Saying Goodbye

Our beloved dog of a little over 15 years had to be put to rest last week. He had developed some serious health issues due to old age and then, cancer. Although it broke our hearts it was time to say goodbye. He  was absolutely the best dog one could have. I remember when we got him like it was yesterday. my husband had lost his previous dog (due to old age) and mentioned to a friend of his he would like to have a german shorthair pointer. Next thing we knew, a puppy (about eight weeks old) was waiting for us at the airport. My husband's friend  flew him to us from out of state.  

He was gorgeous, a white body with a brown head. Very unusual markings for this breed. And of course full of energy as these dogs are known for. He was also a natural pointer. He would freeze in place and point and look just like the dogs in those hunting pictures. One funny story we remember was when he was a puppy. He was in the living room and froze "on point" intently pointing at something on the carpet. When we looked closer, it was a fly! That just cracked us up.

We spent a lot of time with him, teaching him all the skills a hunting dog needs. It took about two years to completely train him. He also learned all the basic good dog manners and obedience commands. Just to tease my husband, I taught his "hunting dog" some cute tricks like roll over, sit pretty (sit up on his haunches), shake hands, etc.

We had a park near our house and we would take him there twice a day to let him loose so he could run. He was trained by then, so we had no qualms about letting him off leash. It was a sight to see watching those long legs stretch out and run! He LOVED it! People driving by would stop to watch him. He was beautiful.

He was very friendly to people and dogs alike. He also loved kids. Everyone in the neighborhood knew and loved Walker. He had many human and dog friends.

He gradually slowed down over the years as we all do. About two years ago, his hips got bad. With the help from good joint supplements and my vet, we did a good job keeping him comfortable. Then a few months ago, I started noticing blood drops here and there on the floor. I could not figure out where they were coming from. I would check all the dogs, and nothing. Then, one day he had a full out nosebleed. Mystery solved.

Unfortunately, it was cancer. Over the next few months he was put on medication to keep him comfortable and control the nose bleeds. We were very careful with the meds, only giving what was absolutely needed. The cancer moved very quickly. When his health began to deteriorate, our vet let us know we were on borrowed time.

I took him in to have the vet check him again as overall, he was not doing well. He was also very weak in the hind end and started falling more. When he would fall, I would prop him back up on his feet, give him a hug and tell him he was the best dog in the world. I loved him so much.

The vet took one look at him and then looked at me. Anyone who has been through this knows "the look". It was time. He has put to rest while I stroked his head and let him know we loved him. It was so peaceful and dignified.

Our vet, and his staff, were so compassionate throughout our dog's final months. I am fortunate to have had such a wonderful vet clinic to work with.


I wrote this blog because I know many of you have been through this before and understand. He was not "just a dog", he was a part of our family. Our animals have such a profound impact on our lives. They give us so much love, that when they pass on, they leave a hole the size of the grand canyon in our hearts. It's the inevitable price we pay when we share our lives with these amazing creatures. Is it worth the pain?  You betcha.

Li'l Girl Laid An Egg!

It is the height of breeding season and apparently my pet quaker, Li'l Girl wanted to get in on the act! She had been acting "breedy" lately which is normal for her this time of year. During this time for about two-three weeks or so, her hormones get the best of her and she gets very moody and territorial around her cage. Li'l Girl and I have a system to communicate during her hormonal time. I ask her if she wants to come out. If she nods her head yes, and lifts her foot that means yes. If she puffs up and lowers her head, that means no. If she says no, I just leave her be.

Well imagine my surprise when one morning I found an egg at the bottom of her cage! 

Li'l Girl's Egg

I laughed when I saw this and started calling her my little green chicken. She had no interest whatsoever in her egg and came right out of the cage. Here she is, being her little "rug-rat" self.

I left the egg in there for a couple of days. She just pushed it aside and that was that. She did not lay any more eggs. I wanted to post this because I get a lot of calls from people telling me their bird has laid an egg and they automatically think they should get a mate for it.

If your beloved pet lays an egg, understand this is just a biological function. Your bird is not pining for a mate, nor is it dreaming of starting a family. Environmental conditions were such that stimulated her to lay an egg. Let her go through her cycle, then remove the eggs and you will have your pet back again.

Sprouting For Birds - Let's Do It!

In my last blog, I showed you how to make your own sprouting jars. This blog, we are actually going to sprout! We are going to start off using three simple, easy to sprout ingredients: Mung beans, whole lentils and hulled (no shell) sunflower seeds. Two notes here: 1. Be sure the lentils are WHOLE and not split. Split lentils will not sprout. Just plain whole green lentils will do fine. 2. And be sure the hulled sunflower seeds are RAW. That means natural. NOT dry roasted and NO salt.

Here is a picture of the dry mix before sprouting.

1. Put your sprout mix in your sprouting jar. Only fill the jar 1/2 with the mix (As the mix soaks up water, it doubles in volume). Then fill the jar with water and let the mix soak for approximately 8-12 hours.

2. After soaking, drain the water. Rinse the mix three or four times by filling the jar with water, swishing the mix around gently, and then draining. Rinse until the water draining out of the jar runs clear.

3. Put the jar on a counter away from direct sunlight for about 10-12 hours. Rinse the sprouts twice during this time. This particular mix is fast sprouting and you will see begin to see growth after the soaking phase. NOTE: If you are worried about spoilage you can place the jar in the refrigerator instead of leaving it on the counter. This mix will sprout in the fridge too, just a little more slowly.

5. The mix is now ready to feed! ALWAYS rinse your sprouts and drain them thoroughly before feeding. Store remaining sprouts in the refrigerator and use them up within two days. This particular mix is great for people too! They make a great tasting, healthy addition to salads or your favorite stir fry dish.

Below are two examples of how we incorporated these sprouts into our bird's veggie mix. Doesn't this look yummy?

Sprouting is so good for your birds (and you too). And frankly, a lot easier than chopping a bunch of veggies every day. Once you begin, you will wonder why you did not try it sooner! When I began sprouting for my birds years ago, I noticed many benefits: healthy weights, better feather condition, bright eyes, smoother skin on their feet, well formed droppings, etc. Sprouting is also a great way to introduce "seed addicts" to a healthier diet.

I would love to hear about your sprouting experiences! And if you have any questions, feel free to contact me through my website:  http://www.almostangelsaviary.com/

Make Your Own Sprout Jars

Well as I promised, this blog will show you a super easy way to make your own sprouting jars for cheap! All you need is a wide mouth mason jar and some needlepoint screen. Both of these items can be found at your local Walmart. The jars will be found in the canning supplies section and the needlepoint screen can be found in the craft section:

First here are some samples of wide mouth jars that would work depending on the number of birds you are sprouting for:

Next, take the inside of the lid and trace an outline on the needlepoint screen:

Cut the screen along the trace outline:

Fit the screen inside the jar lid:

Screw the lid on top of the jar and you now have a sprouting jar!

I have found my "homemade" sprouting jars work better than the store bought lids. The holes are a nice size. They accomodate most beans and seeds well and drain easily. I also wash these in the dishwasher (top rack only) to disinfect them between sproutings.

In an upcoming blog, I will show you how to start sprouting for your birds using a few simple ingredients.

Tidbits of Information

I was shopping at Walmart the other day and found a package of pre-diced butternut squash in a package all ready to go! I mix some with my baby bird's veggie mix and they love it! This is a really convenient way to add some orange veggies to your bird's meals without a lot of trouble. The package looks like this (see picture below) and can be found in the pre-packaged salad section:

People are getting busier and busier these days and with the economy the way it is, we are all looking for easy, economical ways to feed our birds a healthy diet. I tell my customers one way to do this is to set aside some veggies or other healthy food items when you are preparing a meal for your family. Then you can add those items to your bird's next meal.

I enjoy sprouting for my birds as they are natural and nutritious, but many of the pre-mixed sprout mixes online are very expensive (I've seen them as high as $20 per pound). Add in shipping costs, which have risen significally and you can spend a chunk of change on sprouts! I make my own sprout mix from a few simple items that I can find locally. This mix is a fraction of the cost of the online mixes and the birds love them!

I start with a basic wild bird mix. Warning: Not all wild bird mixes are the same. I use Wild Bird Chow Premium Picnic (see the picture below). It is a mix for cardinals. It is a clean mix consisting only of black oil sunflower, safflower, millet and a few peanuts. I usually pick out the peanuts. There are no vitamins added. Some people use a clean dove mix, others have had success with a good quality pigeon seed mix.

To this mix, I add hard winter wheat berries (available at most health food stores in the bulk bins for about $1.99 lb), mung beans, and sometimes I add hulled sunflower (natural - no salt), and hulled natural pumpkin seeds (also called pepitas).

Below is a picture of what this mix looks like in 24 hours. This is just the basic mix of the cardinal seed, hard winter wheat berries and mung beans. You can see everything is sprouting nicely. This is the time to feed it to your birds. Don't let the tails get too long. I usually feed my sprouts within 2 days and store them in the refrigerator to keep them from spoiling. It is important to rinse them thoroughly before each feeding to be sure they are nice and clean.

So there you go! Two tips that not only will save you some time, but are economical as well! In my upcoming blog, I will show you how to make your own sprouting jars from materials you can get at any Walmart.

Early Spring

It's the end of February and it feels like springtime! I'm not complaining, I've had enough of freezing with all the cold weather we have had. Obviously the birds have spring fever, we have lots of babies! We have senegals, pineapple green cheek conures and parrotlets in the nursery now. We also have another clutch of pineapple green cheek conures in the nest with their parents which will be in the nursery soon.

The blue quakers have been louder than usual and spending time in their nestboxes. I expect eggs soon.

If you are interested in any of the babies above, feel free to email me at parrots4us@sbcglobal.net  We also keep our website current as to what we have available:  http://www.almostangelsaviary.com/

My Bird Laid Eggs, Now What?

I have gotten several phone calls lately from people whose pet birds have laid eggs. Many people think that because their pet is laying eggs, it should have a mate. This is not necessarily true. The reason why the female is laying eggs is because environmental conditions (light, temperature, cage set-up, etc.) are telling her hormones that it is a good time to reproduce. Your bird is not pining away for a mate. Laying eggs is just a natural function of hormones doing what they do.

One should never purchase a mate for their bird without thinking it through first. Here are some points to consider:

1. Your pet may not want a mate at all. Single pet birds develop a close, mate type bond with their owners. That special connection is one of the reasons why we are drawn to them. It takes a lot of patience to convert a pet that is bonded to humans into a breeder. You cannot just throw two birds together in a cage and hope they get along. They must be kept in seperate cages side by side for weeks, sometimes months until they accept each other. And just like humans, some birds just don't get along. So you can go out and buy another bird for your girl, only to have two birds that do not like each other!

2. If per chance, your bird does get along with the new bird, now you have another set of issues. Many people do not realize that once a bird is set up with a mate (as a breeding pair) that bird will not be your pet anymore. You cannot have both a pet and breeder. It is one or the other. Your bird will become bonded to it's mate. Breeding pairs become extremely territorial of their cage (they are defending each other and their nest). Your former pet will protect it's territory by inflicting painful bites. And the fact that the bird is a former pet and is not afraid of you..... well, get ready.

3. What are you going to do if there are babies? You cannot have a full time job and take care of baby birds. And for birds to be tame, you must pull them from the care of their parents at a few weeks old and handfeed them yourself several times per day. You also need special equipment for handfeeding and to keep them warm. I won't go into all the details here, but trust me it is quite an undertaking! As a breeder, you are responsible for the lives you bring into this world. That means taking care of them while they are yours and making sure they go to good homes where they will be loved. What are you going to do if you cannot find homes for your babies? You cannot keep them all.

So you've thought this out and decided not to get a mate for your bird. Well, here's what you can do to discourage the egg laying behavior and get your pet back!

1. If your pet bird is on eggs, leave them in there for about 3-4 weeks. If you take out each egg as it is laid,  she will lay another to replace the one you took. Let her lay her entire clutch of eggs and sit them for a while. She may become very defensive during this time. Just leave her alone. Service the cage and let her be. Be sure to check the food bowls to make sure she is eating and drinking. Many pet birds after being allowed to go through the process, become bored and quit sitting the eggs after realizing they will not hatch. Either way, after a few weeks, take the eggs out and throw them away. Then...  

2. Take away anything in the cage that your bird perceives as a nest. And if you are providing a nestbox for your bird to sleep in, take that out or off the cage.

3. Rearrange the cage. Move perches, toys and food bowls around. Change things up. Maybe put in some new toys and perches.

4. Try moving the cage to a different location. Simply moving the cage to a different area in the same room can have a big impact.

5. Put your bird on a more meager diet. I'm not saying starve your bird. But if you are providing an  abundance of fresh food, fatty seed mix, nuts, etc. that will encourage breedy behavior. Hopefully your bird is on a pelleted base diet. Adjust the ratio of your bird's diet to more pellets and less fresh food. Limit nuts and seeds to occasional treats. Especially during the breeding season.

Since we do not spay or neuter our pet birds, hormonal behavior is something bird owners have to deal with. Following the tips above will help minimize these behaviors so you can go back to enjoying your beloved pet. Of course, each pet bird is different. If you need additional help with your bird, feel free to contact me through my website at http://www.almostangelsaviary.com/