Kathleen R. asks:
Do you like lemons?
Dear Kathleen ~ Do we like lemons?
Well, yes, they smell nice, are very useful to flavor foods, and make a nice beverage.
Are you asking if lemons are okay for parrots?
They won’t hurt them, but why would you give them to parrots?
Scott S. asks:
Hi – I actually have a birdie question.
We have a 2-year-old male Gray Cockatiel who has the worst case of “owie” feathers under his wings.
We can lift his wings and see a number of pin feathers that are causing some distress.
Question: what if anything can we do to help him out?
Mary W. relates:
We’ve talked about the differences between molting, preening, and plucking in a post found here.
Molting is misunderstood and usually viewed as nothing more than a nuisance.
We have 10 birds in our home.
That means they’re going to shed between 50,000 and 70,000 feathers combined, annually!
Feathered factoid: Ducks have 10,000 or more feathers and swans have upwards of 12,000+.
I’ve combined several questions in this post, all related to feather care, you know those hundreds (thousands) of lighter than air floating things around your home, under the birdcage and on the floor.
Feathered factoid: small pet birds like budgies can have 4000 – 6000 feathers.
Larger parrots can have upwards of 8000 feathers (we count them coming out of the shop vac).
Waterbirds like ducks and swans have upwards of 10,000 feathers or more.
Pam G writes:
I have a 4-year-old male English budgie whose cere has changed from blue to purplish brown.
He also has loose whitish droppings and very large regular droppings.
He recently has stopped talking and doesn’t show interest in his mating rituals with his toys.
I am concerned that he has testicular cancer.
Jeanne Writes:
I have an adorable budgie named Peanut.
His beak started to grow about a year ago and I wanted to know what I could do to reverse this if it is possible, I know that means he has a fatty liver.
Darla S asks:
Can you suggest a few medium-sized parrot species for a 1st-time owner about to turn 60y?
I am interested in moderation (moderate affection, playfulness, independence, friendliness, and noise) ability to talk would be a plus.
I still work full time, and live alone in my own house.
From Donna E.
question: I have recently been given a parakeet with a splayed leg.
He eats and flys but he’s not very active and basically just sits in one place for long periods of time, especially if another keet doesn’t land next to him to get him moving.
Mary asks
First I want to say I love your Birdie Brunch Newsletter because I can scroll through it quickly, pick out the articles I want to read, and just view those.
It’s one of only 2 newsletters I actually look at in my email!
So I have a question about beak and nail trimming.