Pacific ( Celestial) Parrotlet

[Wolf]

That is wonderful. Every little bit helps, I am working on corn on the cob as a raw vegetable right now. They eat cooked corn in the gloop and I am now adding hominy to that on alternating batches.

[Pajarita]

And YES! I just went to check on him and he had eaten half the carrot 'stick' (it was actually the tapered tip of the carrot and about 4 inches long) I had stuck between the bars of his cage! I never had plets before but, for what I have read about them, they seem to be extremely similar to lovebirds both in diet and temperament and lovies are very good eaters so this pretty much proves it.

Wolf, I never give them raw-raw corn, I always boil it whole for two minutes (and then cut it in large slices which I then cut in half through the cob so there is a flat side which I use to lay on the plate so the kernels are on the top -this is mostly for the small ones benefit, the large ones don't care, they just grab it with their feet) just to get the 'complete rawness' out of them but retain the crispness, taste and juice.

[Wolf]

Is there any reason that I should not give them totally raw corn? This is sweet corn not field corn.
Well our situations are reversed on the lovebird and parrotlet, but my research also suggested that they are very similar. Enough that I would be curious to hear about it if anyone has tried to put them together, not for breeding purposes but in an aviary setting.

[Pajarita]

No, I don't think there is any reason why they could not eat raw corn - parrots back home certainly do and that's why the farmers hate them I just boil it a bit to get the sweetness enhanced (and because I always make one or two extra ears for myself). I forgot to tell you that I actually boil it 2 minutes exactly (I use a timer), I remove the pot from the stove immediately, drain the boiling water and fill it up with cold to stop the cooking process completely (I also keep on changing the water as it warms up with cold water).

I don't know of an aviary situation but I know of plets that have 'hooked up' with lovies and budgies so I guess it depends on the particulars of the situation.

[Wolf]

That is interesting. Causes me to wonder about the feasibility of trying to house the parrotlets and budgies together. Any thoughts?

[Pajarita]

It might be possible but it would have to be their choice so you would have to wait to see if the four of them start having flock dynamics.

And I just checked and he had eaten some banana, too!

[Wolf]

I know that there are some species that despite their similarities or because of them that it would not even be worth trying. I am still new enough that I wasn't sure it would be worth trying. I did know that if it was reasonably possible that it would have to be dependent on them.
I don't know where we are at as far as meeting to pick up Paquita's boyfriend, so are we planning on the 21st or the 4th? I am good either way.

[Pajarita]

It will be on Aug/4.

It's fairly easy to see if they want to be together. If you let them all out at the same time (I would do it with the bigger ones in their cages so you can concentrate on observing them) and you see one flying from point A to B, the mate following and, almost immediately after, the other two, you know they are beginning to 'make' a flock. Eating and perching side by side (especially when they are preening, an activity that is only done when they are completely relaxed) is another one as well as one pair going into the other pair's cage and the owners not throwing them out. Start by putting the cages side by side and food stuff stuck in between both cages so they 'share' it. Paquita's boyfriend is doing his quarantine here so you will be able to house him with the others as soon as you get him home.

[Wolf]

I knew that he would be in quarantine while he was with you and that I would be good to go on that basis.

[Wolf]

Well after a 12 hour round trip Paquita has a boyfriend here at home. I only stayed and talked for a few minutes, We met at a McDonalds in New Market, VA. I would really have loved to stay and talk much longer, but I worry about my Grey as she gets really uptight if I am gone too long. She came to me naked and with nasty holes in her body and I hate the prospect of going through that again.
They did have a couple of hours before dark to talk to each other after I got him here and they seemed to be working on it. I have no idea of what he said to her, but at one point it appeared to me that she informed him that she would beat his butt and then stalked off for 30 minutes, refusing to speak to him, while he chittered away desperately trying to get her to come back and talk to him some more.
I will try to get some pictures of him as soon as I can. He is absolutely beautiful, I am not certain as I have to see his personality and see what he thinks, but I am considering calling him Rajah or maybe just Ra.