about this.
Hoping we can find a treat that actually tempts him so we can lure him.

I think I've been very fortunate with Inca, he was quite easy going since day one... No skipped meals, plenty of flock calls, even took treats from hands. OWAs are awesome!

 

[Kassiani]

If you can use some sort of team approach, that might work. One of you can be talking to him and offering treats while the other quietly but quickly attaches an additional perch or two?

 

[Elysian]

I got two perches in there by myself!

Thank GOD this cage has a little balcony opening. Yesterday I bought Opie a ring of nuts and dried fruit. He hasn't touched the seed stick, so I opened the balcony and quickly screwed on the fruit ring and closed it with no ill consequences. He came to take a bite but then went back to sit on the food dish.

So I got brave and opened the full door, screwed a perch on it and closed it.
Seems he is not cage aggressive, just very hand shy.

Sat in there and Oggie and I sang 4-5 smash mouth songs until Opie moved over to the new perch.
Then while he was on it I opened his food door, took out the bowl and squeezed my hand in there so I could screw in a perch right next to it.
As soon as I put the food bowl back he came and sat on the new perch and rubbed his beak all over it.



Interesting side note, while I was in there talking and singing with the new guys I kept hearing this UGLY raspy call from one of the budgies that I've never heard before.
Now that I'm back in the main living area they are not making it..