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- 5/4/19
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So, I've been meaning to make this. But I just couldn't seem to find time. I've been very busy. I have updates on the birds and such. Mark and Parker the budgies and Felix the cockatiel. Turns out, there's a private owned bird store relatively close. Among the birds they have a sweet female cockatoo, and young black-headed caiques that have made me melt. 
But no worries, I don't plan on buying any birds. Just day-dreaming. Anyways onto the stars of the show.
Felix
Felix has been okay, still territorial and a grumpy little guy. Any slow progress is due to me, the horse-trainer blood is a little watered down
. He steps up to me, and others with a lot of coaxing, but won't stay on other people. Mostly, we spend our time sitting together, with him on my lap or in my chair with me. He eats his mash inconsistently, and likes his moistened pellets. I've discovered he gets hissy over dark spots and trashy places (We were crate training and I was like... he went in a little too curious
) but nothing unmanagable. He still spooks every now and then. He likes to forage, so we're working on building his skill. He knows how to wave now. And we're working on touch-training (part of hand conditioning), but he isn't taking to it very well. Slowly. Oh, and daily scratches are a thing
Mark & Parker
The introduction went swell between the two. I posted a video of it if anyone's interested. Mark danced a lot for Parker and things looked like they're going well. But then, something changed...
The only thing I can think of different that particular day is it wasn't long after I moved the two into the same cage and I was going to be gone that day so I stuck millet to the ceiling of the cage. I came back that evening and noticed something about Mark. He looked strange, he was holding himself differently. He was holding his wings away and down from his body. And slightly hunched ( although I've noted he does seem to naturally slouch more than Parker) and fluffed.
Well, he can't fly anymore now. And it breaks my heart to see him jump and just fall... wings failing him. He loved to fly. He started walking around on the floor at free-time (pecking at leftover seeds and hulls). And I let him, but not under anything. When he tries to go under stuff (trust me, I lost him under the couch and I'm not doing that again) I scoop him up and kiss him and pet him. Something he doesn't like. He also has an strange habit I call bar-plucking. He pecks at the bars, usually ends up leaving a bit of food behind. He's doesn't seem to exactly be chewing the bars, but not cleaning his beak. He does this a lot, and seems to stay up doing it because I hear him 'tap, tap, tap' ing after I've covered them. And seems to "chew nothing" occasionally. He doesn't make very much noise anymore unless he's hungry. And his beak stays dirty with mash regularly. And he can't stretch his wings fully. And he doesn't dance anymore. One day he was walking around and scared me. He seemed to be dragging his wing between his legs. I was very scared so I toweled him and touched it and looked it over. Everything seemed normal, no pain.
It's been a while, and he seems better but not normal. I've started to wonder if maybe he is now a special needs birds. And maybe this is connected to the trauma he had. When he was little he got hit by a ceiling fan. His previous owner told me he had tons of pin feathers on his head for a while, but lived.
It's all blurred together, sorry if I can't give exact dates. I'm glad he's alive right now. Parker has made up for the loss in noise, and although he isn't as friendly as Mark he is such a character. He loves chewing wood and willow and loves to take bathes in the water dishes. And he loves Mark.
I expect people might ask for pictures and videos, and I can try. But I'm not sure there's anything to be done for him. I will give updates and answer questions, but I can't give out personal information. Thank you for supporting me.
Pics of course (the last ones of Mark and Felix are from this morning):
But no worries, I don't plan on buying any birds. Just day-dreaming. Anyways onto the stars of the show.Felix
Felix has been okay, still territorial and a grumpy little guy. Any slow progress is due to me, the horse-trainer blood is a little watered down
. He steps up to me, and others with a lot of coaxing, but won't stay on other people. Mostly, we spend our time sitting together, with him on my lap or in my chair with me. He eats his mash inconsistently, and likes his moistened pellets. I've discovered he gets hissy over dark spots and trashy places (We were crate training and I was like... he went in a little too curious) but nothing unmanagable. He still spooks every now and then. He likes to forage, so we're working on building his skill. He knows how to wave now. And we're working on touch-training (part of hand conditioning), but he isn't taking to it very well. Slowly. Oh, and daily scratches are a thingMark & Parker
The introduction went swell between the two. I posted a video of it if anyone's interested. Mark danced a lot for Parker and things looked like they're going well. But then, something changed...
The only thing I can think of different that particular day is it wasn't long after I moved the two into the same cage and I was going to be gone that day so I stuck millet to the ceiling of the cage. I came back that evening and noticed something about Mark. He looked strange, he was holding himself differently. He was holding his wings away and down from his body. And slightly hunched ( although I've noted he does seem to naturally slouch more than Parker) and fluffed.
Well, he can't fly anymore now. And it breaks my heart to see him jump and just fall... wings failing him. He loved to fly. He started walking around on the floor at free-time (pecking at leftover seeds and hulls). And I let him, but not under anything. When he tries to go under stuff (trust me, I lost him under the couch and I'm not doing that again) I scoop him up and kiss him and pet him. Something he doesn't like. He also has an strange habit I call bar-plucking. He pecks at the bars, usually ends up leaving a bit of food behind. He's doesn't seem to exactly be chewing the bars, but not cleaning his beak. He does this a lot, and seems to stay up doing it because I hear him 'tap, tap, tap' ing after I've covered them. And seems to "chew nothing" occasionally. He doesn't make very much noise anymore unless he's hungry. And his beak stays dirty with mash regularly. And he can't stretch his wings fully. And he doesn't dance anymore. One day he was walking around and scared me. He seemed to be dragging his wing between his legs. I was very scared so I toweled him and touched it and looked it over. Everything seemed normal, no pain.
It's been a while, and he seems better but not normal. I've started to wonder if maybe he is now a special needs birds. And maybe this is connected to the trauma he had. When he was little he got hit by a ceiling fan. His previous owner told me he had tons of pin feathers on his head for a while, but lived.
It's all blurred together, sorry if I can't give exact dates. I'm glad he's alive right now. Parker has made up for the loss in noise, and although he isn't as friendly as Mark he is such a character. He loves chewing wood and willow and loves to take bathes in the water dishes. And he loves Mark.
I expect people might ask for pictures and videos, and I can try. But I'm not sure there's anything to be done for him. I will give updates and answer questions, but I can't give out personal information. Thank you for supporting me.
Pics of course (the last ones of Mark and Felix are from this morning):
