Future Bird Upgraded - Need Shopping Help

Inger · Mar 31, 2017

Future Bird has been upgraded to Possible Bird, as I've placed a deposit on a little girl I plan to meet next week. Yay!

So - fun fact. I have an anxiety disorder that's pretty well controlled through medication and knitting MOST of the time. But I haven't been knitting lately. One of the main things I deal with is my brain playing out scenarios of horrible ways my loved ones could die. Fun, right? And after reading this forum, I keep putting things in my shopping cart (Amazon and Foster/Smith) and not being able to click purchase because what if this ________ is going to be what kills PB?

Soooo I'm going to link the things currently in my Foster/Smith cart here and I hope someone will tell me if any of these are risky or totally inappropriate for a parrotlet. Thanks and sorry - sometimes my crazy gets to be a bit much

Also - any recommendations on a specific brand of pellets?

Bird Toys: Rope and wood bird toys: cholla toys
Caged Bird Perches: Natural Dragonwood Bird Perches at Drs. Foster and Smith
Bird toys: Natural fiber pinata toy for birds at Drs. Foster and Smith
Bird Toys: Yucca Color Kabob Bird Toys | DrsFosterSmith.com
Space Circles Bird Toy: Bird Toy Treat Holders at Drs Foster and Smith
Bird Beak Conditioner: Cuttlebones at Drs. Foster & Smith
Cuttlebones & Bird Mineral Supplements: Cuttlebone Holder at Drs. Foster & Smith

SilverSage · Mar 31, 2017

I would not buy the first one, or any toy with rope or cloth, except for SUPERVISED USE. Basically you could put it on the play stand, but not inside the cage. Rope and cloth fibers are dangerous if ingested, dangerous if toes are tangled in.

Natural wood perches in as many shapes and sizes as possible are GREAT! My favorite are the grape wood perches.

Natural fiber piñata same thing as rope; that looks like a great play stand toy, not a great cage toy.

Yucca is always a winner! Your parrotlet is small so don't be shocked if those pieces are too big to really get her attention though.

The foraging toy sized for a grey isn't dangerous but may be too heavy for your little one to operate.

Cuttle bone is important, but the holder falls into the "waste of money" category in my opinion. I find birds are more likely to chew it if you just wedge it between the bars.

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Inger · Mar 31, 2017

Ahhh thank you. Cart revised and I might be able to click "purchase" now [emoji4]

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SilverSage · Mar 31, 2017

Glad to help! For the record I also have a major anxiety disorder as well as some other nice little surprises. I've had people suggest that I would be able to "get over it" if I didn't have so many pets. True genius there. You will get the hang of it, but I still have days when I'm sure every bird I live with is about to die for no reason.

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SailBoat · Mar 31, 2017

SilverSage said:
Glad to help! For the record I also have a major anxiety disorder as well as some other nice little surprises. I've had people suggest that I would be able to "get over it" if I didn't have so many pets. True genius there. You will get the hang of it, but I still have days when I'm sure every bird I live with is about to die for no reason.
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In your opinion, would it help if the Parrot is allow to select the Human or only add to the stress for an individual with anxiety disorder?

My background has always been; Here, you take it, thanks, bye! Hence the question.

Inger · Mar 31, 2017

SilverSage said:
Glad to help! For the record I also have a major anxiety disorder as well as some other nice little surprises. I've had people suggest that I would be able to "get over it" if I didn't have so many pets. True genius there. You will get the hang of it, but I still have days when I'm sure every bird I live with is about to die for no reason.

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Nice to know I'm not alone [emoji4] and "get over it" is so stupid. Don't people think if it was that easy we WOULD get over it? And our pets make it BETTER, not worse.

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Inger · Mar 31, 2017

SailBoat said:
SilverSage said:

Glad to help! For the record I also have a major anxiety disorder as well as some other nice little surprises. I've had people suggest that I would be able to "get over it" if I didn't have so many pets. True genius there. You will get the hang of it, but I still have days when I'm sure every bird I live with is about to die for no reason.

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Click to expand...

In your opinion, would it help if the Parrot is allow to select the Human or only add to the stress for an individual with anxiety disorder?

My background has always been; Here, you take it, thanks, bye! Hence the question.

Every anxiety disorder is different. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I am going to meet PB next week, and if she hates me she won't become AB (Actual Bird), but I'm mostly meeting her because I want to get s good look at her. She's mostly blue but a little pied and that isn't how I imagined FB so I want to make sure I'm not settling out of impatience. Pretty sure she'll be AB though, and then I'll tell you all her name. [emoji4]

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SilverSage · Mar 31, 2017

Each bird acquiring experience is different and each person is different, I don't think anyone can say which "method" of picking a bird will be best for someone else

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Teddscau · Apr 1, 2017

Aww, you have anxiety disorder too? I've suffered from it since I was at least three, but at least there's meds to get your brain to calm down. Honestly, unless someone suffers from anxiety disorder, they don't really have a right to tell you how to deal with it. I've been told "not to think about what makes me anxious". Yeah, that's what I do. I get up in the morning and say, "Know what would be fun? Obsessing over things that make me anxious." Honestly, it ticks me off, especially since it was my paediatrician who told me not to think about what makes me anxious. It's like telling someone who's just been shot in the foot not to think about the pain. As long as I switch my anxiety meds every few years, I'm good. Stupid body becomes immune to everything, like shampoo, deodorant, lotion, medication, etc. Have to switch things up every now and then.

My parents are always saying I should never have been allowed to have companion animals because I worry about them so much. Okay, if it's not my companion animals, it's germs, the meaning of life, existentialism, religion, if what I'm eating has been tainted, etc. Heck, sometimes, when I have nothing to be anxious about, my brain decides to be anxious about nothing. At least I get more enjoyment out of my birds than I do germs or eating something that could potentially be contaminated with mercury.

If you'd like some advice on brands that tend to be very safe (use common sense, since something that might be safe for one bird could pose a danger to another), well, I'll just tell you.

Avian Stainless
Things for Wings
Polly's Pet Products
Bird on the Rocks
Planet Pleasures

Man, short list. There used to be more stores and brands, but they all seem to be going out of business. I'd definitely recommend checking out Things for Wings. Their "On the Fence" lines are great. They have a bunch of different shreddables strung up on a sea grass mat, and the kids love it! Oh, I'd also recommend buying a ton of mahogany pods. It's like catnip to them. Except they shred it instead of eating it. And they don't get high from the mahogany pods. Anyways, mahogany pods are very inexpensive as far as shreddables go (you can get them at Feathered Addictions, and My Safe Bird Store), and they're very lightweight and easy to shred.

I probably wouldn't go with the KnotRageous toy because of the frayed (bleached) rope. I also don't know if the hardware is stainless steel. I'd buy some natural, unbleached cotton rope from an online bird store, along with undyed wooden beads and stuff. And stainless steel wire. Then you can make your own. Oh my gosh! Pod foraging cups! You'll find them under the "natural toy parts" section on a number of parrot supply websites. You can string them up in the cage with some Paulie rope, and fill them with treats. The KnotRageous toy is probably fine, but if you're paranoid like me, you'll probably want to skip it.

Like SilverSage, I also have days (or weeks) where I think all my birds are going to die. I have to remind myself that they just have terrible genetics, and that it probably isn't some sort of lethal avian illness.

As for the dragon wood perch, is the hardware stainless steel or nickel plated? Otherwise, it could have zinc, and zinc (the metal, not the naturally occurring mineral found in food, although they still shouldn't ingest too much dietary zinc) is basically poison to birds. Zinc, unfortunately, is everywhere.

The Piñata should be fine. And before you start to worry about the fibres, no one in their right mind would try to swallow those. It would be like trying to swallow a hairbrush.

As for the yucca kabob, I'd go with Wesco's Grande Kabob (if it fits in the cage). My kids can destroy one of those in just three days (Samantha and Rumi have OCD). Ooh! And a corkbark perch! They're these platform perches made from corkbark that birds love. Just keep an eye on the shredding, since cork is extremely dusty and can fill an obsessive bird's lungs with dust. I had a scare a few months back when Rumi and Samantha were sneezing brown dust everywhere (I just about had a heart attack).

Instead of that foraging toy, I'd get her a buffet ball. It's made from acrylic and you fill it with fruits, veggies, nuts, birdie bread, or whatever. You can also put shreddables in it. One model hangs from a chain, and another attaches to the side of the cage. It's a bit bulky, so you might want to attach it to the outside of her cage for her to use when she's out.

Cuttlebone's good to have, but you might also want to buy her a Manu mineral block. It lasts way longer and has other minerals in it besides calcium. It also has a different texture and taste to it. It's good to have both though so she can eat whichever one tickles her fancy. Hmm, i should probably get an iodine block.

For dry food, I'd buy her Goldn'obles III (Goldenfeast), Totally Organic Pellets Crumplets (Crumbles?), Goldenfeast Conure Gourmet Blend, and Goldenfeast Petite Hookbill Legume Blend.

Inger · Apr 1, 2017

Teddscau said:
Aww, you have anxiety disorder too? I've suffered from it since I was at least three, but at least there's meds to get your brain to calm down. Honestly, unless someone suffers from anxiety disorder, they don't really have a right to tell you how to deal with it. I've been told "not to think about what makes me anxious". Yeah, that's what I do. I get up in the morning and say, "Know what would be fun? Obsessing over things that make me anxious." Honestly, it ticks me off, especially since it was my paediatrician who told me not to think about what makes me anxious. It's like telling someone who's just been shot in the foot not to think about the pain. As long as I switch my anxiety meds every few years, I'm good. Stupid body becomes immune to everything, like shampoo, deodorant, lotion, medication, etc. Have to switch things up every now and then.

My parents are always saying I should never have been allowed to have companion animals because I worry about them so much. Okay, if it's not my companion animals, it's germs, the meaning of life, existentialism, religion, if what I'm eating has been tainted, etc. Heck, sometimes, when I have nothing to be anxious about, my brain decides to be anxious about nothing. At least I get more enjoyment out of my birds than I do germs or eating something that could potentially be contaminated with mercury.

If you'd like some advice on brands that tend to be very safe (use common sense, since something that might be safe for one bird could pose a danger to another), well, I'll just tell you.

Avian Stainless
Things for Wings
Polly's Pet Products
Bird on the Rocks
Planet Pleasures

Man, short list. There used to be more stores and brands, but they all seem to be going out of business. I'd definitely recommend checking out Things for Wings. Their "On the Fence" lines are great. They have a bunch of different shreddables strung up on a sea grass mat, and the kids love it! Oh, I'd also recommend buying a ton of mahogany pods. It's like catnip to them. Except they shred it instead of eating it. And they don't get high from the mahogany pods. Anyways, mahogany pods are very inexpensive as far as shreddables go (you can get them at Feathered Addictions, and My Safe Bird Store), and they're very lightweight and easy to shred.

I probably wouldn't go with the KnotRageous toy because of the frayed (bleached) rope. I also don't know if the hardware is stainless steel. I'd buy some natural, unbleached cotton rope from an online bird store, along with undyed wooden beads and stuff. And stainless steel wire. Then you can make your own. Oh my gosh! Pod foraging cups! You'll find them under the "natural toy parts" section on a number of parrot supply websites. You can string them up in the cage with some Paulie rope, and fill them with treats. The KnotRageous toy is probably fine, but if you're paranoid like me, you'll probably want to skip it.

Like SilverSage, I also have days (or weeks) where I think all my birds are going to die. I have to remind myself that they just have terrible genetics, and that it probably isn't some sort of lethal avian illness.

As for the dragon wood perch, is the hardware stainless steel or nickel plated? Otherwise, it could have zinc, and zinc (the metal, not the naturally occurring mineral found in food, although they still shouldn't ingest too much dietary zinc) is basically poison to birds. Zinc, unfortunately, is everywhere.

The Piñata should be fine. And before you start to worry about the fibres, no one in their right mind would try to swallow those. It would be like trying to swallow a hairbrush.

As for the yucca kabob, I'd go with Wesco's Grande Kabob (if it fits in the cage). My kids can destroy one of those in just three days (Samantha and Rumi have OCD). Ooh! And a corkbark perch! They're these platform perches made from corkbark that birds love. Just keep an eye on the shredding, since cork is extremely dusty and can fill an obsessive bird's lungs with dust. I had a scare a few months back when Rumi and Samantha were sneezing brown dust everywhere (I just about had a heart attack).

Instead of that foraging toy, I'd get her a buffet ball. It's made from acrylic and you fill it with fruits, veggies, nuts, birdie bread, or whatever. You can also put shreddables in it. One model hangs from a chain, and another attaches to the side of the cage. It's a bit bulky, so you might want to attach it to the outside of her cage for her to use when she's out.

Cuttlebone's good to have, but you might also want to buy her a Manu mineral block. It lasts way longer and has other minerals in it besides calcium. It also has a different texture and taste to it. It's good to have both though so she can eat whichever one tickles her fancy. Hmm, i should probably get an iodine block.

For dry food, I'd buy her Goldn'obles III (Goldenfeast), Totally Organic Pellets Crumplets (Crumbles?), Goldenfeast Conure Gourmet Blend, and Goldenfeast Petite Hookbill Legume Blend.

Thanks for your advice and the recommendations, and I actually LOL-d at that fabulous "just don't think about it" suggestion we so often get. If only! When I'm at the top of my game, that works. But when I'm not, before I realize what's happened I've figured at least 3 different ways to get to Dallas immediately when my brother drops dead. At least now I know that my brain is a mess and I can recognize it. And if my brother DOES drop dead - haha I'm prepared!

For the food though - Possible Bird is a parrotlet and I think the conure food is too big for her???

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SilverSage · Apr 1, 2017

Or if it isn't "just don't think about it " it's "don't you trust God?" Um, yes, I'm a religious person and I trust God; that's the reason I'm SURVIVING my anxiety!

Anyway..

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Rival_of_the_Rickeybird · Apr 1, 2017

We believe in Harrisons's pellets, amply supplemented by fresh produce.

As far as cages, toys, etc... the Missus believes in creative, constructive paranoia. She imagines anything that could go wrong as far as trapped/snagged nails, tangled legs, bonked eyeballs, ingested stuff... and tries to avoid it. She probably tosses a third of the toys she buys online because once she gets them and looks at them, she gets a paranoid vision, and... bye-bye.

Teddscau · Apr 1, 2017

The size of the food in the Conure Blend is fine. Parrotlets may be small, but they can handle bigger chunks of food better than budgies or cockatiels. Also, the chunks of food aren't as big as you'd think. Parrotlets eat a lot more than you'd think a bird of that size would. I was shocked by how much Noah ate when he arrived. Then again, he's probably a couple grams overweight.

I know a lot of people like Harrison's, but it has peanuts, corn, and soy in it. Most avian vets consider peanuts to be dangerous (yet for some reason they recommend pellets that have peanuts in them -_-). Corn and soy are very common allergens in parrots.

If you look at Roudybush, another highly respected brand, not only do they use corn, soy, and peanuts, but they also use wheat (I think a few of my budgies might be sensitive to it' otherwise, wheat is highly nutritious) and menadione sodium bisulfite, a vitamin K supplement banned by the FDA for use in humans.

Lafeber also uses peanuts and menadione sodium bisulfite too, as well as other yucky ingredients.

Tropican uses peanuts, soy, wheat, and corn.

ZuPreem uses sugar, corn, soy, wheat, and menadione sodium bisulfite, along with artificial colours (depending on which of their pellets you choose).

Goldenfeast has soy. Well, basically the only issue I have with it is the soy.

I don't have anything to complain about with TOPs, except that they should grind the ingredients more finely before making them into pellets, because a lot parrots pick the little bits of grain out and toss the rest of the pellet. I've also read that these pellets don't have enough vitamin D or B12. Then again, you can just buy an avian UVA UVB bulb for the vitamin D. Also, the only reason any human or captive parrot gets even half their daily recommended dose of B12 is because of synthetic vitamins. If you want to get enough B12 in your diet, you literally have to eat feces.

trimblegirls · Apr 1, 2017

I love the intials PB, FB, AB...too cute.

Inger · Apr 1, 2017

SilverSage said:
Or if it isn't "just don't think about it " it's "don't you trust God?" Um, yes, I'm a religious person and I trust God; that's the reason I'm SURVIVING my anxiety!

Anyway..

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Ugh. Honestly people are crazy. You probably just need to pray harder. [emoji15]

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SilverSage · Apr 1, 2017

Inger said:
SilverSage said:

Or if it isn't "just don't think about it " it's "don't you trust God?" Um, yes, I'm a religious person and I trust God; that's the reason I'm SURVIVING my anxiety!

Anyway..

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Click to expand...

Ugh. Honestly people are crazy. You probably just need to pray harder. [emoji15]

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I do. For sure. Oh wait, I did that and God provided an excellent therapist and miracle working medication along with an understanding and supportive family and... PETS!!!!!

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Inger · Apr 2, 2017

SilverSage said:
Inger said:

SilverSage said:

Or if it isn't "just don't think about it " it's "don't you trust God?" Um, yes, I'm a religious person and I trust God; that's the reason I'm SURVIVING my anxiety!

Anyway..

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Click to expand...

Ugh. Honestly people are crazy. You probably just need to pray harder. [emoji15]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Click to expand...

I do. For sure. Oh wait, I did that and God provided an excellent therapist and miracle working medication along with an understanding and supportive family and... PETS!!!!!

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Yessssss! God knowing how to provide our earthly needs for the win!!!

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AmyMyBlueFront · Apr 2, 2017

I love your perspective...FB...PB...AB...that's so cute

Jim

Inger · Apr 2, 2017

Ok any thoughts on coconut husks?

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SilverSage · Apr 2, 2017

I like them outside the cage but never unsupervised.

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Future Bird Upgraded - Need Shopping Help

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Future Bird???

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