RosieGirl
New member
So I was probably silly and took on a Bourke parrot from an acquaintance who bred his parrots with the best intention, but didn’t really know what he was doing. Tink has funny feet (one toe on each foot is a bit curly, I think maybe taken out of nest early), though I have arranged her perches (a bit thicker and easier to grip) to accomodate. It was probably dumb to take on a less than perfect bird, I am a wuss for such animals, but she is here and I love her, I’m not giving her up, so at least I know I am giving her a better life than she had before. I am not new to parrots as I have two cockatiels and another Bourke’s parrot (also rescues, but doing awesome now), however I know there is plenty more to learn.
She is not tame as she as intended as an aviary bird, but my other Bourke’s parrot wouldn’t have a bar of her and I’ve had to put her in an indoor cage (huge). However she has come a long way since the first days, both in being less fearful and overall health. She is about 9 months old now and has full plumage.
I think that overall she is happy. Eats plenty, drinks plenty, loves her greens and getting better with veg. Early days she had damaged tail feathers with a bit of discolouration at the ends, but that has resolved now thanks to a better diet and less stress I think. She chirrups and sings back to me, even clicks her beak when she is snoozy. However, I’ve just noticed a few things that bother me...
When she sleeps, she puffs up like a little porcupine. She seems to take lots of naps throughout the day like this, but they are interspersed with activity like gnawing at her browse/green leaves and playing on her swings. Her feathers are pushed back normal then. Perhaps she is bored and I need to rotate her toys more.
My other Bourke’s parrot, Rosie, is ten kinds of crazy. She is super active, always causing mischief, learns quickly and doesn’t have an off button, she naps but not very much. She is a bit over busy and sometimes it’s just too much for other birds, which I think is why she was sold to start with (but she rocks my world). My ‘tiels aren’t even that crazy! Perhaps the problem is I am comparing them and Tink is just more chilled or reasonable parrot.
I have also noticed that Tink’s poops are a light brown/tan colour, with normal urine and urates. The poops are not tightly coiled, though they are tubular and properly formed. As currently she is on a seed mix (going to introduce pellets later) I thought they were meant to be greenish like my ‘tiels poops are. Once or twice, though not often, the poop sticks to the feathers under her vent, though it is not pasty. I think this is when she drinks more water, as it’s quite hot at the moment (summer) and seems to improve if I give her electrolytes.
She has a few pin feathers (undamaged) dispersed over her head and shoulders. Her initial moult took forever but she has otherwise full plumage now. I’ve heard this can be from inadequate sunlight, so I give her a A/D/E multivitamin once a week. Perhaps I need to do it more often?
Apologies for that becoming a novel! I would really appreciate if more experienced parrot owners could let me know if I need to be worried and what the issues could be, or I am just being silly? Thank you for your help.
She is not tame as she as intended as an aviary bird, but my other Bourke’s parrot wouldn’t have a bar of her and I’ve had to put her in an indoor cage (huge). However she has come a long way since the first days, both in being less fearful and overall health. She is about 9 months old now and has full plumage.
I think that overall she is happy. Eats plenty, drinks plenty, loves her greens and getting better with veg. Early days she had damaged tail feathers with a bit of discolouration at the ends, but that has resolved now thanks to a better diet and less stress I think. She chirrups and sings back to me, even clicks her beak when she is snoozy. However, I’ve just noticed a few things that bother me...
When she sleeps, she puffs up like a little porcupine. She seems to take lots of naps throughout the day like this, but they are interspersed with activity like gnawing at her browse/green leaves and playing on her swings. Her feathers are pushed back normal then. Perhaps she is bored and I need to rotate her toys more.
My other Bourke’s parrot, Rosie, is ten kinds of crazy. She is super active, always causing mischief, learns quickly and doesn’t have an off button, she naps but not very much. She is a bit over busy and sometimes it’s just too much for other birds, which I think is why she was sold to start with (but she rocks my world). My ‘tiels aren’t even that crazy! Perhaps the problem is I am comparing them and Tink is just more chilled or reasonable parrot.
I have also noticed that Tink’s poops are a light brown/tan colour, with normal urine and urates. The poops are not tightly coiled, though they are tubular and properly formed. As currently she is on a seed mix (going to introduce pellets later) I thought they were meant to be greenish like my ‘tiels poops are. Once or twice, though not often, the poop sticks to the feathers under her vent, though it is not pasty. I think this is when she drinks more water, as it’s quite hot at the moment (summer) and seems to improve if I give her electrolytes.
She has a few pin feathers (undamaged) dispersed over her head and shoulders. Her initial moult took forever but she has otherwise full plumage now. I’ve heard this can be from inadequate sunlight, so I give her a A/D/E multivitamin once a week. Perhaps I need to do it more often?
Apologies for that becoming a novel! I would really appreciate if more experienced parrot owners could let me know if I need to be worried and what the issues could be, or I am just being silly? Thank you for your help.
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