I got a new Zon...

[Dopey]

WHAT is dragonwood? I have heard so much about it.

Also, I have an apple tree that I need to trim and I could bake some branches.

Really, my bird doesn't need a heated perch? Are you sure? Don't I need to spoil him some? Trust me, I'd rather buy something else for him...like a toy to shred...if he ever likes toys.

I will PM Henpecked now.

 

[JerseyWendy]

Here, this is what they look like:
http://www.parrotforums.com/do-yourself/35580-dragon-wood-perches.html

I use them for both my big macs AND for the Amazons, and they are HUGE hits.

And yes, you can use branches from your apple tree, as long as it wasn't sprayed with any pesticides and/or fungicides.

 

[Taw5106]

Oh YYYYAAAYYY!!!! I saw the post about Red and was hoping someone here up north east would take him. He's gorgeous, at first I thought it was Kiwi from the pics but saw it was another, gorgeous but another. I'll be following your updates for sure with excitement. Thanks for taking him in!

 

[Dopey]

How long does it have to be since it was sprayed? It was planted in 1996 and I know it wasn't sprayed since then.

 

[JerseyWendy]

How long does it have to be since it was sprayed? It was planted in 1996 and I know it wasn't sprayed since then.

I honestly have no clue about long term residual affects of pesticides and/or fungicides. :20: One would think that after (at least) 18 years you'd be safe though, right?

 

[Dopey]

I would hope so and it would have been a really young tree if it was ever sprayed. Looks like I get to go a branch picking sometime soon. Fortunately I don't have to even go to the end of my drive.

 

[Allee]

Congratulations! Whisper is just beautiful and I love his new name. Thanks for sharing his story. Looking forward to updates.

 

[Dopey]

Just a quick update. When I got home last night Whisper started squawking for me. He can see me from his cage when I'm in the kitchen but he wanted me closer...so I obliged but only after I had fed my cats. After talking to him just for a minute I fed my dog.

I noticed that he had eaten some yesterday and he isn't nearly as messy as my son's Zon is. I was concerned about this because I forgot to get any of his food from his previous owner. Since he is eating I'm not going to worry about getting part of his old food. He ate two grapes last night. I also gave him 1/2 a strawberry cut up and some red pepper. I'm not sure if he ate those or not but he did eat the grapes.

I know he played with at least one of his toys yesterday while I was gone because part of it was on the floor of his cage last night. He moved all around his cage last night while I was sitting on the couch. I was happy to see that he is exploring his cage.

He squeaks quite often. Kid you not...it's a squeak. :09:

This morning he started squawking again for me but when I get up to the cage he fans his tail and flashes his eyes at me. He comes over to the cage where I am with his tail still fanned and eyes flashing. He was acting like he wanted me to touch his beak so I did and I touched his toes too. Not for long mind you because I don't want to experience the bite of that beak again - at least not for today - if ever.

How many toys are too many? Can you have too many perches?

 

[JerseyWendy]

How many toys are too many? Can you have too many perches?

Great update! Thank you for that.

Yes, you can have too many perches. You don't want to 'clutter' up the cage. How many toys? All depends on how big of a cage he's in, but I'd say a minimum of 3, including a foraging toy.

Here's a picture of how one of my Amazon is set up:

 

[Dopey]

Thank you so much for the picture. Is there a way I can print the picture so that I can take it home with me?

Do you switch your toys around or just replace them when they need to be replaced? I'm so excited...I get to go shopping. I love shopping - especially when it's not for me. Less guilt involved when I shop for someone else.

Does your Zon explore the bottom of the cage or is that just space...? The reason I ask is because I'm not sure that Whisper's new cage has the bottom open like that.

Your parrot sure looks like a happy bird.

 

[Kiwibird]

I just wanted to chime in and say you absolutely can have too many perches! I thought I was doing Kiwi a great service by making his cage a "jungle" a few months back (added some additional rope perches). Instead, every time he turned around, he'd brush his tail on a branch and now has ratty ends on his tail Keep it nice and open so Whisper can move freely!

As for toys, just wait and see what kind of bird Whisper is. Some birds are very timid and take a while to get use to/trust a toy isn't going to hurt them, so they do best if the toy stays until it is so chewed up it needs to be removed. Other birds make a beeline to new toys and are very excited to play. As long as your bird isn't timid about toys, rotating one toy at a time out for a different one once or twice a week is good. And remember, not all toys are ready for the trash after you remove them or may still have useable parts (beads that didn't get chewed, plastic, chains)you should take off and keep for future toy making.

One last thing, that squeak, is it king of a "weeeeeet" noise? If so, Kiwi makes that too! It's really funny, and if you look close, his eyes pin (in the showing intelligence way, not the aggressive way) when he makes is Kiwi usually makes it as a happy noise.

 

[Taw5106]

About your mornings with Whisper, my Buddy fans his tail and pins his eyes but he is also whistling good mornings. He's happy and excited, and wants a head scratch so our mornings are loud, lots of scratches and whistling oh and hellos. Learning Buddy's body language took a while because he fluffs his tail, his head and his eyes pin but his vocals tell it all. So far what you described looks positive but keep watching and learning. He's beautiful and sounds like he's settling in very well. Congrats!

 

[Dopey]

Can you show me a pic of your cage? I know you plan on getting a new one but I am such a visual person that pictures help me immensely.

I would say the sound he is making could be described as a "weeeet" sound. I will more closely when he makes the sound next time.

I don't plan on throwing any toy parts away. I'm not really good at making new ones but I plan on visiting the $$$ store soon.

 

[Dopey]

About your mornings with Whisper, my Buddy fans his tail and pins his eyes but he is also whistling good mornings. He's happy and excited, and wants a head scratch so our mornings are loud, lots of scratches and whistling oh and hellos. Learning Buddy's body language took a while because he fluffs his tail, his head and his eyes pin but his vocals tell it all. So far what you described looks positive but keep watching and learning. He's beautiful and sounds like he's settling in very well. Congrats!

Thank you. I was really pleased with how last night and this morning went. I know it takes time but I want it to be better now.

When I opened the door last night to put in his fresh fruit he wanted to come out. I didn't let him because I wasn't willing to get bit again trying to put him back in. What's the best way to pick up a Zon that doesn't want to go back into the cage...just in case I run into that problem.

 

[Taw5106]

Many zon owners and more expert than me say to stick train your zon. This is so when they get in a mood, you can use the stick to get them on it and save your flesh, lol. I haven't done this with Buddy because he has been pretty mild in his moods and has only bit me twice. Kiwibird can offer lots of advice and experience with Kiwi.

Buddy is a green cheeked Amazon or also called a Mexican Redhead and he's not in the hot three, Whisper is. Definitely stick train him. Also when Buddy gets moody I use food to compromise. He's my green pig, he loves popcorn and I learned on Sunday, peanuts. Also time and patience, patience is key. I like that Buddy isn't touchy-feely, so don't feel like you have to cuddle him daily. Buddy likes head scratches but only when he's in the mood. I've found lots of helpful videos on YouTube to help with teaching me to train him and advice here. Sounds like you two have a good start.

 

[Dopey]

He is stick trained and he was on the stick every time he bit me. The final time I had to drop him to the floor in order to get him to let go. But he was new to me. I could tell it was coming and I tried to get him to the cage before he bit but I was too slow.

 

[Kiwibird]

Here's what it was looking like for a while-

There was just too many perches and too little room. In a cage Wendy's size, that many perches would probably be ideal, but not in a cage the size of Kiwi's cage.

The noise Kiwi makes is very high pitched and almost sounds like the squealing noise a large semi truck makes when it's breaking So cute! And Taw is right, it'll take some time to learn Whisper's special birdie "language" but in time you'll know what's a happy squeak and a squeak of "I'm going to bite now", or a happy flaring of the tail showing how pretty he is and a aggressive "look at how mean I am". Or pinning out of intrigue and intelligence and pinning out of anger and aggression. Our feathered friends do communicate, you just have to watch and listen

And this may be a good "first toy" to create because it's easy and can use just about any spare part you have All you need is a soft plastic food container, a large needle (to pierce the container) and some bird-friendly cord. Then just tie toys to it!

Edit: We have a "no no" line on our stick. Basically a big bright piece of duct tape around the center of the stick. Kiwi stays on his side, I stay on mine. When he was new I devised this because he wanted to crawl up the stick to bite me. I started backing him off with whatever was handy (usually a big plastic spoon) and tapping the line with it so he understood "go past this line, get backed down". He does not cross the line anymore, even if he's REALLY mad. I also use the stick regularly, even when he's in a good mood. That way he does not associate the stick with "being in trouble", it's just another part of his daily routine and gets less protest when he is pissed I know this sounds totally stupid, but theres a show called "Super Nanny" where this last instructs parents how to get their kids under control. Many of the concepts in that show they're using on misbehaving small children can easily be applied to our misbehaving feathered children and work very effectively.

 

[Dopey]

Thank you for giving me pictures.

What is the blue thing in the back of the cage? Is that his bedroom to go to sleep in?

Is that yarn being used or a special bird cord being used? I think I can make something like that. I can follow a pattern or directions but please don't leave it up to me to be creative.

See - now you've made me ask more questions.

 

[JerseyWendy]

Thank you so much for the picture. Is there a way I can print the picture so that I can take it home with me?

Do you switch your toys around or just replace them when they need to be replaced? I'm so excited...I get to go shopping. I love shopping - especially when it's not for me. Less guilt involved when I shop for someone else.

Does your Zon explore the bottom of the cage or is that just space...? The reason I ask is because I'm not sure that Whisper's new cage has the bottom open like that.

Your parrot sure looks like a happy bird.

You should be able to highlight whatever you want to print, yes.

Yes, the toys get switched around regularly. But with Sam (the one pictured in the cage), the toys usually get tossed because he truly destroys them. :54:

Sam does use the bottom of the cage. After he's managed to hack away at a toy enough that it ends up on the grate, he will climb down there and finish it off. :32: He's quite rambunctious, that Sam of mine.

 

[JerseyWendy]

This here is Hunter's cage, and it's smaller than Sam's: