Meet Sunnie

[Gdp2016]

Hi,
As some of you may know I lost my Mango last week. I was hurting a lot and when I went to go get a new toy for my LoLa i ran across Sunnie.

Sunnie is about 9 months old and has been at the store for about 5 months. He, I did not have him sexed, was beautiful but so timid. Couldn't get close to him in the cage at all. I went back a couple times a day for a few days and just knew I needed to rescue this beautiful bird. Now I've had him home for a few days and he has spent most of the time in the cage getting used to the noise and commotion in the house.
He has once let me feed him a piece of apple form my hand, but only once.
My main concerns are that he is so afraid of the hand, today we made a step forward as he did come out of the cage and snuggled for over an hour. He loves to burry himself in a blanket.
His wings are cut so short he cant even hoover down to the bottom of the cage, never mind fly. If you go near the cage with you hand, he runs around and then drops like a brick. I am afraid he is going to get hurt, so i hope they grow back soon. I'd like to put him on a table top perch i made, but again afraid he will get spooked and try to fly and drop like a brick.
We are going to take it one day at a time, I can tell you he absolutely loves apple and oranges. He will be trying sweet potatoes and lentils tonight.

 

[GaleriaGila]

I'm happy for you AND Sunnie!!!
Sounds like you're rescuing each other a bit.
Congratulations.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

So sorry to hear about Mango. It seems though that you put a lot of thought into bringing Sunnie home and I am happy for you both!

Sunnies (pun intended, lol) are notoriously social creatures and crave interaction so its just a matter of time before the two of you become inseparable. Doesn't mean it won't take time, patience or proper training- but odds are it will be successful.

I know how you feel about rescuing though. I was not in the market for a new bird when I got Skittles. But he had been to three different pet stores and was over a year old (1yr, 2wks) when I got him. I find that the older the bird is, the harder it is to sell them in a pet store. Sadly.

But on the upside, Skitty was very well cared for and was pampered heavily by the clerks at the pet store I got him from. So he took right to me. But given his reaction every time I went to see him, especially when compared to other customers who visited him- he wanted to come home with me. lol.

Just a bit of advice, if you have a lot of people living in the house or coming over a lot- try to socialize him with each of them. Skittles is not properly socialized. I rarely have company and I live alone and am home alone most of the time so it wasn't even something I could do. But as a result, he is incredibly protective of me which means I have to cage him in the event my friend/neighbor stops by- which isn't very often. Usually the two of us go places together rather than visit in each others apts.

 

[Notdumasilook]

Great thing you did... adopting that lil critter. Give it time and patience and you will have an amazing companion. Consider also.. meantime lowering his perches in his cage. My lil Booger (SC) was flighted before being injured by a vet tech and on occasion forgets he cant fly. I lowered all his perches as well and put 2 layers of carpet padding 16 inches wide around his cage. Now if he gets startled he bounces when he hits instead of thudding. Also make sure any toys on his cage floor or any "ends" of his perched ( I have the screw on type) are rounded on the ends...no sharp edges. As Skitts dad said.. they are very social critters and crave companionship/attention.. and my lil Booger just loves to play. So you got his character traits working for you. So he doesn't get startled and jump when you walk in the room... whistle or call to him softly before you enter..to keep him from getting spooked. Wont be long before you get a "birdie greeting" of happiness when you walk in the room. Booger hears my truck in the driveway he starts with his 'dikadeeee dikdeee' greeting and before I open the door to come in I say "daddys home!" At that point my BFA Cookie gets in in the greeting. Im sure the neighbors think im nuts (they may be right).Keep up offering goodies he likes from your hand for a few days then maybe graduate to his step up training. Don't know how your home situation is.. but if possible let the lil birdies feathers grow back. Prior to his injury Booger was an extremely good flyer, able to make tight turns and gauge his speed and landings very well. Also, (and ive seen is more than once in here) Sunnies seem to be very clean birds and just don't poop anywhere. Even Booger.. not being able to fly will beg me to put him on top of his cage to poop then politely ask me to pick him back up when done. Heck he also lets me know when hes ready for bedtime "wannagonitenitenite". Bottom line.... be patient, be consistent, and will have one special critter on your hands in fairly short order. Good luck.

 

[lplummer52]

Birdie is like Skittles. Although she takes to certain repairmen who come by, she will attack others without warning. So when the doorbell rings, or we know we're having visitors, she's banished to the porch one cage which is a shame really. Very clean too like Booger. I've had this bird a year and she's never pooped in her cage. When we take the cover off and let her out in the morning, she immediately flies to the kitchen sink faucet where we can easily wash it down the drain. She uses this perch a lot because she likes to watch the dogs running around the back yard from the kitchen window. She eats all fresh food on the kitchen counter, so I only have to clean the bottom of the cage every two weeks or so. Backs of chairs are also a favorite perch for pooping. Since our floors are tile throughout, water and vinegar are an easy fix. Now if only I could stop her from chewing on picture frames and chandeliers...HA!

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

Yeah, two things I am very grateful for that Skittles doesn't do- screech when he's on my shoulder or poop on me.

He basically poops in three places that have 'poop mats' and his morning dump as I call it, is always taken in the same place. He normally doesn't do his morning dump in his sleep cage, but if I oversleep, he sometimes does.

I have to cage Skitty when people come over as well. But it's not very often and when it is, its not for very long. I'm not one for having company, never have- if that ever changed, I'd deal with it. Skitty isn't going anywhere.

 

[Gdp2016]

Sunnie is coming along just fine. Finally can get him out of the cage without a chase. He is continually practicing for when those feathers grow in. He likes to gives kisses and I can hold him in my hand while he's on his back. He has become a little picky in the last few days with his food. Throwing more out his dish than he eats.
I will try to share a video and picture of him.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Gdp2016]

Sunnie is coming along just fine. Finally can get him out of the cage without a chase. He is continually practicing for when those feathers grow in. He likes to gives kisses and I can hold him in my hand while he's on his back. He has become a little picky in the last few days with his food. Throwing more out his dish than he eats.
I will try to share a video and picture of him.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[wrench13]

Hi Subbie, you found a good home. PLease make sure to watch Sunnie closely to see if he is chewing at all on his blanket or any hit he is sleeping in. We have had a few parrots die from ingesting cloth fibres and this cause of death is ghastly common among conures, because they love to snuggle at nite.

 

[Gdp2016]

Hi Subbie, you found a good home. PLease make sure to watch Sunnie closely to see if he is chewing at all on his blanket or any hit he is sleeping in. We have had a few parrots die from ingesting cloth fibres and this cause of death is ghastly common among conures, because they love to snuggle at nite.

Thanks I will keep an eye on him. The funny thing about him in the tent is that he puts his entire body in the tent hangs his feet out the end to hold onto the cage while he sleeps. It's just too funny to see


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[LeaKP]

Oh sounds like Sunnie will be just fine. If he's flinging his food you are now family!

 

[Sand1]

Thanks I will keep an eye on him. The funny thing about him in the tent is that he puts his entire body in the tent hangs his feet out the end to hold onto the cage while he sleeps. It's just too funny to see

That is hilarious! a breeder recommended, when the wings r short & they fall, to let them live in a shallow sweater box, the plastic kind that
slides under the bed. So they dont fall. Except dont put it under the bed! Haha

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

I just have to echo what wrench said about the huts.

Skittles would chew on his, he'd pull the fibers out and you could clearly tell he was. If I had replaced the hut every time he started chewing on it (which I did a few times) I'd have to get him at least 3-4 huts a week and at $13 each, on a limited income- I just can't do it. After hearing a number of horror stories, I got rid of his hut- its just not worth the risk.

Of course the choice is entirely yours to make, I just hope you keep all that in mind. Even if they are just chewing on it or pulling fibers out, they can still ingest it- especially if they are regugritating in it (being 'amorous') cause the fibers may mix with the regurtiated food.

What I did for Skitty is cut out old tissue boxes to make a little 'tent' and put unscented paper towels in there for him to rip up and make a bed with.

If you do decide to keep the hut, may I make a few suggestions besides inspecting the hut daily- also check Sunnie. Is he eating and pooping regularly- how is his crop and breast bone- does it look like he's been digesting food (in other words, not losing weight).

To be honest, Skittles doesn't even act like he misses his hut. He gets his 'cuddle fix' by climbing into the shirt I'm wearing and 'hanging out' which he will do for hours.