Going to meet a bird!!

[MikeyTN]

Not much longer!!!!

 

[Terry57]

Your excitement is contagious! So thrilled for you and can't wait to see pics of him!!!

 

[getwozzy]

One hour!!!

 

[Jumpingtadpoles]

So they cancelled us going to meet the bird.
The woman was... Pushy.
She feeds him salted pistachios every day as his staple diet, was COMPLETELY upset that I even mentioned a vet. Insisted that he needs meat in his diet everyday, "he is a carnivore, afterall"
He isn't closed caged, ever, chews their drywall as a result.

A lot will change in his life when/if he comes here.

We have a cucumber farm, with seven acres of green houses. She is picturing that we will be bringing the bird everywhere we go on the farm, but the bird was previously owned by natives (brown skin) and was abused by them. Now he flips out whenever he sees someone that is brown.

We have east Indians, as well as natives working here. And food safe would not allow a bird to be carried around the farm all the time.

She grilled me if was to break up with my fiancé where the bird would go.

She insisted when we go quading we must bring the bird with us. We play loud stereos, so we don't hear the roar of the engine, in our enclosed rzr. I can't see that working out. I don't want to get bit, or make him deaf.

Anyways. After a 30 minute phone call, instead, we will meet the bird Saturday and see where it goes from there.

I know she cares deeply about him. But I've been left a little annoyed by the tone of her voice she used with me. She completely treated me like a kid.
I get treated like a kid often. I might be almost 32, with kids grown and moving out, but I look and my voice sounds 22.

 

[Jumpingtadpoles]

The more I think about it the more appalled I am about the diet of the bird. She insists he should be allowed candy (including m&ms) Doritos, meat, salted pistachios (daily)
She was upset to hear I am a part of the bird club "because they will tell me that he shouldn't eat these things"
Of course he shouldn't. I don't eat these thing either. I eat healthy, and so will my bird. I am a health nut of sorts. All my friends know my passion about food. GOOD food.....

I feel her idea of things are delusional.
I want to give a great life to a bird. Plenty of toys. All of my time at home he will be with me, if he so chooses.....

 

[MikeyTN]

Here's the deal, since you know what you need to do to feed the bird proper diet. Tell her what she wants to hear cause what she's feeding him is slowly killing him. Let her hear you say yes yes yes, then change it when you get him home. I do that with any bird that I need to get out of a bad situation, she may love him, but she's also killing him. So bite your tongue and take what she's telling you. I have done that one too many times to get birds out of bad situation, otherwise some of them would of been dead if I hadn't. Trust me, it is the only way to go in situation such as this. I don't lie and I'm upfront person that tells things the way it is. But in situations like this I really do bite my tongue trying to hold back not to lash out. It's for the benefit of the bird, not her sake.

 

[lotosha]

MikeyTN is right. Say yes on everything she says, take the bird and you never have to see her again.

 

[Jumpingtadpoles]

Here's the deal, since you know what you need to do to feed the bird proper diet. Tell her what she wants to hear cause what she's feeding him is slowly killing him. Let her hear you say yes yes yes, then change it when you get him home. I do that with any bird that I need to get out of a bad situation, she may love him, but she's also killing him. So bite your tongue and take what she's telling you. I have done that one too many times to get birds out of bad situation, otherwise some of them would of been dead if I hadn't. Trust me, it is the only way to go in situation such as this. I don't lie and I'm upfront person that tells things the way it is. But in situations like this I really do bite my tongue trying to hold back not to lash out. It's for the benefit of the bird, not her sake.

This is exactly what we plan on doing. Her husband is forcing her to get of the bird. It eating the drywall is the final straw for him from the sounds of things. He used to have a busy, full house with a stay at home mom, now kids have grown up, and both adults work 12-14 hours.
I hope I get this book that she kept referring to. I really wonder when it was published. And if SO MANY sources have told her what she feeds is bad, why does she keep doing it?
Things I'll never know. But hopefully the bird will live longer then 20 years with me I really do want to get old and die with him. That's the biggest appeal of the birds. We get a long life together!
It's not the talking I'm looking for. It's fun, whimsical company. I miss my cockatiel I lost soooooooooooo very much. And while he was NEVER caged when I was home, he was fine being in his cage when I wasn't.

Is the recaging going to be hard? Is there another part of the forum I should ask this?

My best friend kept saying as I was telling her about the conversation " my god, this is exactly what the rescue rescues birds from!"

It's sad how ignorant people can be

 

[JerseyWendy]

You "could" ask the Macaw section.

I don't think the re-caging will be difficult at all.

You are doing a GREAT thing here!!! Bite your tongue, nod in agreement, and run like hell when you have the bird in your possession.

 

[Terry57]

I completely agree with everyone who said to tell her what she wants to hear. You can get Ricco out of that situation he's in (M&M's, really??) and give him a lot better home.
I know it's hard when the person you are getting a bird from is patronizing, that happened to me with one of mine. I just bit my tongue hard and nodded and agreed so I could take my baby home Good luck, I hope you still get him as he sooo needs someone who knows what they're doing!

 

[Jumpingtadpoles]

Do you think he will be resentful that I won't feed him junk food regularly? I don't mind giving TREATS. and by treats, I think morsel sized bites.... Not an entire chicken leg like she told me....

I don't want him to hate me. But then again I have learned how to cook whole food meals that taste better then the boxed stuff I used to cook maybe it will turn out better then fine

 

[Mattroma]

I don't think he will resent you, may be a little grump yang hungry for awhile. It will be interesting to see how quickly he accepts the transition to a healthy diet. Are you planning on going hard core healthy or weening him slowly?

 

[Jumpingtadpoles]

I have zupreem, so I will give him that for pellets with whatever he is eating now mixed in. I will eventually switch to zupreem natural eventually. I have the fruit zupreem. I'm thinking I will make applesauce, with honey mixed in, and veggies as well as the bean soup mix I'm making today for him, in his fresh food dish.
I juice most mornings and I plan on mixing the pulp into his fresh food dish as well, like I do for my bunny.

 

[Terry57]

When I got my ekkie, he was used to all frozen fruits and veggies, and had lots of seed available. He took right to the fresh foods, and seems fine with the little bit of seed he gets now mixed with pellets (which he had never had before). I think that as long as the food you offer him is delicious, he will make the transition in no time.