I look forward to getting your email every Sunday and reading it has become as much a ritual as the old Sunday paper.
And now I have a question for you.
Thunder and Lightning are my bonded parakeets.
I’ve had them for years.
Last summer I saw more and more breeding activity, so I bought a box and let nature take its course.
Thunder laid four eggs, one of which was fertilized.
Just as the name implies, this is a series of quick and easy ways to help your birds stay happy and healthy around the clock.
This is a series of short but incisive ideas you can apply today bringing you closer to bird care nirvana.
The number of things necessary to provide foraging enrichment for your birds can be found in a series of quick and simple ideas.
Donna L. asks:
What should I do for a hormonal male caique, 17 years old?
Screaming while holding a toy with his beak on the cage bottom or screaming while hanging on the cage bars, screaming at 2:30 AM.
Losing weight, killing any toy he can find, and just starting to pick at his chest and bottom of his foot.
Editor’s note: I suggest a magnified visual of both feet bottoms seeking any sores or irritations. Endnote
Stopped eating his pellets (Harrisons), I have combined them with other pellets, not interested. Will eat them if I soak them in water and mix them with cooked bird rice and spaghetti.
If you’ve ever noticed strange lines running perpendicular (across) the shafts of your bird’s feathers these are what are called “stress bars”.
They are particularly noticeable when your bird is molting and are harder to see if the feathers are still on the bird.
Joanne F. wonders aloud,
Been reading your blog about the effects of Lupron on female birds for egg-laying.
My vet is suggesting these injections for my male white face cockatiel, “Pico”.
Pico is literally like Jekyll and Hyde.
Very loving but can turn on you in a nanosecond.
He is so highly hormonal that almost anything is perceived as a potential mate.
Feet, sneakers, plastic Kind bar wrappers……the list is expanding.
Hi Mitch,
My name is Barbara T, and you and I just spoke re my parakeet, Ricky, who has been treated by an Avian specialist, Gloria Goodman, VMD (website: avianexoticvetpa.com), for mites since July 2nd, 2020.
As I told you, I had surgery and my sister took care of the bird from May 12th through June 28th.
I noticed immediately that his face looked like it had rot on it and he seemed “antsy”—pecking on his feathers and rubbing his head, especially around the eye area, on the cage.
I called the vet and she saw him on July 2nd.
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Barbara G. is concerned about her African grey’s lack of interest in bird toys:
Hi Mitch, I really enjoy your Sunday bird info.
My male Timneh suddenly has become frightened of his toys.
Even a piñata shredding toy.
A few months ago, I purchased a bag of beautiful handmade all-natural bird toys.
The following is in response to our feathered community member Patrick.
Hi Patrick B,
I have a 27-year old Senegal. I was reading your post and thought I would offer a few suggestions to you. First, as Mitch said, try clicker training. It is basically positive operant conditioning. Birds do not understand the word “no” and yelling at them will teach them how to scream. So please give it a try.
Hello,