against all odds...

[ShreddedOakAviary]

I don't know the circumstances, but if it were me and a U2 is involved the answer would be "no". I smoke (but not in the house), and I have a zero tolerance for people once they've screwed up a 'too. Besides, Java may do well for you, but put back into the old environment the bird and owner will go right back into their old routine. Java deserves better... Java deserves you!

 

[MikeyTN]

Supposedly he doesn't like to eat this and that but he eats them just fine for me. No smoking is allowed in my house!!!!! We smoke outside as well. Im trying out pellets with him, he's been picking through it. I know she loves him dearly but I just can't get over bad diet, coffee drinking, fried eggs daily, smoking, etc. So I know what you mean.

 

[BillsBirds]

Mikey, I never gave a bird back to someone who wanted it back. That only happened a couple of times. I feel if someone was not taking proper care of the bird in the first place, and instead of learning what was proper care, thought it was better to give it up, there would be no way they'd get it back. And, Shredded Oaks, I understand how you feel. But, as a responsible rescuer, I always vetted every bird. And cared for all of them as though they were mine. I know there are many who don't.

 

[ShreddedOakAviary]

Billsbirds... I am sure you do an outstanding job, and I readily admit there are good rescuers out there, I just haven't personally met a single one yet. I do find that big rescues tend to be more a mess than mid sized ones, or people who do it on a smaller scale. I am glad you fully vet your birds, and I sincerely hope other rescuers and rescues will follow your example. i was not trying to step on anyones toes... I just get a lot of birds here that have come directly from inspected 501c status rescues, and not a single one has been healthy yet. I get a lot of questions from people who just adopted a bird from a rescue that i have to take in to my vet and treat for them because the rescue let the bird go with (most commonly) giardia, scaly face, and various types of gram negative and gram positive bacterial infections. I am lucky that the lab I deal with will do cultures and sensitivity testing for me, and my vet gives me the necessary swabs and will draw blood when I ask him to. Our vet works very closely in giving me the meds i ask for and so on. but, again one of the highest vet expenses I have here is having birds from rescues tested for lead and zinc ($200) test, and getting Calcium EDTA is not terribly easy either... only one pharmacy I know of will mix it for me, and then mail it to me. My point is (completely off topic from this original post and I apologize), that if my average vet bill for a rehab is close to $600, than how many rescues are actually doing a thorough job?

sorry for the off topic rant again...

Mini Moe (as we are temporarely calling the baby) is doing really well today. He is up another half cc on the amount of food he's taking and gained some more weight. His eyes are just about open ( he is still a little behind physically I have noticed from looking at my other baby umbrella notes), but he's progressing quickly and seems determined to catch up. we'll see I guess. He's a tough little bugger!

 

[BillsBirds]

You're right about a lot of bigger rescues. I worked for SPCA. We were very good with our birds, because we had a good vet that was into birds. We investigated rescues, breeders, and hoarders. I know what you mean.

 

[roxynoodle]

Right before I moved into my house, I went down to the dumpster for my apartment building and found a guinea pig in a box. It was still a baby, too. Thankfully I heard it squealing and got it out of there. Needless to say he then became my guinea pig. I could rant, too, about horrible people, but the fact of the matter is, people even put their own babies in dumpsters.

Yes, one rescue I talked to about a Severe macaw admitted she never quarantined the bird when it came in, nor had a vet check done. I didn't like that at all; it meant she wasn't quarantining or vet checking any of them IMO. She also wanted a huge adoption fee and the bird was already 26 years old (with an average lifespan of 30). So huge adoption fee but no vet check, no cage, etc. I don't mind big adoption fees if the money is going for vet bills and such, as I know what that costs.

Anyway, rant over, and I'm glad the baby is still doing well

 

[luvmytooo]

My ex husband was on the job in a not so nice town and he saw a garbage bag moving around on the sidewalk. He opened the bag and quickly stepped back not knowing what the heck was going to come out and the biggest turtle he has ever seen came walking out and behind it was a smaller turtle. He ended up taking them home and he couldnt wait to show me. He called me out to the car and he had the back door open and there on the seat was a turtle the size of a hubcap and the smaller one.
Nothing the human race does to a living thing surprises me anymore

 

[luvmytooo]

We are all rootin for ya Mini Moe !

 

[Mare Miller]

They sure are the ugliest things I've ever seen. Isn't it amazing, the transformation they make into their final selves?! Such beautiful creatures.

 

[luvmytooo]

They sure are the ugliest things I've ever seen. Isn't it amazing, the transformation they make into their final selves?! Such beautiful creatures.

lolol. I said that about my brothers first born pictures

 

[roxynoodle]

Yes, but when they get those first little downy feathers they turn into the cutest things I've ever seen! It is kind of hard to believe those little pink dinosaur looking things turn into beautiful parrots though, I have to agree!

 

[ShreddedOakAviary]

The odd part is that without feathers adult parrots look like their ugly little counter parts. Although the mark of most breeders is that when they see a baby bird they go "awe", and a non breeder goes "ew" , I wonder which came first the chicken or the egg? Do we become breeders because we're the kind of people that find these things cute, or do we find these things cute because we're breeders.

 

[IcyWolf]

I think it makes a difference if you see them in person or if they are in pictures too. I've noticed, most people will say ew, or call them ugly when they see the pictures but when they see them in person, most people are always like, aw, they're kind of cute. My room mate saw the pics of the day old babies I posted the other day(he saw it on facebook) and he said they look like boogers :20: I think they are adorable

 

[roxynoodle]

The odd part is that without feathers adult parrots look like their ugly little counter parts. Although the mark of most breeders is that when they see a baby bird they go "awe", and a non breeder goes "ew" , I wonder which came first the chicken or the egg? Do we become breeders because we're the kind of people that find these things cute, or do we find these things cute because we're breeders.

Yes, if you've ever seen a really badly plucked parrot or one with Beak and Feather disease they look like plucked chickens with parrot heads.

No, if they were my babies I would think they were the most precious little things in the world, and feel a strong motherly instinct about them.

Boogers! I've never actually seen a pink booger, but maybe that's a good thing

I asked my mentally disabled cousin who is scared to death of birds, if she wanted to see your video of the baby hatching today, IcyWolf. I thought it might help her get over her bird fear to see them so tiny and helpless, but she said, "No way!"

 

[luvmytooo]

The odd part is that without feathers adult parrots look like their ugly little counter parts. Although the mark of most breeders is that when they see a baby bird they go "awe", and a non breeder goes "ew" , I wonder which came first the chicken or the egg? Do we become breeders because we're the kind of people that find these things cute, or do we find these things cute because we're breeders.

Some people dont see the beauty within...all babies are cute in their own way. I fell in love with birds when I first saw a newborn chick at a friends house. I must have been around 7 years old.
I thought how incredibly adorable they were when they snuggled up close to their siblings and momma. Then you see how fast they develop and turn into the most fragile beautiful creatures. I found birds to be very interesting at a young age. I guess when you are exposed to animals at a very young age and taught to respect them , you look at them differently.
What intrigued me more was their intelligence and playfulness.
Most people dont watch birds long enough to appreciate these things.

 

[BillsBirds]

I think little naked chicks are the cutest thing! And, grown bald birds just break my heart, and I want to hug them to keep them warm. I must be a "bird person". Ya think??

 

[luvmytooo]

I think little naked chicks are the cutest thing! And, grown bald birds just break my heart, and I want to hug them to keep them warm. I must be a "bird person". Ya think??

You ? Naaaa

 

[luvmytooo]

Now I cant ask for pictures of the baby Goffins.....shucks !
But I can wait till your finger is better

 

[ShreddedOakAviary]

Ok, photo time (including some goffins just for you know who )
the first one shows mini Moe's healed Umbilicus (forgive how dirty he is, i washed him after I took the photo)

The second photo is of (if you look very closely) a newly hatched goffin. (no idea how this pair got ahold a a red macaw feather for their nest considering the macaws are a whole different section of the aviary. It must have traveled on me I guess. I just noticed it in the photo and I'm stumped. It can't be eclectus either, because we separate birds by noise level, dust level and tolerance, and preference... meaning the eclectus are in the same room as the macaws.)

The third photo is of the older goffin baby from another pair that i am feeding now... His parents overpreaned him a bit (I just pulled him)

 

[mnkeastman]

awww Goffins! I swear one day I will have a bigger house or something and have at least one! I just love them