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Post by jenwade on Feb 5, 2017 7:28:20 GMT -5
Julianna, the first time was a total accident. Now I use lids on my coffee cups so that she can't get into them. She just climbs onto the cup and sits. She tries though, but the lid keeps her from accessing the coffee inside the cup. I have tried juices and things, and she just slings them around. She won't drink them. I try to let her have things that are healthy to her. She loves broccoli, kale and spinach. She hasn't really gotten into sweet potatoes yet, but I still try them sometimes. She prefers veggies to fruit, but sometimes she will eat some unsweetened applesauce. Only if its shared from a spoon, though.
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Post by Hannah on Feb 7, 2017 1:09:59 GMT -5
Jenwade that reminds me of how Bebe one of my budgies flew to my mom's coffee in the morning and drank it, thank god I caught her in time but that one sip made her fly around like crazy. Bebe's a trouble maker once I left the room to go to the washroom & I had a paint pallet with non-toxic paint that had dried (I was getting ready for an art project) and then when I came in again she was eating it. I calle dyhe vet since I was home alone and they said it was ok and just to check for signs of sickness. Thankfully she was ok.
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Post by jenwade on Feb 8, 2017 9:20:18 GMT -5
Hannah, That is precisely why I keep lids on my coffee cups now. When Lady got into my cup, there was barely enough in it for her to get a beakful, and she didn't seem to have any ill effects from it. But I know they aren't supposed to have caffeine. Since she insists on being out with me while I do my computer work in the mornings (and I wouldn't have it any other way!) and that is when I have my coffee, it is best to just have lids on my cups. That way she can climb on them all she wants to, but she can't access the drink inside of it and we are both happy. Now if I could just figure out a way to fix the 2 keys on my keyboard that she has removed! Luckily, they are keys that don't get used, but still! Its a fairly new laptop. Apparently, this is a common issue, as I've read posts from other threads regarding this. But, other than an obsession with my computer keys that I can almost keep in check, and climbing on my coffee cup (which is protected with lids) she is doing great. There are no behavioral issues. She doesn't bite or chase me or my family members. She doesn't even seem to be territorial of her cage. Pat is the same way. Both are very gentle, well socialized birds that love everyone and do very well in our family. No complaints at all.
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Post by Hannah on Feb 10, 2017 1:17:33 GMT -5
We don't let the budgies out anymore because we've decided that they'll find a way to unproof any bird safe room.
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Post by julianna on Feb 11, 2017 14:06:30 GMT -5
It is funny as when Oscar sees we have a coffee, he will literally want to attack the paper cup. He doesn't do anything to our regular coffee mugs just the Tim Hortons cups and probably because they are red... lol. He will push it with his nose until it falls off the coffee table and then he perks up all proud. lol
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Post by jenwade on Feb 11, 2017 20:35:08 GMT -5
I haven't noticed that Lady dislikes any particular color. But my husband's cousin has chickens and they detest the color red! Lady just likes to pull herself onto the cup and sit there, whether she can get into the cup or not. She certainly can't get into the cup when the lids are on them, which they are when I am drinking coffee. But she will try whenever the lids aren't in place. And if she doesn't like it, she will sling it everywhere!
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Post by biteybird on Feb 11, 2017 21:05:57 GMT -5
Bonnie lets us know if she wants to try something we're eating. She does a different noise, kind of like a lip-smacking sound, similar to the sound someone might make sucking sauce from their fingers. So we dutifully cut a little piece off what we are having and put it through the cage bars (if she's in there)...whereupon it gets devoured quickly or flung if she doesn't approve of it.  |
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Post by maxiesmom on May 19, 2017 17:56:57 GMT -5
My Max thinks what his is his and what's mine is his. I try to keep my meals parrot appropriate so he can share. Since he broke his mandible about 4 years ago, he has become a special-needs fid and I have to make his food--birdie bread. For this reason, he thinks that the kitchen has one purpose--to feed him. I have considered his desire to share whatever I am eating as a sign that he thinks of me part of his flock. I like that idea.
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Post by biteybird on May 19, 2017 18:59:43 GMT -5
My Max thinks what his is his and what's mine is his. Of COURSE what is yours is his. Why else would you need a kitchen? Max has obviously made a start to reading The Human Slave Training Manual for Quaker Parrots.  How on earth did Max break his mandible? Welcome, by the way. |
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Post by maxiesmom on May 20, 2017 13:52:18 GMT -5
Well, as you all know, Quakers are VERY intelligent. In fact, I think the term "bird brain" is a misnomer. I truly believe these guys and gals use much more of their brains than we humans. Anyway, I am sure you are acquainted with the hardware supplied to hang toys from cage bars. You know the teardrop shaped things that screw together on one side. Well, Max learned to unscrew them. Being new to being a bird buddy, I didn't think much about it. He would open the hanger, get the toy loose, and throw it in the bottom of the cage--or out of the cage. I worked nights at the time. While I was asleep, he opened one and got his beak caught on it. When I awoke, I found him clinging to the side of the cage with his feet and hanging by his beak from the "hanger". He had rubbed the feathers off his neck. I went nuts! I got him loose and took him to the vet immediately. The vet determined that he was none the worse for wear, but recommended that I replace all the hangers with luggage locks--which I did. Max can also open carabiners and pull screws out of his cage. He has yet to learn how to pick a lock.
About six months after the above incident, he was sitting on my shoulder preening my neck. I thought it felt funny so I took a look. His mandible was in two parts. Apparently the crack had become a complete break. My vet was out of town, so I drove about 2 1/2 hrs to Urbana, IL to the U of I small exotic animal clinic. The head teaching vet told me that Quakers in the wild can be very contentious--often picking fights with bigger birds who end up tearing parts of their little beaks off. He said that, if Max did not adapt, we could "amputate" the mandible. I was appalled! I asked if I could give Max a drink since he had no had any water in several hours. I poured a little water out of a bottle into its cap and held it for him. The teacher vet said "He's adapted. He'll be fine." We went home.
He doesn't maintain his weight with just pellets, so another bird buddy I met recommended that I make birdie bread. That has become his mainstay diet. My previous vet loved it and actually recommended it to other bird owners whose birds were not doing well. She said that they also loved it. The only change my new vet has made is to have me remove animal proteins since Quakers are prone to fatty liver and heart disease. She wants me to substitute vegetable proteins instead. She has recommended adding 6-bean soup mix to the birdie bread as well as tofu. I'm not sure about this because I have read some articles recommending against using soy products. Also, in the wild, birds are omnivores, so would eat animal proteins. I am also converting myself to a ketogenic diet and have changed some of the ingredients I use in the birdie bread. I have eliminated processed flour and corn meal in favor of coconut flour, ground almond meal, and flax seed meal.
Anyway, that is the story of the broken mandible and the birdie bread. Max has consistently maintained a weight of 108-111 grams on it. (He is weighed daily so we can catch problems early. He has to have his beak trimmed every 2-3 weeks. He is doing well and seems to be happy.
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Post by biteybird on May 21, 2017 3:28:41 GMT -5
Wow, you've done a great job - that must have been really difficult to go through. Kudos to you & Max! |
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Post by easttex on May 21, 2017 18:12:00 GMT -5
You might also try some of the cooked bird foods. I use Higgins Worldly Cuisines.
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Post by maxiesmom on May 22, 2017 11:20:15 GMT -5
The base of the birdie bread recipe is 2 cups of pellets. To that, I add 1/2c each coconut flour, almond meal, flax seed meal, rolled oats, chia seeds, pumpkin kernels and sunflower kernels. He loves pineapple, so I use 1 15-oz can of crushed pineapple in juice. In the past, I have also added a can of pack pumpkin or sweet potato (syrup rinsed off). I use 1/4c peanut butter and 12 oz unsweetened applesauce. I usually put in chopped cilantro, chopped parsley, sometimes kale. I have sometimes put in diced zucchini. I tried putting in blueberries, but Max didn't like them so he pulled them out and tossed them over the side. I have used frozen peas and carrots, but the last time, I bought frozen mixed vegetables. The mix goes in a 9x12 baking dish greased with coconut oil and lined with parchment. The recipe calls for baking at 450 degrees for 1 hour, but it tends to burn. I lowered the temp to 350 and bake for 30 minutes then start checking for doneness. It usually takes about 45 minutes and one batch last for one month.
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Post by julianna on May 23, 2017 13:52:45 GMT -5
That bread sounds very healthy. So you quaker does not get any fresh vegetables or fruit? How about soft pasta?? My quaker loves these things and I know variety can be the spice of life.
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Post by maxiesmom on May 24, 2017 13:56:49 GMT -5
Max loves spaghetti; but, since I am converting myself to a ketogenic diet, we are avoiding processed flour products. I bought a Vegigetti (no affiliation) and make zucchini noodles. He likes those, but has to have spaghetti sauce on it--or butter. His favorite fruits are pineapple and mango. He doesn't want anything to do with apples, grapes, or blueberries. He loves bell pepper seeds so I give him the core whenever I cut up a pepper. He is still thinking about jalapeños. Sometimes he will eat lettuce, but not always. He does like my version of Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana. I give him an opportunity to take what he wants off my plate. He chooses. My new vet has recommended "six-bean" soup mix to be added to the birdie bread in lieu of the animal proteins. I still have to find it. I have one week's worth of birdie bread left in the freezer, so I will need to bake in the next week. I also finely grate a small cuttlebone into the birdie bread mixture to add calcium.
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