G'day!

[Betrisher]

I'm so pleased to have found this forum - everyone seems so willing to share advice and conversation!

I've kept all sorts of birds over the years, but have recently welcomed a pair of Alexes into our home. Barney and Madge are about ten months old (I think). They were an urgent sale from a young girl who seemed not to know much about them. I think she was afraid of the birds, since they were a bit nippy when we first met. We began calling them 'The Beaks', but since then Barn and Madge have settled right down and don't bite anyone at all.

When I got them home, I quickly realised the Beaks were pretty thin. I've been feeding them a wild bird mix along with odd fruits and veggies I have on hand, but I do wonder what quantities and proportions I should offer them.

Both birds have what I'd describe as 'bumped' bills. That is, they appear to have been allowed to crash into windows or objects and their bills are sort of flaky on the front, rounded part. I wonder if that might be because of a dietary deficiency or if it's just damage?

The other thing I wonder is how big they ought to be at ten months and whether they will grow much more till they reach sexual maturity. Something makes me think our Beaks are a bit on the runtish side: they're only about fifteen inches long. They do have nice red shoulder patches and Barney seems to have a shadow of a dark ring. I was assured the Beaks had been DNA tested, but I'm not really sure about that and I don't really care: both birds are delightful and they're getting more and more confident with me each day.

I've found the best thing is to let them do what they want (within reason). I've also found it's a bad idea to let them sit on my head or shoulders. They *killed* my very best pair of gold studs by squashing them into gold blobs! Oh, and it's also a good idea to remove my glasses before having a session with them: the earpieces are now more like s-bends!

These guys *really* like shiny things, which is how I very easily get them back into their cage. I hold a teaspoon in my hand and while the bird is busily admiring and chomping on it, I just post both through the door and voila! Caught!

For now, I've decided I don't want to clip the Beaks. They *love* flying around the house during their free time and, because we have three cats, I don't want to deprive them of their best means of escape. The cats are always chuffed outside whenever the birds are out and I don't plan for any accidents to happen, but y'never know when one might.

My last question is, when should I expect the Beaks to have their first moult and what signs should I look for that it's starting? What happens? Is it like horses, where you get tons of moulted coat all over everything for a few weeks?

Anyway, that's enough for now. I really look forward to getting to know you all (and your birds).

 

[weco]

As to diet, a cockatiel, conure, lovebird mix is better than wildbird seed as there are normally other nutrients, not in the grass/flower seeds of wildbird mix.....you'll here percentages of 10-40/seed mix to 60-90 for fruits, veggies & pelleted bird foods.....in any event, a straight seed mix does not provide the proper nutrients a bird needs.....

The flakiness of their beaks is a natural occurrence as parrot's beaks are created by layers of keratin, much like our skin.....if you cut yourself, after several days, the damaged skin sort of rolls back & allows the new skin to grow through.....with a parrot's beak, the worn layers may look flaky, but that's just the old layer wearing off.....healthy birds will rub their beaks against their perches and/or cage bars to manicure this off.....

Yep, most parrots fancy themselves jewelry designers/connoisseurs, though their designs, as you've found out, are not as relished by the human population, hence, it's always a good idea to remove jewelry, including rings.....keep in mind that diamonds do not show up on X-rays an other small stones may appear as undigested foods.....

Yes, some of our feathered friends do have an affinity for spectacles frames.....

 

[gemini84]

gday betrisher and welcome to the forum. its always great to see another fellow aussie on the forum but i get even more excited when i see a fellow aussie alex owner .

i have 3 alexs my self, my baby oxy us about 10months old, bruno will be 2 in august and prince 4.

since i've had oxy (got him at 11 weeks) he has lost a few feathers here and there but about a month ago he lost his tail feathers dont worry when they do, its perfectly normal.

i guess given my baby is about the same age as "the beaks" and i also have a mature boy im prob the best to demonstrate tge size differences, although the sizes can vary from sub species. Bruno, my not yet mature male is larger then prince. Prince and Oxy are actualy brothers.

Here are a few pics for you to see the comparison. not the best pics as the only way i could convince them to perch together was to brube them with a peanut.

Prince is on the left(almost 4yo) bruno in the middle (almost 2yo) Oxy on the left (10months).

Prince

Bruno

Oxy


Alex's are very avid chewers and i found they will chew almost anything. Prince and Bruno are currently fully flighted atm and love flying up to the curtain rods and chewing my widow sills.
im have been lucky in away that they havent destroyed any of my jewellery but oxy did break my sisters necklace.

i feed them vetafarm nutriblend pellets daily along with small amount of seed and lots of fruit and veg.
Here is breif list of some of what i feed them.

Brocolli
Squash
Beans
Corns
Peas
Zucchini
Capsicum
Chilli
Brussel Sprouts
Potato
Pumpkin
Sweet Potato
Carrot
celery
Mango
Apple
Pear
Kiwi Fruit
Passion Fruit
Mandarin
Rice
Pasta
Egg
Chicken
Beef
Lamb
Just to mention a few, i onky feed the meats occasionally in small amounts and they have scrambled eggs with veg mixed in (no milk) on Sundays. Egg is a very messy so they get that on Sunday as that is cleaning day.

we would love to see pics of your fids. if you have any questions please feel free to ask me and ill do my best to help, but i am in no way an expert.

 

[Betrisher]

Wow! What a great reply! Thanks, Gemini - you've answered my questions beautifully and may I say your boys are just *so* gorgeous!!! My Barney has some great role models here.

Thanks, too, for the diet advice. I can see that my Beaks are having far too much seed and not enough fruit and veg, so I'll fix that straight away. Do you cook any of your veggies, or do you simply feed everything raw? (Potato, for example).

Gee, you're right about the chewing. I was amazed at first, but now we have a ready source of bottlebrush and gum tree limbs so the Beaks get plenty of stuff to shred. Also, the kids and I take great pleasure in inventing new and challenging toys. One of the simplest was to twist a kitchen towel into a long, tight string and tie it to the cage. The Beaks take a good five minutes to unpick that. LOL! In the meantime, I'm saving all my cotton reels (I sew) and finding bird-safe beads and things online. I found out early on that bells are a huge no-no. One chomp and the largest bell was squashed and its clapper became a swallowing danger! Whew!

The other danger I found was that Madge likes to chomp fridge magnets until the magnet comes out. Suddenly, I have a naked fridge after nearly twenty years of fancy magnets. LOL! I don't want my beaks swallowing magnets!

Well, they're calling to me as I type, so I guess it's playtime for us. Thanks again for the warm welcome and especially for the help and pics.

 

[Featheredsamurai]

Welcome to the forum

 

[gemini84]

your more then welcome, always hapoy to meet fellow alex slaves and aussies, especially those from the central coast/ hunter region. I grew up in Bluehaven/ Gosford area and only moved up here 3yrs ago. this place onky has one major difference then down there.... It doesnt get cold and i can go to beach any day i want.....lol

i cook the potatoes, pumpkin, sweet potato and rice all the time. the others it depends on how i am feeding it to them. if im making a mash ill cook all the veg if im making a chop its raw. pasta i feed mainly cooked/ par cooked, but they do enjoy chomoing away on the crunchy pasta.

up here in the tropics i dont really have much in the way of bottle brush and gums, but they love it when i fill the "jungle cage" with palm leaves.

Alexs are so easy to entertain and make toys for. one of their recent favourites is the empty spool i had from putting new line on the BF's fishing rod. They go nuts for straws, boxes, plastic lids, playing cards, card board tubes (i get tge big ones from the local material store).
i personally try and stay away from the store bought wooden toys xause they are so expensice and the 3 amigos destroy them in minutes. I go down to my local hardware store and buy lengths of untreated pine to make thier toys, and they live sitting there watching me make them and cant wait till im done.
Ill give them anything thats bird safe that i have laying around to play with, and because they gave seen me using it they want it more then a toy specifacally made for a bird.

if you want to make a chew toy that will last linger then your general pine toy, try getting ahold of a coconut in shell. the coconut flesh is good for them and can be frozen for upto 3 months and then just smash the shell, drill holes in it and thread onto some wire or string.

i have a coconut out on my back porch waiting to be destroyed (been putting it off cause i have a substantial supply of them lining the beaches, but unlike the ones you get from the supermarket, mine still have the husks on and thats not a fun job.

And just fir the sake if tbe season....GO THE MIGHTY BLUES

 

[weco]

The other danger I found was that Madge likes to chomp fridge magnets until the magnet comes out. Suddenly, I have a naked fridge after nearly twenty years of fancy magnets. LOL! I don't want my beaks swallowing magnets!

Consider jewelry at least on the same level as fridge magnets & if you're fond of body piercings, you would be best informed to not let Madge know.....a friend's son had a bar-bell through his eyebrow until hi aunt's Amazon decided she wanted it.....without un-screwing it.....

By the way, before I forget, diamonds are easily removed from their settings & do not show up on X-rays.....

 

[gemini84]

The other danger I found was that Madge likes to chomp fridge magnets until the magnet comes out. Suddenly, I have a naked fridge after nearly twenty years of fancy magnets. LOL! I don't want my beaks swallowing magnets!

Consider jewelry at least on the same level as fridge magnets & if you're fond of body piercings, you would be best informed to not let Madge know.....a friend's son had a bar-bell through his eyebrow until hi aunt's Amazon decided she wanted it.....without un-screwing it.....

By the way, before I forget, diamonds are easily removed from their settings & do not show up on X-rays.....

oh yeah forgot about body peircings.... my bf has his eye brow done and me my navel and labret. Oxy has successfully unscrewed (dont think they were done tight) 2 balls of the bf's and broken 3 plastic ones. he attempted to get my labret a few times but i have taught him no, and it doesnt phase them anymore and they also leave the bf's alone now too, but if they happen to spot my navel bar they try and play with it. my guess its cause it has 2 pretty sparkly big jewels in it, either that or they hinting that im too fat and shoukd not be baring my navel....lol

they are highly intellegent and learn things quick. they know they are not allowed to touch my jewellry when its attached to my head so i no longer remove my earings.

Its all about training and setting boundaries, but i do refrain from wearing any stones set with a claw.

 

[Diesel_Hyland]

This is all great advice for me as well being a newbie Alex owner...albeit a Kiwi newbie from across the Tazzy. Enjoying reading all the advice. Good to hear we are all flat out amateur toy makers ;-) I'm going to get a coconut tomorrow!

 

[Betrisher]

More great ideas! I'm still finding out what 'bird safe' means. I thought toilet roll cylinders were OK until someone told me they have toxic glue. I thought baby pram toys would be non-toxic, but hadn't figured on the Beaks actually eating the plastic (and then pooping rainbow).

I'm really pleased to hear coconuts are OK. I wanted to give some coconut shells to our lovebirds, but was afraid they might be toxic. Now, I can let the Alexes eat out the innards and then the LBs can have the empty shells. Yay!

Shame about the jewellery thing, isn't it? Diamonds aren't going to be a problem for me 'cause I'm not that rich. I wear a gold stud and a small gold hoop in each ear and am trying to teach the Beaks not to chomp on them. So far, so good. Sort of...

This arvo, they did a really strange thing. I was drinking water from a glass when the Beaks came rushing to share with me. Suddenly, Madge plunged her whole head into the water and then shook her whole self wildly as if she'd just emerged from a bath. Before I knew it, Barney had done the same thing. Then, both birds went ape, flying round and round the room, screaming and then landing to fluff out their feathers and shake themselves. Mystified, I ran a sinkful of water for them and they nearly went mad, approaching tentatively and then flying noisily away from the scary sink. They wanted to bathe, but were too scared to get down into the sink.

Clearly, they want a bigger bathtub than the one they've got (about twelve inches across), so I'll organise a bigger one tomorrow and see if that suits them.

I was *so* pleased to see your note about the Mighty Blues, Gemini: for a while there I thought you might've been a Cane Toad follower! ;D

 

[gemini84]

I was *so* pleased to see your note about the Mighty Blues, Gemini: for a while there I thought you might've been a Cane Toad follower! ;D

Me, a cane toad??? ewwwwwwww no way lol
im a cockaroach thru and thru, it been a bit embarrasing to be the last 3yrs since living here in qld, but blood is blue. I have my naiks painted blue, and in about 30 min my hair will be blue and ill be dressed in blue. i even have to go up the srreet today.

 

[Betrisher]

Hee! Good luck with that! You're braver than me.

 

[gemini84]

gonna watch it atthe pub....... cant wait to stir the pot