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Re: Rambo &Myrtle update

Postby Pajarita » Wed Nov 12, 2014 12:36 pm

Liz, there is something going on with your birds because you are down to a little over 10 hours of daylight (I checked) so there is no way they should be producing sexual hormones with such short days.
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: Rambo &Myrtle update

Postby liz » Wed Nov 12, 2014 2:37 pm

Cagney and Lacy are a little early even by flock standards. Shadow and Sweetie used to start in December and try to nest in January.

Sneeky Tommy used to go under the newspaper and Tammy would follow him to play. They were playing alright. I candled the eggs when I found them and did not have the heart to destroy them. They hatched Christmas eve.

I now use cereal boxes with the insides up and a little timothy hay scattered on top. They forage the hay on the first day. After that I just check the hay for poop and the bottom of the cage can last a week.
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liz
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 7234
Location: Hernando FL
Number of Birds Owned: 12
Types of Birds Owned: DYH Amazon Rambo
BF Amazon Myrtle
Cockatiels: Shadow Tammy Flutter Phoenix Jackie
Andy Impy Louise Twila Leroy
Flight: Yes

Re: Rambo &Myrtle update

Postby Pajarita » Thu Nov 13, 2014 10:53 am

I've had a flock of 30+, once almost 40 tiels for years and none of them bred off-season so yours are either getting too much light, too much protein or something to be having sex all day long in mid-November and hatching babies in December. Please do an objective evaluation of all your husbandry because it's not healthy for them.
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: Rambo &Myrtle update

Postby liz » Thu Nov 13, 2014 1:47 pm

Sunrise is 8 am and sunset starts at 5 pm so with the new lights I will start with that and then shorten it if I have to. I can close the blinds to shut off real sunlight.

No one in the house gets eggs anymore. If Myrtle can't have them then no one can. She even knows the carton.

I can't even imagine what Cagney and Lacy have been through. Maggie also came with no history other thaan she was a breeder who lost her mate.
These three have to increase their vegies. I will just have to keep searching for new kinds until they catch on.

Anything else I should try?
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liz
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 7234
Location: Hernando FL
Number of Birds Owned: 12
Types of Birds Owned: DYH Amazon Rambo
BF Amazon Myrtle
Cockatiels: Shadow Tammy Flutter Phoenix Jackie
Andy Impy Louise Twila Leroy
Flight: Yes

Re: Rambo &Myrtle update

Postby liz » Thu Nov 13, 2014 7:03 pm

I took my green kids to the Avian Vet today. They both checked out okay. He gave me red palm oil to put on Rambo's feet. They won't eat the stuff and with winter coming on his feet are starting to get dry again. He told me they need to loose a little weight so I guess I put a sign on the door DON'T FEED THE ANIMALS. Fancy cat is the only skinny thing in the house.
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liz
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 7234
Location: Hernando FL
Number of Birds Owned: 12
Types of Birds Owned: DYH Amazon Rambo
BF Amazon Myrtle
Cockatiels: Shadow Tammy Flutter Phoenix Jackie
Andy Impy Louise Twila Leroy
Flight: Yes

Re: Rambo &Myrtle update

Postby liz » Fri Nov 14, 2014 9:55 am

I was surprised this morning to find all 6 cockatiels together in one corner. That is until I checked the thermometer. It was 65 F. I feel guilty that I let it get that low but happy that even Maggie was in the huddle keeping warm.
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liz
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 7234
Location: Hernando FL
Number of Birds Owned: 12
Types of Birds Owned: DYH Amazon Rambo
BF Amazon Myrtle
Cockatiels: Shadow Tammy Flutter Phoenix Jackie
Andy Impy Louise Twila Leroy
Flight: Yes

Re: Rambo &Myrtle update

Postby Pajarita » Fri Nov 14, 2014 11:42 am

65 should be OK, Liz, so I would not worry too much about it and, besides, it's good to give them lower temperatures in the winter but you are off on the light schedule. I am turning on the lights at 8:30 am and off at 3:30 pm to give them enough time to eat and roost. The sun might set at 5pm but, by then, it's already too dark for them to eat.
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: Rambo &Myrtle update

Postby liz » Sun Nov 16, 2014 9:58 am

Mine, being in a sunroom, have been on a solar schedule. I hear my cockatiels at 6:30 or 7 am which is the same as the outside birds. At 6 pm I can hear the outside birds settling down in the red tip bushes (they grew to 20 feet) so that is when they decide it is night.

I have put sun blocking curtains behind the blinds that I now keep closed. I am turning my light on at 10 am when the rest of the house wakes up and turning it off at 6 pm.
User avatar
liz
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 7234
Location: Hernando FL
Number of Birds Owned: 12
Types of Birds Owned: DYH Amazon Rambo
BF Amazon Myrtle
Cockatiels: Shadow Tammy Flutter Phoenix Jackie
Andy Impy Louise Twila Leroy
Flight: Yes

Re: Rambo &Myrtle update

Postby Pajarita » Sun Nov 16, 2014 11:56 am

6 pm is too late, Liz (I cover my caged birds at that time because it's already night and they are already asleep). They wake up at 6:30 am and you are turning off the lights at 6 pm so, in reality, they are having days that are almost 12 hours long and they will breed easy on that schedule, especially if you give them too much protein (which you have been doing with the eggs). If you want them to go back on track with the seasons, you need to turn off their lights at 3:30 pm to make their days as short as you can and reduce protein drastically because we will be having the winter solstice in another month and the days will start getting longer then - so, if you don't break the 'cycle' now, they will just keep on producing sexual hormones without rest for the winter.
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: Rambo &Myrtle update

Postby liz » Sat Nov 29, 2014 7:58 pm

Well I now have the lighting right in the sunroom. It has no effect on Rambo and Myrtle. If they don't want to go to sleep they just go in the living room. They don't want 65 degrease either.

Lacy is the one with no front toes on her left foot. I can only imagine what the poor thing has been through. Lola has a dry patch with no feathers on her shoulder. I don't want to mess with her yet so I just keep watching it. Rambo and Lola are the only ones who have come to me with leg bands. I removed Rambo's years ago but did keep it. Lola's looks like a little silver bracelet.

It is time to offer Lola a chance to join the flock. I am setting up the cage that Cagney and Lacy came in and will put the boys in that one for a while to let all the girls bond. Hopefully that will help Maggie and Lola bond. I will keep the boys cage beside the girls.

I have everyone but Lola on a no seed diet for a few days now. I watched Rambo picking through his food dishes and knew what he was looking for. When I got the jar of peanuts out, he was my friend making little begging noises. I gave them three each then they were ready for "nite nite".
I have taught Myrtle the word "mine". She doesn't like it any but she has to learn that not everything I eat will be shared.
User avatar
liz
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 7234
Location: Hernando FL
Number of Birds Owned: 12
Types of Birds Owned: DYH Amazon Rambo
BF Amazon Myrtle
Cockatiels: Shadow Tammy Flutter Phoenix Jackie
Andy Impy Louise Twila Leroy
Flight: Yes

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