New article on website

Well as promised, I have completed my article about the two mourning doves I raised. You can check it out at: http://www.almostangelsaviary.com/Article3.htm

They are doing wonderfully. So big and healthy! I have not raised doves before and this was a really cool experience. Read all about them in the article and see their pictures!

We have been very busy here! Feeding babies and more on the way! We have had two turquoise green cheeks just hatched and expect more on the way. Most of the babies we are currently handfeeding are reserved, but we still have one blue quaker baby available and a gorgeous cobalt male linnie. Let me know if you are interested in these birds. You may email me at parrots4us@sbcglobal.net .

Time Flies!!

Wow! I can't believe it's been two and half weeks since my last post! Well we have been really busy around here. The mourning doves I mentioned in my last two posts are doing wonderful. They are flying now and are just beautiful! They are out for about four hours a day now. They fly around the yard and barn area and have started to interact with the wild dove flock. Around 3:00, they come to the back door for their afternoon hand feeding and then it's back in the cage so they can practice eating "regular" food and be safely caged for the night. I will be posting an article about the doves on my site very shortly, complete with pictures. I will let you know when it is up.

Babies!! Like I said, we have been busy. Here is what we have now: three normal green cheek conures (two are reserved, one still available). Turquoise green cheek conures on eggs, three blue quaker babies in the box which I will pull in a few more days, three lineolated parakeets (one cobalt male, two green females) and last but not least, two parrotlet babies in the nestbox!! I am keeping my fingers crossed as this is the first time this pair has actually hatched and fed babies. So far so good! Check my website for more information on the birds above at http://www.almostangelsaviary.com/ or you can email me at parrots4us@sbcglobal.net

Care Tip: I use wicker baskets for portable playstands! The birds love them! I buy them on sale at Michael's at 40-50% off. I wrap the handle in sissel rope hang a toy and it is ready to go! Babies love to hide down in them, older birds love to climb all over them and chew them up. When the basket gets worn out, just throw it away and make a new one! Only purchase natural wicker baskets (no paint, varnish, etc.). Put two or three baskets of various sizes together for a great play area! Having a portable perch enables you to bring your bird to spend time with you while you are doing other things such as working on the computer, getting ready for work, etc. My pet quaker, Baby Blue has graciously volunteered to model for this picture!

Recipe: I got a great idea from a canary/finch breeder for an egg food type recipe that will keep in the cage! Take some very small pellets (I used roudybush breeder nibbles size), and add very finely chopped raw carrots and any other veggie you would like. (I used carrots and broccoli slaw, the kind you buy in a package). Mix thoroughly, put in a tupperware container and stick in the fridge overnight. The next morning, you will have a crumbly mixture that is soft but not mushy. My birds went crazy for this, especially my quakers who are feeding babies right now. This recipe works best with RAW veggies. Always put some carrots in there as they are very nutritious. Some other veggies which would be good are yellow squash, broccoli, zuccini, chopped greens, etc. Remember, all the veggies need to be chopped VERY fine. I used a mini chopper food processor. After several hours on the counter top, I noticed the mix got dry, but did not smell rancid. However, when I put in cooked foods such as hard boiled egg, rice & bean mixes, etc. the mix went rancid fairly quickly. So stay away from adding cooked foods and just use the raw veggies unless you will be taking the food out of the cage within 2 hours.

Pigeons, uhhh I mean doves

The oldest chick has feathers coming in and after some additional research, it looks like I have a pair of doves, not pigeons. Well, that's a little better! We enjoy the wild doves here and put food in the feeder for them. Not sure what kind these are yet, (I think they are mourning doves) they will have to get some more feathers before I can be sure. I will surely let everyone know! They are doing great, growing fast and eating a ton! I will post some pictures soon.

We have sold all of our normal and turquoise green cheek babies! We have more normal green cheek eggs in the nest though. I've had a lot of interest in this new clutch, so let me know if you want me to hold a baby for you when it hatches. You can email me at parrots4us@sbcglobal.net

We also have a pair of blue quakers sitting on eggs!

Our lineolated parakeet babies are growing fast and I will be pulling them Monday or Tuesday. They are all dark eyes which means no lutinos or creaminos in this clutch. To find out more about these birds, see my lineoleated parakeet page on my website at http://www.almostangelsaviary.com/lineolated.htm

Funny Story

A lady called me from the feed store the other day. She said some landscapers cut down a tree and there was a nest with baby birds in it. She didn't know what they were and wanted to know if I would take them. I get a lot of these types of calls this time of year. Usually, I refer the person to the local wildlife rehab center and or tell them to call Texas Parks and Wildlife. This time, something peaked my interest. I asked what the birds looked like. She said she had no idea what they were, but they had yellow down feathers. Yellow down feathers? I couldn't think of any wild bird in this area fitting that description. I thought maybe they were something cool like wild quaker parrot babies or some unusual songbird. Curiosity got the better of me and I drove down to take a look:

Well, here is what she brought out! Do you know what these are?

I admit, it took me a few minutes too.....

PIGEONS!!!

Well, handfeeding a couple of pigeons was not exactly what I had in mind, but hey, it'll be a neat life experience anyway. My husband says I can add this skill to my resume LOL! Of course, they are not anywhere near my other birds (they are in the barn actually, in a seperate airspace). And quarantine protocol is being followed. They are pretty neat. They eat differently than the parrots do and are actually easier to feed. I'll keep everyone updated on their progress.

Small Talk from the Aviary

I received an email from the couple who got the cherry headed conure I wrote about in my last blog. He said "TJ" is doing great and spends about two hours per day riding on his shoulder and "helping" around the house. I love happy endings. Way to go!

Our normal green cheek conures are about ready to go. The two older ones are ready now, the two younger ones will need another 10 days or so to finish weaning. They are so much fun! They are all flying now and their favorite pass time is flying to me and riding around on my shoulder snuggled under my hair. They are total velcro birds! We are having so much fun raising the green cheek conures. They are so cute!

We have more normal green cheek conures in the nest. These will be available for wholesale purchase in about two weeks. See my website or email me for details.

Our turquoise green cheek conure babies are doing great! They are just as fat and healthy as can be! I can't wait until they feather out so I can take some pictures and post them on the site! If you are interested in purchasing one of our turquoise babies, please let me know.

I have a pair of linnies sitting on five eggs now. Not sure how many will hatch, but I am keeping my fingers crossed! The parents are both split to different colors so the babies could be almost any color! It's always fun when the babies start to feather out to see what they are.

A Second Chance

Recently, a friend of mine acquired several pairs of african greys from a breeder that was retiring from the business. The couple was older and health issues were making it difficult for them to continue working with birds. Long story short, along with the african greys, there was a cherry headed conure housed in the same aviary. The deal was whoever purchased the greys was to take the conure too and find him a good home. He was approximately 20 years old and a former pet, many years ago. This was not an abused bird in any way. He had a good life in the aviary with the greys. A large cage, fresh air, clean environment and good food. He just had not been handled in many years.

My friend sent me a picture of him and he was gorgeous. Perfect feather. She wanted to find a good home for him. She mentioned although he had not been handled for a long time, he was not afraid of people and was enjoying the scenery at the new location. We discussed this little guy for a while and decided to work together to find a home for him. We both wanted a loving home for this bird and would screen potential owners very carefully.

After being posted on my site for a few days, a couple that I knew contacted me about him. We kept in touch after they purchased a bird from me a while back. They are really neat people and have a natural knack with birds. I was happy they were interested in this bird as they would make a great home for him.

Well they ended up getting the bird and bringing him home. When I contacted them a couple of days later, the bird had already bonded with the husband and was out riding on his shoulder!

I was amazed. Like I said, this couple has a way with birds, but wow! If you think about it, this bird went through some major changes. He was rehomed twice after being in the same location for many years. Strange people, new cage, different food, etc. And remember, this bird had not been handled by a human for a very long time. This conure shows just how resilient birds can be when they are handled with sensitivity, patience and understanding.

This situation got me thinking. Each new day is a blank canvas, a chance to make a fresh start. Many times, simply changing old patterns can make a big difference in your bird's behavior. Every day is a new day. A perfect day for that second chance.

New babies & our views on selling unweaned babies

We are so excited! We are hatching our first clutch of turquoise green cheek conures! All the wonderful qualities of the green cheek conure in a gorgeous jewel tone color! We have just started breeding these adorable conures and can honestly say we love these little birds! They are a great size (about the size of a cockatiel, but slightly bulkier), are not "squawky" and are little cuddle bugs! We also breed normals and hope to have some pineapple babies soon. Visit our website for more information.

Sometimes we get asked if we sell unweaned babies to individuals with little or no handfeeding experience. The answer is no, we do not. Regardless of what you may have heard or been told, handfeeding baby birds is a laborious process that requires skill and the proper equipment to do properly. There is more to it than squirting some food into the baby bird's beak! Proper care must be taken not to aspirate the bird. The formula must be fed at the correct temperature. The baby must be maintained at a carefully controlled temperature. No, a heating pad is not sufficient and many baby birds have died from being overheated by them!

Most buyers do not know the early signs of a problem and by the time they recognize there is one, it is usually too late. Would you know if your baby had a yeast infection in it's crop? What would you do if the crop failed to empty? What is the correct temperature to maintain a chick just out of the nest? How should the chick be contained? What are the signs of a bacterial infection? How much formula should be given to the chick and how many times per day? What is the best way to wean a baby bird and what foods should be given at this critical time? When is the chick ready for a cage? When do you trim the flight feathers and at what age? And this is just the start.

Quality, professional breeders have spent years honing their skills and apprenticing under other breeders to learn the proper techniques to raise baby birds correctly. We spend a lot of money on continuing education in the form of seminars, conferences, books, etc. (there is always more to learn) and the proper equipment (brooders, incubators, thermometers, etc.).

As for us personally, we are not "production" breeders. We raise a limited number of babies so we can give each one the individual attention they deserve. Watching our babies grow into beautiful adults makes all the sleepless nights and hard work worthwhile. We care about each baby we sell and want the best for it and the new owner.

And just from a strictly financial point of view, unweaned babies in general do not come with a health guarantee. There are too many things that can go wrong with unweaned babies and breeders/handfeeders know this. That means the buyer has no financial recourse if the bird is sick or dies after you bring it home! Is it really worth it?