A Compliment From The Heart

Timothy · Aug 24, 2014

I have owned Parrots for 8 Years, My first parrot was a Cockatiel.

That was it, I was hooked on Parrots. 3 months after getting Jack, my cockatiel (RIP Jack) I Purchased a Blue and Gold macaw, She was adorable, Only a few days had passed since she started pushing pin feathers. Being as I was working at the location I purchased her, I was familiar with hand feeding and was able to bring her home only a few weeks old.

I Now have quite a few feathered Owners

As a parrot owner I felt I was lacking necessary information here and there so i soaked in as much as I could wherever I could. I Consider myself pretty experienced at learning about Parrots

LOL I say this because just when I thought there was nothing more to learn about a specific topic BOOM something comes to my attention that requires hours of devotion to understand properly. The problem for the last 8 years has been a stable source of information (Trust me, dont believe everything you read on the internet)

So what did I do recently? I joined this forum community a little over 1 week ago, Since then, I have been on almost every day while I take care of several new additions to my Feathered Family!

Here is the part which inspired me to write this post:

This community is AMAZING
You guys are just so Awesome I feel such a strong sense of community on this forum. All of my questions have been answered in a polite professional manner, and i haven't been trolled at all which is a record for me!

I just have to say from the bottem of my heart Thank you all so much!!!

The people i have encountered here on this forum are down to earth, friendly, and Mature

I am in debt to you all and will be for a long time for the professional attitude, charity, and plain simple good folks

Allee · Aug 24, 2014

Timothy, Thank you so much for posting your heartfelt message! I'm so glad you are enjoying your time here. We do have a fantastic group.

SilverSage · Aug 24, 2014

We are glad to have you

You said the thing about trolling, and the funny thing is that I don't think I have ever seen it happen here. I think the mods are pretty on top of that kind of nonsense! I LOVE this community, and I am on basically every day as well. I love knowing that not only do people here care about my questions, but we all care about the other person's birds. Sometimes people disagree, and sometimes those disagreements are pretty strong, but we all want what is best for the birds in the end. I also love the freedom it gives me to give advice. For example if someone asks a question and I give an answer, I know that other people are going to SEE that answer and if I have given bad advice they will post their disagreement. I feel like that level of interaction is almost as important for me as the initial ability to ask questions! We are glad to have you, and we look forward to your continued presence!

Timothy · Aug 24, 2014

SilverSage said:
We are glad to have you You said the thing about trolling, and the funny thing is that I don't think I have ever seen it happen here. I think the mods are pretty on top of that kind of nonsense! I LOVE this community, and I am on basically every day as well. I love knowing that not only do people here care about my questions, but we all care about the other person's birds. Sometimes people disagree, and sometimes those disagreements are pretty strong, but we all want what is best for the birds in the end. I also love the freedom it gives me to give advice. For example if someone asks a question and I give an answer, I know that other people are going to SEE that answer and if I have given bad advice they will post their disagreement. I feel like that level of interaction is almost as important for me as the initial ability to ask questions! We are glad to have you, and we look forward to your continued presence!

I know exactly what you mean. I've been having so much fun posting and replying, giving and receiving advice. Its a roller coaster of emotion with all these storys im reading. Ive been moved to tears, and laughing out in joy to some of the things i've read. It's such a strong group of people here and i couldn't be happier! This is my online home now!

I wake up in the morning and the first thing i want to do is hop on and see who's posted what

And about the advice - I love giving advice myself, and it is very cool that if i am wrong i know ill be corrected in a professional and respectful manner, instead of getting yelled at and called names like another forum i was on. I wont mention any names.

Im ecstatic!

Timothy · Aug 24, 2014

Allee said:
Timothy, Thank you so much for posting your heartfelt message! I'm so glad you are enjoying your time here. We do have a fantastic group.

I really am enjoying myself, as stated in above post. I cant wait to get to know more people on the site. I know im going to end up with many genuine friendships due to this community

Terry57 · Aug 24, 2014

I feel the same way about this forum that you do, Timothy

I have felt at home since the moment I joined, and have never found a better group of people anywhere.
I am so glad you are loving it as well! Thank you so much for your wonderful post

SilverSage · Aug 24, 2014

It truly is a unique place in that the tone has truly been set to "respect" and "care" rather than "shout" and "argue" like so many places on the internet. We are a community that ranges from people who have raise parrots for decades and those who live with some of the most complicated companion parrots, all the way down to those whose first post include stories like "I got a parakeet for my birthday and don't know what to do with it," I inherited a bird that hates me," and "help I found this baby parrot on the ground, does anyone know what kind it is?" Everyone with a parrot in their life in any way is welcome here - that is special.

RavensGryf · Aug 24, 2014

Timothy, I'm glad you noticed that this is the best forum out there!

It's a wonderfully moderated forum, so that anyone who has a bad attitude and doesn't fit in because of it, will find themselves kicked out the door in a hurry! It keeps this a nice comfortable place to 'hang out' with friends and acquaintances and make new friends as we learn

and we can always learn! I've had birds since in the 90's, and had been on forums and groups in the past, but since I joined here, I have to say my bird knowledge base has deepened and widened. Also enriched with fresh new ideas!

It IS different. I have lurked on other forums before, and I know that most any forum out there (bird or other) will allow a surprising amount of attitude and arguments. It has to be REALLY bad before something is done about it

. I don't want any part of that... After all, I come here to relax and enjoy!

Not to say I've never gotten mad here before occasionally :54: but I just won't type if I can't say anything constructive back, since I don't want to get banned from my regular hangout LOL! :52:

MrsKay · Aug 24, 2014

I agree. This is a wonderful place to be

Blancaej · Aug 24, 2014

I agree with you as well! I came here to learn more about macaws last year when I adopted my first rehome macaw who was 19 at the time. I got so much great information from the members of this forum and I have learned so much. I've owned my African Grey for 14 years but was still able to learn new things to make his life happier, all because of this place. And for that I am also very thankful and grateful!

Timothy · Aug 25, 2014

RavensGryf said:
Timothy, I'm glad you noticed that this is the best forum out there!

It's a wonderfully moderated forum, so that anyone who has a bad attitude and doesn't fit in because of it, will find themselves kicked out the door in a hurry! It keeps this a nice comfortable place to 'hang out' with friends and acquaintances and make new friends as we learn and we can always learn! I've had birds since in the 90's, and had been on forums and groups in the past, but since I joined here, I have to say my bird knowledge base has deepened and widened. Also enriched with fresh new ideas!

It IS different. I have lurked on other forums before, and I know that most any forum out there (bird or other) will allow a surprising amount of attitude and arguments. It has to be REALLY bad before something is done about it . I don't want any part of that... After all, I come here to relax and enjoy!

Not to say I've never gotten mad here before occasionally :54: but I just won't type if I can't say anything constructive back, since I don't want to get banned from my regular hangout LOL! :52:

Yeah, i'm really new to forums except one other that i frequented a few years ago, and the amount of trolling was just unbearable. I mean who wants to click on a thread their interested in and then have to deal with whining, name calling, and rudeness, and then not even get the content you were looking for!?

On a side note - Even just being here a week, my bird knowledge has skyrocketed - And i thought i knew A LOT already! I honestly had it in my head that i was a super experienced owner, having worked for a prestige retailer/breeder for a few years - and caring for my own breeders/babies-adults.

Now, im not saying i was clueless, just that i'm actually learning things with every thread i enter. And there is sooooo much content!! i dont think ill ever run out of things to read that were posted in the past

OH and the best part of it all? for real. the best part is

This Forum is SUPER Active!!

I'm in love

This is the first thing i do when i wake up and the last before bed and tons in between.

Hmm looking at it, i think i may have an addiction problem now

Pssshhh Thanks Guys!! Now I'm an info addict.

And you knew what you were doing.. Give me a little to get the tste for it and then Wham Bam im hooked

SilverSage · Aug 25, 2014

Exactly

I was in the same boat, having owned birds since I was a child, but never being part of a "parrot community" like this before, and certainly not in person. Even though there are things said here that I do not always agree with, those opinions I differ from give me a place to start researching on my own. Sometimes I am proven wrong, sometimes I learn I was right, and sometimes I end up researching something else entirely! And then there are those times when you come across someone talking about something you have never even heard of before... wow. Just wow.

Timothy · Aug 25, 2014

SilverSage said:
Exactly I was in the same boat, having owned birds since I was a child, but never being part of a "parrot community" like this before, and certainly not in person. Even though there are things said here that I do not always agree with, those opinions I differ from give me a place to start researching on my own. Sometimes I am proven wrong, sometimes I learn I was right, and sometimes I end up researching something else entirely! And then there are those times when you come across someone talking about something you have never even heard of before... wow. Just wow.

When it comes to parrots *If* i am wrong about something, and i am proved wrong, its a joyous feeling for me because i know from now on i wont be making that mistake anymore and it just makes me feel good.

Oh and by the way, i absolutely adore your signature!

SilverSage · Aug 25, 2014

Thank you. My first bird came into my life LITERALLY because someone was "throwing her away." She was a budgie, and they are SO OFTEN just tossed aside. She was brilliant. She came to me 100% wild having been not just neglected but actually abused, and the lady was just trying to pawn her off on whoever would take her. I Love budgies. So much. They have so much potential and so often are just discarded. Stick around long enough and you will see my climb on my "beginner bird" soap box more than once!!

Timothy · Aug 25, 2014

I remember a family member had a green budgie before i started working with parrots.

After said family member passed away i inherited the bird - This was right after i started working with parrots at this point

Since i had knowledge on safe living conditions at this time i realized that the budgie was miserable, the cage was TINY - he could barely open his wings, there was one perch, and it was a round cage

He ate mostly millet and safflower seeds

His nails were in circles and his beak was digging into his throat

He was wild, never handled, never out of the cage

I spent 4 months with him rehabilitating him, by the time he passed away (he was 4 years old) he rode around on me all day with food breaks which he would fly to his new 18x24x24 cage to get to, he learned to step up, roll over, and recall perfectly

There is no such thing as a starter bird! Any bird can be tons of joy

All Birds are a challenge. NO BIRDS are disposable

SilverSage · Aug 25, 2014

Agreed. Saphire was a blue budgie that this woman won in a bingo game, and named her Bingo. She kept her in a tiny round cage (who INVENTED those monstrosities, anyway??) and fed her ONLY millet. Whenever she would molt, this woman would put a sock on her hand, catch the bird, clip her wings, and put her back in the cage. She showed me how to do it - she was SO rough with her I was afraid for her life! She went so far as to put balck garbage bags over all her windows because she was "allergic to sunlight" and she had dogs and cats that she made no attempt to keep away from the cage. She laughed about sometimes they would knock it down, so she had to wire the door shut.

One day she saw a pretty yellow budgie in a pet store and bought it, and put it in the same cage as this one. Of course this "evil monster bird" tried to kill the intruder, so she didn't want to keep the "free ugly one" but instead wanted to keep "the pretty one that she paid for." She was coming to visit my mom (they were friends when they were kids) and asked if any of her kids would like a bird. My poor, saintly mother HATES living with pets, but for some reason she allowed this woman to bring me that bird. She grew to regret is and years later she SNAPPED and made me sell every bird I owned, but she let that seed be planted. Saphire went from being 100% wild to a "velcro bird" in no time. Her favorite place? My sister's shoulder, who was at that time just barely old enough to consistently walk on her own. It was very cute. She would also crawl up under my french braid so she was between the braid and my head up above my neck, and no one knew she was there but me

Sadly, when the great exodus occurred, she was sent to live with my aunt who poisoned her with an air freshener

getwozzy · Aug 25, 2014

Thank you so much for your kind words, Timothy! One year ago I was also looking for a place to get advice after suddenly adopting an amazon... Everyone here was so nice to me, so encouraging, and I followed the advice given to me and made leaps and bounds of progress with him.... There is a sense of a strong community here, and we are all like family....one big flock [emoji4]

Some members come and go, but quite a few have been here a while....I hope you stick around!!

Timothy · Aug 25, 2014

SilverSage said:
Agreed. Saphire was a blue budgie that this woman won in a bingo game, and named her Bingo. She kept her in a tiny round cage (who INVENTED those monstrosities, anyway??) and fed her ONLY millet. Whenever she would molt, this woman would put a sock on her hand, catch the bird, clip her wings, and put her back in the cage. She showed me how to do it - she was SO rough with her I was afraid for her life! She went so far as to put balck garbage bags over all her windows because she was "allergic to sunlight" and she had dogs and cats that she made no attempt to keep away from the cage. She laughed about sometimes they would knock it down, so she had to wire the door shut.

One day she saw a pretty yellow budgie in a pet store and bought it, and put it in the same cage as this one. Of course this "evil monster bird" tried to kill the intruder, so she didn't want to keep the "free ugly one" but instead wanted to keep "the pretty one that she paid for." She was coming to visit my mom (they were friends when they were kids) and asked if any of her kids would like a bird. My poor, saintly mother HATES living with pets, but for some reason she allowed this woman to bring me that bird. She grew to regret is and years later she SNAPPED and made me sell every bird I owned, but she let that seed be planted. Saphire went from being 100% wild to a "velcro bird" in no time. Her favorite place? My sister's shoulder, who was at that time just barely old enough to consistently walk on her own. It was very cute. She would also crawl up under my french braid so she was between the braid and my head up above my neck, and no one knew she was there but me Sadly, when the great exodus occurred, she was sent to live with my aunt who poisoned her with an air freshener

getwozzy said:
Thank you so much for your kind words, Timothy! One year ago I was also looking for a place to get advice after suddenly adopting an amazon... Everyone here was so nice to me, so encouraging, and I followed the advice given to me and made leaps and bounds of progress with him.... There is a sense of a strong community here, and we are all like family....one big flock [emoji4]

Some members come and go, but quite a few have been here a while....I hope you stick around!!

@Silversage That is such an interesting and heart felt story! Budgies do make excellent pets. When i worked t todd marcus birds exotic we had some finches that had babies, most died before i realized the mama finch died so i hand fed the baby finch and he was just as tame as a budgie, he would stick to me everywhere i went. He was so quirky!

@Wozzy You can bet your life on it, ill be sticking around here for good

Love this place!

getwozzy · Aug 25, 2014

I apologize- I had my time frames off lol (one of those days) it's been 1.5 years since I joined (I can't believe how time flies!)...and a lot of the same folks are still around!!

A Compliment From The Heart

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