Brothers and sisters

As mentioned in an earlier post this week, we got to meet one of Joey and Pixel's siblings this past Sunday at the local Parrot Club meeting. This got me thinking once more about how nice it is to know of other people with parrots who are siblings to my guys.

Initially I thought I didn't know many, but, other than with Piper and Petey, I can say that I know at least one sibling residing with someone I know and I thought it would be fun to have them all listed in a post.

From 6 to 8 - Day 24

This should really be title "From 8 back to 6".

Earlier this evening I brought Nemo and Itsy back home.
They seemed quite happy to see my mother again. My parents do have a few birds and they were the first one back.

No more juggling for a little bit.

From 6 to 8 - Day 23

Day 23.
This should be the last night I have Itsy and Nemo, provided my parents flight leaves on time tomorrow.

I have to say, I am looking forward to downplaying the bird juggling (who goes where when) but it was interesting to have them around and it went much better than I first anticipated. Had I been able to have Zuri and Itsy out together, having gone from 6 to 8 birds wouldn't of been much of a difference, if you don't count on Shade's jealousy..

But time has flown by while they were here. Have a hard time believing it's been 23 days already.

From 6 to 8 - Days 17 to 22

6 days without any updates.

Things have continued to go reasonably well. Nemo has been coming into the living room with the rest of the flock more while Itsy had the birdroom to herself and would come out for an hour or so alone with us in the living room at some other time in the day.

Shade is occasionally giving me the stink eye though - I do believe she'll be happy when the visitors will be gone. I do keep offering her my shoulder first, but she just flies off to another place so I'll allow another bird to be on the shoulder - and that seems like it's too much for her. Tonight she looked particularly annoyed so after a little spat she had with Zuri, I just picked her up and put her down on my shoulder and she stayed. She even cuddled. Pixel kept trying to creep in but I kept her away and would scratch her head all the same.

Itsy pictures

Pictures of Itsy from yesterday.

From 6 to 8 - Days 15 & 16

Yesterday was pretty uneventful.

Today, to put things in my boyfriend's words, "they've been a little more trying". Well the most rambunctious was Joey - not that he went after any of the other birds, but he could hardly sit still and was getting into trouble.

When they first came out in the morning, I decided to bring Nemo out with the others and leave Itsy in the room. Nemo is easier to handle with the other birds compared to Itsy since Nemo will willingly stay on my shoulder most of the time giving kisses to me and ignoring the others whilst Itsy wants to go everywhere and Zuri is VERY interested in Itsy and I doubt the outcome of that meeting would be good - it's happened in the past where I had to separate them quickly.

In the afternoon, before letting my flock out, I decided to take both Itsy and Nemo out on their own for a bit. Nemo spent his time with my boyfriend and Itsy with me. Eventually, I felt the need to lie down a bit so I put Itsy on the atom since she seems to enjoy it there. About 15 minutes later Nemo flew to the atom to attack Itsy so in he went. Itsy went in when I got my guys out.

Then in the evening, I decided to once again have Nemo out with the others while Itsy had the birdroom to herself.

Nemo was on one of my shoulders and Piper on the other. It quickly became a competition between the two of them about which one could get most of my attention and they delivered kiss after kiss..a few times I had to move them a bit further away from each other as they were starting to show aggression towards each other and since neither will back down..at one point Nemo got a bit too restless so he ended up in the spare cage in my bedroom.

The other thing that is going on..as much as Shade had became extra "needy" when both Itsy and Nemo showed up and was claiming one of my shoulders, this last week she's been particularly distant with me. She'll step up with no trouble and still gives kisses when asked, but she will not stay on me. I continue to offer her a spot first, but she just flies away. Again, I've seen her do this to me before, but I could do without a sulky Senegal right now. She'll most likely be herself again once the visitors leave. Mind you, Pixel seems to relish in the fact that Shade is not spending so much time with me and gladly takes her spot..

From 6 to 8 - Days 11, 12, 13 & 14

I'm getting worse at these updates!

Nothing really to report. I wasn't feeling really good this week so we didn't take too many extra chances with incorporating Itsy and Nemo with my flock.

Yesterday, we did have both out in the living room after the others went in. Nemo was on me and Itsy chose to go on one of the atoms. Then, quite suddenly, Nemo flew to the atom and I ran behind him to intervene in the impending attack - because it was clearly his intention. I managed to separate them before they got at each other. The moment Nemo had landed Itsy had gotten herself in fighting mode as well - trust me, a puffed up Meyer's who is ready to lunge is not a pretty sight. Anyways, after this they went in their cages as well and were covered for the night.

I will be off work for the few days, in fact, my parents should be coming back on my last day off and therefore I'll probably be able to bring Itsy and Nemo back home on that day - as long as my parents are able to leave when they should.

From 6 to 8 - Days 8, 9 & 10

I have to say, I'm finding it hard to do daily updates when things are going relatively well.

Won't complain though, I rather it be quiet because I have nothing to say than having birds continuously attack each other.

So I have found myself, even during the week now, of alternating between leaving one of my mom's birds in the room and one in the extra cage to having one out with us and one in the room, to having both out with us just before they go in for the night (my guys having been put "to bed" previously. It's not a perfectly set in stone routine but it is working.

I do believe it'll be even easier to give them more one on one next week, as I'll be off from work for 10 consecutive days and then they'll be going back to my parents' house.

I have also started weighing my mom's birds with mine.
I have found with my guys that some of them tend to loose a bit of weight when they are being watched over by other people. I wanted to see if this would happen with my mom's guys. Unfortunately, I didn't think of taking a measure on day 1 of them being here, but I'm pretty sure Nemo hasn't lost anything, and I'll be watching Itsy a bit more. Mind you, I had weighed her in the past and she's around what she weighed back then and from the few measures I have collected recently, her weight seems rather stable (fluctuates by a gram or two, but as it comes down, it comes back up after).

From 6 to 8 - Days 5, 6 & 7

I didn't do daily updates for most of this past week - I do apologize.
I was rather tired and didn't think I could be as vigilant when watching them so for most of those days, I did have Itsy and Nemo alternate, as planned originally, between the birdroom and the extra cage in my bedroom. On Friday evening (day 7) I did start taking one out with us in the living room and having one in the birdroom again though.

Things have been going well that way.

From 6 to 8 - Day 4

Things were once again pretty uneventful today, due to the birds being under strict supervision.

I know if I let Zuri loose with Nemo or Itsy on one of the gyms, there would be trouble, so I'm not tempting fate.

Petey and Joey definitively act as if nothing has changed, Shade is getting nonchalant as well, so it Pixel. Piper is still trying to make sure he gets the most attention (being on me and getting his head scratched first isn't enough...on top of his own period of head scratches he needs to have it done as well if I dare scratch another bird's head.

I guess a routine is starting to settle.

On another note, it took me about three times as long to get home from work due to the snowstorm outside. 45 minutes instead of the usual 15....

From 6 to 8 - Day 3

Things went relatively well today.

Monday equals back to work and although their time out is more limited during the week-days, it still seemed to work out.

Putting them in the extra cage while the others are out makes me feel bad so I did take Nemo out with us in the living room in the morning, Itsy when we came back for work and Nemo once again in the evening after dinner. Of course, while one is out with the rest of the flock, the other is in the birdroom.

So far, the problematic one is Zuri. I have to keep either of the visiting birds on me (not on the Boy when Petey is out) since I can stop them from trying to lunch at any birds (which they haven't been trying) or to shield them, specially from Zuri. He's a bit too curious at times.

From 6 to 8 - Day 2

Today we proceeded with some introductions.

In the morning, I kept it to my usual flock, Nemo got the room and Itsy was in the bigger cage. However, to make up for her time in the cage, I took Itsy out for about an hour after breakfast (which apparently was the right call because she dove in her breakfast bowl when it was offered to her).

In the afternoon I took everyone out at once..well after getting my own flock settled. Itsy was in my lap and Nemo was with the Boy. Things were ok for the most part, but I did have to bring Itsy in once she started getting a bit antsy.

Later in the evening I proceeded to having my flock out with Itsy, Itsy being on me so I could keep her under close supervision. At one point I had her and Zuri in close proximity and were scratching both their heads...and eventually got a pretty sharp bite from Zuri on the tip of a finger. I think he wasn't too happy with having to stay where he was, forced there by the head scratch, because he was very very interested in Itsy once again.

Itsy later became a tad too restless so in her cage she went and out came Nemo (he was in his cage since Zuri had landed in his cage for the bite and insisting to go where he shouldn't). Nemo was very well behaved and so was Shade. In fact, I had both on me once again without any trouble..from them at least. Piper kept trying to scoot on one shoulder, having been on me for most of the day at this point, and was getting dangerously close to one of the Sennies beaks. I passed him on to the Boy and from there Piper went to eat more pellets.

Ironically, the two Red-bellieds who usually like to create a little mayhem were the most well behaved, Petey having tried to dive-bomb me on a few occasions during the day.

From 6 to 8 - Day 1...Part 2

Apparently I'm a liar.
I did say I wouldn't do any introductions yesterday, but I did, with Nemo.
My regular flock was behaving nicely, none of them, but Piper, wanted to be on me at the time, all busy playing with other things so I figured it was time to go check on Nemo who was in the big cage. And I felt bad for the little guy so I brought him with me thinking it would be ok, since I could manage him and Piper on me at once.

I was somewhat wrong.

The moment I showed up in the living room with him, Shade started showing interest, but not the good kind. Pixel also flew right to me...so I ended up with Piper on my head, Pixel on one shoulder, Shade on the other and Nemo in my lap. Of course, the two Senegals wanted to get at each other so I had to keep them separate with one hand. Piper tried crawling down to a shoulder so I had to keep him out of harms way. And, to make things even more interesting, Zuri decided that this was an appropriate time to get his head scratched...And extra pair or arms and hands would have been practical at this point. Luckily, Pixel quickly decided she had enough of this and flew back to a perch to eat some pellets. Which liberated a shoulder on which I put Nemo. Apparently both Senegals having their own shoulder made them more happy and they stopped, for the most part, trying to get to each other. Zuri, having got his quota of head scratches also went somewhere else to play. All I was left to contend with was Piper who didn't want to remain on the head...and absolutely wanted a shoulder, which was out of the question.

Now they are out again - my flock in the living room, now it's Nemo's turn in the birdroom and Itsy's turn in the big cage. I haven't tried with Itsy what I did with Nemo since Shade is currently claiming my shoulder and seeing how Itsy went after Nemo yesterday, I can only imagine that she'll do the same with Shade (she hasn't differentiated in the past) so I won't tempt it. I might just take her out for half an hour once all the others go in for breakfast for some one on one time.

From 6 to 8 - Day 1

So it has begun.

My mom dropped off Nemo and Itsy in the late afternoon, around 3pm. They went straight to their temporary cages, to give them some adjustment time. Around 4pm I let my guys out in the living room (so that they wouldn't be harassing the new ones in the birdroom) and Itsy and Nemo were doing what sounded like flock calling. I don't think it was so much for the birds as it was to get my attention. However, Zuri did respond..and tried going in the birdroom so eventually, as this is all he wanted, he went in but this meant in the cage.

I put my guys in around 5:30pm and decided to let Itsy and Nemo out in the living room with us for half an hour before dinner. I took Itsy out of the cage first and then moved on to Nemo. The moment I opened Nemo's cage door, Itsy, who was on my shoulder, bee-lined for him. While I knew they didn't get along, this was more animosity that I've ever seen coming from Itsy for Nemo and I've birdsat both of these guys before on a few occasions. I restrained her, took Nemo out and went to the living room. Itsy ended up on an atom for the first 10 minutes while I had Nemo on me. When the boy showed up, I handed him Nemo, took a few pictures of Itsy on the atom, then moved Nemo to a perch and took pictures before handing him back to the boy and I then took Itsy for a bit. They were reasonably well behaved, Itsy sticking to me and Nemo staying on the Boy.

We always prepare the cages for nightime -aka take out dinner food bowl, change the water bowls, change the papers, give some dry food if required - when the birds come out after dinner. We normally let them out progressively, as we move from cage to cage. In this instance, I wanted to keep Itsy and Nemo's cages for the end. I sent Shade and Zuri into the living room early on, as they behave well together with minimal supervision for a few minutes. This did not go well with Zuri who kept coming by the bird room, trying to approach Itsy. Based on what I have seen in the past, I was predicting it and the outcome was unsure - Zuri did at first show interest in Itsy but Itsy had wanted nothing to do with Zuri but attack and there were a few close calls in the past, which I wasn't keen on reliving. So for the moment being, I wanted to keep them separate, so back into the living room Zuri went.

At this moment, my flock in out in the living room with the Boy and I, Itsy in free in the birdroom and Nemo is in the extra large cage in my bedroom. I think I will, for the most part, be alternating between Nemo and Itsy who gets the birdroom and who gets the cage (each taking turns) and will reserve 30 minutes to an hour of one on one time with the Boy and I at one point in the day, while my guys are in. I will see how things go. I might try doing introductions, but if it's anything like in the past, Shade and Nemo will be on the outs for at least a week before settling in, Itsy will want to go after everyone and will only be happy if she's on me (not on the Boy - she does not like men), which will be problematic as Piper, Shade and Pixel do want to spend a fair amount of time on me as well and Zuri and Joey often come by for head scratches.

All in all, I don't feel like dealing with any type of fighting today so if I do do introductions, it will have to wait until tomorrow.

They are here!

Posting pictures right now, will post more about the day later on.

From 6 to 8..

Starting tomorrow..

My mom will be dropping off her two pois, Nemo (Shade's brother) and Itsy (possibly Zuri's older sister...assuming the breeder only had the one pair of Meyer's) for a few weeks while my parents go away for the Holidays.

I'll try to do like last year and have a collection of daily posts about how things are going around here, with the addition of two new birds.

New challenges?

-Well Itsy and Nemo seem to have only grown to hate each other more. Keeping them separate while insuring that they both also get some quality one on one time might be tricky;

-Shade and Pixel, although seemed to have calmed down a bit (should go knock on some wood), have started being a bit more open about not entirely liking each other. Not sure what throwing "new" birds in the mix will do;

-Itsy was not fond of Shade the last few time she was here (might be her not liking Senegals as Nemo is one..). She also wasn't very fond of the Meyer's but didn't seem to care too much about Joey. However, I'm not sure how Pixel will perceive this addition of another female bird here..

-Nemo and Shade always have a rough few first days together - hopefully this time it won't last as long and they'll get over the wanting to attack the other and just start ignoring each other faster.

Here are their temporary cages away from home:





I also have another larger cage in my bedroom in case anyone should need it (if I need to separate them a bit and a bird is already occupying the bird room).

From 5 to 7...to 9 - Day 25 (or Day 3)

Today was Nemo, Itsy, Nicky & Sydney's last day here.

25 days.

I brought them back at my parents' earlier this evening. They seemed a bit weary of going in their travel cages, as if wondering where they would be going now, but also seemed happy to see my parents.

I'm happy to be back to my normal flock.

It's 9:30 and they are out. They are usually never out this late. But I figured one exception wouldn't be too bad, specially since they had limited time out today. It's definitively different and somewhat more easy going. I know how they react with each other and there isn't as much exclusiveness with them.

This is it for now. I'm tired and I think we are all going to bed soon.

From 5 to 7...to 9 - Day 24 (or Day 2)

Yesterday.

During the week, I usually let the birds out between 30 minutes and an hour in the morning before work, then, when I come home, they come out for another hour, go in for supper, then come back in anywhere between 1 and 2 extra hours.

I'm quite thankful the for the "bird room" now that the Lovebirds are here as well. It allows me to let them out at the same time as the Pois without any risk of attacks. Piper is ok with the Pois since she generally sticks to me, but all three together..that means trouble. However, by letting them have one room to themselves, it took away the opportunity to put a Poi "away" if they got a little restless (Zuri going after Itsy or Itsy and Nemo going after each other). Thankfully, the Pois have been generally well behaved since the Lovebirds came in the portrait.

Back to yesterday, I let the Lovebirds out in the bird room alone while I was in the living room with my boyfriend and the Pois. I did the same thing when we got back home from work. Unfortunately, Piper seemed a bit attention deprived so I figured I'd take the Lovebirds with me out in the living room after supper while my boyfriend remained in the bird room with the Pois. The Lovies loved the extra attention and they were rather sweet..but I did feel slightly guilty leaving the boyfriend with more birds (Piper wanted me and the other two know me better). So I decided to put them back in after an hour.

Apparently, only Shade and Petey behaved perfectly well during that time in the bird room. My boyfriend had things to do so he put Petey in but since Shade did not give him any trouble, I took her out with me in the living room (while the others were put "to bed") to have some special one-on-one (no sharing). She seemed to enjoy it quite a bit and was terribly sweet (although she's normally very sweet). I don't tend to usually have a bird out and not the others, but I have to admit it did feel nice to have some time just with Shade.

From 5 to 7 - Days 20, 21 & 22

This is coming to an end.
My parents will be back next Monday. Not quite sure when Nemo and Itsy will leave, but it should be early next week.

Although it's been a rough beginning, things did settle.
The extra room did help as well; if one of them, most of the time either Nemo, Itsy or Zuri, would get too restless towards another bird they ended up in the bird room for a little independent play. It kept things going smoothly.

This has also showed me that my flock is somewhat receptive to new birds; Zuri was only going after Itsy, never Nemo, and she didn't chase Itsy all the time so if I am to add a Red-bellied and not another Meyer's, maybe she won't have any reaction at all. Shade stopped early on trying to get Nemo and she was always fine with any of my other birds. The others didn't really seem to have noticed that there were two new birds to deal with. Good experience overall.

Daily pictures

I was a little trigger shutter happy yesterday and took some pictures of the birds. Lots of pictures.

Here are a few of them.

Shade


Joey


Petey


Zuri



And let's not forget the visitors;

Nemo


Itsy