Happy Birdday, little one <3
Having recently graduated, I'm hoping to be back and posting more regularly :)
16 December 2009
Happy Birdday!
It's been exactly one year since I adopted Ozzie! It doesn't seem like much time has passed at all.
Happy Birdday, little one <3
Having recently graduated, I'm hoping to be back and posting more regularly :)
Happy Birdday, little one <3
Having recently graduated, I'm hoping to be back and posting more regularly :)
19 May 2009
Winter is coming
What's this small floofy monster on my lap?
It's Oz. He's decided his second favourite place in the world, (following my left shoulder between my shirt collar and neck), is under the blanket on my lap while I study.
He can spend hours like this.
Warm burd is warm! :)
It's Oz. He's decided his second favourite place in the world, (following my left shoulder between my shirt collar and neck), is under the blanket on my lap while I study.
He can spend hours like this.
Warm burd is warm! :)
25 March 2009
Foraging/enrichment idea
So my latest project in keeping my psittacine birds busy is to drill holes in everything.
Recently, I replaced all of their perches with natural branches, of all sizes and shapes and with lots of loose bark for chewing/ripping/shredding fun. I drilled holes all through these, some going partway though and some all the way. The holes are of varying sizes. Through these holes, I weave seeding grasses or veggies, or shove in seeds, bread, pellets etc. I can also pass a short (blunted) wooden skewer through some points (pointing in directions where I think there is little chance of them hurting themselves), then stick on some fruit, veggies and goodies wrapped in paper for them to chew through. They have to work to get their food, which is presented to them in a different way every day, so it gives them a bit of daily enrichment.
I have done the same with their new play equipment, which consists of a branch mounted vertically and with holes everywhere. Ozzie spends hours digging food out of his tree - just like a wild parrot.
When the perches are destroyed from the chewing and digging to get the food, I chuck them out, go for a walk, and find new branches to do it all again. Ten minutes of sawing and drilling, and the birds are more entertained and busy. Simple.
Recently, I replaced all of their perches with natural branches, of all sizes and shapes and with lots of loose bark for chewing/ripping/shredding fun. I drilled holes all through these, some going partway though and some all the way. The holes are of varying sizes. Through these holes, I weave seeding grasses or veggies, or shove in seeds, bread, pellets etc. I can also pass a short (blunted) wooden skewer through some points (pointing in directions where I think there is little chance of them hurting themselves), then stick on some fruit, veggies and goodies wrapped in paper for them to chew through. They have to work to get their food, which is presented to them in a different way every day, so it gives them a bit of daily enrichment.
I have done the same with their new play equipment, which consists of a branch mounted vertically and with holes everywhere. Ozzie spends hours digging food out of his tree - just like a wild parrot.
When the perches are destroyed from the chewing and digging to get the food, I chuck them out, go for a walk, and find new branches to do it all again. Ten minutes of sawing and drilling, and the birds are more entertained and busy. Simple.
07 March 2009
Wet and hungry
Ozzie is silly. He decided that munching on rice paper after going swimming was a good idea.
One with flash just to show how wet he is!
The rice paper is a new project I'm trying. I was eating rice paper rolls and thought, well, why not Oz too? I could stuff veggies and other yummies into it and he'd have to chew through the paper to get to it. It would be a great bit of foraging and the whole thing would be edible. At the moment I'm just getting him used to the idea that the rice paper is edible - he took to it instantly, not surprisingly since mum feeds him rice and rice noodle all the time.
One with flash just to show how wet he is!
The rice paper is a new project I'm trying. I was eating rice paper rolls and thought, well, why not Oz too? I could stuff veggies and other yummies into it and he'd have to chew through the paper to get to it. It would be a great bit of foraging and the whole thing would be edible. At the moment I'm just getting him used to the idea that the rice paper is edible - he took to it instantly, not surprisingly since mum feeds him rice and rice noodle all the time.
27 February 2009
Little Miss Floofy Cheeks
Oh, hi!
What's that? Well, okay, since I'm already here... *melts*
Aaah...
Sooo good....
24 February 2009
Meet the chooks
Hera
Breed: Isa Brown
Sex: female
Age: unknown
Joined the flock: Adopted in Jan 07 after life as a commercial layer
Personality: The boss of the herd, always first and always gets what she wants
Jumpie
Full name: Demeter
Nickname: Jumpie, because she will bounce at the thought of food
Breed: Rhode Island red (twice the size of everyone else!)
Sex: female
Age: 2 years
Joined the flock: Dec 06 as a chick from a breeder
Personality: Inquisitive and eager, absolutely loves food
Nickname: Jumpie, because she will bounce at the thought of food
Breed: Rhode Island red (twice the size of everyone else!)
Sex: female
Age: 2 years
Joined the flock: Dec 06 as a chick from a breeder
Personality: Inquisitive and eager, absolutely loves food
Thena
Full name: Athena
Nickname: Thena (pronounced 'Tina')
Breed: Rhode Island red (bantam)
Sex: female
Age: 2 years
Joined the flock: Dec 06 as a chick from a breeder
Personality: Bright and intelligent, always comes to investigate new things
Nickname: Thena (pronounced 'Tina')
Breed: Rhode Island red (bantam)
Sex: female
Age: 2 years
Joined the flock: Dec 06 as a chick from a breeder
Personality: Bright and intelligent, always comes to investigate new things
Vee
Full name: Venus
Breed: Mixed? (bantam)
Sex: female
Age: 2 years
Joined the flock: Dec 06 as a chick from a breeder
Personality: Quiet, timid but sneaky – gets the food when everyone else is busy squabbling over it!
Breed: Mixed? (bantam)
Sex: female
Age: 2 years
Joined the flock: Dec 06 as a chick from a breeder
Personality: Quiet, timid but sneaky – gets the food when everyone else is busy squabbling over it!
Missy
Full name: Artemis
Breed: Anconta X Rosecomb (bantam)
Sex: female
Age: 2 years
Joined the flock: Dec 06 as a chick from a breeder
Personality: Independent, a wanderer, perfectly happy alone
Breed: Anconta X Rosecomb (bantam)
Sex: female
Age: 2 years
Joined the flock: Dec 06 as a chick from a breeder
Personality: Independent, a wanderer, perfectly happy alone
Chryso's herd!
17 February 2009
Meet the conure
Oz
Full name: Oz
Nicknames: Ozzie, mozzie, osmos, osmole
Sex: male (?)
Age: 2 years (?)
Species: green cheeked conure
Joined the flock: December 2008, adopted from another home
Personality: yet to be truly known – currently a one-person bird, silly cuddlebug with me but a flesh-eating velociraptor with most other people
Favourite foods: apple, tofu, sprouts, rice
Favourite pastime: captive foraging, destroying wood, cuddles and snuggling into (preferred) hands
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