HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: devon@pyrnova.mis.pyramid.com (Devon Nichols)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
Subject: What shouldn't I feed my Budgie
Date: 24 Aug 92 17:39:13 GMT
Distribution: usa
Originator: daemon@sword.eng.pyramid.com


I'm a new parakeet owner and I am wondering if there is a list
of foodstuffs not wise to give to the little guys.  My budgie
keeps trying to nibble on my Aloe Vera plant and I do my best
to discourage him from nibbling on anything while he is out of
his cage (under my constant supervision of course).  Also, I
would hate to offer a food that was poisonous.

I've tried offering him greens, corn, carrot, fresh
peas, and fresh fruits... he only eats bird seed (the "Death
Diet").  I worry that this may not be a very nutritous diet for 
him.  Any suggestions?

Cheers!
Devon
Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
From: wiegand@rtsg.mot.com (Robert Wiegand)
Subject: Re: cockatiel glut
Reply-To: motcid!wiegand@uunet.uu.net
Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group
Distribution: ca
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1992 15:02:18 GMT

zoetrope@cup.portal.com (Devan DzM MacFarlane) writes:

>Has anyone noticed there seems to be a cockatiel glut recently? I was at a 
>bird market recently and noticed a lot of 'tiels and almost nobody looking at
>them. I used to be able to sell my babies as fast as I raised them. Now,
>nobody wants them unless they're handfed, which is unnecessary if you start
>with them soon after they're weaned. I even have leftovers from last year I 
>can't sell. (Anyboby interested in a couple of year old male pearls/cinn?:) )
>Should I breed next year?

>Jen

I'm not a breeder, so I'm not am expert. But I'll give you my opinion
anyway :-)

Raising birds has risen in popularity in the last few years. Many more
people are breeding their birds and not just keeping them as pets.
Since cockatiels are one of the easyer to raise birds I would expect
them (and budgies) to be the first birds to glut the market.
With a higher supply the buyers will get mor picky about what they
will buy - thats why people are looking for the hand fed babies.

You might want to reduce the number of 'tiels you produce, and consider
breeding some other less common types of birds. Or you might consider
specializing in show quality 'tiels which is more work, but can sell for
a higher price.


-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert Wiegand - Motorola Inc.
uunet!motcid!wiegand
Disclamer: I didn't do it - I was somewhere else at the time.
Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
From: janices@Cadence.COM (Janice Simon)
Subject: Help needed--crying amazon
Organization: Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1992 20:16:18 GMT

How do you stop an amazon from crying?

I recently got my green cheeked amazon back (we were apart for ~4 years),
and he's a wonderful bird--except for the crying.  When I get home from work,
he's very happy to see me, and is quiet while he can see me in the room.
However, as soon as I leave his sight, the crying/whining starts.

I've tried ignoring him, but that hasn't worked yet.  I've also tried 
covering him, but as soon as I walk into the room he stops.  I don't want
him to think that I'm coming everytime he calls.  

He's completely quiet when he thinks no one's home... and on the weekends when
I spend more time with him, he's much quieter.

I'm trying to be realistic about this--I know amazons are vocal.  But I would
like to be able to leave the room for even a few seconds without him 
vocalizing me to death.

He's only been home for 2 weeks, so maybe I'm being impatient.  

Any suggestions?

Janice Simon
Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
From: roberts@studguppy.lanl.gov (Doug Roberts)
Subject: Re: Perching Chicken 8-) !
Organization: Technology Modeling and Analysis, LANL-A7
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 23:07:22 GMT

>      NOW, for those of you that have perching birds, HOW do you train your
> bird to get into your hand???  

Well, I've taught all of my dumb clucks :-} the "Up!" command.
This was done by repeatedly encouraging them to get on to my hand,
accompanied by saying "Up". I rewarded them with kisses and goodies
when they got it right. Now, they usually obey the "Up!" command,
event when they are on my shoulder.

They = 3 Amazons, a Goffin's cockatoo,  & a Severe macaw. 

--Doug
--

==================================================================
Douglas Roberts                |
Los Alamos National Laboratory | All good work is done in defiance
dzzr@lanl.gov                  |  of management. -- Bob Woodward
(505)667-4569                  |
==================================================================
From: baker@acs.ucalgary.ca (John A. Baker)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
Subject: Re: What shouldn't I feed my Budgie
Date: 25 Aug 92 18:30:06 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: The University of Calgary, Alberta

In article <183193@pyramid.pyramid.com> devon@pyrnova.mis.pyramid.com (Devon Nichols) writes:
>
>I'm a new parakeet owner and I am wondering if there is a list
>of foodstuffs not wise to give to the little guys.  My budgie
>keeps trying to nibble on my Aloe Vera plant and I do my best
>to discourage him from nibbling on anything while he is out of
>his cage (under my constant supervision of course).  Also, I
>would hate to offer a food that was poisonous.
>
>I've tried offering him greens, corn, carrot, fresh
>peas, and fresh fruits... he only eats bird seed (the "Death
>Diet").  I worry that this may not be a very nutritous diet for 
>him.  Any suggestions?
>
>Cheers!
>Devon


There is a listing of plants which are toxic to many pet birds in
a rather generous but otherwise excellent book called
CARING FOR YOUR BIRD, by Dr. R. Dean Axelson, published by
Canaviax Publications Ltd., 41, The Links Road, Toronto, Ontario,
Canada, M2P 1T7.  If you have difficulties getting a copy, e-mail
me and I will send a listing.

John Baker
Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
From: janosi@fnalni.fnal.gov
Subject: RE:  toys and Nanday Conures
Organization: Fermi National Accelerator Lab
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1992 13:19:20 GMT
X-Posted-From: fnalni.fnal.gov
X-Posted-Through: sol.ctr.columbia.edu

In article <1992Aug31.121739.6365@iscsvax.uni.edu> minehart@iscsvax.uni.edu 
writes:
>I have a question about the ideas for balsa wood & cork for birds.  Wouldn't
>these be sort of like soft plastic toys in that the birds might swallow bits of
>them and get clogged up?  I'd like to see some other opinions on this.
>


I have a 2 year old Nanday Conure that chews on everything!  His favorite is the
woodwork and edges of doors, when he can get away with it, that is.  I have 
found that the medium-sized grapevine wreaths (found in any craft store) are a
great treat for him to chew on.  I have never had any trouble with him choking
or wheezing.  Also, after reading the above posted article, I took notice of 
what types of wood toys were sold at my favorite bird store.  They only sell 
hard wood toys, nothing made of soft wood.  If you ask, they recommend rawhide 
or leather toys instead of wood.  There is also chewable vitamin-enriched toys
that come in different shapes and colors that are hard and don't crumble very
easily.  My Nanday loves these.

While I am posting I thought I would inquire about Nandays.  I haven't read too
much here on them and thought I would ask about it.  I have been told that they
aren't great talkers.  Is this true?  My Nanday, Mickey, tries to vocalize but 
usually just squeaks or makes little whistling sounds when I talk to him.  It 
does sound like he is trying to say hello though.  Also, he is a VERY nervous 
bird and screeches loudly at everything.  Are all Nandays like this, or is mine
just super-sensitive?  Any comments or experiences with Nandays will be greatly 
appreciated.
Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
From: neves@chimay.cs.colorado.edu (NEVES RICHARD K)
Subject: Re: Telepathic Bird Owners
Keywords: Have you read your most recent issue of Bird Talk yet?
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1992 19:53:10 GMT

In article <wiegand.714754502@lido16> motcid!wiegand@uunet.uu.net writes:
>>Quite an interesting article.  Any comment?
>
>You have to be kidding. I haven't read the latest issue yet, but from
>what you have said, I think this person needs some serious professional
>help. She obviously has a few screws loose.

Actually, I think the person does this as a joke. If it was a 'she', the
same person was on david letterman a month back.  Letterman had
her reading the minds of fish, dogs, cats snakes.  It was really
hilarious.


Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
From: fease@dkas.enet.dec.com (Andrea Midtmoen Fease)
Subject: Perching Chicken 8-) !
Organization: Digital Equipment Corp., Marlboro MA
Date:  3 SEP 92 11:15:11    


     Okay, those of you with "normal" birds that perch on people (parrots, 
etc.), this is going to sound *weird*, but it's *true*.

     We have egg-laying chickens that we have raised from day-old.  One of
these chickens, now 20 weeks old, likes to perch on me.  She doesn't do it
every day, but at least once or twice a week.  It seems that when I'm leaning
over the feeder or waterer, checking/adding, my back becomes pretty
irresistable to fly up to.  Then as I straighten up, she flaps her wings and
climbs so that she winds up on my shoulder or upper back.

     I don't mind this, I think it's kind of cute.  But sometimes I get little
scratches up my back as she does this back-to-shoulder transition.  And it's
hard to get her off ;^) .  I've tried getting her to get into my hand, and it
works about half of the time; other times I have to try going from a standing
position to a bent-over position and if I do it fast enough she'll fly off (but
scratch in doing so, which I can kind of understand ;^) .

     NOW, for those of you that have perching birds, HOW do you train your
bird to get into your hand???  I'd like to train her to go from my shoulder
to my hand, and that way I can put her back on her nest perch or on the floor
with the others.  Her feet work very well as far as grabbing abilities, but 
a lot of times when I try to put my hand under her feet she just walks further
away on my shoulder.

     Thanks for the help!

					- Andrea
From: pepke@ds1.scri.fsu.edu (Eric Pepke)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
Subject: Re: Help needed--crying amazon
Date: 3 Sep 92 22:57:18 GMT
Reply-To: pepke@ds1.scri.fsu.edu (Eric Pepke)
Organization: Florida State University, but I don't speak for them

In article <1992Sep2.201618.3385@Cadence.COM> janices@Cadence.COM (Janice Simon) writes:
>I've tried ignoring him, but that hasn't worked yet.  I've also tried 
>covering him, but as soon as I walk into the room he stops.  I don't want
>him to think that I'm coming everytime he calls.  

Your bird is crying because that is a behavior that has gotten him what he
has wanted in the past.  You will need to teach him that it won't get him what
he wants now and that another behavior, namely silence, is more likely to work.

Ignoring him removes the positive reinforcement, and that's good.  You might
also try introducing some negative reinforcement--reward him for stopping the
behavior.  This might be tricky at first because you will have to wait until
he stops by himself to reward him, and that might take a bit of a wait.  When
he stops, though, you have to reward him IMMEDIATELY.

-EMP
Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
From: dunne@rtsg.mot.com (Jim Dunne)
Subject: Re: Clipping Toenails
Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1992 19:17:20 GMT


    I always clipped just enough off the toenails so that they wouldn't
    poke my skin.  Then, just trim them again when they start to
    irritate you.  The few times my Amazon did bleed, I quickly applied
    a styptic powder, and it stopped immediately.   Look for Qwik-Stop
    at pet shops.  After applying it, I was concerned because he would
    then nibble slightly on the nail to try to soothe it.  However, I'm
    told that the powder is basically a salt compound and is probably
    harmless.

    Never had to trim a beak.  Wouldn't rough toys like a lava rock help?

    jed
Xref: sparky rec.pets.birds:2061 rec.pets:2901
From: dwb@apple.com (David W. Berry)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds,rec.pets
Subject: Re: Importing Parrots
Date: 27 Aug 92 01:31:26 GMT
Organization: Greenwing Enterprises
X-UserAgent: Nuntius v1.1

In article <132@elli.une.edu.au> David Miller, dmiller@elli.une.edu.au
writes:
>>I'll be visiting Brazil later this year and I was wondering what
>>the requirements are to bring back a Parrot.  Is there

Also be advised that most major air carriers are rapidly moving towards a
no birds on airplanes policy.  The recent massive paranoia about smuggled
birds has had the usual overly exagerated results.  My stepson couldn't
take his handfed baby lovebird home with him because of this stupid
policy.
From: grant@tiamat.ucs.sfu.ca (Grant Dimock)
Subject: Re: Sad Story
Organization: Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1992 16:44:10 GMT

In article <17dk12INN266@seven-up.East.Sun.COM> ltaylor@blinky.East.Sun.COM  
(Laura Taylor) writes:
> Last Thursday, I bought a baby yellow parakeet. He was
> very friendly, and I suspected that perhaps he had been
> hand fed or something since he would get on my finger
> instantly, and once on it, never wanted to get off.
> 
> He was mostly yellow, with a little green and I named 
> him Picollo. I kept his cage very clean, made sure he
> always had lot of seed and water, and took him out
> several times a day playing with him, and letting him
> hop around the house. He would hop around the floor,
> and then come over to me and hop on me! 
> 
> This morning I uncovered his cage, and he was chipper
> as usual. I gave him some millet sprays which he loved,
> and then went to take a shower. When I came back in
> the room to get dressed, he was lying on the bottom
> on the cage dead. I couldn't believe it. I quickly
> picked him up and his body was still warm. 
> 
> I can't understand what happened to him. All I can figure
> is that maybe he was hopping from perch to perch and
> missed and fell and broke his neck or back. He seemed
> totally healthy and happy. 
> 
> Though I don't know how I could have avoided letting this
> happen to him, I still somehow feel guilty and responsible. 
> I guess I will bury him in my yard when I get home from
> work tonight.  
> 
> laura

If you are really concerned, you may consider having an autopsy done.  When our
'tiel Jeryn died quite suddenly, we had an autopsy done to make sure he wasn't
ill or have something our others could get.  He apparently died of a heart 
defect and the babies that we have from him could have genetic problems as
well.  It was a comfort to us to know it was nothing that we did and that we
gave him the best that he could have had.

Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
From: derich@netcom.com (Scott A. Steinbrink)
Subject: Breeding Budgies.. Need Further Advice
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 92 13:17:55 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 

 Here's the situation:

 Apparently, my 4 parakeets have chosen their mates -- 

 Picard, a blue/white female, (7/13/91) has chosen Forestt,
 a green/yellow male (6/9/92) --

 Tweety, an albino white female (2/17/92) has picked Data,
 a yellow male (6/9/92) --

 So I bought a breeding box about 3 weeks ago, and placed it on
 top of their cage, and Tweety had the chance to 
 examine the box because I left the sides open.. Picard had her turn,
 as well. but both are not too interested in what it is really for.

 So do I have to wait like 3 years before anything happens?

 And during breeding, what kind of food should I provide fo rthem?

== Scott

-- 

Scott Allen Steinbrink
 
NetCom: Derich@netcom.com
CompuServe: 76106.2055@CompuServe.Com (Going out of accountness soon!)
America Online: Derichman

All opinions and remarks are not my responsbility - it's my own
mind's full responsbility. I just speak what it commands me to say. 

"Deaf people can do anything except hear" - I. King Jordan
From: Olga.Johnson@bird.com (Olga Johnson)
Sender: FredMail@bird.com
Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
Subject: Re: 'TIEL TALK
Date: 26 Aug 92  18:33:07 EST

My cockatiel, Miki, started talking before I even tried to teach him anything.
He was around 8 weeks old when he started saying "Hi Miki", an expression he
heard on a daily basis from my husband and mother. (When I brought him home at
6 & a half weeks he was already wolf-whistling.) A few weeks after the "Hi
Miki", he started saying "Gimme kiss", again, an expression he heard on a daily
basis from me when I would handle him. My husband has tried to teach him to
whistle Yankee Doodle, which some times comes out close and other times he
makes up his own Yankee Doodle. The only word I tried to teach him myself was
peek-a-boo. He repeated that in 2 days. "Whatsyadoing" is another word I've
taught him. He says it but you can tell it's not his favorite. He's 8 months
old now. I've tried to teach him "I can talk; can you fly?" but no luck. They
will learn and say only what they like. My neighbor tried for months to teach
her tiel to say peek-a-boo and whistle "La cucaracha" <sp?>. I babysat him for
a week at my home, and he picked up everything that Miki's repertoire includes.
He sang his cucaracha and Miki picked that up as well. Miki now has a
ladyfriend. He follows her around yelling as loud as he can "Gimme kiss" while
she ignores him. I've been told that he probably won't learn anything else and
that he may also stop talking. Just have to wait and see....
 * Origin: Bird Info Network Gateway 303-423-9775 (1:104/234)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
From: wiegand@rtsg.mot.com (Robert Wiegand)
Subject: Re: New Parent Blues
Reply-To: motcid!wiegand@uunet.uu.net
Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1992 15:16:47 GMT

excited@med.unc.edu (Wally German) writes:

>HELP!!!  IS THERE A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE??

>I may be losing it, slowly.  I just recently became the proud
>PAPA to a blue and gold macaw, I named him Skylar.  Now I've 
>read all of the books and subscribe to the correct magazines, 
>hey I even joined a bird club!!  But all of that didn't prepare 
>me for the horrible nagging self-doubt that taking care of Skylar
>has given me.  I'm terrified that I will inadvertently do some-
>thing that will cause this wonderfully, trusting friend to
>become sick...or....!!!!

>I study his droppings (probably *TOO* faithful).  I've been
>convinced, despite a very recent check-up that he has the
>dreaded P.cosis.  But then he climbs around and hangs upside
>down, eats like there's no tomorrow so he can't be sick...
>can he?  Then there's the little high pitched sound he makes
>when he does eat.  Sort of a cross between a choir boy whose
>voice is beginning to change and the sound of someone choking.
>I'm at the cage door......well, you get the picture? 

>Is this a common malady?  Are the symptoms classic?  Will I 
>survive?  Will Skylar survive with a nut as a Dad?

>I need help, quick!!  

>Sincerely,

>A Manic Macaw Maniac

Its a very common malady, but you seem to have an unusually bad case :-)
Skylar should survive OK, but you may get an ulcer.

Seriously, try not to run to his cage everytime he makes a noise.
They learn very quickly that making noise brings you running, and
they will quickly drive you nuts. Parrots are very vocal birds. They
make noise when they are happy, so the fact that he's making wierd
sounds doesn't mean anything is wrong.

Just make sure he gets good food, take him for a checkup once a year,
and give him plenty of attention. 


-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert Wiegand - Motorola Inc.
uunet!motcid!wiegand
Disclamer: I didn't do it - I was somewhere else at the time.
From: swardson@oucsace.cs.ohiou.edu (Mary Anne Swardson)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
Subject: toys
Date: 3 Sep 92 18:30:50 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Ohio University CS Dept,. Athens

Hey, all you bird experts. I am posting this for my daughter who wants
some good ideas for cockatiel toys. Her birds, Willis and Wanda, have
all the standard things - lava rocks, cuttlebones, string, bell-toys,
mirrors, etc. Also, they spend most of the day outside of their cage.
But she thinks they need something new and wonderful. Any ideas?
From: roberts@studguppy.lanl.gov (Doug Roberts)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
Subject: Re: Help needed--crying amazon
Date: 3 Sep 92 16:31:09 GMT
	<1992Sep2.201618.3385@Cadence.COM>
Organization: Technology Modeling and Analysis, LANL-A7


In article <1992Sep2.201618.3385@Cadence.COM> janices@Cadence.COM (Janice Simon) writes:

> How do you stop an amazon from crying?
> 
> I recently got my green cheeked amazon back (we were apart for ~4 years),
> and he's a wonderful bird--except for the crying.  When I get home from work,
> he's very happy to see me, and is quiet while he can see me in the room.
> However, as soon as I leave his sight, the crying/whining starts.
> 
> I've tried ignoring him, but that hasn't worked yet.  I've also tried 
> covering him, but as soon as I walk into the room he stops.  I don't want
> him to think that I'm coming everytime he calls.  
> 
> He's completely quiet when he thinks no one's home... and on the weekends when
> I spend more time with him, he's much quieter.
> 
> I'm trying to be realistic about this--I know amazons are vocal.  But I would
> like to be able to leave the room for even a few seconds without him 
> vocalizing me to death.
> 
> He's only been home for 2 weeks, so maybe I'm being impatient.  
> 
> Any suggestions?
> 
> Janice Simon
> 
Yes, Janice:

HE'S LONELY!!!

If you leave him alone all day in your apartment (you didn't say
whether or not there is another bird to keep him company), he LIVES
for the moment you come home that that he can have companionship.
Amazons are very gregarious creatures: they live in flocks of 200 or
so in the wild. By keeping your bird isolated in a cage all day, you
are depriving him of essential contact with his own kind (or human
surrogates). 

A little more sensitivity to your bird's needs are in order here. If
you can't spend more time with him, you should consider getting him a
companion. The companion doesn't need to be in the same cage -- just
having another similar bird in the same room does wonders for a lonely
parrot. If you don't want to get him a companion, and you can't afford
to spend more time with him, then perhaps a more enriching home could
be found for him...

My wife and I rescued a green-cheeked Amazon from a neglectful
environment (the people were actually more than neglectful -- they
didn't even like the bird). After two years with us and his other bird
buddies you can hardly recognize him (Maynard). He's put on weight,
his feathers are pretty again, and he is _happy_.

--Doug
--

==================================================================
Douglas Roberts                |
Los Alamos National Laboratory | All good work is done in defiance
dzzr@lanl.gov                  |  of management. -- Bob Woodward
(505)667-4569                  |
==================================================================