Jennifer Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 8) When you first introduce Pepper to the food, try placing it in a food cup that is near a perch where he likes to hang out. This will make it more visible and more likely he will investigate it. Start out with a smaller amount (no need wasting it if he doesn't yet know it's food) and sprinkle it with some seed so he begins to associate the new offerings as edible. Introduce pellets the same way. Over about two weeks just put less and less seed in the cage until there is none. After that, only offer seed once or twice a week. One other thing, kidney beans are brilliant but they are unique among most beans in that they need to be cooked very well or they are toxic. I got got this offline: If you buy dried kidney beans, it's important to cook them properly. This is because kidney beans contain a natural toxin (called lectin) that can cause stomach aches and vomiting. However, it's easy to destroy the toxin if you prepare the beans properly. Follow these three steps to destroy the toxins: 1. soak the dried beans for at least 12 hours 2. drain and rinse the beans then cover them with fresh water 3. boil them vigorously for at least 10 minutes Then you need to simmer the beans for approximately 45 to 60 minutes to make them tender. If you buy tinned kidney beans, they have already been through this process so you can use them straight away. From: http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/healthydiet/n ... es/pulses/ I think the soaking just reduces the cooking time, so you might be able to just cook them longer instead of soaking them, but I am not sure on that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zev Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 Are raw cashews ok - we were always told they were not good for you raw. (But that may have just been to stop us eating them out of the cupboard when we were kids...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 As far as I know, truly raw nuts are somewhat hard to come by. I suspect these would be just unroasted and unsalted... Someone correct me if I am wrong. :roll: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted February 3, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 These are Tasti Cashew Pieces packed in an environmentally controlled atmosphere to ensure they stay fresher for longer! (according to the packet). It also says they are a popular snack when roasted and salted so I will assume these are plain. There is no ingredient list except a warning to say they may have traces of other nuts processed in the same factory. Anyway, time for more pics... Here is Pepper enjoying a breakfast of apple, Weetbix, kiwifruit, bran, peach, muesli and broccoli. I suspect he only ate the apple although he did eat a little broccoli later. and here is his house... He was funny today as I put him in his cage when I went to town and boy did I get a telling off when I came home to let him out again! :lol: He muttered away and was quite grumpy for a while :lol: He is going to be real upset on Friday as I will be at work all day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 That looks awesome, great cage, perches, perch placement and great photo of him enjoying his nice food. Excellent! Making me want a bird again.... :roll: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 That is awesome. That cage is the Avione 604. It's the same one rusty has and is allowed to sit on top of (but not inside). It's a great cage, and the perfect size for pepper! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted February 3, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 Why does he have a cage if he isn't allowed in it? :-? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 :lol: he came with one. I keep him in it if i see a cat lurking around the house, and the windows are open, but apart from that he spends the day with his ball and hangs off the curtains, talks to his shadow, talks to dark corners.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted February 3, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 Pepper has just gone off to work with Grant so he will get to visit a couple of cell sites on top of local hills 8) He went outside with Grant, just sitting on his shoulder, and stayed there while Grant loaded the truck. We can only do this if we continue to keep his wings clipped. How long does it take for them to grow out enough to fly and is it cruel to keep them clipped? He has never had the opportunity to fly so I doubt he will miss not being able to. He can glide about 3m but not so good at landing :roll: I want Grant to take him to work with him as he is the one who wanted a bird and with the long hours he is working, Pepper never sees him and will bond with me by default. I want him to bond to Grant. Jennifer; how long do I have to cook the haricot beans? I have been following the instructions for the red kidney beans to get the lectin (or whatever) out of them but don't know how long the others take to reach the required cookedness :-? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zev Posted February 4, 2010 Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 I hope you gave Grant a packet of wetwipes to tidy himself and the car up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted February 4, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 He took towels It went very well. They came home to reload then headed off down the Sounds. He wondered if Pepper got carsick as he upchucked a bit of seed at the top of the Weld pass but thinks it was coincidence as it was otherwise fine. I doubt birds get carsick since they are designed to cope with getting blown about in trees! He took Bud's old cage as a standby on the passenger seat and apparently Pepper spent most of the time sitting on top of the cage or on the headrest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer Posted February 4, 2010 Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 Cook the beans until they are tender. I think most cookbooks say about an hour or so. Lentils and mung beans cook quicker, and are fine, but lentils don't hold up so well in the mix. As for the wing clipping, a good pet that gets lots of human interaction is not going to suffer from not being able to fly. He may also remain tamer if he is clipped. Your tastes may change over time, but if he enjoys riding on your shoulder, then give him that freedom by keeping him clipped. They key is to clip as many of the flight feathers as needed to keep him from gaining altitude - on a large bird, that may not be many feathers, for a small bird it will be more feathers - up to about eight feathers is fine. Many uninformed people (including a lot of vets) clip wings improperly creating imbalance - you do not want him to make a crash landing, you want him to be able to glide to the floor - flying downward for 3m is perfect; as long as he isn't getting any lift you'll be sweet. Wing clipping is easily done yourself if you know how (let me know if you need tips on restraint). Here is a good diagram of a wing: http://hippie.nu/~unicorn/tut/img/basic ... thers.jpeg Here are some guidelines: 1. Don't clip bloodfeathers - these are ones with a dark shaft. It is better to wait a couple of weeks for the feather not to be alive anymore. If you must clip, leave a couple of feathers around either side of the blood feather, this will protect it from becoming damaged and bleeding. 2. I recommend using cat nail trimming scissors you can get from a pet shop. Clip each flight feather individually and close to the shaft (where the feather enters the wing). 3. do not clip the covert feathers. The coverts will cover up the cut ends of the flight feathers making a more tidy appearance and it will also protect his skin from the rough edges of the cut shafts. 4. No matter what anybody says, do not leave one or two flight feathers at the tip of the wing. Not only can these provide lift in a small bird, they are prone to damage as they sit out there all on their own. Cut about eight feathers back from the tip of the wing, if you need to cut two more, then do it. 5. What ever you do, clip both wings equally so that he has balance. Most birds only moult one flight feather at a time so that they never have unbalanced flight. So it is an ongoing process. Clip them when you start to see them growing long on both sides. Don't wait too long or you have a flying bird before you know it! If he is eating a healthy diet, he should be moulting gradually all the time. About clipping nails: natural branch perches with varying widths will help keep the nails duller. Best to go that route rather than clipping the nails - a very painful procedure for the bird and they can bleed readily. Whew! 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted February 4, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 We will probably need tips on restraint when the time comes. My dad used to clip chicken wings so he will probably have a good idea on what to do. The website Livingart recommended also has detailed instructions I believe but I have been reading so much other information (have printed out a "Conure Instruction Manual") I have not looked at that bit yet :roll: The day out with Grant went very well and both seemed to enjoy themselves. They went up some very rough tracks so I am sure Pepper got plenty of exercise just clinging on to the headrest! He has spent the evening on Grant's shoulder making regular little chirrup noises so we hope that is good :-? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer Posted February 4, 2010 Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 Sounds very good. Contentment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdspider Posted February 4, 2010 Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 Just the fact you are asking all this shows you care & he/she will will have a happy life. Imagine all the poor animals that go to people who don't do any more research and get by on the starter packs that come with them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted February 4, 2010 Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 I don't use restraint when clipping our pet birds wings part of normal handling is pulling their wing out so they are used to it when it comes time for a wing clipping Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer Posted February 4, 2010 Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 Just the fact you are asking all this shows you care & he/she will will have a happy life. Imagine all the poor animals that go to people who don't do any more research and get by on the starter packs that come with them So true! I don't use restraint when clipping our pet birds wings part of normal handling is pulling their wing out so they are used to it when it comes time for a wing clipping 8) Excellent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted February 4, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 We will start pulling his wings out then so he gets used to it. It might help us figure out which bits are which matching the diagram! :lol: Still wondering how long it will be before he can actually fly and how we know (apart from having him take off) when it needs to be done. I hope we get some warning :-? There is quite a bit of conflicting, or different, advice out here so I am going with Jennifer and Mark. Tha American site made me laugh as it gave all the options for getting fruit and veg in a way that seemed to assume the majority can't just get them from the garden or fridge. Pepper now has his own little lunch box made from the stuff chiller boxes are made with with an area his bowl fits in plus 2 smaller areas for water dish and a small seed dish. This goes with him in the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zev Posted February 4, 2010 Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 He has spent the evening on Grant's shoulder making regular little chirrup noises so we hope that is good :-? You sneaky woman - now Grant has to contend with the poopy back and shoulders! Glad to hear it is all going well, he is going to be one spoilt bird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted February 4, 2010 Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 try laying him on his back as well, can take a bit of time to get used to it this will help wih doing nails i use an emery board and just rub the sharp point off you can make a game of it some will do it easily, some not Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cricketman Posted February 4, 2010 Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 Saw a lorikeet the other day rolling around on its back chirping away to himself and kicking the air, then holding his feet like an evil mastermind.... If you ever need another bird Caryl, I'll be glad to fill in... I love being spoiled :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted February 4, 2010 Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 We will start pulling his wings out then so he gets used to it. Ouch, well, I guess that would be pretty effective but I doubt he'd get used to it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zev Posted February 4, 2010 Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 Just be careful that she does not try to pull your wings off if you are a naughty boy, Ira Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer Posted February 4, 2010 Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 Just take care when you are pulling the wing out to try and bend it from the base, rather than pull it out from the tip (which can fracture the tip of the wing off if you aren't careful - uncommon but it happens). Putting him on his back is a great idea. I always would get my chicks used to being hugged tightly to my chest - this was helpful for a number of reasons not the least of which being that I could easily grab them and hold them if there was danger or if they were scared. It was also helpful in preventing them from fearing things on top of them (that prey instinct thing). Start by petting him on the neck and back until you can really pet him firmly and all around the legs and wings. Then turn your petting in to a whole body hug. It also helps to be able to hold onto his feet gently (as he sits on your finger). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted February 5, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2010 I saw one of the shop people hold him enclosed in his hand then he also turned him over so I know he has experienced that much. You can stroke his back too. I didn't say I was going to pull the wings off! Cricketman if you think I am going to offer you a home so you can lie on your back, roll around chirping to yourself and holding your feet while you plan world domination I am afraid you are in for a disappoinment! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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