Several years ago I was visiting a breeder when something climbed up the outside of my pant leg. It was a blue headed pionus, named Maximilion. Maggie as I called him had been sold twice and returned. No one could keep Maggie in a cage. He was only two years old and cage containment was easily solved for me. I took the bottom out of Maggie's cage so he could come and go as he wanted. Leaving cage doors open added to the poop on the floor and uninvited guests, which Maggie hated. No, not the poop on the floor, he really didn't care about that.

I just got two pictures of Sadie from her new human. He said Sadie's favorite place is on his lap under a blanket. The pictures are fantastic. This is what cockatoo lovers all say about their birds. They are cuddly and sweet. The picture of Sadie upside down on Ed's lap is just funny.
Thanks for sending the note and pictures, Ed. This is why I take in these birds. They move from a situation with negatives to a wonderful long term home, whether they are re-homed or stay here with me.
Jean

I love my birds but we also raise small friendly pygmy goats. This spring we had 16 new babies to add to our herd. We lose a couple of newborns every year and end up bottle raising some ourselves. It is hard dirty work but we never have to mow our pastures or trim the trees again.

The ring neck parakeet is a medium sized, beautiful bird that comes in many colors. I was given Chiquita to let her retire in my aviary. She had been a dearly loved pet but situations change and Chiquita needed a new home. Ring necks are called that because with the second molt the males only, develop a ring around their necks. Chiquita was a male. He liked to fly and had a good appetite. One morning I found him dead in the aviary. Not a mark on him. I hate to lose one of the birds, it deeply saddens me. I sent an apology note to the couple that had released Chiquita to me.

This bird showed up at my back porch door. I knew he was a pigeon but that was all. He was dirty, fluffy and determined to get onto my porch. I shooed him away. the next time I went out on the porch he was hanging on to the screens. This kept up for hours. I didn't want a pigeon, why wouldn't he go away? Ultimately he slipped into the porch between my feet and proceeded to eat all the seed my birds had spilled. After trying to grab him many times I gave up. He moved into the rafters of the porch but that was not to last. He was a mighty pooper.

Trace was retired to our home and little did I know just what great talkers Double Yellow Headed amazon really were. Trace had been passed around and was an aggressive biter. I have no overwhelming desire to hold my birds or to be bitten, so Trace and I worked it out. He had a big play top cage and I would let him loose, if he didn't bite me. Almost a perfect solution.

Recently it came up in a conversation, that someone needed to prevent their bird from tearing its skin, as part of plucking all it's feathers out. On many occasions I have had to prevent animals from pulling out stitches, splits, casts and feathers. I have used old xray film to make a victoria collar.

Pogo is a male cockatiel of unknown age. When I first saw him he had no tail feathers and a bald head and neck. Oh and yes, he was missing his left lower leg. I assume that he lost his feathers to his fellow cage mates because he could not defend himself. He needed his beak and right foot to move around. So I placed Pogo into a small parakeet cage with rope perches. I place food in different locations to encourage him to move around. I also sprayed him occasionally with warm water and aloe. Then one day he sang.

My friend Linda Kelly has the most elaborate menu for birds that I have ever seen. Today she said her birds lay eggs because they know that is when she fixes them scrabbled eggs. She shops, chops, and serves ALL her birds, pets and breeders extremely well. I have asked linda to write about her bird feeding dos and don'ts, what has worked and what has not. More from Linda soon.

When the college bound girl tearfully left her "Cuddles" (A nanday conure) with me, it was agreed that it would be just until the end of the term and she had a new home to bring Cuddles to. I never saw her again. I had Cuddles sexed and changes his name to Cutty. He was a bitting, cage bound grouch. I really thought that he would be forced to change if moved into open flying space. Boy was I wrong. He hated the aviary, avoided all the other birds, found a hiding place and escaped the aviary. One day with no food or water and he landed on Jim to get back in the aviary.