upatsix.com - Your Source For Pet Bird Information

Hi again Everyone!!
I know it's been a while- we finally got Jones in October, and it seemed like the first few months of having him my time was completely his. Now that I am off work, I have a little more time to catch up on the forums.

Boy, the advice was spot on!! Thank you all so much. The spoon feeding when he first got here went off without a hitch (I'm very glad I didn't try syringe feeding him) and he was of that in his own time, really. Maybe a month or so I was feeding him. He very quickly learned his contact whistle, and has since learned all kinds of noises, and is developing quite a personality. He just lights up our lives- I never could have imagined how fantastic these birds are. So it's been about 6 months so far, and everything is great. Our biggest issue is probably that he's a little addicted to us, and will play on his own, but really prefers us. I'd like him to be a little more independent, but that will probably just take time. His head is molting out nicely! It's about half orange now- I'm going to put up some pictures later tonight hopefully.

Anyway, my big question is about food. He eats everything we give him, it's fantastic. But I find lists online as to what is toxic and what is not, and apart from the main things, avocado, caffiene, chocolate, dairy, etc, I find some other things to be contradictory, depending on what list I'm looking at. Beans and potatoes, for example, are fine or terrible, depending on what website I'm on. So I end up avoiding alot of things that may very well be fine for him.

Does anyone know of a good/bad foods list that is really reputable?

Oh yeah! And we've been playing alot of different kinds of music, trying to get him to enjoy dancing, but so far, not much of a response. He'll sing along with songs, but doesn't boogie down at all- does this usually come after adolescence?

The list does not include sprouts (I can give you a list of places that sell sprouts, as well as sprouting articles if you wish) but it's got a lot on it!
cockatiel/topic99796.html?#p138456

Cooked white potatoes are fine, and sweet potatos/yams are fine fed cooked or raw. Beans however must be fully cooked or sprouted with 1/4" or longer tails, although there are also other pulses you can feed as well, which you can get an idea from the list.

Hey Niki

Good to see you back on the site. Glad to hear that Jones is doing so well. Sounds like you are doing all then right things with him. Stay with the contact call - always use it. This is Ciscos comfort thing for him Once we answer him he plays well with his toys. Jones personality will continue to develop as he gets older. Cisco is still blossoming into his full adult persona and some behaviors that are "typically Caique" just take longer to come out. Cisco enjoys all sorts of music. He and I headbang, bounce, and whistle to hairbands and he will also sit quietly with mt wife while she plays jazz and blues. He loves to listen and whistle along with anything - if we enjoy it, he enjoys it. Jones will most probably dance and bounce if you do, They seem to like what we like.

I try to let Cisco take part in as many activity's of daily living as possible His favorite time is morning bathroom. he stands on the faucet and gets his own toothbrush to dip in the running water, Then we tear him a piece of floss so he can share in that activity He hol;d the floss and nibbles up and down it. And then for the coup de grace, if I am off or have a late day to work he gets his bath in the sink also. Talk about wetting up a bathroom - water flies everywhere !!!! I find that the more exposure birds get to different activities the more content they are with life - making for a well adjusted bird and overall happy family.

Keep up the good work and keep us posted

Freddy

Excellent food list, MFids. I haven't made bird bread yet, but I think I will try it out. I had no idea there were so many different kinds that people sold online.

Ahaha! I never heard of a flossing parrot, Freddy! That's fantastic. I hear you about Cisco's baths- when Jones has a bath, everyone has a bath. He LOVES the shower too.

I'm really excited to take him outside in the spring and get him used to short walks to the park possibly (On a harness of course) but I'm a little worried about him catching mites from being outside. Has anyone ever had this problem?