May 4, 2024 15:36:50 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 4, 2014 7:34:30 GMT
That's everyday with Munchy. It takes ages to bribe him in. That's why I have to remove his food bowl if we want to leave at midday.
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May 4, 2024 15:36:50 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 6, 2014 8:24:07 GMT
Hezz How are Mango and Spyro doing? Also, I think that your flock is trying to tell us something about you, Hezz, because there are a lot of S and M's there
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Post by Hezz on Feb 7, 2014 0:48:40 GMT
Well done, Ira!!!! I was very aware of this, too, and had on more than one occasion almost made mention of my S&M budgies!! I can say it was not intentional, but whoever knows what the subconscious was working on at the time. Mango is still protesting V ERY loudly at being caught up, and gives me the royal run-around ...... little minx! And wriggle!!!!! And has just finished throwing the veggies off the top of the cage again. The budgie slave has picked up all the pieces and spoilt her fun by putting the bowl on the floor of the cage. She hasn't worked out that she can throw them out through the bottom door yet. Shhhhh We'll keep that one a secret for a while. Plus she is a mass of pinnies around her face, lost two flight feathers - the same feather on each wing, so she really is growing up. Pout! Spyro is coming out of quarantine this weekend. Sparky broke quarantine soon after Spyro came home, and Mango did the same a few days ago, so I am going to cut it short by a few days to work in with the weekend. He is a funny boy ...... quite shy still, quite skittish, and we have to go through a routine before he feels comfortable enough to allow me to scratch his fluffy chops. It is quite funny ....... firstly he has to be calm enough to sit on my finger, and that may take a few efforts but is very good at stepping up, so no hardship ....... then I have to offer him the finger that is going to do the scratching to be nibbled. And only this finger is allowed to scratch - I have tried using another .... not on! Still with me?? So, once the scratching finger has been duly nibbled to his satisfaction, he stops nibbling and holds his head still, and then I am able to scratch. But only with that finger! He nibbles up and down the finger, under the nail, back up and along the finger ...... I guess you can tell that giving him a scratch is not a spur of the moment thing, and over in seconds. If you have got a spare half an hour, perhaps ....... Mango is definitely like Munchy about going into the cage when I want her to. I often resort to putting everyone else in first, much easier to bribe her inside then. And then let the others out one by one ...... the look on her face is priceless when she realizes she is on her own. And tell Munchy Mango likes Kevin-balls ...... not Kevin in colour, of course, but the same sort of thing.
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Post by Hezz on Feb 7, 2014 1:27:59 GMT
Lol, spoke too soon re the veggies out the door of the cage. Missy Minx has been down for another session and worked out how to rid herself of these pesky greens. I did laugh at her though, trying to get a rather large snow pea out ...... she kept treading on the other end of it, and gave up in disgust just short of the door. I will have to write this up again under its own thread, I think.
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May 4, 2024 15:36:50 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 7, 2014 9:47:30 GMT
Haha Take Munchy off my hands and you'll have even numbers of S's and M's I think your subconscious is very naughty indeed, Hezz. And don't you pretend it isn't! She's totally crazy, isn't she? I told Munchy (he's moved on from Kevins to other coloured Kevins) and... uh... well, he says he wants to come and play Kevin with Mango... I'm pretending not to know what that means, but judging by what he tries to do with the Kevins... Although, yesterday he was on about 'Jessie' instead... No idea who that is. I find that Munchy wriggles more when I hold him loosely (which I've been doing so that he can slip out easily) but tightly enough to still carry him somewhere. He gets his shoulders forward of my fingers. The look on her face sounds priceless, as does the look on yours when she found the door to throw them out through I wonder why they throw the veggies around. How do you train them to go into the cage when you want them to? Scratching Spyro sounds like a very long job indeed. Munchy used to be a bit like that, but he's more easy going now, well, until I started catching him. He still lets me scratch but he keeps a closer eye on me now. Spyro sounds completely adorable if you don't just want to give him a quick scratch before running off somewhere. It's funny (in a mildly amusing sense) and interesting how they all have their different personalities. I snapped this video of my catching Munchy this morning so you can see how he's progressing. He's not always as bitey as this. Sometimes he's worse, but often he doesn't do much at all. It was more nibbley really. He steps up without me asking now, at least. I like how he takes his annoyance out on the rings at the end
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Post by Hezz on Feb 8, 2014 1:00:33 GMT
Well done, you two! That is progress indeed. I think Sparky has regressed with the intro of Mango to the catch-and-release efforts. He has been giving me the run around a bit too. Plus we have had rain for about two weeks straight, so no sun, and I haven't remembered to catch them up regularly enough. I am working on making up for that lost time.
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May 4, 2024 15:36:50 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 8, 2014 1:26:57 GMT
I'm very proud of him He obviously doesn't enjoy it, but he's so good at stepping onto my hand now, even if I have to ask him. Once and he's up. It looks like he'll come to accept it, for sure. He seems to prefer when I have a firmer grip, though, at least when I want to move him anywhere. Makes him less wriggly and he makes less noise. Also, he's a little calmer if I hold him up to the level of my face so he can see me blinking at him and talking and such. I find a ringer's grip easier for cutting claws, though, but once he steps up like this it's very easy to transfer him I'll have to start working on small increases in the amount of time I hold him for soon, I think. It's amazing how they can get used to you not doing it, isn't it? They say that about practicing things yourself. If you miss a day, you notice. Munchy isn't quite so bad because he doesn't mind my hands, so if I haven't caught him in a while then he doesn't know what to expect. He does attempt to escape more, however, but it isn't panicky. He just jumps from hand to hand, until he sits on my wrist and I pluck him off. Does Sparky behave worse when it's raining a lot? If budgies breed during the rainy season, would the sight of rain make them more broody, or is light more important? Sparky has always been a wild ball of energy and lovable disobedience though, hasn't he? Does Mango still prefer him over Smudge and Misty? Or should I say, is Sparky still the one who is the most tolerant of her? Perhaps he's trying to start a rebellion by teaching all your new budgies bad manners
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Post by Hezz on Feb 8, 2014 1:42:06 GMT
Oh, no, don't! They are giving me a hard time as it is! But, yes, Sparky has always been my little feral lad ....... you know how girls are supposed to like the bad boys? But he is less disobedient than Mango now. Once Mango gets with the other birds, she forgets all her manners - she becomes a very naughty girl! As soon as she is away from them, different story altogether and will sit and go to sleep on me nearly every time. I don't think it has been the weather making Sparky flighty, but more that I haven't had the opportunity to put them out into the sun, therefore not catching them all up to go into the smaller cage to go outside. You often mention the ringer's grip, which I know you had to learn, but is this holding the head between thumb and forefinger? Or something altogether different?
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May 4, 2024 15:36:50 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 8, 2014 10:36:52 GMT
All the girls love the bad boys Spyro sounds practically studious in comparison! She sounds really cute I guess when they're with their own kind they forget a bit about us humans and just go crazy. It's like some sort of budgie rave. Ah, I see. That makes sense It's good to have a reason to practice, i.e. some practical application, because at least then you don't feel like you're just aggravating them for no reason Although, I have been known to pester Munchy quite a bit, but he's just so cute! The head (well, neck) sits between the forefinger and the middle finger. The reason being that you can't apply enough pressure to strangle the bird with those fingers. Then the palm is cupped across the back. I'm not at home so I can't get a picture of what that would look like with Munchy, but here's one with a sparrow: It's secure but you don't need to hold tight. It just stops their shoulders pressing forward past your fingers. I've mostly done this with storm petrels, which are pretty docile for some unknown reason, but you can't handle bigger birds like this. Hands just aren't large enough. Ringing manx shearwaters was a nightmare because you have to lie them across your lap and tuck their heads behind your elbow so that they can't bite you. Before looking at that picture I never realised how large a swallow's eyes are. Learn something new everyday. But, yes, holding Munchy like that I can gently hold above the foot with the tips of my fingers so that I can trim his toe nails. If he's on my fingers the way I've been catching him it's hard to get to the foot I need. I'll get some pictures tomorrow morning I'm sure Munchy will oblige. Plus when he gets really fed up of me he can bite my knuckles Probably not fully useful for giving medicine however.
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Post by Hezz on Feb 9, 2014 1:11:08 GMT
Ah ha, gotcha! I think it could still work giving meds, if it keeps their head still. But yes, I can see this is only for the smaller birds. Spyro is now out with the others but in his own cage, which he has to share with Mango at night and some other times. I am a bit loath to let Spryo out in the main rooms yet, and certainly not without me around. He isn't very happy with me keeping him shut in while the others fly around. He is having time out in my bedroom so isn't completely without exercise. I have two days' work in a row, so may wait until Wed before letting him venture out. While I am not home, he and Mango can share the big birds' cage. They are not actually bigger, you understand, just older, and sometimes, wiser. Mango is being quite the little bitch ...... you know the one in the playground who purposely sits in the other girl's spot, or spills her drink etc ..... poor Sparky has been copping it in bucket-loads the last couple of days.
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May 4, 2024 15:36:50 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2014 11:38:12 GMT
Well, when I hold Munchy it doesn't keep his head still. He likes to turn his head and bite my knuckles once he loses patience with me. Still, I think by moving the finger positions slightly it could. Munchy likes to nibble at things that I shove at his beak anyway Like a vaseline-covered fingertip. He currently biting at me a lot and trying to run away down the side of the cage every time I go to catch him. Ooh, let us know how it goes I think Mango needs a bit of putting in her place. I know exactly the type you mean Too bad Sparky doesn't have the grumpiness that another hen might and bully her away. Looks like he might get knocked down a perch in the dominance hierarchy!
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Post by Hezz on Feb 12, 2014 0:47:05 GMT
Unfortunately, I think you are right about Sparky getting dumped down the pecking order. Poor little man definitely doesn't deserve it, he really is a sweetheart. He is actually having to fight her off in a verbal way only luckily, not physically ........ Sparky removes himself before things get to that. But I haven't quite worked out what Mango is trying to achieve ....... whether it's the hierarchy, or she is obsessed with Sparky, or is trying to get him to feed her ........ I am not sure that she knows either! I have just closed the door into the big cage with Sparky inside (the other two girls already were) just so he can catch a break. But this means that Spyro and Mango are the only two out and Mango has decided to ignore Spyro. And Spyro needs someone sensible, ie NOT Mango, to show him the room layout so he can stay safe. So far he has landed on two fans and did a face plant into the gauze door ...... these have quite a bit of give in them, so they cannot hurt themselves.
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Post by ffiscool on Feb 12, 2014 17:39:34 GMT
I would love to be allowed to scratch Bailey's cheeks... He is odd in that I can touch him, kiss him, and stroke his beak,end of his tail, feet - but anything more.. NO
shame, as he would enjoy it. But at least the biting is lessening...
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May 4, 2024 15:36:50 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 12, 2014 19:19:30 GMT
I never knew that I could at first, ffiscool and then I was too afraid of Munchy's bites to try, so I'd occasionally sneak a finger in when rubbing him with his favourite toy. And then I was afraid that the nips that he tried to aim at me when he was prickly would hurt, but normally he just biffs my finger and squeaks in displeasure if I touch a pinnie. I'd say just keep trying. When you touch his beak try rubbing the feathers to one side, just the ones right on the edge of the beak, with your nail or something, rather than your whole finger. He may just be a weird one, but I'm sure he'll warm up to scratches eventually.
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Post by ffiscool on Feb 12, 2014 19:28:18 GMT
Thank you. Good tip! Will report back
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