Author Topic: The Flock  (Read 4436 times)

Offline BrewMaster

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The Flock
« on: November 17, 2008, 02:01:45 pm »
Brutus thinks he is part of a pack but what he doesn't really know is that he is part of a flock.  We are home to 14 parrots plus 10-15 foster parrots at a time, as we do rescue.  Brutus has done really well with the birds so far.  He follows me into the aviary when I feed and clean and though he seems curious, he has been gentle about his explorations.  Still, because he is a dog and does have some sight houndin him, we never leave him alone with a loose bird or let them play together.  The birds were afraid at first but have learned that Brutus isn't interested in eating them.

Here are some photos of the flock:
Blue and Gold Macaw, Peggy Sue:


Triton Cockatoo, BatToo:


Indian Ringneck, Chrissy:


Red Lory, Orbit:


Orange Wing Amazon, PJ:


Cockatiels, Cooper, Ash, GingerAle, Luke:


Bare Eyed cockatoo, Benny:


45 yr old Amazon, Loretta:


My favorite foster right now, Military Macaw, Popeye:


enjoy,
-Anna


Brutus - 50% Pyrenees, 25% Irish Wolfhound, 25% St. Bernard

Penny - Welsh Corgi Mix

Peggy Sue - Blue & Gold Macaw

Benny & BatToo - Cockatoos

...And Flock!

jesday

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Re: The Flock
« Reply #1 on: November 17, 2008, 02:11:25 pm »
They are gorgeous and so vibrantly colored. Am I correct in understanding these types of birds bond strongly with owners and can be very difficult to rehome?

They can live to be 75 to 100yrs old, right?

My **** sister had a green Amazon parrot, I believe. She used to let her fly around her house. The bird kept dive bombing her dog and I mentioned one day that dog was going to have enough. He did.. :(

Offline ZooCrew

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Re: The Flock
« Reply #2 on: November 17, 2008, 02:21:16 pm »
Oh, I love all these bird pix.
I love indian ringnecks, I see you have a color morph.  I'm partial to the blue and green ones.
I see you have a Lory.  Are they hard to care for?  I  had looked into them briefly but as they have a pretty specialized diet I decided against one.
The cage for your 'tiels looks very similar to the one my sister has for hers (she has 2, plus a lovebird in its own cage)
I don't think I could ever get a macaw.  I have not had good experiences with them and I am way too weary of those oversized beaks.
Love cockatoos though.  A couple of 'too species plus an african gray are on my wish list.  B/c of how long they live though it makes me very wary to get one.  But I do so admire their looks and intelligence.  :)

Offline BrewMaster

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Re: The Flock
« Reply #3 on: November 17, 2008, 03:25:07 pm »
Parrots pick their owners.  If they are matched up with an owner they do not like they can spend their entire lifetime in a miserable situation where no one is happy.  They have individual personalities and personality preferences and once they bond they can become heartbroken when they lose their person.  We rehab and rehome parrots all the time and most do very well with the change but there are some, usually the ones who have been very well loved, who do not adapt as easily - especially congo african greys.  Parrots can live up to 100 years so making a commitment to them and also a will for their future is important for bird owners. 

Our indian ringneck is a sweety (with me) and such a beauty.  I think ringnecks have some of the greatest personalities out of all parrots.  Lories are extremely messy if fed lots of fresh fruits and veggies, somewhat messy being fed a powdered diet, and not very messy when fed soaked pellets.  Any type of pellet is dangerous for them to consume though as their digestive tracts are longer and tend to get damaged when grains and harder to digest foods are consumed.  Lories are also moody and owners quickly learn that their birds frequently have mood swings and decide to attack at random.  They are easily over stimulated but very demanding and when they bite they bite hard.  They are certainly one of the more advanced parrot species and even tend to challenge those who do well with other species.

Although macaws may have the largest beaks, cockatoos probably have the worst bites.  A macaws beak crushes - usually leaving a bruise and a welt. Cockatoos have compact beaks that are designed to apply pressure and then tear.  They pierce the skin producing deap puncture wounds and sometimes tear the flesh upon exit.  They are probably the most difficult species to work with as they have high hormone levels that cause biting, plucking, screaming, and other behaviors (though the smaller species can make wondeful pets).  Cockatoos are the loudest species of parrot and can and will scream to be heard miles away.  Teaching them not to scream, bite, and chew is like teaching them not to be a parrot, which is just not possible, so cockatoo owners have to accept these behaviors to have a successful relationship with their parrot.  Macaws tend to be a bit more mellow and are wonderful, loyal, and devoted when they bond.  They are very loud also and very challenging, but not nearly as much as a cockatoo.  Sadly, we work with macaws and cockatoos daily who were purchased by well meaning families who simply had no idea what they were getting into.


I'm sorry for the one whose sister lost an amazon.  A very sad situation.  we clip our birds so that accidents like that do not occur.  Amazons are well known for protecting their nest by dive bombing intruders to ward them off.  Dogs are well known for snapping at and/or capturing small fuzzy or fesathered creatures.  Both animals were following their instincts but the parrot will always lose if the owner does not keep them out of harms way.  This is why, even though Brutus hasn't shown any interest in playing with and/or hurting any of the birds, you just never know and dogs are predators and parrots are prey animals.

Sorry to ramble.  I get kindof caught up in birds.  They are my special love.   ::)

-Anna 
 

   

 

 

Brutus - 50% Pyrenees, 25% Irish Wolfhound, 25% St. Bernard

Penny - Welsh Corgi Mix

Peggy Sue - Blue & Gold Macaw

Benny & BatToo - Cockatoos

...And Flock!

Offline BrewMaster

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Re: The Flock
« Reply #4 on: November 17, 2008, 03:28:00 pm »
If you decide a macaw is right for you, think about looking into adopting one from a rescue if you have the patience to work with one and have someone help you.  Most pet stores will sell a macaw for around $2,000.  We adopt our rescue macaws to families all over the country for around $400.  Some of them have issues, some don't but they all require an owner who isn't afraid of them.   ;D
-Anna
Brutus - 50% Pyrenees, 25% Irish Wolfhound, 25% St. Bernard

Penny - Welsh Corgi Mix

Peggy Sue - Blue & Gold Macaw

Benny & BatToo - Cockatoos

...And Flock!

Offline Ursa

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Re: The Flock
« Reply #5 on: November 17, 2008, 03:46:05 pm »
What a beautiful flock!
Ruthanna - the Triplets' mom

Ursa, CGC -  11 month old Great Pyrenees
Fargo, CGC - 9 month old Newfoundland
Sadie, CGC - 8 month old Newfoundland

What Now!? - www.muttdog.us

Offline ZooCrew

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Re: The Flock
« Reply #6 on: November 17, 2008, 03:55:08 pm »
I have worked with both macaws and cockatoos, and I think it's just that macaws don't like me............ .lol.  Of course there was one african grey that didnt' care much for me either.  He would call you over to his cage, then proceed to try and bite you.  :(

I am well aware of the 'too's vocality.  It doesn't bother me so much, although I suppose if I heard it hours on end it might?  We  had a loving one at the vet clinic I used to work at.  She was paralyzed and had little to no use of her feet, but such a sweetheart.  Took me months but I finally got her to say "what'cha doin?" a few weeks before I moved away.

My conures can be pretty loud (well the one is worse than the other) and the one is quite nippy (cage possessive) but we are working on it.  I'm not sure if they like my husband or dislike him but they make a huge racket whenever he is in the kitchen cooking.  ;D  And this can go on for 15 minutes or longer.  ;)

Lucky for me, I've never been bitten hard by anything bigger than my blue fronted conure.  But my peach fronted frequently draws blood and my worst bite to date was actually from a very pissed off cockatiel..... .......lol.  Not that others haven't tried.  ::)

Offline KiraNGunnersmom

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Re: The Flock
« Reply #7 on: November 17, 2008, 04:45:11 pm »
OUr friends have a yellow neck something or another.  All I really know about Groucho is that his species is generally know for being aggressive.  He is a bright green with a yellow neck.
When you walk near his cage he will scream and yell "help, me"  scares the crap out of people who arent used to him.
When the phone rings,  he says "hello" and if you dont answer the phone quickly he will say "answer the d@mn phone".
He says quite a few other things and laughs alot.

Kira- Akita
Gunner-Mastiff
cockateils-Peanut Butter & Jelly
Beta fish-Mak

Offline People Whisperer

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Re: The Flock
« Reply #8 on: November 17, 2008, 04:50:04 pm »
What a gorgeous flock!!! I know NOTHING about birds but they sound fascinating  :)
"To once own a Great Pyrenees is to love and want one always."
Mary W. Crane

I don't suffer from insanity; I enjoy every minute of it :)


Offline BrewMaster

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Re: The Flock
« Reply #9 on: November 17, 2008, 05:03:54 pm »
I think if you can handle staying in the same living area with a conure most of the time, you have a much higher chance of making it with a cockatoo. :)  I suppose it would have been fair for me to mention all of the good things about them too.  They are the best cuddlers on the planet. Our triton cockatoo could brighten anyone's day with his silly, halarious antics. And there is nothing like hearing "I love you" in the morning or before bed.:) The cockatoo you worked with sounds like she was an extra sweet gal. 
-Anna
Brutus - 50% Pyrenees, 25% Irish Wolfhound, 25% St. Bernard

Penny - Welsh Corgi Mix

Peggy Sue - Blue & Gold Macaw

Benny & BatToo - Cockatoos

...And Flock!

Offline BrewMaster

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Re: The Flock
« Reply #10 on: November 17, 2008, 05:06:37 pm »
Sounds like a yellow naped amazon.  They can be pretty spicy and have huge personalities.  They are among the best talkers but lots of talking also usually includes lots of other noises. I was working with one the other day and she was just too cool.  she sat in my lap LaLaLa-ing at me and talking in full sentences, but she was mumbling so I didn't catch a word of it.   :D
-Anna   
Brutus - 50% Pyrenees, 25% Irish Wolfhound, 25% St. Bernard

Penny - Welsh Corgi Mix

Peggy Sue - Blue & Gold Macaw

Benny & BatToo - Cockatoos

...And Flock!