Ona’s Thread

[LaManuka]

Chances of her pooping on the clean clothes….. 80%

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Lucky she's not a lorikeet, or indeed one of my cockatiels - you could increase those odds to 110%

 

[Rozalka]

Somebody is VERY needy today so she’s helping me do laundry. It’s a “I must be out with you every second or I will scream” kinda day. That’s ok. I don’t mind. Chances of her pooping on the clean clothes….. 80%

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Ona Zenek
Liking to sit on clean clothes. Chance of pooping also high.

 

[onamom]

Striking a pose with a mouthful of chop:

She lifted her leg like that as soon as she saw the camera I think someone is a bit of a ham.

 

[HeatherG]

Ha ha! My Lucy used to do a whole series of model poses for my friends when they’d admire her. It was the funniest thing.

I’m wondering what basic commands you’ve taught Ona. I have taught Willow to “touch” objects but he’s reluctant to and seems wary of new objects.

 

[onamom]

I’m wondering what basic commands you’ve taught Ona. I have taught Willow to “touch” objects but he’s reluctant to and seems wary of new objects.

Things she knows I’d consider basic commands:

- target training (with a chopstick, has evolved to work with me pointing and saying “target”). She loves to do what I call target laps where she runs back and forth across the table to touch the chopstick.
- step up and “off”. We practice off a lot to reach her to go back into her cage or wherever without rushing up my arm instead.
- recall and station (go to what I point at). As far she can clipped.
- “foot” which is let me hold your foot for nail grooming.

Most of her other things I’d consider more tricks than anything. I’m wanting to start syringe training her so that I can train her to pleasantly take liquid from a syringe. So that in the future if needs meds it will be easier.

 

[HeatherG]

Do you treat her for each action? And does she understand the act of pointing? I have had trouble getting birds to understand that. Tapping the object has worked better.

 

[onamom]

Do you treat her for each action? And does she understand the act of pointing? I have had trouble getting birds to understand that. Tapping the object has worked better.

Yes when we do training sessions she gets a treat for each command or trick she does. When I point at something I often touch it first and tap it and then point. I think that helps

 

[onamom]

Ona is absolutely obsessed with ambient noise. Particularly a fan, running water, and lately even the vacuum cleaner. She doesn't often sing to music but turn on the shower or the vacuum and it's time to par-tay! She LOVES to sing with me before we get in the shower. I would post a video but I don't want to post my horrible, silly singing Of course all the songs we sing are about how pretty and good she is.

---

I've been thinking on some new-to-me parront dilemmas - the age old "what to do with my bird on vacation" and on and off pondering "should I get another green cheek"

My husband and I are planning an anniversary trip in October of this year so I've been devoting a lot of energy into looking at bird care options. Fortunately I do have quite a few options in my area to choose from. Some individuals who do boarding and some that could do in-home care. The trip is so far away and I'm already so nervous about it. (It makes it harder that I have 3 dogs as well.) I will absolutely hate to leave her anywhere.

As for the other thought I'm not sold on getting another green cheek but it does cross my mind sometimes. If only there was a way to know your bird's opinion! I think it's been on my mind more lately because of the constant "pressure" I feel to keep Ona as engaged and socialized as possible. I love every minute of it and wouldn't trade it for anything but sometimes I do wonder if I'm enough for her. If she could be happier with a "maybe friend". They always say don't get a bird for your bird so eh I don't know.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

I decided to make one thread to share Ona updates so it’s all consolidated in one place. I’ve see a few others on the forum do this and think it’s a great idea! I have always have so many updates to share since she’s a new baby discovering everything for the first time And she’s just too cute not to share.

Today was her second day home. So far everything has been going SO well. Even better than I anticipated. We had a lot of firsts today:

First blackberry and first carrot:
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When I first showed her the blackberry she was afraid of it. Then I ate one in front of her and she was astonished and amazed. Then she began eating hers. She made quite the mess Later she ate the carrot with no hesitation.

We also walked her around for a house tour today and had her FIRST BATH! I didn’t know how she would react to the water. I just made a small trickle in the sink and first I let the water bounce from my hand onto her gently. She quickly was chirping with excitement and fully bathing on her own. This was the aftermath

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We’ve been working a lot on step up and step off. Step up she’s pretty good at most of the time. She’s slowly becoming interested in the toys in her cage.

My dogs have been separated from her so far but when they have seen her they have shown no interest in her at all. Not even barking.

We’re working on a balance of in and out of cage time to get her acclimated to everything. She’s taking it all in like a champ.

All I have to do to get Rocky to eat something new is to eat it myself just like you did! And Rocky's a Budgie- many of them are milletheads-- and Rocky can take or leave millet. He wants what I'M eating! I love his post-bath picture- nothings cuter than a soggy pet birdie!

 

[onamom]

I made improvements to Ona’s play gym today. Added some more PVC perches. She spends a lot of time on it. I still need to figure out how to put something to block off the bottom so my dogs will quit trying to eat all her dropped food.

I’m a little worried about her flight feathers. She has a lot only on one side and not many on the other because she keeps breaking them. So now she’s very uneven.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Somebody is VERY needy today so she’s helping me do laundry. It’s a “I must be out with you every second or I will scream” kinda day. That’s ok. I don’t mind. Chances of her pooping on the clean clothes….. 80%

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My budgie Rocky loves my closet! He finds all the clothes hanging in there with all the fun colors and textures just irresistible!

 

[DonnaBudgie]

She’s still adjusting so well! I’m really amazed at how she went from a bit timid at the breeder’s to just full on at home with us so fast.

Here she is helping me work:
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She’s becoming quite the little piggy and is completely obsessed with carrots. I swear she spends at least 50% of her day eating. Here she is having lunch with me.

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Learning to use the ladder between her temp cage and play stand:
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She did bite my husband today because he picked up a piece of spinach that was on her plate while she was eating. Didn’t break the skin or anything. Not sure how to work with her on that. I think it’s just because she LOVES her food. She doesn’t like to be bothered while she’s eating.

We’ve taken her outside in her carrier briefly twice. The first day she screamed almost the whole time. Maybe because she saw the birds on my bird feeder. Tried again today and she was better.

This looks like dinnertime at my house! Rocky's (my budgie) cage sits on the kitchen table and I make him his own little bowl of whatever we are eating (if it's okay for birds) and after taking a few bites from his bowl he runs over to sample the food in our bowls! Okay, except when he decides to walk in our food- that's NOT okay- but Rocky doesn't understand why we don't want him marching around in our food! I think its a holdover from when I hand fed him from hatching to seven weeks old. He was so cute! Beginning at about three weeks old he would watch with excited anticipation as I prepared his baby bird formula. He recognized the little yellow bowl I prepared his formula in and the little spoon I fed him with. He would run back and forth in his clear plastic bin watching me, chirping like crazy, as I made sure his food was just the right consistency and temperature. When it was ready and I picked him up to feed him he was often so excited he would jump right into the yellow bowl getting formula all over himself! Now, at almost three months old, he still wants whatever people food I'm preparing but at least he's not a picky eater!

 

[onamom]

This looks like dinnertime at my house! Rocky's (my budgie) cage sits on the kitchen table and I make him his own little bowl of whatever we are eating (if it's okay for birds) and after taking a few bites from his bowl he runs over to sample the food in our bowls! Okay, except when he decides to walk in our food- that's NOT okay- but Rocky doesn't understand why we don't want him marching around in our food! I think its a holdover from when I hand fed him from hatching to seven weeks old. He was so cute! Beginning at about three weeks old he would watch with excited anticipation as I prepared his baby bird formula. He recognized the little yellow bowl I prepared his formula in and the little spoon I fed him with. He would run back and forth in his clear plastic bin watching me, chirping like crazy, as I made sure his food was just the right consistency and temperature. When it was ready and I picked him up to feed him he was often so excited he would jump right into the yellow bowl getting formula all over himself! Now, at almost three months old, he still wants whatever people food I'm preparing but at least he's not a picky eater!

Oh yes Ona would love to eat whatever I'm eating for sure. I don't let her eat with me quite as often now because she will try to take my food and gets all sassy and territorial over it when I say no Not to mention that a lot of it is not bird safe! I will admit a couple weeks ago I let her have a wee bit of my mac and cheese she really liked it.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Oh yes Ona would love to eat whatever I'm eating for sure. I don't let her eat with me quite as often now because she will try to take my food and gets all sassy and territorial over it when I say no Not to mention that a lot of it is not bird safe! I will admit a couple weeks ago I let her have a wee bit of my mac and cheese she really liked it.

Rocky liked my Mac n cheese too!

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Rocky liked my Mac n cheese too!

Ona and Rocky together at the dinner table with their humans would be a hoot!

 

[onamom]

Ona has started initiating kisses with me as a greeting I often give her kisses on the beakie especially as a “hi I’m home”! Well she’s learned the pattern and now when I come home she steps up and immediately juts her head forward and slightly opens her beak until I give her a kiss. It’s the most adorable thing. She only does this with me because she’s learned that’s our pattern. My husband doesn’t get kiss greetings - he gets a “step up”. I’m just continually amazed by how incredibly smart she is. The fact that she saw that pattern and started doing it on her own. Amazing.

We’re starting to work on color training too! I’m finding that I truly enjoy finding a trick and breaking it down into micro steps to teach her. It’s so fascinating to learn how to communicate and evolve it into the full trick. I truly enjoy it and so does she!

 

[LaManuka]

Ona has started initiating kisses with me as a greeting I often give her kisses on the beakie especially as a “hi I’m home”! Well she’s learned the pattern and now when I come home she steps up and immediately juts her head forward and slightly opens her beak until I give her a kiss. It’s the most adorable thing. She only does this with me because she’s learned that’s our pattern. My husband doesn’t get kiss greetings - he gets a “step up”. I’m just continually amazed by how incredibly smart she is. The fact that she saw that pattern and started doing it on her own. Amazing.

We’re starting to work on color training too! I’m finding that I truly enjoy finding a trick and breaking it down into micro steps to teach her. It’s so fascinating to learn how to communicate and evolve it into the full trick. I truly enjoy it and so does she!

It would be so much fun to watch Ona as you teach her tricks, it must show in her eyes when she "gets" every new step - she's such a smart girl!

 

[onamom]

Her first go at telling two colors apart:

Two days ago we learned putting the blue paper in the blue bin. Today she picked up on green in the green bin super fast so I started mixing them. I’m so impressed with how well she did!

 

[onamom]

I recently got a little camera I have pointed at Ona’s cage so during the rare times she’s locked in there I can keep an eye on her. I’m sad about what I’ve observed Her sitting there….. doing nothing. In her large flight cage stuffed with toys and foraging…. Just sitting there. Now on a typical weekday she plays on/in her cage with the door open while I work in the room. She plays with all her toys just fine and has a good time, occasionally calling out for attention or step ups. She also spends a lot of time on her play gym playing by herself just fine with us in the room.

So… I’m worried that whenever I do leave the house she just does nothing but sit and wait for me Fortunately with working from home she’s around me most of the time or if not my husband is with her. On the few occasions we are both out I’m not sure how to make sure she stays happy. Really worried about Oct when we will be gone for 11 days on vacation. I’m interviewing a house sitter that used to be an avian vet tech this week. But the sitter won’t be in the house all day - only morning and evening and maybe afternoon.

 

[onamom]

Today I made special Valentine’s treats! I got the recipe from Ona’s Squak Box and my dogs love it too! Win win. It’s just mashed bananas, oats, and carob chips baked.