nandays, blue quakers and me. (oh, and sweet Frick!)

[fricksmom]

so the store I work at received 2 nandays 2 weeks ago. They're so fun! I've introduced fresh foods and one just scarfs it down. The other just sort of picks at the food.

They'll both step up when politely pushed, meaning I put my hand in front of them in the cage and reward them when they voluntarily step up.

We ALSO just got 2 blue Quakers!! They are absolute cuddlebugs but don't know "step up". The previous store never asked that from them, just built up the trust to be able to just grab them. I'm so excited to help them learn some basic behaviors like step up, off, perch and anything else I can try to get from them! I'm very happy that they're not bitey. We were not sure how much they'd been handled and I'm so thrilled to know they have been loved very much!! I introduced them to my homemade food.

I bring food I cook for Frick to the store to share with all the birds. Todays menu was sprouted lentils, pearl couscous, apple, zucchini and slightly cooked sweet potato.


I had a customer in the store earlier in the day asking about one of the quakers I had started last year. She wants very much to get a quaker that I have handled and was very very interested in a blue one!!

What a huge compliment since I consider myself a beginner bird nut!! I'm just happy that I'm able to help these birds get a great start with their new families!! Wish me luck I can find the blue babies a home soon. The hatch dates was 5/2012.

Frick is still tempermental about my husband and boy but I just got a flight vest and have started introducing it to him/her. Oh, I'm pretty sure she's a girl based on her rubbing her bottom on me during this lovely breeding season.
Anyway, just wanted to say hi to everyone and let you all know how excited I am to help tame/train the new nandays and build skills with the blues!!

hope you all have a beautiful weekend.

 

[weco]

Congrats on your enthusiasm working with the new birds at work.....

 

[fricksmom]

ok, so I'm a dog trainer. I know dog development, phases, learning style etc. I told my husband a few weeks ago that I know how bird people feel about folks getting birds knowing nothing about how they think, learn and how they develop physically and emotionally. Are there any books or videos that break down bird development?

 

[weco]

None that I have ever read, though you really need to read information that is specie specific, because just because it has feathers & flies, does not mean one size fits all.....some species cannot eat general parrot food, lories & lorikeets require essentially sugar water diets.....much of what I have learned has been like you are, joining groups & asking questions & doing my own in-depth research on several specific topics, though I do have 10-12 older books (at least 15-20 tears old) that are collecting dust on the shelves.....

My suggestion would be to do a fast read on the species you currently have in the store & maybe make up some 5x8 cards with notes on them, so you could do a quick reference , in the store, until you can get up to speed.....

 

[fricksmom]

I LOVE the 5x8 card idea!! I just named the nandays. My coworkers and manager know I'm the bird person in the store which speaks volumes (for and against my store but i'm proud to help them!)

Po - Napoleon. Very vocal, playful and showey when handled by a coworker. My coworker that is more of a grab and cuddle person calls him chewy because he's beaky but not bitey. She amazes me with her confidence and skill with birds. We actually make a great team!

Fee- Sophia. More demure. a little more petite. hasn't been cuddled the way Po has but is learning to come closer and closer to the world outside of her cage

oh, here's a video of me and frick. I'll see if I can figure out how to post it to my profile. HOpe this works.

https://www.youtube.com/edit?video_id=WGblCV-iXsI

 

[MonicaMc]

Here's the video link... this one works

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGblCV-iXsI"]frick 04-05-13 - YouTube[/ame]


I wouldn't think the way she masturbates is any indication of sex, since both sexes of conures can display the same sexual behavior!!!



Sounds like you have a fun and interesting job though!!! Read the title and first thing that came to mind was "blue nandays"!!!

 

[fricksmom]

a blue nanday? lol if you told me there was one I'd believe you. Thanks for fixing the video post and thanks for the sex info. I don't really need to know what frick is.

 

[MonicaMc]

They do exist! As well as Lutinos, Cinnamons/Faded, and I think Pieds as well?

If interested, I've got some links to images in the following thread!
http://www.parrotforums.com/conures/25195-nanday-mutations.html

 

[fricksmom]

They do exist! As well as Lutinos, Cinnamons/Faded, and I think Pieds as well?

If interested, I've got some links to images in the following thread!
http://www.parrotforums.com/conures/25195-nanday-mutations.html

Wow! I'm learning new things every day!! They're beautiful.
Update on the blue's. they don't step up. they don't bite. They're VERY flighty and their hearts race when you handle them. they've been "held" but never handled in a manner that they come to the door to come out and say hi.
I have to trim one of their wings back a bit to safely handle them. If they weren't so flighty i wouldn't worry about it. The nanday's are coming along nicely. Stepping up (While yelling at me) but not really flighty. They still open their beaks wide when I start working with them as if to say "HEY HEY!! I don't trust you!" so I take it nice and easy. They won't take food from my hand yet either. I'm having fun exploring these birds personalities. I've nicknamed the nandays Fee and Po. No nicknames for the blues yet.