--------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 225 PARROTS Ref: CFK00009 Date: 11/15/95 From: JOHN PUMMILL Time: 09:44pm \/To: BARBARA HOWELL (Read 4 times) Subj: GW Macaw BH> It was good to talk to you. Call back if you need to. I will. BH> Good luck with both the big guys. I know they can get BH> aggressive and testy. My Some improvement lately, he has taken to more petting. We started using a water bottle to shoot him if helnged at someone (small stream spray) and it seems to have worked. I hate to see him go but that may EVENTUALLY happen. BH> macaw kids are getting to that nippy phase. At 7 and 5 mos, BH> and with six of them, the flock can be a real pain. I can imagine !!! BH> Seriously! They are grabbing everything with their beaks and BH> pinching a bit. Just an oral phase I think. They seem to do BH> it less when they are taken out singly or when the whole BH> flock is not present at once. Pistol, my B&G girl can still BH> be devillish or cuddly and Piper her brother is still BH> mischievious. Then there are the four Miligolds. What BH> stinkers. Ed is really trying to wean them all. I am too BH> soft and would feed them forever, convinced they would just BH> starve if they weren't fed. So far so good on the eating on BH> their own,but I'm kinda worried about them with this sudden BH> cold snap. In the 30's tonight. Was about 70-something just BH> yesterday afternoon. I am hoping the cold will get the BH> Macaws all breeding soon. The Red bellied Macaws are at BH> least in their box; it's a start. Gotta start somewhere. We trimmed Rowdies claws back the other night with a fingernail file, unhappy bird. He did fine afterwards, it just scared m. BH> both macaws.Oh, and how is your wife's hand where he bit BH> her? My Yellow Nape hen bit my fiance tonight when we were BH> both playing with her. She actually drew blood. She has not BH> done that before. She was playing under our blanket and we BH> were tickling her. She would tickle me and nip him a little BH> harder. Then she bit him. I said maybe she thought he was BH> getting between us or something. She is definitely a woman's BH> bird. I haven't had her long. But she's a great bird. Interesting. Her arm is healing... left a decent hole in there. She has not learned, she will still stick the arm right up to him, I know better. BH> Have you thought about an amazon? I like them a lot. I just BH> heard report on the three baby bluefront amazons that I BH> raised and sold this summer. The lady has sold all but one BH> and it is already talking. She said it is very sweet but BH> indepedent and they were all stubborn. They are nice though. I have heard they get un-nice later in life, similar to Scarlets. BH> Not like my Lesser Sulphur "Too, Deedee. She is too hyper BH> and must have every iota of attention.If not she will bite BH> you or tear up something. BH> Amazons can be real buddies. We have put some thought into replacing Buster with a cocatoo, (spelling, that does not look right). Any comments ?? --- FMail 0.94 * Origin: WANTED: Muzzle For Blue Crown Conure... YAAAK YAAAK (1:123/30) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 225 PARROTS Ref: CFL00000 Date: 11/16/95 From: ELVIS HARGROVE Time: 12:14pm \/To: RICH VERAA (Read 4 times) Subj: Grey Cheek Parakeets -> together. It's a beautiful sight when they fly over, but Man, are those -> guys LOUD. Hi Rich ! Boy you said a mouthfull in the racket department. Conures "Talk" a lot anyway, and when they're just milling around looking for something to get into they get RAUCUS! We have small isolated pairs and quad families of "Green Cheeked Amazons" (Mexican Red Heads) scattered around several cities here in the Rio Grande Valley. Several groups are working hard to get them protected species status but it's a hard fight with a short stick. ^..^ --- FidoPCB v1.5 beta-'j' * Origin: BOO! Board Of Occult, Rio Grande Valley Texas (1:397/6) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 225 PARROTS Ref: CFL00001 Date: 11/15/95 From: TOM WEISS Time: 11:17am \/To: KATHY JOHNSON (Read 4 times) Subj: Contacting friends On 11-1295, KATHY JOHNSON wrote to TOM WEISS: Hi Kathy, My confort zone doesn't include NETMAIL, sorry. BTW, I did try kathy.johnson@bird.com and it bounced ... something about improper configuration ... or some such (DOSish) computer jargon. I know that we had a connection at one time with that address. It's stored in my electronic address book so I know it was not a typo that prevented delivery. I did make a call this morning and got his answering machine (with his voice) ... I left a message that I had called. I will call again tommarrow and if I get his machine I will be expressing our concerns to the machine ... I'll post my results. Oh and I do have an appointment with Dr. Beasley, DVM, Williamston, MI on Dec 2. Very friendly, professional folks so far ... Thanks for the lead, tom === * Freddie 1.2.5 * --- DB B2300sl/002493 * Origin: Wolverine (1:239/1004) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 225 PARROTS Ref: CFM00000 Date: 11/16/95 From: KATHY JOHNSON Time: 07:52am \/To: ELVIS HARGROVE (Read 4 times) Subj: amazons >-> That's great that he took to the little girl so well--I like happy >endings! >I do too. I was afraid he was gonna chew her arm off! He got so he played >REAL rough, and I wan't about to challenge him. He never offered to bite is >new mistress. It was like he was a completely different critter. Sometimes all it takes is a person the bird knows is totally different from anyone he's ever met before. >Our "Kookyroo" dove would sing to Poss as long as she'd stand there. >(Ringneck) >They were great friends. Years back, before I ever realized how dangerous this practice could be, our cockatiel used to ride around in the ruff of fur on our wolf-hyrbid's neck. The dog liked it as much as the bird did--she'd stand by the arm of the couch whining softly, waiting for the bird to walk the full length of the couch to get aboard. Then she'd go tour the house and lay down someplace warm. Unfortunately, the bird met his end because the dog, somewhat senile in her later years, stepped on him without noticing he was near her feet. He died in surgery to set a badly broken leg. >Oh, I'll go to several auctions and see what's available. They'll let you >spend the morning in the main bird room evaluating what's available. I was >pretty lucky to get the Lilac Crown that way. I bid on a pair of immature >Yellow Heads until they got completely past my price range, but no one anted >an ill tempered, half bald pint-size Amazon..... 'Cept me. Question--why get a wild bird? --Kathy * SLMR 2.1a * --- Silver Xpress Mail System * Origin: bloom county bbs * Parrots HQ * (313)582-0888 (1:2410/400) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 225 PARROTS Ref: CFM00001 Date: 11/17/95 From: ELVIS HARGROVE Time: 10:19am \/To: KATHY JOHNSON (Read 4 times) Subj: amazons -> our cockatiel used to ride around in the ruff of fur on our -> wolf-hyrbid's neck. The dog liked it as much as the bird did-- Our Old Man was very protective of 'his' Lilac Crown. They'd sometimes ride, and other times they'd stroll side by side. He had NO part of the Yellow Cheek though. The old dog used to lead the parrot all the way from the bird room, to my bedroom, and then stand there and watch the parrot climb the bedclothes to come "Cheerup" my head. Then if I didn't wake up quick enough the parrot would gently check out my nose with his beak, to see if I was "In there." The parrot was never the same after The Big Dog died, and just wasted away in less than a year. We like to think they're together again. -> Question--why get a wild bird? Quite frankly because I simply cannot afford to pay someone else to gentle or hand-raise one. Besides, after their stint in the crowbar hotel, they've een 'socialized' to a certain degree by the keepers. (Who all love birds or they'd never put up with the incessant RACKET!) Of course the major packets, often 20 - 50 birds confiscated together which must be KEPT together as evidence, on't get much socialization, but I snoop around in the room where the individuals and pairs are kept, and scope out the milder cases. That's how I found the last Lilac Crown. He was outgoing but VERY defensive, (We didn't know how little he could see which explained it later) and would snap a lead pencil in two or bite holes in oil-field gloves if given the opportunity. A month in 'solitary' calmed him substantially, and from there on very gentle socialization brought him around. As soon as he would play nice with a pencil, I began offering him a dowel to sit on and in less than a month he was finger trained and shoulder 'safe'. It's my personal opinion that Lilac Crowns are among the more naturally ocial and easily tamed of the Amazons, and though I've NEVER seen a really good talker there's lots to be said for less vocal companionship! Football games on TV being the major exception to the "Quiet" facet. Crowd noises and bands playing brought out the showman in old LC. He'd SING at the top of his voice in Spanish, "Corazone, mi corazone!" and then when the uckus died down, he'd sit up real straight and proclaim, "Perrica Paradow" which loosly translated means "Proud, or Parade, parrot." His only other vocal expression was "Cheerup!" (Except of course at 6:00 AM when he greeted the un joyously, and LOUDLY! Calling and then answering himself in a different voice.) I may never have the same quality of results again taming my own, but then he expensive Yellow Cheek we bought to replace our FIRST Lilac Crown, though ame as a dog initially developed a nasty temper at about five years, and would have NO part of any man, dog or beast. (He delighted in terrifying the cats.) That's why we were so shocked when he took to the little girl so completely. If he couldn't have my office manager he didn't anything to do with ANYBODY! ^..^ --- FidoPCB v1.5 beta-'j' * Origin: BOO! Board Of Occult, Rio Grande Valley Texas (1:397/6) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 225 PARROTS Ref: CFM00002 Date: 11/16/95 From: FRAN WARWICK Time: 09:51am \/To: RICH VERAA (Read 4 times) Subj: Parrots free Hi Rich, RV> And I hear there are several related flocks of monk parakeets in the south RV> end of the county, from Kendall to Homestead. We have had a colony of Monks in Zilker Park for years now. Last summer someone released 15 more there. It seems odd seeing Quakers mingling with the Grackels, looking for food on the ground. So far they haven't been out ravaging farmers crops. ... --- PPoint 1.92 * Origin: Wings Over Texas (1:382/92.5) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 225 PARROTS Ref: CFM00003 Date: 11/14/95 From: KATHY JOHNSON Time: 07:36am \/To: ALL (Read 4 times) Subj: CONGO GREY SCAM This came from the "Town & Country Feathered Friends" club newsletter, courtesy of June Smith. "There are a couple guys from the Grand Rapids, MI area who are calling breeders wanting to sell a pair of Congo African Greys and babies that they "can not keep" and need to sell quickly. The deal goes like this: 'Send half the money in a cashier's check and the balance later. They have references who are real people, including their veterinarian. The babies are fed Exact and Avigard, and these guys know other language common among breeders and bird owners.' Once they have your cashiers check, they can no longer be reached, and the buyer is out the money sent. A friend of ours from New Mexico called as this newsletter was being put together, telling me she had just been taken for $500. She has heard from other breeders that she knows who were victims also. DON'T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU! It's possible that they may not be calling Michigan people, but it never hurts to be careful." (end quote) --Kathy * SLMR 2.1a * --- FLAME v1.1 * Origin: Bird Info Network (303-423-9775) (1:104/234) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 225 PARROTS Ref: CFM00004 Date: 11/17/95 From: POLLY GOLDMAN Time: 01:08pm \/To: ALL (Read 4 times) Subj: Wild bird germs This morning I heard a thump on our sliding glass door. I looked out and saw a tiny twitching little mass of grey fluff, with a bright yellow stripe on the top of its head. It was about 30 degrees, so I didn't expect the bird to live if its shock wasn't treated. I grabbed the bird, cradled it to my chest, and held it loosely as I went to the basement to dig out the old budgie cage. I treated the bird for shock by putting it into the cage and putting the cage near, but not in the draft from, a space heater and putting the cage on top of a heating pad. Within the 15 minutes it took me to identify the bird (a golden crowned kinglet), it had gone from limp to hopping around the cage trying to escape. Since I had just learned that the bird was an insectivore, not a seed eater, I decided to release it rather than let it injure itself. This bird was so small that it could get its head between the budgie bars! I soaped down (three times), tossed my shirt into the washer, and went to feed my own birds. I put plastic bags on my hands to try to eliminate chances of germing my birds. Was there anything else I should have done? I am buying stickers for the glass door later today! --- MacWoof 1.5.3 * Origin: Point of Enlightenment (1:109/615.2@fidonet) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 225 PARROTS Ref: CFM00005 Date: 11/14/95 From: JOSEPH W. MACK Time: 07:30am \/To: JAN THOMAS (Read 4 times) Subj: house finches Jan Thomas wrote in a message to Joseph W. Mack: JT> The article was stressing the danger of the blurry-eye JT> infection spreading widely among the house finches (sparrow JT> sized birds known for their reddish orange bellies). It JT> said feeding stations may help to spread the disease. I'm JT> not feeding outside birds now because I don't want to take JT> the chance of exposing my bird pals to this disease. Well, since your first note about this I haven't seen a thing in either the Greensboro or the Asheboro papers. Since it looks like we are going to have one ugly cold winter I -had- planned on setting up a feeder here to help the little guys out. I've definitely changed my mind on that. Maybe a really cold, hard winter is just what is needed for the sparrows' sake; those exposed/infected that are unable to see well enough to forage for food and seek good shelter will most likely die off. It is rather sad to think of, but, then again it is nature's way of taking care of itself.... Peace Fr. Joe and the Flock --- timEd/2 1.01 * Origin: Dantes' Point (1:3648/101.9) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 225 PARROTS Ref: CFP00000 Date: 11/17/95 From: KATHY JOHNSON Time: 07:18pm \/To: JOSEPH W. MACK (Read 4 times) Subj: Have you tried? >Have you tried using one of those Dremel moto-tools with a grinding tip to >trim the points off of your bird's nails? I picked one up last week and >used it with Randy over the weekend. No, and I probably won't for a couple reasons. 1) I've had something similar used on MY nails (I have acrylic overlays applied--my one concession to vanity). The dremel makes the nails HOT if used incorrectly, which I probably would do. 2) I *KNOW* the sound of the motor would scare the birds too much. I just clip'em with toenail clippers every few weeks and deal with the arguments by telling them to be quiet and it'll be over sooner. >added benefit -it is much nicer for me too not having eight little >hypodermic needles walking around the back of my neck. I solved that by not allowing ANYBODY on my shoulders or neck. --Kathy * SLMR 2.1a * --- Silver Xpress Mail System * Origin: bloom county bbs * Parrots HQ * (313)582-0888 (1:2410/400)