Long overdue flock intro (lots of pics!)

[SilverSage]

From left to right: Cache, Buddy, Delta, Beret, and Flick, my GCCs


Acu and Sully (pic taken while in Quarantine) more GCCs


Lady Liberty and Uncle Sam, Maximilian's Pionus Parrots


Scout and Blue, IRNs (Scout is CLEARLY the little brother in this picture)


Apache and Kiowa, Cockatiels


Lakota and Chinook, Cockatiels


A string of budgies eating millet for the first time

 

[Pinkbirdy]

Very nice flock [look like happy birds }Love seeing birds that can be out together.

 

[Dustbunny]

Beautiful birds!

However, that is a lot of Green Cheeks! Now don't laugh, but I have to confess I find that row of them a little intimidating. Dealing with just 1 is a handful, just thinking of how you keep 7 in line makes my head hurt and the beginnings of a twitch develop near my right eye. LOL. And that's before taking into account the other birds! Those of you with many birds amaze me. I truly don't know how you do it. With Fozzie coming home in a couple months I keep thinking and planning for how we'll make this work. Obviously I just need to come visit a couple of you for a day and learn from the pros.

 

[Phlox]

We have the same playstand.

All those GCCs is feeding this desire I have to get one more. I feel like I should get Phlox a buddy while she's still young....and you are a terrible influence with all those adorable FIDs. I really want a normal colored one too, since I've only ever had Cinnamon.

 

[Allee]

You have such a beautiful flock. I love the row of GCC's and the string of parakeets. All your birds look so happy. Thanks for sharing these great photos.

 

[Ducatimom]

Beautiful birds! My husband is not going to like you lol. Making me want to add another. I told him I kinda wanted another one once, and I know he would want a talker (I think Ducati's not going to be a talker, but I'm going to keep trying lol). So I jokingly told him we needed one that talks. He looks at Duci and says, "Learn to talk!" lol.

 

[Terry57]

What a gorgeous flock you have! Those Pis are stunning
What amazing names they all have as well.
Great pictures of all your lovely babies.

 

[riddick07]

Beautiful flock! We told Jeanne I want to foster the pionus at the shelter who is extremely aggressive....thinks I'm nuts but there is something about him...how much does their bite hurt exactly

 

[TessieB]

Lovely flock you have there!

 

[SilverSage]

Thanks everyone! Actually, I find GCCs are similar to kids - they are a handful, but more is sometimes easier because they have each other. Also kittens are the same way For those who are "inspired" to get more - Flick took FOREVER to accept other GCCs, and honestly only plays nice when Delta is there for some reason. She still hates the IRNs. Buddy, on the other hand, hung out with the IRNs last night, no problem!

My husband also wants one that talks, and I tell him to spend more time with Scout. They are a lot to keep up with though - feeding fresh can take an hour or more (I only posted the one budgie picture, but I have 5 of my own budgies and 19 foster budgies, so, a LOT of food dishes!) and cage cleaning every day takes a while, not to mention that with that many birds the entire house has to be swept and vacuumed every day. That is my tidbit on the side of the husbands who don't want more birds!

 

[kq_fan]

Awww they are all so cute! I would love to have a house full of little and big birds!

 

[Kiwibird]

Wow! That's quite the flock you have there I never realized you had so many birds, but they all looks so happy and healthy! I especially love Lady Liberty and Uncle Sam (how cute are they!). Your play stand Scout and Blue are on is awesome. Do they make a larger size do you know?

 

[SilverSage]

ok, the Pionus bite can hurt, but I have only been hurt once. Sam and Lady are a bonded pair, and only once, during a vet exam and nail trim where I was restraining them, have I been bitten. It did not make me bleed, but my knuckle and bruised and swollen for a while. I just do my best to read body language and respect the bird, and come to them on as much of their terms as I can. I don't know if you have read any of my posts about Lady and Sam, but I basically had to teach them how to be birds, and also how to interact with people. At first it was difficult, but once I FINALLY got them to try new foods (including seeds) they became food motivated enough to target train. Sam never really would let me pick him up, but Lady would step up. They are about to be set up for breeding though. I bought them for breeding to start with, but felt like they were not emotionally and mentally healthy, so for the past 10 months we have just been working on teaching them to live life happily We are almost finished with their new cage which is 6 feet long - long enough for them to fly across.

 

[SilverSage]

I am not sure if they make a bigger one, this one was on Amazon for like , $50. I also have a big tree stand made by a lady here on Hawaii that is in my livingroom. The play stand in this picture is on wheels, which I LOVE because then I can get work done and still keep an eye on whats going on with the birds. I also like having multiple stands. I have the playpen (in the pic), the tree, and 3 table top stands - it is the only way that everyone can have enough out of the cage time without a fight. I do notice, however, that my flighted birds are MUCH less likely to fight, even if they were fighters before they molted. It seems to have a lot to do with how easily one of them can leave.

 

[witchbaby]

Beautiful flock! I love your little army of green cheeks!

 

[RavensGryf]

Beautiful flock you have there! Thanks for finally showing them off!

 

[SilverSage]

Thanks I never really thought of them as an army, but all of their names are army related, so I guess it fits!

 

[morpheus]

Hey SilverSage, beautiful birds! Batten down the hatches, I think you may be getting some weather......Good Luck!....Tom

 

[SilverSage]

Yep - gonna get ugly! All by birdies will be safe and sound in closets inside our cinder-block house We are on fairly high ground, and stocked up just in case Though I hear that most likely we are all over reacting

 

[SilverSage]

Update!
Yes, we were all overreacting to the storm. Hurricane Iselle was, well, weak sauce, though she did some damage on other islands.

The "string of budgies" have all found new homes now! Two of them actually went home a matter of hours before their new family had to say good bye to a puppy whose life they had been trying to save. The other 4 chicks are all together, which makes me happy, and all of the new families know the dubious backgrounds, the importance that these babies not breed, and how to avoid it. That said, I thought I would share pictures of the budgies I ended up keeping, as well as Mel, my foster-for-now-probably-forever Blue Headed Pionus. Plus, I figured putting all my feather babies here but not posting the dog would be silly, and my husband just bought me a fish tank, sooooo.....

They are not great pictures, but the budgies are not tame and I only have my phone for a camera right now - please note that the dirty faces are because everyone just had dragon fruit for breakfast

This is Ranger, my 1.5 year old German Shepherd/Black Mouth Cur mix He likes to sleep on my husband's clothes at every opportunity.




New fish tank! Happy birthday to me! I have a great husband You cant see them well here, but there are bulbs sprouting as well, more plants on the way!




Here are a few of Mel, she is smart and can open her food doors if I am not careful, which she will do even if the main door to the cage is open. We had some struggles at first getting her to eat anything besides pasta, but then suddenly it was like something clicked, and she will eat anything I hand to her