Stories- ringneck, quaker, and gcc

[Wolf]

I only use shredded paper for toys and use whole sheets for cage liners. It seems to me that any dust on the shredded paper falls off when I handle it to put in bags for later use or when I actually start stuffing a toy with it as I have really not noticed any dust from it and have not had any problems with it either. I also give them sheets of paper and cardboard to shred on their own and have never noticed any dust from that either.

[shiraartain]

Thanks for all the information! Very happy to have learned that I can give the birds magazines and the like to shred. Makes my life a lot easier, as they love to destroy things. Clover seems to like going for my homework, and she does way more damage than Fajr .

As an explanation for why I was concerned about the dust, once I put a bunch of shredded paper into a storage container (the kind that slide under the bed) and dropped seed in as a foraging activity for Fajr. But then i realized that as he dug around, paper dust would float up. However, that was a large quantity now that I think about it.

Gave Lemon and Clover some magazines to shred and they had at it.

While wiping down their cage, one of the twins was talking to Clover, and accidentally discovered a whistle which Clover will whistle back to. She'll whistle back to everyone but my Dad. The twins will kiss Clover's head with zero hesitation while I still get nervous just having my face near her. They were bitten way more often than I was when she first came, yet here we are. Lemon, meanwhile, just chirps and hops around the bottom of the cage while tossing the wiffle ball about. I think I mentioned that before, but I just enjoy watching him play with it.

Good news! 99% sure Lemon is a boy! Noticed they're been dropping down feathers lately, and Lemon lost a tail one, but I chalked it down to the change in temperature from the cage move and their bodies adjusting. Was playing with them earlier today and realized that despite not eating pomegranate for a while, Lemon has two pink dots around his neck. He's growing his ring! It's nice to know his gender for sure, but what really makes me happy is that we have a ballpark estimate of his age, and most probably Clover's as well. Also good to know that this means they've spent about half of their lifespans with us, since they've been with us for about 13 months now, and internet says they typically grow the ring from 1-3 years of age.

This age makes sense, since Clover was clipped and couldn't fly when she came to us, but managed to grow all her flight feathers back in one molt. The only downside is that this might mean that bird puberty is still to come I was hoping they'd passed it already.

[Wolf]

Although many people think that a birds puberty and sexual maturity occur at the same time this is not always true. Kiki, Senegal went through puberty when she was about 2 years old, but then she never showed any signs of getting broody and acting as if she was ready to breed until much later. I read that many times especially with the female that they will not naturally breed until they are five or six years old. This difference between the age that they go through puberty and the time of sexual maturity, when they are ready to breed, is not at all uncommon. It does occur more often with some species than with others, but I don't really know which ones , it is just something that I stumbled on once or twice while looking up other things. You may want to do a bit of research about this.

[shiraartain]

I haven't had time to do research on bird puberty as of yet, but I was bitten again yesterday by Clover. I was holding a piece of dried fig in my hand, and she jumped up on my arm....then suddenly latched on. I tossed her off, cried a bit, and didn't let her come on me for the rest of the day.

Are wiffle balls as much of a hit for anyone else? Lemon and Clover were breaking down the ones I got them last year, so I dropped by the store to get some heavy duty ones (made for baseball practice). They just love picking one up from the grate and climbing up to the branch with it and then stealing it from one another. I gave them two, but nope. Gotta grab it from one another. They have two large cat jingle toys, one wiffle-ball like cat jingle toy, a wiffle ball foraging toy (took it out this toy rotation), and 8 wiffle balls, two of which are in their cage. But they only play with one at a time.

I bought a newton's cradle thinking Fajr could play with it, but when I opened it I realized that the string is too weak and he could snap through it in two minutes, so it's just a decor piece in my room now.

Edit: We have a ton of grape hyacinths in our yard and I was thinking of giving some to the birds. They're pesticide-free. My research so far has said they're safe, but just wanted to know if anyone has heard anything to the contrary.

Edit: just checked the document wolf shared in another thread. Looks like hyacinths are unsafe and a no-go.

[Wolf]

Despite the list that I got posted on the forum now being an older list, I still have not found a better one and I still refer to it myself. I also feel that if there is any doubt about anything then keep it away from birds as it is better to be safe than sorry.

[Pajarita]

Yes, grape hyacinths are toxic. See this: http://www.brickfieldspark.org/data/grapehyacinth.htm

[shiraartain]

Wow, I was really far off the mark. The resource I had found was for a vet's office. A reminder for me that everything should be double-checked.

[shiraartain]

Today I realized I've been so busy with finals week that the pair hasn't been getting much attention. Fajr is constantly spoiled, but my sister who stays home has a fear of the pair's bites, so they get left behind.

Let them out as soon as I came home, than came back later to find them playing with my Dad. He was rolling a ball from one foot to the other, and Lemon was following after it. Occasionally he would manage to grab it, or my dad would roll it to him, and Lemon would shake it. One time, he even rolled it right back to my dad!
I'm happy we finally found a way to interact with him that doesn't involve Clover running in and getting jealous. Aside from a handful of short spats, Clover and Fajr mostly minded their own business.

Lemon has officially been designated the family dog. Toss a ball in the air or onto the floor, and he comes zooming in.

[liz]

I bought a puppy toy sort of like a whiffle ball but has another on inside and a bell in that one. I have two because they like them so much. They do play with them but because the ball makes noise they also beat up on it. They like noise whether made by them or made by making a toy make noise.

[Wolf]

I can get Kookooloo, Grey lady as she is to play catch with a ball. She only does it from the back of the sofa which is against a wall. I keep trying to get her to play with me on the floor, like in the center of the room, but it is a no go. She climbs down her cage and walks across the floor to get to me or she will walk past me and down the hall and go into the bathroom. I really want to get her mind off of the bathroom so that I can try to roll her balls to her on the floor, but she has a one track mind.