Baby Broccoli

[LeaKP]

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Today, I had the unspeakable audacity of putting Brocc and Kirby in their Pak Os so that I could spend two hours scrubbing their cages. Broccoli let me know just how much he hated it, haha! It was his first cage cleaning day with us; we do a big clean in the yard once a month where we roll everything outside, hose it down, scrub a bit, and spray it with F10 before rinsing. His highness was not amused.

The audacity! How could you? Ha! You got the stink-eye. Well done, we all get it for doing the right thing. They’re like 2-year-olds!

 

[ravvlet]

The audacity! How could you? Ha! You got the stink-eye. Well done, we all get it for doing the right thing. They’re like 2-year-olds!

This is, unfortunately, the same look my human children give me when I tell them it’s time we clean their room & fold their clean clothes, haha. Broccoli is gonna have to get in line if he wants to file a complaint here!

 

[kme3388]

Broccoli is so adorable! Congratulations on your new conure.

I miss having a baby conure some days. I still adore my sun & Jenday although they’ve matured. They can still be snuggly, and adorable.

They both have pin feathers coming in right now. If I accidentally bump a pin feather… I am 100% without a doubt getting bit.

 

[ravvlet]

Broccoli is so adorable! Congratulations on your new conure.

I miss having a baby conure some days. I still adore my sun & Jenday although they’ve matured. They can still be snuggly, and adorable.

They both have pin feathers coming in right now. If I accidentally bump a pin feather… I am 100% without a doubt getting bit.

He’s so sweet! Ah, pin feather season is rough. Kirby somehow still has them all over his head! I help with them where I can, but I’m afraid to pinch them too hard in case they aren’t ready!

I never before witnessed what I am calling the “conure cuddle”, where they crawl under the palm of your hand, but now he’s doing it all the time, not just when he wants me to take my hand off my computer mouse, and it’s heartmelting!

He will even let me pet him sometimes when he does it. I worry about encouraging that though, as I assume it could become a sexual thing later (as my hand basically cups over his wings and back). If any conure people wanna let me know how to handle that move I’d appreciate it - I won’t lie, it’s seriously the cutest thing ever, but I don’t want to keep doing it if it’s inappropriate or going to cause problems when he is older!

To be clear, his reaction is not sexual - he’s not sticking his butt in the air or anything. He tried to feed from my finger once, so I’m actually thinking it’s more of a baby bird thing. He did it last night when I got home late from book club and he was excited to see me - I had hung out with him and Kirby early in the day as I knew I’d be going out for the evening, and so his normal “out” time was spent with my partner and our kids instead- the minute I came through the door he took off shrieking like a tie fighter to land on my shoulder and climb under my chin!

 

[kme3388]

He’s so sweet! Ah, pin feather season is rough. Kirby somehow still has them all over his head! I help with them where I can, but I’m afraid to pinch them too hard in case they aren’t ready!

I never before witnessed what I am calling the “conure cuddle”, where they crawl under the palm of your hand, but now he’s doing it all the time, not just when he wants me to take my hand off my computer mouse, and it’s heartmelting!

He will even let me pet him sometimes when he does it. I worry about encouraging that though, as I assume it could become a sexual thing later (as my hand basically cups over his wings and back). If any conure people wanna let me know how to handle that move I’d appreciate it - I won’t lie, it’s seriously the cutest thing ever, but I don’t want to keep doing it if it’s inappropriate or going to cause problems when he is older!

To be clear, his reaction is not sexual - he’s not sticking his butt in the air or anything. He tried to feed from my finger once, so I’m actually thinking it’s more of a baby bird thing. He did it last night when I got home late from book club and he was excited to see me - I had hung out with him and Kirby early in the day as I knew I’d be going out for the evening, and so his normal “out” time was spent with my partner and our kids instead- the minute I came through the door he took off shrieking like a tie fighter to land on my shoulder and climb under my chin!

I myself haven’t found anything to help with hormones in parrots. I avoid the things that are well known to cause hormonal behaviors, but still all of my parrots at times will try to mate with me. The only observation I have is that my male parrots can be a bit more aggressive when they are hormonal than my female. My males do not take no (I put them back in their cages when they try to mate with me) for an answer. They scream, and bang their beaks on their cage bars. If I put my one male back on top of his cage (if I don’t put him in his cage with the doors closed, and locked) he will fly immediately back to me, and start nipping. Then he’ll continue to try to mate with me. I am not sure if it’s because I care for them, if they just take it the wrong way, or if it’s just in their nature. I unfortunately have found no resolution. If my parrots were human they’d be in jail good thing they are cute, and feathery.

 

[ravvlet]

Thankfully it wasn’t a sexy time overture; he just wanted baby snuggles. But I worry where this will go once he hits puberty! Oh well, no point in borrowing trouble.

Going to be a bad bird mom again today as it’s art night at a friends house, so I am “abandoning” him to his less favorite people. He does like my partner and the kids - they just aren’t me, heheh.

 

[ravvlet]

It is officially Too Hot. Broccoli is ok because he uses his bird bath, but when I let Kirby out after a while I noticed he had droopy wings and was breathing through his mouth hard enough to have a tail bob.

I took him straight into the bathroom, and we took a cool (not cold, more lukewarm) shower, and he perked up immediately.

It was 90 outside today, and we don't have A/C in the bird room yet (looking into a HVAC system before next summer). For now we are going to move the A/C in my partner's office in here - possibly even just move her whole work station, not sure yet. I was hoping to avoid buying yet another portable A/C unit, because A. we are going to have a heat pump/mini split put in over the winter, and B. we already have FOUR, and they trip the breaker sometimes if I am not careful about which one is running when, but its just too hot.

I promise my old guy is ok for now, but I am definitely calling his vet in the morning. He has ice water, cold chop, and is soaked from his shower - plus the sun has set so it's finally cooling down outside and we have the patio door (with both screens closed) wide open to let in fresh cool air.

 

[LaManuka]

Poor Kirby, sounds like he's not crazy about the hot weather I hope it's a bit cooler for y'all tomorrow and that he checks out ok if you end up taking him to the vet!

 

[DonnaBudgie]

It is officially Too Hot. Broccoli is ok because he uses his bird bath, but when I let Kirby out after a while I noticed he had droopy wings and was breathing through his mouth hard enough to have a tail bob.

I took him straight into the bathroom, and we took a cool (not cold, more lukewarm) shower, and he perked up immediately.

It was 90 outside today, and we don't have A/C in the bird room yet (looking into a HVAC system before next summer). For now we are going to move the A/C in my partner's office in here - possibly even just move her whole work station, not sure yet. I was hoping to avoid buying yet another portable A/C unit, because A. we are going to have a heat pump/mini split put in over the winter, and B. we already have FOUR, and they trip the breaker sometimes if I am not careful about which one is running when, but its just too hot.

I promise my old guy is ok for now, but I am definitely calling his vet in the morning. He has ice water, cold chop, and is soaked from his shower - plus the sun has set so it's finally cooling down outside and we have the patio door (with both screens closed) wide open to let in fresh cool air.

It seems like running a strong fan right after showering or portable compact misting fan would help. Lowe's sells them (Kobalt brand) that are operated with a 24 volt lithium ion tool battery (generally included) for less than $150. Home Depot probably has a similar item.
I love my heat pump! Cool all summer and I don't need a secondary heat source even in Maine winters!

 

[ravvlet]

It seems like running a strong fan right after showering or portable compact misting fan would help. Lowe's sells them (Kobalt brand) that are operated with a 24 volt lithium ion tool battery (generally included) for less than $150. Home Depot probably has a similar item.
I love my heat pump! Cool all summer and I don't need a secondary heat source even in Maine winters!

Yeah! We would LOVE to get rid of the horrible little wall heating units we have - one failed this winter and it was over $1k to replace! They don’t consistently heat a room anyway and they run up our electrical bill something fierce.

We do have a tower fan, that used to oscillate - but the poor thing is 5 years old and nearly all the functions on it are broken now!

For the time being we are going to set up my partner’s portable AC down there, and I may end up buying one after all. But we’d put the new one in her office and keep the old one - I have found the new units (the kind with the hose that runs to the window) off gas for the first week or so, and don’t want that around the birds. She can deal with the weird smell

 

[ravvlet]

Kirby, just trying to eat his dinner, whilst Broccoli chirps endlessly at him, haha!

This little dude is a riot. I cannot believe it took me this long to get a conure. All the parts of an amazon I like, and all the parts of a cockatiel I like. Just enough attitude, but still wants to snuggle - but also enjoys independent play.

We didn’t end up using the A/C, as I realized (a duh moment) that the bottom floor, which is ground level in the backyard, is a basement toward the front of the house. The “basement” room says much cooler, so I ended up just leaving their door open while I am in here (they have a screen over the interior door to keep them in and the cat out) and it allows the cooler basement air to cycle into their room, which gets hot because of the big glass door that normally gives us a lovely view of the backyard and my garden.

Everyone is doing great today, and tomorrow it’s overcast and 15+ degrees cooler, so it looks like we are going to get by just fine.

 

[ravvlet]

Also, I think Brocc is trying to talk. He ALWAYS kicks up a fuss if I come in here and leave the room, but he’s stopped doing the conure yell and has started vocalizing more like Kirby, but higher pitch. He makes kissy noises back at you if you make them to him, and will sit on my shoulder and grumble to himself. It’s very funny.

 

[ravvlet]

Little guy always has to be touching me!

 

[onamom]

Aww look at those two! They are getting chummy! But I bet Broc is a little more enthusiastic than Kirby

Aren’t Conures just the best?! I’m thoroughly enjoying reading your Conure adventures and seeing how similar Broc is to Ona even though they are different species of Conure. I just love them.

 

[onamom]

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Little guy always has to be touching me!

I frequently ask Ona if she just wants to be sewn to my finger.

 

[ravvlet]

Oh dear. Broccoli finally pushed Kirby too far and got a couple toe pinches as a result. He’s fine - no broken skin, no swelling, he let me touch all over his toes and they’re all sound, but it must have spooked him, because he climbed into my shirt and refuses to come out, poor little fella. I keep telling him to give Kirby space, but he can’t help himself.

 

[ravvlet]

No caption needed, haha.

Anyone else have to call for backup if they need to use the restroom and their conure is out?!

 

[LaManuka]

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Anyone else have to call for backup if they need to use the restroom and their conure is out?!

My conure? No. My lorikeet .... ooohhhhhh yes!!!!!

 

[onamom]

Anyone else have to call for backup if they need to use the restroom and their conure is out?!

Nope she just goes with me

 

[DonnaBudgie]

I frequently ask Ona if she just wants to be sewn to my finger.

I thought Ona and Broccoli were both GCCs but different color mutations, kinda like green budgies vs blue budgies.