Ohno Emmi might be sick! Help please!

[Eric&Rebecca]

Yes you're right about the fructose (sugar) in fruits. Luckily my cockatiels not to offay with fruits, just the odd piece of pear or apple. They tend to like the veggies and everything else more on a daily basis.

At least it was just a scare oh great idea btw with the rice and chilli! Tried it with my birds and they adored it!

[KimberlyAnn]

Anything with chili or cinnamon...her favorite. That's how I get her to try new things lol

[Eric&Rebecca]

I'm thinking about growing my own chilli plant for the birds. Perhaps they'll like the actual chillis too

[KimberlyAnn]

Yes, and it makes a very pretty plant for summer. My friend keeps small pots as a center piece on her outside table.

[marie83]

Can you grow chillis indoors? If so any particular types that are good inside and fairly small plants because we live in a flat. We already grow some herbs inside, usually shop brought ones that are already growing but we are also thinking of growing from the seed.

[KimberlyAnn]

I'm not really sure. I think if the plant already has chilis on it, they can last awhile inside. We can buy them here with the chilis already grown. In all sizes, shapes, and colors. They come in Mexican decrative pots and you can give them as gifts. I guess that is one of the perks to living in America...the "No need to do any work, we did it for you and wrapped it with a bow!" mentality.

But you guys have the Beatles and Coldplay. You win hands down! Lol

[marie83]

I'm not really sure. I think if the plant already has chilis on it, they can last awhile inside. We can buy them here with the chilis already grown. In all sizes, shapes, and colors. They come in Mexican decrative pots and you can give them as gifts. I guess that is one of the perks to living in America...the "No need to do any work, we did it for you and wrapped it with a bow!" mentality.

But you guys have the Beatles and Coldplay. You win hands down! Lol

Ahh thank you, how about the leaves of the plant itself? any idea if they are safe, I could keep the plant in the kitchen if not? I wouldn't be concerned but all of a sudden Ollie likes chewing up our plants. No idea why as he has spent the last 3 years ignoring them completely.
There was a chilli plantation trade stall at think parrots show and I didn't get chance to go and speak to them but I did over hear that all the plants he sells are 100% organic. Kind of gutted I didn't get time for much shopping.

Coldplay are oki I guess but please dont play the beatles to me

[KimberlyAnn]

Hmmmmm that's a hard one. I seem to remember the actual tomato plant being toxic?

But I may be waaaaay off here, thinking that chilis and tomatoes are from the same familiy. I heard dirt was not good because of bacteria, right?

I wonder...what bean sprout can grow tall and still be good to eat. Roots and all? Turn the bird water bottles/tubes (Plastic ones) up-side-down and put the plant in for a live foraging toy? Get a few going at a time and rinse daily? Honestly, this may not be a great idea, but I got two hours sleep last night and I'm delusional. Lol

But I like the idea of a living plant they can pull apart/out Instead of a leaf of spring greens clipped to the cage. If the leaves are safe, I bet Ollie would go after those red peppers first.

[marie83]

Actually I like that idea for a foraging toy, I would be thinking more along the lines of putting a plant in rather than really long beansprouts. Your right you need to be careful with the soil, we keep it covered up, there may be a risk as the plant grows dragging bacteria up with it come to think of it but so far I haven't really worried about it until now and Ollies been going and helping himself for the past 3 weeks :s hmm I dont know so much now if its a good idea or not

[KimberlyAnn]

Wouldn't it be nice to have a vine that grew on and inside the cage? Living homes for birds. Reminds me of snap peas my mom grew one summer. Wonder if the vine is safe? I would totally do that! Pot outside the cage. It would grow in two weeks or so. Actually maybe she would not let it.

You hear of living environments for fish, reptiles and amphibians. I've been in a bird rainforest type environment at a few zoos (Butterfly Gardens in Victoria, Canada had a bird room) and there was real plants and a lot of dirt. There has to be something living we could use safely. Wonder how much bacteria grows on that coconut dirt stuff? It's easy to bake. I used it for my hermit crabs ten years ago and they are very fragile animals! I was always worried about bacteria and here they sat in their shells with 80% humidity all day long on and in damp coconut dirt. Just letting Emmi scratch around in that stuff seems tempting. I bet she would have a blast! She already loves scooting around on her chin on the couch like a rocket. I could see her plowing through the coconut too...watching her the whole time of course.

I will have to check if the coconut dirt can be digested just in case and call my vet. But a tub of safe dirt with hidden toys and treats! What fun! Plus, it's easy to grow in.

Sigh. By the end of this bird's life, I'm going to have her finger painting like the kids in my class. Lol This is exactly how I lesson plan too. Start with one thing and change it to something completely different!