Cool Playstand!

One of my customers, who recently purchased a blue quaker parrot from me sent me photos of a great playstand he made for his new feathered family member. Anyone who has purchased a bird from me knows I emphasize using rope perches and wrapping slippery perches/play areas with vetwrap and/or sissel to give young birds good grip. Young birds on slippery perches will slip and fall, destroying their confidence. This lack of confidence causes a young bird to not move around the cage like it should and can even cause stress related behaviors such as screaming and feather plucking.
I was so impressed with this stand, I wanted to share it with others. :-)

Jerry told me the following about the stand he made: "It was made from 1/2" PVC pipe. It is 41" tall by 20" wide. Wrapped in natural sisal rope and vet wrap. This includes swing, perch, sisal rope ladder, and a treat dish. The whole project excluding the toys cost approx. $35. Savings based on internet price is about $100!!!!!"

If anyone is interested, it was constructed with about 15ft of the 1/2" PVC pipe. 4 - 45 degree elbows, 8 - 1/2" PVC caps, 6 - T PVC fittings, 5 - 90 degree elbows, 1 cross fitting, 1 1/4" PVC cap, pack of sisal rope, 2 rolls of vet wrap."

This was a family project. Jerry and his 9 year old son built the stand, and his wife helped wrap it in sisal and vetwrap. That's a lot of wrapping LOL!

Quaker parrot "Fisher" enjoying his new playstand. His owner, Jerry did a tremendous job! Note how Jerry wrapped all the surfaces with both vetwrap and sissel rope so his baby could climb and play without slipping.

A food cup allows Fisher to grab a snack when he gets hungry.



With the surfaces wrapped, Fisher can climb and play anywhere on his stand. Look at how he is playing with this toy while perching at an angle. This baby has plenty of confidence due to the grippable surfaces.

A sissel rope ladder adds a fun dimension to this already great play area!

TWRC Help for Wildlife (www.twrc-houston.org)

It's that time of year again! The sun is out, the weather has warmed up and the wild animals and birds are very active getting ready for breeding season.

Today, I was driving and saw a green slider turtle in the road. I have a soft spot for turtles. I think they are so cute! I just hate when I see them trying to cross busy streets. Most get injured or killed. I think it must be terrifying for these peaceful slow creatures to have to cross hot pavement with cars whizzing by and over them. If at all possible, I will stop and help them across the street or will pick them up and relocate them to a safe area where there are other turtles.

The turtle I was helping today unfortunately had been injured. There was blood. I saw a laceration on his front foot, and he had a serious eye injury. Otherwise, the shell and the rest of his body looked okay. I thought with some medical attention he could probably be fixed up and released. This was a job for a wildlife rehabber. Time to make a drive to the TWRC.

TWRC stands for Texas Wildlife Rehabilitation Coahilition. These hardworking state certified volunteers (you must be certified to take in wildlife - owning a native animal/bird is illegal) nurse injured wildlife back to health with the optimum goal of re-releasing them. Most people although well intentioned, do not have the expertise to this properly. Please, for the animal's sake, if you find injured wildlife bring it to the experts!

I had not been to their new location. It is really nice! Much bigger than the old location. They have a really neat reception area where a few of their permanent wildlife residents are kept. I got to see a wild squirrel up close as well as several reptiles and even owls! The staff is friendly and helpful.

Since it is run by volunteers they have limited operating hours. I suggest if you find an injured animal or bird, give them a call before driving over. Their phone message gives you instructions in what to do with the animal until you can get it some help.

Their new location is at 10801 Hammerly. It is right off I-10/Beltway 8 North. I am in Richmond (West of Houston past Katy) and I was there and back in an hour. I think most people in the Houston area could get there in about 30 minutes or less.

The TWRC is funded solely by donations, which are tax deductible. If you bring an animal/bird there for help, please give them a donation to help with the cost of it's care if you are able. Any amount you can spare will be graciously accepted. You can also donate online through their website! Again, any amount will help to keep this fine organization running. You never know when you might need them!

They also have youth and educational outreach programs available. See their website for more information:  http://www.twrc-houston.org/

An easy way to prepare sweet potato for your bird

Everyone knows that cooked sweet potato is very nutritious for parrots. I found it to be kind of pain to prepare though. I would steam them in the microwave and one part would get too mushy while another section would hardly be cooked. And peeling the skin from the cooked flesh was messy.

I found a way to cook sweet potatoes in the microwave and they come out great! Super easy too.

1. Wash the sweet potatoes well (I scrub them with soap and water and rinse well). Then peel.

2. Dice the potatoes to the size your birds prefer. I dice mine to about 1/4 of an inch or so. Similar in size to the diced carrots in the frozen veggie mixes, maybe just slightly larger.

3. Place the diced potatoes in a microwave safe dish and spread them evenly. Do not add any water. Cover loosely with a lid to allow the build-up of steam while cooking. Do not "snap on" the lid. You don't want the dish to explode! Again no need to add water. The water content naturally contained in the sweet potato will provide just enough steam for cooking.

4. Cook in the microwave on high heat for about 2-3 minutes per potato. I suggest you check it after two minutes and then cook more as needed. You want the dices cooked "al dente"  not overdone.

5. Once cooked allow them to cool and serve. Place leftovers in the fridge. I add these dices to my veggie recipes for added nutrition. Weaning babies especially love the soft texture and mild sweetness.

I think this would probably work with pumpkins too. I'll have to try this when the fall pumpkins arrive!

Product Review: Oven Fresh Bites

I was given a sample of Caitec's Oven Fresh Bites while shopping the vendors at Parrot Festival. I got the medium size which is a nice foot holding, nugget size for small to medium birds (conures, caiques, senegals up to amazons and african greys). When I opened the package, it smelled really nice. Sort of like oatmeal cookies. The ingredient list is impressive with lots of natural ingredients balanced with vitamins and minerals. There are no artificial colors or flavors. I gave some nuggets to my following birds for testing: Jewel (just weaned hahns mini-macaw), Tutti (yellow naped amazon), Baby Blue (blue quaker), Cricket (meyers parrot) and a few green cheeks that were in the process of weaning.

Every single bird loved the pellets. I was quite surprised Tutti liked them as she does not care for pellets and it is a struggle to get her to eat her share of them. And I wasn't sure my young hahns macaw would have the dexterity to hold and eat the nuggets, but she managed just fine. The texture of the nuggets are crunchy, but not as hard/compressed as other popular pellet brands. I was able to break them in pieces fairly easily.

They are a little more expensive than some of the other popular brands, but given the high quality ingredients, I can understand why. Even so, I feel they would be well within the budget of most pet bird owners. They are nutritionally complete so they can be fed as a base diet or as a nutritious treat.

I definitely plan on ordering another bag to have on hand here. My birds eat these pellets as treats and enjoy munching on them in the evening when we all have our "snack" together. My meyers parrot gives me the "flashing" eyes when she sees me coming with the bag!

All in all, I would give a thumbs up to these pellets. Give them a try!

A Classic is Back! Parrots Treasure Bird Toys

For those of you that have been into parrots for a few years (smile), you may remember Parrots Treasure. One of the original bird toy manufacturers and certainly one of the first (if not THE first) to introduce the concept of foraging; they use natural wood, vegetable tanned leather and pine nuts in their unique toys. These toys are a hit with all parrots. Birds just can't resist working to get at that little pine nut! These toys are also loved by greys or shy birds that may be intimidated by brightly colored toys and/or with rescue birds that are learning about toys.

They have a wide assortment of adorable designs - hanging and foot toys. All with a generous allotment of pine nuts embedded in the wood. Each toy is handmade to the highest quality standards. What I also like about them is that they are just the right texture. The wood is soft enough to make your bird feel like he is making some progress - but not so soft that the toy will be on the floor of the cage in an hour. These toys are very safe and can be used inside the cage as well as on any play areas. There are no dangerous components that your bird will get hung up on and no zinc parts to worry about.

I have a friend with a yellow collared macaw that just loves the fun pops. Fun pops are a foot toy with a "rattle" on the handle. Whenever she starts to get loud, my friend gives her one of these and that keeps her busy for a while! I also like the "all leather toy". Birds love to sink their beaks into all those leather knots and/or work to get them untied.

They are very knowledgeable. If you are not sure what to order, just let them know what type of bird you have, and they will be happy to recommend appropriate toys.

Check out their website at www.parrotstreasure.com and tell them Christine from Almost Angels Aviary sent you!

Parrot Festival is coming up!

To those who don't know, Parrot Festival is a conference held every January in Houston. It is put on by the National Parrot Rescue and Preservation Foundation (NPRPF) which is a bird rescue and education organization. The conference features a wide array of speakers discussing different topics regarding parrots. There are always a lot of great vendors there showcasing new and interesting bird toys, artwork, clothing, bird food, perches and much more! If there is a product for birds or their people, you will see it at Parrot Festival (laugh).

Their speaker list is always impressive. Avian vets, breeders, behaviorists, professional trainers, conservationists and nutritionists are featured. I suggest you attend all the talks, even if you think the subject does not apply to you.  I guarantee you will learn something from every single speaker.

For the social butterflies, on Friday night they have a casual meet and greet where you can mingle with the speakers and other attendees. On Saturday night they have a dinner/galah and silent and live auction which features unique items donated by vendors and attendees. It is a lot of fun. All the proceeds go to the NPRPF.

In the midst of all this is a Texas sized raffle featuring tons of great stuff! 

The conference this year is January 20-22 at the Doubletree Hotel near the Houston Intercontinental Airport. Rooms are still available, but it is good to get your reservation early as they fill up fast. For more information go to http://www.parrotfestival.org/festivalinfo.html and click on the "Parrot Festival" tab. A pop up menu will appear with information options.

Hope to see you there!

Holiday Travel What to do with Birdie?

Around this time of year I get a lot of inquiries about what to do with pet birds when their owners are traveling over the holidays. In general, I feel it is best for the bird to remain in the home. Arrange to have a trusted neighbor or friend come over once or twice a day to check on and take care of your feathered friend. Leaving the bird in it's home environment is the least stressful option.

Don't have a friend or neighbor that is available? Having a pet sitter come in is the next best option. Don't know anyone? Ask your pet owning friends/neighbors for a referral. There is usually a responsible teenager in the area offering pet sitting services this time of year as they are trying to earn a few extra dollars during their holiday break. Or look up pet sitters in the yellow pages. Professional pet sitters are usually booked this time of year, so you will need to reserve them early.

Another place to find a pet sitter is your vet's office. Call them and see if they have someone they recommend. Some of the vet tech's pet sit on the side for extra cash.

A trusted friend who is familiar with birds may be able to keep your bird at their home for a few days while you are away. I find this option works better with the smaller birds, as they are more portable.

The last option is to board your bird at a facility. Most avian vets offer boarding services as well as some bird stores. This is my least favorite option as you are exposing your bird to other strange birds which is a big health risk. On the plus side, you know your bird is being looked after by competant caretakers while you are away. If you are going to board, check out the facility carefully.

If you are going to leave your bird at home, have the petsitter play a radio during the day to keep your bird company. Plug in a nightlight so your bird can see if something frightens him during the night. Provide him with his favorite toys and food while you are away. Foraging toys and the Planet Pleasures "Pinata" toys will keep your bird busy during the day. Inspect your bird's toys/perches carefully and remove any (such as cotton rope toys or ring type toys) that could entangle your bird while he is not being supervised. Also inspect all the quick links in the cage and be sure they are closed and fastened securely. Door latches should be checked to be sure they close securely.

With some pre-planning, you and your bird can both have a worry free holiday travel season!