Ya'll Didn't See Nuttin! NUTTIN, Ya hear?!

So, Poe and I are working on this independence training thing. Yesterday afternoon, He is in his house, causing a major ruckus, and I am (quite effectively) ignoring said ruckus while working on Thank You cards from the wedding.

Awesome. Fantastic. He thinks I can't ignore him. PROVED HIM WRONG.

In fact: I ignored his ruckus so well, that I didn't initially notice when he STOPPED making a ruckus. When finally I noticed the silence in my home, I look up. Just in time to see a VERY proud Poe careening for my head...

Lessons of the day?

I need to tie the openings at his food dishes shut, or he'll raise them like blinds.

Despite having been trimmed, he still has enough of a wing to make it across the livingroom.

My glasses make a fantastic landing platform.

*sigh*

Congratulations, you have a Green Cheeked Conure! LOL.

If those are the doors that slide up and down ("guillotine" style doors) do get cage locks for them, they can cause accidents I've heard.

Oh, they are indeed the "guillotine" style doors. And they are now nice and securely shut from inquisitive little beaks. Live and learn.

Today's lessons are:

Unsweetened applesauce is much more enticing when presented in a small tupperware container instead of a proper food dish.

All it takes to make "out of the cage but not on Mom" time fun is one forgotten ribbon on a nearby shelf. HOURS of fun!

Got a tickle over the (quiet) lol they are indeed like small children...you NEED to check on the quiet...

Parrots are like kids. They're into trouble if you don't hear them.

Shoot. Most "parrot proof" doors aren't.

Yeah! What flappinhappy said!

Scooter is amused for hours on end by cage paper in his playtop tray (he burrows under it, folds it, nibbles it just so...) Empty Kleenex boxes keep him occupied as well. And he loves to chew up softer materials like balsa wood, but they don't last very long.

The only problem with me amusing him with paper and boxes is that he gets so into it, I have to carefully snatch the paper and box out of the tray before I can safely pick him up, he gets VERY excited. For a long time I thought maybe it was a nesting behavior causing inappropriate aggression, but I've concluded he just really, really enjoys it and isn't keen on my raining on the parade.

patdbunny wrote:

Parrots are like kids. They're into trouble if you don't hear them.

Or asleep. Or contemplating trouble.

Quote :

Shoot. Most "parrot proof" doors aren't.

Actually, neither Scooter nor Scotty has busted out when I've had the doors properly shut. In fact, Scotty is more likely to go in and close the door than open it to come out! OTOH, when he's in a fey mood in the morning, he sneaks out the feeder door while I'm emptying the dish. Always looks very pleased with himself, too! Am I just lucky or do I have good cages? Scooters are spring-bar locks and the springs are quite stiff -- he hasn't got enough strength to work them. Scotty possible could get his feeder doors open if he put his mind to it, but it would be hard for him to get a good grip on the slider bar. The main door has a magnet and a two-position spring lock with a very small smooth metal latch.

Yes... to my dismay Poe seems to be FAR more interested in this ribbon than the lovely toys I have provided him.

Our conversation today went something like this:

Me: "Poe, I spent 20 minutes at the store trying to select the COOLEST most INTERESTING toys for you and you shun them in favour of some discarded ribbon?! I am hurt!"

(Poe says nothing, and instead cocks his head and stares at me whilst holding his ribbon)

Me: "I feel so unappreciated"

Poe: "chirpple" - which I believe - roughly translated - means "Sucker".

Pretty_Poe wrote:

Poe: "chirpple" - which I believe - roughly translated - means "Sucker".

thats all of us in here i think


dusty

btw congratulations on your marriage!!

Jake would rather play with the box than the toys that came in it

Pretty_Poe wrote:

Yes... to my dismay Poe seems to be FAR more interested in this ribbon than the lovely toys I have provided him.

Our conversation today went something like this:

Me: "Poe, I spent 20 minutes at the store trying to select the COOLEST most INTERESTING toys for you and you shun them in favour of some discarded ribbon?! I am hurt!"

(Poe says nothing, and instead cocks his head and stares at me whilst holding his ribbon)

Me: "I feel so unappreciated"

Poe: "chirpple" - which I believe - roughly translated - means "Sucker".

Here, this is for you - http://staringatbirdsandgoats.blogspot.com/2011/01/bird-tip-frugal-fun.html

They're either not into the toy or have it destroyed in 10 minutes. Either way, you might as well have just given them the $20 bill to chew up.

patdbunny wrote:

They're either not into the toy or have it destroyed in 10 minutes. Either way, you might as well have just given them the $20 bill to chew up.

The problem with this rule is that there is always the odd exception that proves it. Scooter's favorite in-cage toy is still the orange saucer with rattly balls. He's also very fond of the geodesic rubber dome with the bell inside. So... we'll all still spend the $20 now and then, when we can, and get the head-cock and chirpie while they go for the packaging.

Sucker was right!

Hmmm...

On the topic of toys that are not "bird toys".... I am a fairly crafty person, so now I ask a question...

Would untreated, undyed rawhide lace be "Birdie-Friendly"?

I have recently started making dreamcatchers.... and dreamcatcher minus webbing + some dangling awesomes might make a super fun toy for Poe...

Pretty_Poe wrote:

Hmmm...

On the topic of toys that are not "bird toys".... I am a fairly crafty person, so now I ask a question...

Would untreated, undyed rawhide lace be "Birdie-Friendly"?

I have recently started making dreamcatchers.... and dreamcatcher minus webbing + some dangling awesomes might make a super fun toy for Poe...

Oh my, that sounds like super fun time to me! I'm not sure what you use for the circle part, but just make sure that part is bird safe (a safe wood or stainless steel) and you shouldn't have a problem - in fact, you'll probably have a hit!

Allie has recently decided that HER most enjoyable toy is the round metal circle that screws on cages for after-market food dishes. She's started doing all KINDS of gymnastics on it!

i get worried when my birds are quiet lol! marty is usually walking across the floor if hes quiet and if mikkos quiet shes getting into stuff she shouldnt be. both the birds like books now, martys favorite toy is a piece of wood that he can hold in his foot and chew. mikkos favorite is a pinata or a bell. you can get your own toy parts to make some really cool toys once you find out what your bird likes

ScooterNScotty wrote:

patdbunny wrote:

They're either not into the toy or have it destroyed in 10 minutes. Either way, you might as well have just given them the $20 bill to chew up.

The problem with this rule is that there is always the odd exception that proves it. Scooter's favorite in-cage toy is still the orange saucer with rattly balls. He's also very fond of the geodesic rubber dome with the bell inside. So... we'll all still spend the $20 now and then, when we can, and get the head-cock and chirpie while they go for the packaging.

Sucker was right!

Sns!!! How odd that our two GCCs, on different sides of the world, have the same favourite toys!! Tika's most favourite is the green rubber ball with the bell inside, she climbs on it and goes nuts, the breeders actually gave us one to take home because she loved t so much as a baby! And the orange saucer gets atleast a daily bashing.

Oh, and that look, head cocked to the side and a 'hmmm??' i have 50 thousand photos of rory pullig that face, it's his pose

My GCC does this same thing. I've had to use the pear clips from his toys to keep him in his birdy jail.

I have major issues with the pear clips...one of my baby OWA's was swinging by the lower mandible...he had gotten it unscrewed and you can imaging I was luckily right there when it happened or he would have suffered much more than a fright he never did play with that toy again....

I've heard its best to turn the pear clips upside down (wide side down) to limit the possibility of getting hung up. I never thought about them getting hung up like that though, sounds very scary. What do you use instead? Even the barrel links could do that, if the opening is wide enough.

patdbunny wrote:

Here, this is for you - http://staringatbirdsandgoats.blogspot.com/2011/01/bird-tip-frugal-fun.html

They're either not into the toy or have it destroyed in 10 minutes. Either way, you might as well have just given them the $20 bill to chew up.

I took your advice and we made a trip to the Dollar Store. Poe's new favourite toy? A cat "bell ball". or rather, 3 of them. One IN his house, to chase around at his leisure; one on top of his cage to throw over the side into the seedcatcher, run down to get it, bring it back up and start all over again (I have a yellow-sided retriever, apparently); and one tied to his play structure so that he can throw it over the edge, run down, bat at it, run back up, and use the ribbon to pull it up and start all over again.

We have also discovered that Birdie-Mash is AMAZING - so is stealing any food that the humans are eating.