Books for Parrot People

Well the holidays are finally over! It's nice to have things back to normal. I can go to the grocery store and not have to deal with long lines and crazy drivers in the parking lot! My animals and birds are happy to be back on their routines as well.

Books: Although the internet is a good source of information, it can be confusing at times. There are several books we recommend to parrot owners that we feel are "must haves". Most of these books can be purchased online at Amazon.com for very reasonable prices. They provide straight forward, unbaised, good information that is easy to reference (no searching for hours on the net). Here are some good ones:

Guide to a Well Behaved Parrot by Mattie Sue Athan. This book is considered almost a "classic" for parrot owners. Great book for first time and experienced bird owners alike!

Guide to Companion Parrot Behavior by Mattie Sue Athan. This book provides information on parrot behavior, grooming, choosing the right bird for you, etc. I really enjoyed the species profiles and wing trimming tips she recommends for the various birds.

The Complete Bird Owner's Handbook by Gary A. Gallerstein, DVM. Written by a vet, this book is an invaluable resource for the bird owner. The author goes over diet, medical issues, species profiles, care, and much much more. This book is available in hardcover so it is a little more expensive, but it is well worth it.

The Second Hand Parrot by Mattie Sue Athan. A great book if you own a "pre-loved" bird. But even if you purchased your bird directly from a breeder or a store, this book has a lot of great information in it.

Parrot-Toys & Play Areas by Carol S. D'Arezzo and Lauren Shannon-Nunn. What a fun book this is! Lots of tips on how to make homemade toys and enrichment items for your bird! There is even a section on how to make playstands!

My Parrot, My Friend by Bonnie Munro Doane and Thomas Qualkinbush. A very comprehensive book on parrot care and psychology. His description of the different species are very good. I also thought his case studies on the different birds he has worked with were extremely interesting. This book is more for the adult reader as it is very indepth.

The Pleasure of Their Company by Bonnie Munro Doane. This book is very similar to My Parrot, My Friend mentioned above (she was one of the authors on that book). A very good book to own. I feel the information this book and My Parrot My Friend are interchangeable, so one or the other would be fine.

Holistic Care for Birds by David McCluggage, DVM. Another book written by a vet, this book goes over "natural" care for your bird including dosages of some common natural remedies. He also discusses diet, grooming, psychology, etc. This book is meant to be used as a compliment to conventional vet care (if your bird is ill or injured, please take it to the vet immediately). Always get an accurate diagnosis from a vet before any type of treatment - very important! I really enjoyed the natural recipes and his description of the bach flower remedies.

There are many other books out there. Some are species specific, some provide details on different training methods (such as clicker training), etc. I only mentioned a few books here which I feel provide an excellent overview of all the aspects of parrot care. Do you have a favorite book that you can recommend to parrot lovers? I'd love to hear from you!

Breeder Name Confusion

It has come to my attention that some people are confusing me (Christine MANN of Almost Angels Aviary) with another bird seller who has the same first name. I want to make it clear that we are indeed two seperate people and in no way associated with each other.

Almost Angels Aviary - CHRISTINE MANN has an excellent reputation for healthy birds, honesty, and outstanding customer service. Our babies are raised in a closed nursery, which means we only raise birds that we have bred from our own pairs (no outside birds from other breeders). We stand behind our birds 100%. We have many, many happy customers - references available.

I ask that anyone who is checking references, posting information about us online, etc. to please be specific when referring to either one of us by using our LAST names and/or our aviary name. My personal and professional reputation is very important to me. I have worked very hard over the years to maintain it by ALWAYS treating my customers fairly, honestly and with respect.
If anyone has any questions about me or my birds, feel free to contact me. My contact information is listed on my website www.almostangelsaviary.com

Babies!

We are starting back up after a nice break! I have four baby senegals in the nest and three parrotlet babies (two are reserved). I will be pulling these babies to start handfeeding probably the end of this week or so. I am currently accepting deposits to hold these babies until weaned. Once a deposit is put down, I start sending weekly updates and pictures so you can watch your baby grow! The pictures are a lot of fun! Particularly when the babies start to get a little older and more active.

For information on the status of babies we have available, see my website http://www.almostangelsaviary.com/

Ahhh, the holidays

It is that time of year again. Thanksgiving is almost here and the stores have already begun decorating for Christmas. Where has this year gone? I enjoy this time of year. The festive decorations, great food and time with family. I think people tend to be a little nicer around this time of year too. The holidays are not stress free however. Last minute shopping, holiday preparations and travel can take it's toll.

During this time of year, you may need to give your bird some extra activities to keep him busy while you are busy. Foraging toys are great as well as easy to tear up items. My yellow nape amazon LOVES pinecones. This time of year I do some of my own foraging to gather pine cones for her. I make sure they are clean when I get them and then bake them in the oven at 225 for about 30 minutes. Then I turn off the oven, leaving the pine cones in until the oven cools. Attach a screw eye, hang with a quick link and you're done! There are also some sites online that sell pinecones if you don't have any in your area.

Toys do not have to cost a lot. Just google "homemade bird toys" and you will get pages and pages of ideas. I myself use both homemade and store bought toys. When I am short on time, the store bought toys come in handy. Plus there are some really neat designs out there now!

Another toy that is a favorite with my flock are the "pinata" toys by Planet Pleasures. They are inexpensive and I have yet to find a bird that doesn't love them. For added entertainment, you can stuff small treats in them.

If you are having a large party, I usually recommend moving the birds to another room. If your bird is social, you can bring him out for a while to meet everybody. Then put him back in the other room with his favorite treats and maybe a radio or television on. Parties can be exhausting and stressful for birds. Even social birds can get overstimulated with all the activity. Moving your bird to another room will also keep him safely away from poking fingers and unhealthy food and drinks that guests might give him while your back is turned.

Birds On The Way:

We have two pairs of parrotlets on eggs which should begin hatching this week. We also have a pair of senegals on eggs which are due to hatch around the end of this month. My pineapple green cheeks and blue quakers have been spending time in their nestboxes, so I expect to see some eggs soon from them.

I post all updates on eggs/babies on my website http://www.almostangelsaviary.com/

Starting Back Up

I have been enjoying my "break" lately. I have one black headed caique that is almost weaned and will be going home in a couple of weeks (she is sold). I also have a sweet white bellie caique that is weaned and ready to go to a loving home. No middle of the night feedings, no brooders to clean, etc. - I can't believe all the free time I have right now LOL!

But the birds have started back up and I will be busy again soon with the fall breeding season. My new hahn's macaw pair are on eggs (very exciting!) as well as my meyers pair. My parrotlets have been breeding and hanging out in their nestboxes and I saw an egg in the senegal's nestbox yesterday. For more information on the status of babies/eggs, etc. visit my website at http://www.almostangelsaviary.com/  I update my pages frequently to keep my information current.

The Dollar Store

I just love the dollar store! Where else can you go on a shopping spree for about $25.00! LOL! For parrot owners, we can find some good bargains that help us take care of our birds for less. Here's the bird supplies I purchased on my recent trip: Eight natural wicker 9" wreaths, six rope dog toys, a few packs of plastic clothespins and some hand towels.

The natural wreaths will make nice swings for my smaller birds in the outdoor cages as well as great tear up fun for my yellow nape amazon.

The rope dog toys will make great rope swings for my smaller birds after a few minor adjustments.

The plastic clothespins are great for securing sheets onto cages and make great chip clips too!

I go through a ton a hand towels here. I put them on the back of the kitchen chairs to protect them from the birds, use them in the weaning cages as "bed" for young birds, basic cleaning, etc.

On other shopping trips, I can find inexpensive stuffed animals to put in my brooders for my babies to snuggle with (especially after Easter), inexpensive baby toys, plastic storage containers, natural wicker baskets (another great chew toy), etc.

So next time you go to the dollar store, open your eyes a little bit and see what treasures you can find that your feathered friend might enjoy! Always keep safety in mind though. A good general rule is if you wouldn't give it to a two year old human, chances are it would not be suitable for your bird.

Happy shopping!

Birds Available

I'm not sure what is going on, but things have been pretty slow lately. We have some wonderful birds available (and on sale) ready to go home now:

Senegal parrot. A real sweetie! Loves to come out to cuddle and will also entertain himself with his toys. Senegals are wonderful pet birds. They are not loud, learn to talk and mimic sound effects very well and are easy to care for. $395

Blue Quakers. A talking bird at a great price! I love the blue quakers with their soft wedgewood blue feathers. Gorgeous! I have three weaned youngsters that are ready to go home now. Very sweet. I have them on sale for $295, they normally sell for $350.

White bellied caique. I absolutely LOVE this boy! He is dna'd and super sweet! He's a little shy around new people at first, but warms up quickly and turns into a snuggle bug. Loves to be held on his back and cuddled. Somebody please come get this boy before I keep him for myself LOL!! I also have him on sale for $695, regular price for white bellied caiques are $800. A real deal on this angel.

Outdoor Cages:

I've written before about outdoor cages. I use mine all the time, especially lately because the weather has been so lovely. Equipped with toys, my birds will play for hours in them. My young birds especially enjoy their time outside. There they can see the hummingbirds, wild birds flying by, hear the dogs barking, etc. All this stimulation drains some of that juvenile energy and they come in relaxed and ready for a nap! On really nice days, I will give my birds a shower and put them outside to play and dry off. Caiques especially love this!