Green cheek conure

[Maxie]

Hi everyone,

Hope all is well.

I have an opportunity to adopt a green cheek conure from the humane society. I know very little but will find out more tomorrow when I talk them. Apparently, the bird was surrendered by her owner that is too sick to take care of her anymore. She?s about five years old and has been with one owner her whole life. She was checked out by a vet and appears to be well...no blood tests taken though.

I?ve never had a green cheek conure so I don?t know much about them. Would a gcc get along with my three lovebirds? Is it a bad idea to bring a different species to the flock? What should I consider and what should I ask them tomorrow?

Thanks❤️

[linda040899]

I have 2 Green Cheek Conures and I adore them. Ayanna is a Pineapple GCC and Fonzi is a Turquoise GCC. They are comical beyond description and will keep you laughing all day long. How GCCs get along with lovebirds depends on the individual bird, as is true with any parrot. Ayanna tends to be aggressive and she tends to be a singleton who loves to socialize with me. She does not get along with Fonzi so they are not out at the same time. I adopted another GCC about 4 years ago who was totally different. Before Zoey passed away, she loved all of my birds and any human who happened to come near her. It's kind of roll the dice and see what happens. If this GCC happens to get along with your lovies, it would be a good addition to your feathered flock. GCCs are not much bigger than lovies. Wish you a lot of luck with this one.

[Maxie]

Thank you Linda for your input.

I have a telephone appt today with the humane society. I?m going to get more info on the bird. I?m also going to go see her/him to get a feel of the personality.

I really shouldn?t be looking at the humane society?s website because I keep seeing surrendered birds and I feel so sorry for them and end up bringing them home😩

I?ll let you know how it goes.

Thanks again❤️

[linda040899]

I keep seeing surrendered birds and I feel so sorry for them and end up bringing them home😩
I completely understand what you are saying! When I see a bird that I could potentially add to my flock, I have to ask myself how much of "me" would I have to devote to a new addition and how my flock would feel if they lost a little bit of "me". Your 3 get along very well and share you. Would a new addition change the dynamics? I'm not talking about financial responsibility because I know you have that base covered.

Perhaps ask if the Humane Society would give you a trial period before the final adoption. The one in my area will do that and I adopted 2 dogs that way. Policy on birds may be the same or it could be different.

This is a hard decision, especially in the world we live in now. Lots of things to consider. Hope this turns out well for you and the GCC. Let me know what happens.

[Maxie]

Well, I had my telephone interview. All went well....I have adopted two of my lovebirds from there so they know how much I love and take care of them.

I told her I don?t believe in wing clipping or keeping them caged unless I?m cooking or they?re sleeping at night.

I sent her a picture of a cage I plan to keep her in for a sleeper cage only. It?s a cockatiel and conure cage....pretty large. She said it?s not big enough and can?t proceed with the adoption. I guess she didn?t hear when I told her I don?t plan on keeping her caged.

I guess it wasn?t meant to be.

[linda040899]

Sounds like this person didn't pay attention to what you had to say and that's not in the best interest of the bird in question. I probably would have gone back to her and explained that this is only for sleeping and that the regular cage was MUCH larger. Sad when the welfare of our potential pets is entrusted to someone like this. :(:(

I'm sorry that this did not go as planned. All you can continue to do is take excellent care of your flock!

[Maxie]

I did go back to her....I sent her an email telling her exactly that. She responded and said I could come get the bird.

I asked her for pics and she sent me these....

https://link.shutterfly.com/xasjHyhaBlb

How does she look to you? Her feathers and beak? In the last picture her wing feathers look strange to me. What do you think?

Here’s a pic of my lovie gang....I don’t think you’ve seen all three together.
https://link.shutterfly.com/zV4Xmx3aBlb

[linda040899]

Some people are quick not to listen and even faster to judge. So sad but I'm glad you went back to her and she finally heard what you originally told her.

Looking at the beak, it does not appear to be abnormal. Some of the top layer of keritan has cracked and separated but that could be from normal beak wear and tear. Some birds have that, while others don't. It's not indicative of PBFD that I can see. It may disappear as the beak grows. Tail feathering may look rough but Conures are very active and this one may have been in a cage that was too small so feathers broke while the bird was playing. I have that problem with my Tiels and their cage is oversized!

Does the Humane Society do medical check ups on the birds they take in? This one looks healthy. Conures are really characters, as I've found out. The biggest scare any of mine ever gave me was the time I saw Zoey on the bottom of her cage, upside down on her back. I totally panicked but she was just sleeping comfortably! Fonzi, my Turquoise GCC, likes to sleep against his cozy. He has a comfort perch that runs next to it so he sits on the perch and leans back against the fuzzy outside of the cozy. It's hysterical to see but I've never been quick enough to snap a picture!

Your lovie gang is just gorgeous! The feathering is so perfect!

[Maxie]

They sound like quite the little characters...lol

THS says they have a vet check the birds that come in. I don?t know if they?re avian vets though. When I adopted my Raphie from there last year and brought her home, she was visibly sick. Her tail was bopping, her nares were wet and she was breathing from her mouth. She also was clicking when she was breathing...worse at night.

If I hadn?t gotten antibiotics from my vet she would have died. I kept her in a very warm room in quarantine and she got better.

I know I can give her a good home with a lot of love. I?m just worried about my lovie gang and if they?ll accept her or not. I don?t want any injuries.

[linda040899]

I?m just worried about my lovie gang and if they?ll accept her or not. I don?t want any injuries.
This is always the hardest question. If you think it might work, give it a try. Can the conure go back to the Humane Society if it doesn't? I've seen friendship combinations that you would not even think could happen. I was shocked to see a parrotlet sitting in a Macaw cage, side by side with a Greenwing Macaw!!! I bird sat for lovebirds and one of the lovebirds was bonded to a Tiel! This is one of those things where you flip a coin and see what happens.

I would definitely advise a vet appointment, for baseline purposes if nothing else. Let me know what happens, please.

[Maxie]

I agree 100% with a vet appt and a quarantine period of at least 30 days.

I?ll have to ask about a trial period but I?m not sure if they?d go for it. Doesn?t hurt to ask.

I?ve seen a few strange birdie ?couples? too.

I will definitely let you know!

Thanks for all your advice. ❤️

[linda040899]

I'm really hoping this will work out, as this GCC can sure use a fantastic home. I've taken dogs from the Humane Society on a trial basis for a week and none were ever taken back. Keeping my fingers crossed for success.....

[Maxie]

Ok. So, I asked for a picture of Lily?s (the green cheek conure) poop.

Here it is...

https://link.shutterfly.com/HOnd5WlrClb

It doesn?t look normal to me. What do you think? Apparently she eats Tropican pellets.

[linda040899]

I would like to see more feces and less urates but the color looks good. I'm not a fan of pellets. Instead, I use Higgins Sunburst Gourmet Conure Mix. My 2 love it. I also give them pieces of shelled organic walnuts and, of course, homemade cornbread! If you take Lily and make a vet appt, ask for a gram stain to check for any infections. Chewy (Quaker Parrot) and my Tiels will also eat the Conure mix.

[Maxie]

I thought the exact same thing about her poop.

I agree about pellets. My gang eats all lafebers nutriberries....all kinds, avi cakes which have some pellets and Higgins sunburst. Of course veggies and sprouts too.

I?ll keep you posted on Lily.

[linda040899]

I'll keep you posted on Lily.
Please do. If she can get along with the lovie trio, she will be a great addition to your flock. I love my conures, but, then again, I love my entire flock!

[Maxie]

I contacted the humane society and told them about her droppings. The urates are chalky white and more than what it should be which may be indicative of an infection or kidney problem. I asked them to have an avian vet do at least a fecal gram stain. They said they will have their vets look into this and get back to me.

I have a feeling she may have had a bad diet which is causing her droppings to look like this. I?m with you on pellets. Too many pellets can cause too many vitamins in the system which can cause kidney problems.

Before I brought my Gabe home from there, I had them do all his bloodwork which I paid for but I wanted to be sure before bringing him home to Max that he was healthy. I still quarantined him for a month before introducing him slowly to Max.

With Raphiie I didn?t. I kept her quarantined for two months away from my boys and I had my vet check her out. She showed signs of being sick the first day though. Sneezing, breathing from her mouth and even clicking sounds when she breathed. I?m surprised they didn?t see this. If I hadn?t adopted her I?m sure she would have died in there. The antibiotics and a very warm room cured her. It?s soooo important to quarantine new flock members.

I?ll let you know what happens tomorrow.

[linda040899]

Smart decision, even if you have to pay a vet bill for the Humane Society. Lily would be new to your flock and you need to protect the ones that currently live with you. Hopefully, if there's a problem, it will be minor, as Lily really needs a good, responsible home and you can give it to her.

Update later, please!

[Maxie]

Here?s the update on Lily....I just did a copy and paste of the email...

(Hey Jenny,

Sorry for the delay, we consulted an avian vet and here is what they had to say: "Sent photo of feces to exotics specialist- agrees that the stool in the photo could indicate high urates however this could be due to the consumption of fruits or liquidy food. If one off, not of concern but if occurring every bowel movement recommends blood work."

So the plan is to monitor her stool over the next few days and test some of her blood to rule out any underlying problems. We have her on no treats right now and we will keep a very close eye on her! This means the adoption will likely have to be pushed back until next week, is that okay with you?

Thank you for your patience, let me know if you have any other questions!)

[linda040899]

agrees that the stool in the photo could indicate high urates however this could be due to the consumption of fruits or liquidy food.
To the best of my knowledge, it would seem eating fruits or liquidy food would show more urine, as each contains fluid. In their natural habitat, conures eat seed, fruit, nuts, berries and other vegetation such as leaf buds. They do eat some insects and have been known to raid the crops of farmers. Pellets are made from seed, yes, but it's concentrated nutrition with a lot of other things added. My own thoughts are that pellets are the culprit and if you mostly eliminate the pellets, the droppings will slowly return to normal appearance. My own avian vet agrees with me (or should I say I agree with my avian vet) and I feed very, very few pellets. All you can do is be patient.

[Maxie]

I agree. Fruit doesn?t cause increase urates. More urine for sure as it?s more liquidy.


I also agree with you about the change in diet from pellets to seed and fresh veggies and fruit. I think it would change her droppings drastically.

I?m going to wait to see what they say. I just want to rule out any kidney issues.

You know, I really think the kind of water you give your birds is crucial too. I never give my birds tap water. I don?t even let them bathe in tap water because it has fluoride and chlorine. The water source here comes directly from where all the sewage goes to. This is brutal for anyone?s system, especially kidneys. I give my babies what I drink... distilled with added trace elements.

Maybe Lily has been drinking tap water which is causing this too.

I guess we?ll soon find out if they do the bloodwork.

I really would love to bring her home. A part of me just wants to go pick her up and take care of her myself with my vets care.

I forgot to attach what my response was.....



Hi Brooke,

Thanks for the update.

I don't think it's a "one off" as the picture looks like she has high urates in all her bm's. I know people that have conures and I have sent them the photo of Lilians droppings. They agreed about the high urates present and sent me photos of their birds droppings. I can send them if you like to have something to compare to.

It would be great if an avian vet did a complete bloodwork analysis to rule out any renal/kidney problems or any infection.

If the bloodwork is done, please have them do a PBFD and chlamydiosis test.

I will definitely wait for the adoption.

Thanks,
Jenny

[linda040899]

Water can have an affect on any living creature! Like you, I don't use tap water for anything. I'm lucky I have well water where I'm at but this area is agricultural so we get run off from fertilizers and insecticides. I have to have a water softener because of high iron content here, as well.I use a Berkey Water purifier and that's what I use for drinking, cooking and my birds.

I don't think any of them are doing Lily any favors, since they are not changing her diet to what it should be. Hopefully, this week will go by uneventfully and you can adopt her.

My guess is that no one at the Humane Society thought the droppings looked odd, although they are not trained to look at poop.........

On a comical side note, I have an indoor chicken who is nesty right now. Instead of letting her sit on the eggs (infertile, of course) that she lays, we replaced them with a ball from a track ball mouse. She sits on that ball and guards it with her very life if necessary. She doesn't like to come out of her crate so I have to take her out several times/day so she will eat, poop and drink. When she eliminates, the droppings are HUGE and I can tell if she's getting enough water just by looking at what she leaves behind. That way I can make sure she's getting what she needs!

[Maxie]

How cute! I can just see her now guarding the track mouse ball. Awwwwww!

I don?t think Florida adds fluoride in their drinking water but it?s best not to drink tap. I used to live in Clearwater years ago and I used to buy Zephyrhills bottled water. The tap water was gross.

I think humane society knows cats and dogs. They don?t know birds. At least they take them into their care when someone surrenders them. I would hate to know what would happen to them if they didn?t. I adopted my beautiful Gabe and Raphie from them but sadly, they separated Gabe from his parents and sibling and poor Raphie was sick as a dog when I brought her home.

I?m going to email them again tomorrow. The longer she stays in there, the worse it is for her.

[linda040899]

I agree that the Humane Society knows dogs and cats...usually. I adopted an older Chihuahua from them and she had a cough when I got her. They treated her for kennel cough but the treatment had no affect. They didn't have any other suggestions so I took her to my own vet who is really good with all animals. Dela was diagnosed with COPD and was on prednisone for the rest of her life to help with the coughing. On the whole, however, they do a good job and try to find good homes for animals in need. I think birds are "pass throughs." Still better than any other options.

One of my pet peeves with parrots is that pet owners want cute, cuddly companions and don't understand that birds are different. In an effort to provide what pet owners want, breeders pull babies to hand feed and they never learn to be birds first (learned from parents) which is necessary in order for them to be good pets. I've been preaching co-parenting for many years, as I think it's the best of both worlds.

Do you think the Humane Society would agree to release Lily if you tell them you will take her to your avian vet as soon as the adoption is finalized? You can always ask and see what they say.

[Maxie]

I?m not sure if they would. I?ll ask.

I?ve had sooo many people on Instagram ask me how I tamed Max and Gabe to be so cuddly. I keep telling them, I?ve done absolutely nothing. I let my birds be birds and when they want to come to me, they come. I never force them to do anything they don?t want to do. They were all non trusting when I first brought them home and wouldn?t come near me or my hands at all. In time, they realized I wouldn?t hurt them and they came by themselves.

People really underestimate the intelligence of animals. Treat them with respect and kindness. They just want to be loved.

Max changed my whole world. He is the reason I went vegan.

[linda040899]

I let my birds be birds and when they want to come to me, they come. I never force them to do anything they don't want to do.
This is why desensitization does not work. You have to earn their trust, which means letting them come to you. They are with you because they want to be and no other reason. Yes! Birds (and all animals) are intelligent and too many pet owners don't give their pets enough credit for that. You give respect and you receive it in return.

I was sitting in my office this morning, which is on the Northeast side of the house. Alex (BFA) was in the Florida (sun) Room (Southwest corner of the house). Next thing I know, I hear the flap of wings and I have an Amazon perfectly perched on my shoulder. She will sit there for hours if I let her. All she wants is to be there. Nothing else required. She also has her own chair at the dinner table. I usually have something that she can eat and she's happy just to be there.

I've had feathers in my family most of my life and there is silent communication between them and me. They instinctively know when something is wrong with me and I know if something is wrong with them. On Instagram, you can only lead by example and hope others will realize what's really happening. :)

[Maxie]

Amazing! How many birds do you have?

Well, I have good news! I picked up Lily today! She?s now sleeping in her own room upstairs! I snuck in to listen to her...check in on her for any breathing or sneezing problems and I heard her happily grinding her beak ❤️

The vets at THS changed her diet to seeds and monitored her poop over a week. Her urates got back to normal. They were feeding her too many dried papaya and mango as treats. They didn?t do any bloodwork on her as they felt it wasn?t needed since her poop got back to normal. They thought it would stress her out.

So, I went and picked her up today and boy is she a sassy one! Every time I left the room today she screams for me to come back! Even when I put her to bed, I covered all sides of her cage except the front, shut the light and she started screaming like a baby for me to come back! So, I sat with her for a while and sang to her. Then I shut the light and she was fine.

They?re so different from lovies!

Max has realized there?s another feathered friend in the house and he?s hanging out in the banister outside her door chirping to her. He?s soooo smart!

I?m going to quarantine her for at least a month if not more. I?m going to take the introductions EXTREMELY slow. She takes food from my fingers but if I put my finger close to her she?ll bite...not hard but a little warning to back off.

I?m officially going to stop looking at the humane society website now...I think four birds is all I can handle...lol

[linda040899]

Congratulations on bringing Lily home! GCCs are very different than lovebirds, although their antics can be just as entertaining! From what you said here, I think it will be fairly easy for you to form a trust relationship with Lily. The fact that she wanted you to stay with her is very encouraging. My 2 GCCs, Ayanna and Fonzi are cage protective. Ayanna is the worst but both are fine once they are out and away from their cages. In fact, Ayanna enjoys hanging out with us so much, it can be difficult to get her to go home! One toy I've found all my parrots like is bells. I buy the ones that look like cylinders so the clapper is out of reach. Ayanna loves to run down her perch, ring the bell and run back to the side of the cage. I learned that when she wants something, that's how she gets my attention. GCCs are also not noisy like typical Conures. If you have any photos that you can share that you've taken, I'd love to see her!

How many birds do you have?
I have 7 larger parrots, 2 GCC Conures, a male green Quaker, 4 Tiels, a female parrotlet, and an elderly female Princess of Wales Parakeet. I've not counted how many of my retired breeder lovebirds I have. My 7 larger parrots have all been with me for anywhere from 15-30 years. I'm first owner for my Macaws and the others are a combination of adoption and rescues. This is a picture I took of Alex on Wednesday: https://imgur.com/EPFNCxB Of all my birds, she's the most attached. She was the grand prize raffle bird at a show I attended in 1997. She was only 6 months old at that time and she's been with me ever since.

[Maxie]

Thanks Linda! I?m really happy everything worked out. I?m going to set up my office (spare bedroom) to be more bird friendly for her while she?s in quarantine. I don?t want to keep her locked up in a cage more than she has to. Plus, I don?t plan on introducing her to my lovies until I develop a bond with her. First introduction will be everyone inside their cages. I don?t want any toes lost!

Wow. You have a wonderful flock! I wish I could see them all. The link you sent me doesn?t seem to work from my end.

Here?s a video I took that I posted on my IG account...

https://www.instagram.com/p/CXRnxhNlVqT/

I just snuck into her room again to listen to her breathing....no sneezing and no clicking. She?s sleeping like a baby. I remember when I brought my Raphie home last year, she was so sick and whenever I went to listen to her at night all she did was sneeze.

Here?s my IG account if you want to look through some pics of my gang.
https://www.instagram.com/the_lovie_gang/

[linda040899]

Lily is a really nice looking GCC! She appears to be well cared for and I'm sure she will want for nothing with you. Green Cheeks love attention and they are show offs. I think you will be happy that you have adopted her!

You may not be able to see the photo I posted if you don't have an Imgur account. I was going to post the image but the file is HUGE!

[Maxie]

She does look healthy. Her feathers are shiny.

She is a show off. Yesterday she did a flip around her perch! I?ll have to try to get it on video.

I?ll create an account to see your pic.

[linda040899]

She is a show off. Yesterday she did a flip around her perch! I?ll have to try to get it on video.
I have a couple of lovebirds that do the flip around the perch and it's comical to watch! Fonzi, my Turquoise GCC has an odd way of sleeping. He has a cozy (one of the long triangular ones) that he does not sleep in. There is a comfort perch that is maybe an inch away so he sits on his perch and leans back against the cozy. I did a double take the first time I saw him do it, as I thought there was something wrong. Uh, nope. Just Fonzi sleeping! One of their favorite foods is organic walnut pieces. If there are none in their food dish, they call to let me know I their dishes need some TLC....... :rofl::rofl::rofl:

Fonzi and Ayanna are not talkers but many Conures have good vocabularies.

[Z28Taxman]

I have a couple of lovebirds that do the flip around the perch and it's comical to watch! Fonzi, my Turquoise GCC has an odd way of sleeping. He has a cozy (one of the long triangular ones) that he does not sleep in. There is a comfort perch that is maybe an inch away so he sits on his perch and leans back against the cozy. I did a double take the first time I saw him do it, as I thought there was something wrong. Uh, nope. Just Fonzi sleeping! One of their favorite foods is organic walnut pieces. If there are none in their food dish, they call to let me know I their dishes need some TLC....... :rofl::rofl::rofl:

Fonzi and Ayanna are not talkers but many Conures have good vocabularies.

Dj sleep like that to against the front of his happy hut. Sometimes he actually lays down on his back inside the hut with his feet still holding the perch so he can stand up quickly!

Both DJ and Ditto used to stand on the hoop where the veggie bowl goes and fall foreward through the hoop and continue around until they were standing again. :rofl:

[Maxie]

Birds are hilarious!

Well, today she?s out of her cage. She?s a real sweetheart. I gave her food from my fingers and she said thank you!

Max sits on the banister outside of Lily?s room. He totally knows there?s another bird in the house...lol.

[linda040899]

Sounds like Lily has been treated well and the move to your home is not overly traumatic. Hopefully she will fit in well with the lovie gang!

[Maxie]

I truly believe Lily was treated like gold. Today I heard her say ?thank you? when I gave her a treat and then ?I love you?

I had her out of the cage for most of the day. She is amazing. She steps up on my finger, she does summersault flip around my finger and is so proud when I praise her for being such a good girl. Then I give her a treat. She flew around the room a bit and she absolutely loves my brother...Like all our birds...lol. She was preening his face and ears and even kissed him.


I put her to bed at 7 and as soon as I covered her cage and turned out the lights, she didn?t say a peep and went straight to grinding her little beak.

I?m so happy I brought her home. She?s just such an angel.

Oh! I also got organic walnuts and gave her one but she dropped it. So I broke them in tiny pieces and gave them to her and she loves them.

What do you feed your conures so I can do the same?

[linda040899]

Lily had to have been treated well for you to see the behavior that you are seeing. Males, as well as female, GCCs have speech ability and some speak quite clearly. As you are seeing, they can be very social. I'm very glad that you have Lily. I have a feeling she will get alone well with the lovie gang.

The main food I use with my GCCs, Chewy (Quaker) and Princess (Princess of Wales Parakeet) is Higgins Sunburst Gormet Conure mix. Here in the US, this is my best source: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Higgins+466185+Higg+Sunburst+Food+For+Conure%2 C+25-Pound&ref=nb_sb_noss The seller is Petbowlz and it's the freshest when I get it. This is a 25# bag because the next size is 3# and it doesn't last very long, plus it's cheaper in larger sizes. Chew used to carry 25# bags but discontinued that about 2 years ago. It stores well and I've been known to put it in freezer bags and store it in the freezer chest with my other bird seed.

I also feed the cornbread, walnuts and fresh veggies. My guys will eat just about anything I put in their bowls and they are not particularly shy about trying new things.

[Maxie]

Thanks! I?ve seen the conure mix at petsmart. I?ll go pick up a bag today.

She?s truly amazing. I can?t help but get emotional when I think of her previous owner not being well and having to give her up. My heart goes out to him and Lily. They must have had such a beautiful bond. I can?t imagine how he must feel not having her around.

[linda040899]

I can?t help but get emotional when I think of her previous owner not being well and having to give her up. My heart goes out to him and Lily. They must have had such a beautiful bond. I can?t imagine how he must feel not having her around.
I hear what you are saying! I don't know if you remember Angela (CompassionAK) in our community, but she had to rehome all of her birds because she had terminal breast cancer. It was one of the most difficult things she had to do.

Had you thought about asking the Humane Society if they would share information about Lily's former owner? I'm sure that person, if still alive, would want to know that she has a good home and will be well cared for. It's sad when companions have to be rehomed because of inability to care for them. When my late husband was so sick, I thought about rehoming several of my large parrots and I even found someone who wanted them. In the end, I could not do it because I knew Jim's situation was temporary and I would regret what I was thinking about doing. Once a companion leaves the owner's care, they are at the mercy of whoever takes them. :(

[Maxie]

I think I remember Angela...so sad. It?s the most selfless and responsible thing to do for your feathered family. Knowing where they?re going can bring so much peace. This poor man probably had no one to give Lily to and had no choice but to surrender her to the humane society not knowing where she would end up.

I actually did ask the humane society for his information and due to privacy they can?t disclose it. I did tell them that they can give him my contact information if he wants it and I also told them to let him know that if he ever gets better, I would be more than willing (as hard as it would be) to reunite the two of them again. I told them he could see her on my Instagram account also.

I?ve been tagging the humane society?s Instagram account as well on any of my posts of Lily just in case he looks for her there.

On a happier note, today I realized that Lily has been potty trained to poop only in her cage. She?s out of her cage hanging out on my shoulder and I noticed she had not pooped. So, I put her in her cage and said ?go poopy Lily? and she pooped. I thought it just may be a coincidence so I tried it again and she did the same. I?m blown away with how well behaved she is which makes me even more sad for her dad����������������

[linda040899]

Sometimes not knowing what has happened to a beloved pet can be just as hard as the decision to rehome one. Her former owner really cared about her and it's obvious that he spent a lot of time working with her. Parrots are amazingly intelligent and have the ability to learn more than most owners give them credit for. Alex (BFA) has learned to navigate around the entire house if she's looking for me. When she finds me, she has excellent landing skills. Where I have to be careful is when I open a door that leads outside. I always know where she is before I do that.

I am so glad that you decided to take Lily into your flock. She deserves a home similar to what she had and she got it. You may or may not ever hear from him but at least you left the option open.

[Maxie]

They truly are very intelligent and sensitive animals. Lily is now giving us kisses.

Max looks for me around the house too until he finds me. He even recognizes sounds. For instance, if I open up the key box I have in the hall, he will come flying like a jet and land right on the box and won?t let me take out the keys to leave. He even comes to me when I call him...just like a dog!

I really hope he reaches out to me. I would love to speak with him to let him know his baby girl is very much loved by all of us.

[linda040899]

Lily is now giving us kisses. Aawwww...... So sweet! This tells me that Lily doesn't have trust issues from abuse. She's never been hurt so she's open to forming new relationships and she's safe with you.

Coming to you on command could be a life saver should Max ever manage to escape to the outdoors. I'm so very careful, as I don't want to have the experience of having an escaped parrot. The chances of a happy ending when that happens are not very good. I'm just so happy that this is working out so far.

[Maxie]

An escaped bird is my absolute worst nightmare. I?m so paranoid. No one is allowed to use the front door or the back sliding doors. They have to use the garage door...lol

I?m happy Lily is accepting us. She absolutely adores my brother. They?re so cute to watch together.

[linda040899]

An escaped bird is also my greatest nightmare! I have several safeguards here but the most vulnerable one is the french doors that lead to my back yard. We just have to be aware of where all parrots are in the Florida room and go in and out very quickly! Ken and I are the only 2 people who use that door so that cuts the risk of an inexperienced person contributing to a tragedy. I see pictures of parrots outside, not in carriers or anything to keep them safe, and it scares the living daylights out of me!

Each bird chooses who they like and there's nothing anyone can do about that choice. Georgia (macaw) and Sonny (CAG) are both men's birds and they adore Ken. Harley (TAG), Alex (BFA) and Dao (macaw) are all partial to females.

[Maxie]

So true! You can?t force them to love you...lol

I heard about these magnetic curtains that a lot of bird owners have

https://www.amazon.com/Magnetic-MagnetsHeavy-Curtain-Mosquito-Friendly/dp/B092DB2BP9/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=magnetic%2Bcurtains&qid=1639406313&sr=8-1-spons&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyQUpIRU9ETE5BM0wwJ mVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwOTQxNDUzTE0xSEFOTExaT0VSJmVuY3J 5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAzNDQ1MTEyUTQ1TThQRjJQMDZCJndpZGdld E5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm9 0TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ&th=1

Not sure how effective they are for birds because they are so fast!

[linda040899]

I have a set of these for my french doors but haven't put them up yet because those doors need to be painted....again! I had a set that I used between my laundry room and garage and they worked very well. Except....the door from the laundry room to the garage is metal (code requirement here for doors that exit from the house into an attached garage) so the magnets had this affinity to stick to the metal door instead of to each other! :rofl::rofl::rofl: Seriously, they close very quickly when you walk through them and you don't need your hands to separate them to go out of the door. You put them up by attaching velcro around 3 sides of the door frame and then you attach the curtains, which also have velcro on 3 sides, to the velcro around the door frame. After about 6 months, the fabric that is attached to the velcro began to tear and separate from the velcro. They are not the sturdiest curtains ever manufactured. This is a good idea, just not executed very well.

[Maxie]

Lol @ the metal door😂

Ok well so much for that idea.

[linda040899]

Ken came up with an idea that works for us inside. Alex (BFA) likes to fly around the house looking for me rather than stay in the Florida room. The FL room has no door so we got some semi-sheer curtains/drapes and hung them across the doorway. When the drapes are closed, Alex stays where we want her to be. This might work across other doorways, depending. Alex also likes to chew on the top of the door that does into my lovebird room so Ken removed that door and hung up another set of drapes. This works well as long as all the panels are closed and Alex can't see even a slight opening to dart through!!

[Maxie]

That?s a great idea! We always have to find ways to outsmart our birds. It?s not easy! Lol

So, Lily is starting to get a little stubborn...lol. She doesn?t want to go inside her cage at all now...lol. It?s ok with me now because she?s upstairs in her own room but when I bring her downstairs after I introduce her to the gang, she?s going to have to go inside at certain times for her own safety.

It?s so much easier getting little lovies back inside their cages. Bigger birds are not that easy...lol. I?ll have to figure it out.

I?ve introduced her to some foods that I think are new to her because she hesitates eating them....broccoli, peas, kale. I noticed she?s not eating too much of the Higgins conure mix other than the fruit. So, I went and got her the tropican pellets she used to eat. Oh my! You should have seen her reaction when she saw the bag!!! Just like my lovies when they see the avicake bag come out! I had to leave the room to open up the bag for fear of her flying into the scissors! I took a handful of pellets and she was eating like crazy!

I think I?ll have to add some of those pellets to the Higgins conure mix since she likes them so much.

[linda040899]

I'll have to add some of those pellets to the Higgins conure mix since she likes them so much.
The pellets are most likely something she was fed before she was rehomed. If you blend them in with the conure mix, she will slowly adapt to eating new food. It can be a slow process but, hopefully, she will realize there are other edible things that are not pellets. All you can do is keep offering and let her take it from there.

It appears that Lily really likes being outside of her cage and you may have to use the reward system to get her to do what you want her to do. All of my larger parrots know what "In you cage" means and they follow the command. Now that they follow the command, I use verbal praise for reward. If you want to use treats, pick one specifically for the "In your cage" command and only use it at that time. How well I understand the safety issue. Florida has nasty weather during the summer and I put everyone in their cages during windy, rainy thunderstorms. Last thing I need is a parrot becoming scared, flying off a cage and into a window or a wall. If you can get the lovies in their cages easier, Lily may do what she sees them doing! Parrots can definitely have minds of their own!

[Maxie]

I?m going to definitely get her off this pellet diet. Today I was eating a sandwich in front of her and she walked over and took a chunk of whole wheat bread.

Lily is now staring to bite my finger off when I ask her to step up. Like, brutally bite drawing blood. I dont react to the pain but it doesn?t make a difference. She still does it. I think it?s my brothers fault...lol. He goes into the room when she screams, let?s her out and let?s her do whatever she wants. He gives her treats for no reason. She doesn?t do flippy flips anymore either...lol. He?s created a monster....lol

I?m going to take over without him in the room and get her to listen to commands. I got her to step up to a perch without moving to the end and biting my fingers. I got her in the cage and then I praised her without a great. She has been sitting quietly now for about half and hour. No screaming.

Parrots are so like kids. You can raise a spoiled brat or a well behaved kid.

I?ll keep you posted.

[linda040899]

Lily is now staring to bite my finger off when I ask her to step up. Like, brutally bite drawing blood. I dont react to the pain but it doesn?t make a difference. She still does it.
Ayanna can be nippy, too, at least when she's in her cage. She's cage territorial. Once outside, she's fine. You can try a couple of things to discourage the biting. When she goes to bite, grab her upper beak and rub it. That might or might no diffuse the situation. If that doesn't work and she's on your hand, drop your hand so that it puts her off balance. Tell her "no bite." That's how I handle Georgia if she's on me and wants to bite. She's been dropped on the floor on occasion (dropped, no tossed or thrown) and told "no bite." Last choice is a spray bottle filled with room temperature water and the sprayer set for stream. If she goes to bite, spray her and say "no bite." It will distract her and, because it's done so quickly, she will understand she's done something that you don't like. I use the spray bottle when my Macaws go off on a screaming tangent because they perceive something is not right in their world (squirrel in the back yard, long legged bird looking for food or a cat running across the grass in the back yard) and they have to let us know but won't quiet down once we come to look! Wet feathers = feathers that need to be preened and you can't do that and scream at the same time!! :rofl::rofl::rofl:

Explain to your brother that when you live with parrots, there are house rules. Follow the rules or leave the birds alone! Yup. Living with parrots is like perpetually living with a 2 year old!!!

[Maxie]

Lol at the warning calls. Squirrels are big furry invaders for a parrot....lol

So, yesterday I worked with her alone in the room. The only way she?ll step up on my finger without biting is if she sees I have a piece of papaya. I did this a few times and then I just praised her with words and no treat.

This morning I tried a step up with no treat and I got jabbed. I can?t grab her beak because she?ll rip my flesh off my other finger...lol. I?ll give the spray bottle a try.

I couldn?t get her in the cage again last night so I tricked her with a perch step up and then I shut the lights and put her inside her cage.

[linda040899]

Clever way to get her into her cage at night! I'm guilty of the same thing. They can't fly if they can't see well enough! :whistle:

If you go to grab her beak, go for the upper one. When a parrot bites, the actual bite comes from the lower mandible pushing up against the upper one. If I hold Georgia's upper beak from above her, she can't get to my fingers. For now, if treats work, use them. Lily is smart and she will try to get the upper beak if she can.

Give her a chance to settle in and, hopefully, all will shake out in the end.

[Maxie]

I decided not to do anything and just give her time to get used to me more and it worked. She doesn?t bite me anymore! She steps up without any commands which I prefer. She goes in her cage now easier and she?s really enjoying the Higgins conure mix.

Yesterday I walked into her room with a banana and you should have seen her reaction....lol. She loves banana! Then my brother had her on his shoulder and when he went to the washroom sink to wash his hands she crawled down his arm and took a bath in the sink. I splashed her back with water and she was loving it!

She?s also tapping her beak on our hands and regurgitating...I guess she loves us....lol

She?s such a sweetheart.

[linda040899]

Thanks for the great update! Some things just take time and that's what's causing the changes. One thing I've found is that biting usually has fear behind it. While Lily may have appeared to be fine with the move to a new home, it was still a change. My birds all know me very well but a move to our new home caused biting simply because they didn't feel secure anymore. The biting subsided after a couple of weeks but the biggest change was that my larger birds now lived in an enclosed FL room which had windows on 2 sides and these windows are huge. My compromise was to hang sheer drapes that have a lacy design so I didn't loose light and also created a "barrier" that somewhat blocked the view of the back yard. My macaws still let us know if there's something amiss in the back yard. About a year ago, there was a Gopher Tortoise going across the back yard towards our 8' fence. You could hear Georgia and Dao all the way in the front yard with their alarm calls!!!

Sounds like Lily is settling in very nicely. It's comical when they take baths in our hands under a faucet. Not sure who gets wetter, me or them! And, of course, every singe feather must be soaking, dripping wet!!!

[Maxie]

Lol at the tortoise warning. They really are creatures of habit. I?ve been hand feeding Max peas every night before bed...yes I?m his slave....and he waits for them each night. If I skip a night he gives me a look...lol...then I feel guilty and do my slave job. He won?t eat them any other way either. I peel the skin and feed them to him one by one...lol


Right now I?m typing this with three lovebirds all over my hands...lol

I?ll keep you posted on Lily?s progress.

[linda040899]

Right now I?m typing this with three lovebirds all over my hands...lol
That's an amazing feat all by itself!!!:rofl::rofl::rofl: Depending on who is with me in my office, I either have a bird on my shoulder, the back of my chair or on the keyboard trying to remove all the keys!!! Your flock sounds as spoiled as mine! What we won't do for feathers....................

By the way, I posted a link to a photo of Alex in the Photo Gallery forum.

[Maxie]

Lol.....ANYTHING for my feathered babies!

It?s impossible to get any office work done with the birds out and about. I wait until they?re all tucked in for the day to get that stuff done...lol

I?ll go check out the pic of Alex!

[Maxie]

Guess who let me give her head scritches today?! Yup! Lily!

[linda040899]

You are definitely making progress with her! I have a feeling you are going to have a velcro birdie who absolutely HAS to be where ever you are!!!:rofl::rofl::rofl:

[Maxie]

It sure does look that way. When she gets on my brothers shoulder it?s impossible to get her off. He calls her the clingy girlfriend you sometimes need your space from...lol

[linda040899]

He calls her the clingy girlfriend you sometimes need your space from...lol
Sometimes I think to myself that I need a bit of space from Alex but I know I would be devastated and feel completely empty inside if I suddenly did not have her companionship anymore....... Treasure what you have while you have it. :):)

[Maxie]

You?re absolutely right! I love my Velcro flock. Right now Max is sleeping on my chest tucked under my shirt and I?m in paradise❤️

[linda040899]

:rofl::rofl::rofl:
Here is a picture for you if my imagination ever came up with a thought. You are at your desk, trying to work and you have the lovebird flock and Lily with you, doing their best to distract you and get your attention!!! Having birdies on every finger would be challenging, to say the least.........

[Maxie]

LOL. It happens to me all the time with my three. It?s impossible to get anything done...lol.

[Z28Taxman]

:rofl::rofl::rofl:
Here is a picture for you if my imagination ever came up with a thought. You are at your desk, trying to work and you have the lovebird flock and Lily with you, doing their best to distract you and get your attention!!! Having birdies on every finger would be challenging, to say the least.........

Ditto used to take they keys of my keyboard and drop them on the floor. No keys, daddy can't type and has to pay attention to me! :rofl:

[Maxie]

Awwww. I miss your Ditto boy😭😭😭

[linda040899]

Ditto was quite the character! One of a kind.