Tag: pets

Amazon Parrots, Parrot Everything!, Step Up, Training

Teaching a Parrot to Step-Up: Recommended Steps

As a first-time bird owner, I found many online parrot training guides to be… rather vague. It was hard to figure out how to create a tangible training process for my parrots out of abstract ideas.

Fortunately, I had a ton of guidance from the bird rescue where I used to volunteer, and now several years of the hands-on experience of rescuing five different parrots from varying walks of life.

Thus, I’ve created a list of suggested milestones for training parrots who are hand-shy to step up. Continue reading Teaching a Parrot to Step-Up: Recommended Steps

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Budgies, Health, Parrot Everything!

My Littlest Budgie has a Liver Infection

A little more than two weeks ago, little Beau lost 2 grams of weight; he’s really tiny (originally weighing in at 28 grams) to begin with, so any drop was concerning.

We weren’t sure what was going on, but ultimately decided not to take a chance and brought him into the vet.

He’s been fighting for his life ever since. Continue reading My Littlest Budgie has a Liver Infection

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Sticky post
Health, Parrot Everything!

Broken Blood Feathers: What To Do

So — your parrot preened themselves a little too hard. Perhaps they were flying around the room and landed a little funny. Either way, you notice that one of their feathers is bleeding. What in the world…? What should you do? If your parrot is bleeding, that’s an emergency. Yes, even if it’s just from a tiny little feather. Think about how tiny a parakeet … Continue reading Broken Blood Feathers: What To Do

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Eclectus Parrots, Parrot Everything!, Senegal Parrots, Training

“OMG, I want a parrot!”

Do you? Do you really? They are unpredictable; they bite often, and bite hard. They are far, far from kid-friendly. So let’s face it; most birds, were they dogs, would be put down. Louie’s grandfather (or at least great-grandfather) likely flew the canopies of the Solomon Islands. And Ozone’s father is probably still terrorizing some local somewhere in Africa. At no point should you assume … Continue reading “OMG, I want a parrot!”

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Parrot Everything!, Rehoming Rescue Birds, Thoughts on Parrots, Training

A Parrot: The Forever Two-Year-Old

When you think about adopting a baby bird, consider this: You are raising a child monster with permanently-affixed pliers, and that child is gonna be a two-year-old for fifty to one hundred years, depending on the species. Every mistake you make in his or her formative years, every bad habit you instill, will be with you for the duration of that parrot’s life. It’s so important … Continue reading A Parrot: The Forever Two-Year-Old

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Amazon Parrots, Parrot Everything!, Rehoming Rescue Birds, Step Up

Training Rescued Parrots: Setting Goals

Well, we’ve had Vi for a little over three and a half weeks now–things are going well. Slow, but well. Man oh man, unless your rehomed parrot is super well-socialized (which many aren’t–probably why she’s a rehome), this task is not for the impatient. I’m following my mantra of “every experience a positive one” and it seems to be working, but as a woman who grew up … Continue reading Training Rescued Parrots: Setting Goals

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Budgies, Cockatiels, Parrot Everything!

Budgie or Cockatiel? Our Limited Experience

The video below essentially highlights the key differences in personalities between cockatiels and English budgies (the carefully-bred, more-expensive-than-their-svelte-American-cousins behemoths of the budgie world): View this post on Instagram A post shared by Snowpack Deactivated (@the.snow.pack) When people debate over getting their “first bird” (I refuse to call any bird a “starter bird”, for each bird is its own individual and there will never be another quite like the … Continue reading Budgie or Cockatiel? Our Limited Experience

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Louie, unimpressed with his foraging toy.
Eclectus Parrots, Parrot Everything!, Toys

Foraging Toy – The Stuffed Pepper

Today was a snow day, which meant I had time to make my birds a foraging toy! Hurray! Behold the fury that is Louie: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Snowpack Deactivated (@the.snow.pack) Easiest toy ever–cut a slice off the side of a fairly large bell pepper, stuff the inside with a bunch of fruits and vegetables (this one was filled with … Continue reading Foraging Toy – The Stuffed Pepper

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Multiple Bird Syndrome, Parrot Everything!, Rehoming Rescue Birds, Thoughts on Parrots

Rehomes – The Way to Go

Many people often ask the question: Should we go with a baby bird, or look for an older bird who needs a new home? Hubby and I have done both; each experience was fulfilling in its own way. The biggest benefit to a baby bird is that it allows you to learn to handle your parrot without fear early-on; but they grow up, they often change, and … Continue reading Rehomes – The Way to Go

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