Domnijoe - The Art Studio and Bird Herder's Residence

[Vampiric_Conure]

Tailgate should be here in about an hour's time. I am Sooooo nervous!

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Is he home yet? Must see pictures!

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Is the new baby tame?

 

[Vampiric_Conure]

I HAZ PIX! I have some terrible, first-day-at-home pix, but they're good enough to show you folks . He's been in my travel cage for a while. He's already taking treats from me at the 2-hour mark since he's been home, though dropping them nonchalantly, LOL! The other birds are interested in him, especially Yvons, who keeps leaning over to Tailgate's side of the room to observe.

And now for pix! I hope to have better ones tomorrow :

 

[Vampiric_Conure]

Is the new baby tame?

I was told yes. I'll be able to confirm that in the next couple of days .

 

[Vampiric_Conure]

Had Tailgate out in the bathroom for a while Got some new pix of them !!

 

[rheashard2]

What a cutie. Hope that the rest of your flock likes your new family excuse me flock member.

 

[Vampiric_Conure]

What a cutie. Hope that the rest of your flock likes your new family excuse me flock member.

LOL! I hope so, too! Tailgate is such a baby and skittish about a lot of things, but that fearless bird attitude will come out eventually. I had Tailgate, Vortex, and Yvons all target training today. I love it when a plan starts coming together!

 

[rheashard2]

I'm curious about how Yvon does with target training. Nameliss will do it. But I often get rhetoric. "Ya say what" "Huh" "Oh alright". On occasion she does sound effects. I have to struggle not to laugh. Yvon may have some interesting opinions about target training. Especially if he had prior training.

 

[Vampiric_Conure]

I'm curious about how Yvon does with target training. Nameliss will do it. But I often get rhetoric. "Ya say what" "Huh" "Oh alright". On occasion she does sound effects. I have to struggle not to laugh. Yvon may have some interesting opinions about target training. Especially if he had prior training.

Yvons is so polite about it! I think they've target-trained him in the past. He sees me wipe out the target stick and he goes 'Woooooot!' LOL

On another note, got Tailgate and Quasar together in the old boys' old cage. So far they're getting along very well

 

[Vampiric_Conure]

Several updates today:

1) Yvons lunged and nipped me pretty good. I was more annoyed than anything.
2) I was putting Vortex in the play cage and she was not impressed with this endeavor. She bit me once, then bit me a second time, practically chewing my finger the second time. Still, the worst bite I ever got was from a budgie.
3) Quasar and Tailgate are bestest buddies in the whole wide world. Easiest introduction EVAR!

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Tell us about that deadly budgie bite!

 

[Vampiric_Conure]

Tell us about that deadly budgie bite!

It was Buzzsaw! She was the first budgie I bought after Shrayle and Proto (My first 2 birds) passed on. She escaped her cage one day shortly after I got her and was chased by my one cat at the time. She flew around in a panic and decided to crawl into a hole under the baseboard heaters. Sadly, I had to think fast and pulled her out by her tail. Needless to say, she was PEEVED as heck (and having a VERY bad day) so she bit me as hard as she physically could.

Ouch.

She survived and lived till she was 8, only succumbing to a tumor in the end. Yeah. Buzz was a hoot.

 

[rheashard2]

I just read this. I had budgies and one cockatiel growing up. As an adult I have had two CAG. I honestly don't have a memorable bite! I've been bitten. But nothing to make the crossover into memory. I know I must have at least a couple. I've had more memorable sores from talons digging into an arm, finger when nail trimming is delayed.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

I had an angelic looking female budgie named Bib who would latch on and not let go! She would grind her beak with your skin in her mouth. I brought her to a vet who had to examine her. I warned him about her bites and he just laughed and said "I'm not afraid of a budgie bite" and took her carrier out of the room. When he came back he told me I was right. She bit him and his assistant HARD! I smiled, thinking "you go, girl!".
My Rocky is quite a biter despite having hand raised her. I brought her to the vet last month and he commented on her biting. She chews wood like a beaver and I know better than to get my fingers near her beak. She has he boundaries and I have to respect them. Other than biting hands, she loves us and seeks out our company all the time.
I don't like to stereotype budgies, but almost all budgies with epic bites are females, and it makes sense because they're the ones who excavate nest cavities and defend the nest. Their instinct is to chew and bite in defense. The boys can bite but they rarely latch on the way the girls do. That doesn't mean that all females bite but when they do they bite harder. An exception is my girl Joey. She's never bitten anyone and I trust her to groom my face and give me lip kisses (closed mouth). She would crawl into my mouth and clean my teeth if I let her!

 

[nkrbkr]

These tiny birds can bite very hard when they want to! Button can be a little velociraptor. He’s bitten me much harder, and more often, than Ava. My budgie growing up was the gentlest bird I’ve known. His idea of a bite was opening his beak and gently placing it on your hand/finger. I was never bitten by him, and had him from the age of 3 to 16. Sweet little soul.

 

[Vampiric_Conure]

So what's new at Domnijoe Pets 'N Art? Aside from a lot of art, the birds have been settling in for a cage switcharoo. Vortex is in the chicken coop and seems to enjoy it there. When I whip out the blanket to nap on the bird room floor, she's right there next to me, on her perch, and watches with me or dozes off, too. Her old cage, I'm trying to get Yvons used to.

I want to use the top of it as a playtop cage for Yvons. I'm starting in steps. The empty cage sat across from him for almost 5 days. Now it's next to his cage when he's out. He's clearly uncertain about this and sits on the top of his current cage, as faaaar away as possible from the other cage, and he glares—red-tailed stinker. He's cute to watch tho. When it's time to get back into the cage, he gets peanuts, almonds, and other treats in his foraging box. He head bobs when he gets it!! I think I give too many peanuts and stuff. Gonna have to ask what's acceptable for that.

The conures seem to be doing well. Quasar and Tailgate are easy to tell apart. Tailgate has more red on them, and has yellow shoulders. Personality-wise, Quasar is forever bouncing and bopping, screaming for the sake of hearing their voice, and is, well, a vampire. Still trying to get Tailgate to take treats from me. Quasar is... well, he tastes it first, and Miiiight take it from me.

Charlie's discovered the TP roll I hung in his and Redshift's cage. About half of it has been chewed through (Pictures when I can remember to take them!), and the other half's been strung out like Christmas lights.

 

[rheashard2]

I was wondering how everyone was doing. It's no wonder Yvonn is cautious. A new potential enclosure or bird object is associated with change. For him it's likely change in his surroundings. Just go slow. I've learned that Nameliss views some new objects with caution and suspiciousness. I have no idea what will trigger it. An identical item but different color or size. Cautious she's going to the vet. Suspicious she's going to be left home. Suspicious her food is poisonous but mine is safe. If the suspicious object makes an unexpected movement, squawking and flapping in terror results. Then birdie body language of I told you so. Caution and suspension is normal.

 

[Vampiric_Conure]

I had something big happen with Yvons and I yesterday! I had him out for playtime, and I had my arm up to open his cage door, and he hopped right on my arm! Cue the belleh flutters! I was so proud of him!

 

[rheashard2]

Three cheers. Nameliss probably would give you two a couple of cheers too. But I'm currently late with her breakfast chop.