Alexandrine we might rehome.

[tlfisher]

I need advice. What sized food and toys do alexandrine's need? Cage size too. We might be adopting a 4 yr old female that needs attention and stop bite training. She will be bringing her own cage and toys. I just want to make sure I can feed her and make her comfortable too. Do they get along with cockatiels and parrokeets? We gave one if each right now.
Thanks

 

[Betrisher]

My Alexes eat the smallest size of pellets, mostly because that's what I can get but also because it's a lot less wasteful (they toss their food!). They also get larger bird seed in small amounts each day (not the small millet-based mix for budgies or finches).

For toys, you have to be aware of The Beak! Alexes are powerful chewers and they will dismantle and destroy most of what you give them. DO NOT give bells to Alexandrines because they will squash any bell except for a decent-sized pipe bell! Mine enjoy baby rattles and colourful plastic baby toys (be sure there are no removable parts, though, to avoid choking hazard). They like their cargo net and the large boing I got for them as well as natural wood perches, which they strip of the bark and eventually chomp into matchwood. The very most important toy you can give Alexes is a chew toy. Whether it's plastic bottle tops or cardboard or bits of clean, untreated wood, they will chew everything they can get their big red beaks on! My pair isn't that interested in preening toys or in dangly bead-based toys. I don't know whether that's usual. They spend most of their day parked on top of a hanging wire planter filled with chew toys OR suspended from the roof of the cage chomping on the little wooden 'biscuits' my husband makes for them. (Cut-outs made with a hole saw strung onto paulie rope).

About the biting. Wait until the bird is well settled in and used to you. It would be good if you established a happy relationship through the cage bars first. Poke in treats for birdy to enjoy: millet spray, strips of celery or carrot. After a while, you can start putting your hand in the cage and offering the treats directly. If birdy goes to bite you, offer him the back of your tightly closed fist (he can't get a purchase on that to bite you much - just be careful not to turn your hand so he gets access to the soft, painful bits!) The idea is to teach birdy that biting has no effect on you and he might as well stop doing it. Another technique is to offer birdy a chopstick or something similar to occupy his beak while you do whatever it is you need to do for him (eg. changing seed and water). Members have reported good results from touch-training in the cage to start with. Whatever training you do with your bird will occupy his mind and usually take it away from the biting behaviour. The goal is that he will eventually forget why he ever bit anyone and stop doing it. So DO NOT EVER give him any reason to bite you. Don't ask things of him that he's reluctant to do, don't train him for too long at a stretch (ten minutes is plenty) and most of all, don't ask him to step up step up step up when he doesn't want to. The best way to handle biting behaviour is to distract from it, so be ready with your chopstick or a toy for him to chomp on.

Finally, enjoy him! Alexandrines are great birds! They're hilariously funny and scarily intelligent. They learn tricks very quickly and will bond to you very strongly if you establish a good relationship from the start. I won't say their bite doesn't hurt: it sure does! But if you work slowly, calmly and gently with them, there's no need for any of that to happen. I hope like mad you take this Alex into your life and give him the chance he deserves. Best of luck with him!

 

[Bundiibird]

Firstly, can I say Alex's are awesome birdies. I may be bias but I think they are wonderful.

Bundii gets two sized pellets from Vetafarm as this is what is available locally. They have a new one out here that smells like blueberries and she seems to like it best. She has a dish with pellets, small amount of good quality bird seed and some mixed nuts available at all times. In the afternoon, she gets a mix of fruits and veggies. This includes whatever is in the house, corn (personal favourite), Apple, celery, beet root, grapes, berries, etc. pretty much anything apart from onion, garlic, avocado - these are toxic to birds.

Her cage is the biggest I could get with the appropriate bar spacing. She is often in the cage all day while I am at work so the bigger space is good for more toys etc to keep her busy.

Toys - as Trish said anything they can chew. They are BIG chewers. That big red beak needs to keep busy. Bundii always has a combination of toys available, including hardwood types, natural pods and branches, simple paddle pop stick types, etc, for some days she feels like just chewing the soft stuff and she can create a bigger mess. We also give her the junk mail as she likes to destroy this as well.

I too can vouch for the powerful red beak. I won't lie - it hurts like the dickens. You just have to learnt the signs of a birdie about to bite and learnt from that. Over time, she will get better. I am not Bundii's favourite person, that would be my hubby but we are working on her tolerating me more.

They are smart and extremely intelligent birds and you would not be disappointed in adopting one of them. If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask. We are here to help.

 

[tlfisher]

I am really hoping to be her forever home. Hope to met her soon to see if she will like me.
Right now I think biting is because shes not getting attention.
I had a harliquien macaw for a while.... long story. She bit me once bad... split my finger in half thru the fingernail. I learned to ignore her aggressive behaviors and paid attention to good. She is with my ex since she is more bonded to him. Too bad I cant visit her. She is an amazing bird! I miss that macaw laughing at watching the kids playing in the neighborhood.
I am wondering how severely an alexandrine can bite so I am prepared not to do a pain dance fir her. I hope she likes my parakeet and cockatiel.

 

[tlfisher]

Thanks. I learned alot from a macaw about behaviors that trigger biting. She Stop biting when I started making more chew toys for her. I think that's the most fun part of owning a bird is making the toys. I found cardboard old magazines junk mail is just absolutely wonderful for shredding.
I can't wait to meet her. If all goes well I'll be bringing home a bird with all of her needs

 

[Betrisher]

I forgot to add: don't rely on being able to allow the Alex out with your parakeet and cockatiel. There's a huge size difference and the Alex could conceivably kill either of your birds in one fell swoop! If the three had been brought up together, it might be different, but I would absolutely not risk the small birds' safety.

When I first got my Beaks, they would spend most of their days on their playgym with Dominic, our Galah. Dom was about twice as big as the Beaks, but I was really afraid of the power of those big red beaks and watched them all very carefully. In the end, it was Dominic who became the aggressor and things got so bad, I had to keep him in his cage while the Beaks had their exercise! Dominic is extremely aggressive and just the other day went for our cat (to her detriment). So yeah. That's been my experience, just FYI.

 

[tlfisher]

Thanks. I was wondering about that. Turns out I have to bird sit when the tiel and parakeet are out together. The parakeet is more a bully then the tiel.

We have a gentle dog we have to keep away from the birds too. If I leave the dog gets kenneled and the bird's in the cages. My son will take the dog to his room so my daughters and I can give the birds some flying time. He is graduating this year and will take the dog when he moves out.

My twin daughters love birds so much they want me to rehome/adopt as many as we can since they will take over if I pass away before the birds do The tiel was given to my daughter from a friend of hers. The poor thing had his wings clipped before he learned to fly. He is making progress but tires out fast.

 

[UMARKHANMARDAN]

Alex never tolerate other birds in the same cage even other of their own species.I have placed two pairs in one large cage but soon i realized that they used to fight with each other so yesterday i separated one pair & placed it in another cage.Although i never mix up my birds but even then i made the mistake.

 

[tlfisher]

Well she'll have her own Cage and toys. The woman that can't take care of the bird anymore is giving me everything that she's got. Do you think I need to isolate her in a different room when I bring her home?

 

[UMARKHANMARDAN]

No not at all. Place her cage next to the cages of the other parakeets or in the same room so your Alex remains happy.She will even imitate the sounds of other birds.

 

[kq_fan]

I personally always isolate my birds when i get a new bird I did that will the parakeets and my cocktail with my green cheek when I had them. Because you NEED to make sure this bird won't get your birds sick and that your birds won't get him sick. Breeders and parrot owners told me that. They also said to isolate them for about 30 days.

 

[RecoveryOne]

I personally always isolate my birds when i get a new bird I did that will the parakeets and my cocktail with my green cheek when I had them. Because you NEED to make sure this bird won't get your birds sick and that your birds won't get him sick. Breeders and parrot owners told me that. They also said to isolate them for about 30 days.

I have to agree with this 100%.
Minimum 30 day isolation is my rule. Be mindful of your clothes if you take your new flock member out and then later take out one of your current flock. Wash hands, etc etc. I've recently added a YNA to the flock and he's still in isolation. Soon to be coming out. I love my flock so much I'd hate to see anything happen to them when bringing in a new member.

 

[tlfisher]

Do I have to change clothes every time I handle the new bird before handling my current birds? I can isolate her in a different room. I think it's going to be really hard to disinfect my entire body in between handling them. There's also an issue with airflow when you open up doors. Any ideas?

 

[RecoveryOne]

If I was the victim of a bird droppings I'd change what ever article of clothing took the hit to be safe. Or if for some reason they had poo upon their feet from walking about the bottom of their cage. Generally shirts only.

Other wise, I'd say no. I don't know what the consensus of the members here will advise, I can only give my personal feelings/thoughts.

**EDIT: As to airflow, not much one can do about that. I've always been more concerned with the nasties that can transfer from fecal matter, stuff that lives on your or their skin and what not. I have know people to keep the separate room's door closed to help reduce airflow. As Specs lives on the 2nd floor and my main flock is on the first, I've never done that.

 

[tlfisher]

I live in a one story apartment building. I can isolate her in my room since my birds are in the living room. The living room kitchen and dining room(office area) are open. There is a half wall and kitchen counter to separate the space. I suppose I can let my daughters care for our current birds and I handle the new one. I'm not sure I can keep the airflow separate

 

[UMARKHANMARDAN]

I personally always isolate my birds when i get a new bird I did that will the parakeets and my cocktail with my green cheek when I had them. Because you NEED to make sure this bird won't get your birds sick and that your birds won't get him sick. Breeders and parrot owners told me that. They also said to isolate them for about 30 days.

I agree 100% & i do it but after two months when i am sure the new bird is ok i bring it to the older ones but i keep each bird or pair in separate cage. You never know the new bird might bring disease.Do remember that Alexandrines can get aggressive any time specially the females & may harm other birds or even them selves.

 

[tlfisher]

I think that's why this woman wants to re home her. She's 4 years old and she bites. From what I've seen the cage is too small the toys are not the right size and she's only in to seed diet. I'm hoping with proper diet and attention that the biting will stop.

 

[tlfisher]

I had a harliquien macaw in my home that was a biter when she first moved in. I started to click train her and started talking her alot and it helped stop biting. It also helped to give her lots of things to chew on. When my ex and I broke up Wiley went with him because she was his bird. I miss her dearly.
I'm hoping to provide a forever home for this bird. What I have heard is she hasn't had near the attention she deserves. I have plenty of toys already pre made for. I also have a bunch of wood in the garage waiting to be turned into a toys. I love to make forging boxes too since the birds absolutely love them.

 

[tlfisher]

I'm sad to say but the woman found someone who could pay more for rehoming the Alexandrian. It just wasn't meant to be

 

[Tay2000]

Oh no!! that's so sad! Like you said, it wasn't meant to be but keep looking and hopefully you'll find the perfect match sounds like your dating someone Goodluck anyhow!!