The Final Update & Farewell

It's been a while since my last post. I kept meaning to update, I really did. We were gaining ground, I had updates. I was harness training, we'd successfully gotten outside in the harness and even went for a slow enjoyable bike ride in which he talked the whole way, with "Weeeeeee!" whistles, clucks and many more of his happy sounds. We enjoyed the spring and summer away camping and seeing the outdoors.

Viggo is gone. He passed away November 26th, 2016. It's so very recent and hurts so deeply.

I'm not going to update with those memories today. I may not, because they don't matter now. I don't want to go back and post what we worked on. I'd just rather focus on memories. Especially right now, I really need to.

I hope though brief you have gotten something from my blog. If anything that Eclectus in general and Viggo was an amazing bird.They are such a stunningly beautiful species.

I don't have regrets, but I do wish he lived longer. Eclectus are an amazing species, one that I am proud to have shared my life with. He taught me a lot in life. Especially in his early years. It was then that I journaled and learned trigger foods, what to feed, what to avoid....and in doing so I used this method when it came to my family and allergies or reactions. We ate healthier having him in the home. We watched our language with him in the home ;) We learned about dangers of teflon, candles, sprays, cleaning products and much more that I'm sure having removed them has benefited our health through the years. 

I don't think I will get another Eclectus or parrot for that matter. My heart hurts and while I know it will heal, there was/is no guy like my big green that could replace this void I feel right now. We shared 14 great years together and though not always easy he made life interesting. We called him the peanut gallery as he always added his .02 to our family gatherings or conversations. I will miss so much that he brought into our lives. He was like a two year old son that never grew up. Now my house is quiet. No beak grinding or clicks, no wing flips....just silence and I have to find my footing now and new routine that fills the void that Viggo once filled.

Enjoy every day and love your fid (feathered kid) if you have one. Like children you will have ups and downs. Enjoy the balance and love them for the brilliant beings they are. Reach out to others and share and learn from one another and embrace the Eclectus community. I did. If you do not have one please think long and hard, do your research, foster...do this all before you take the big step. Parrots are not a short term commitment. They are a lifetime commitment and many can live 40+ years. If you do decide a parrot is for you, consider adopting. There are many parrots that are looking for loving homes with people who will offer stability, love, understanding, patience and much more.

Thank you all for taking time to read about my boy. He was one of a kind. At least to me. I have attached two links that I hope will work showing video of my boy. Enjoy and much love to all who followed us on our journey.

Viggo Talking

Viggo talking in the Shower

There's a Song for my guy....

Dennis Leary sang it best with his song, "I'm An Asshole" and it fits Viggo pretty well right now. Aside from having a female his life is pretty easy and he has things very well off. He's testing though and insistent on being you guessed it....

-Insert Special words here-

This post is maybe a bit much for a new parrot owner who's bird is still in the honeymoon phase or even younger years. It's possibly a red flag for those considering a parrot but you know what....good! With every animal there is good and bad....you take it when you take on the responsibility. It's much like a relationship or marriage. These 'bad' or trouble times are a lot like terrible twos of children and I will admit having already gone down that road and now have teenagers I'm not sure which can be more hormonal or testing or trying....

I have been absent from blogging for a while due to the insanity of life and trying to keep up. Busy times!

I am posting today because we are back to our own personal parrot hell. SCREAMING HORMONAL ASSH*LE! OMG!!

No matter what I do nothing seems to be working. I have done everything I did last year during this time. I have regulated the hours of light, as well as how many hours he gets for sleep, I have monitored his diet. He's getting exercise albeit under certain circumstances since he's being a terror to everyone!

Yup...once again he is back to flying at my daughters, pulling their hair, slamming his beak into their heads, trying to bite and screaming at them. I'm very seriously considering a wing clip. It's not just my oldest daughter getting the hormonal beast, it's now my youngest too! In fact he's being a bit of a jerk to me as well although I am not standing for it. Time outs, showers, covered cage, limited treats....I don't know what to do...I'm like that parent with the crazy toddler having a major temper tantrum in a store packed with people and I am stumped as to what to do.

At this point I am even debating boarding for him just for a change of scenery and a break from the screaming for all of us under the roof. That or I may introduce him to the BBQ...got sauce recipes? I'm totally kidding but this is ridiculous! I'm getting flack from my family now as it's really that crazy.
I feed him when I get up and he screams before the feed, when he gets it and after. Then he eats, then screams....

When he's out of the cage he's attacking or trying to have his way with myself. I wish he wasn't so stubborn and would take to a stuffed toy. Alas it's not so simple. The thought once again of getting a female has crossed my mind but again....that would be opening a new can of worms and issues that I really don't want to deal with or have time for.

I have increased his sleep hours, kept everyone and everything free of his sleep area to avoid disruption. I'm not quite sure where to go from here. I guess it's time to chat with other parrot owners and seek out some advice.

While there's the book, "What to Expect When You're Expecting" it gives a generalized idea of 'what to expect' but it's not the same for every woman....the same goes for our furred and feathered pets and there's no guarantee that what worked for one will work for another. I'll try anything at this point though.

Today he got the cold shoulder, door closed and no contact after growling, lunging and being a straight up grump. So I'm blogging...putting it out there...if you have gone through this SHARE your advice...tell me what worked for your hormonal beast. Please! Or share what didn't help! I look forward to your responses and comments.

Until next time, Merry Christmas & Happy New Year if I don't post before then.

The Daily Dish

For some of us with Eclectus hormones come around with a bang and our once sweet, loving bird becomes a gremlin!

For Viggo hormones brought on  a boy who would scream, lunge, bite, regurgitate on his perch and toys and have his way with nearly anything he could shake a feather on. This blog was started specifically because of hormones and a journal so to speak for myself to look back on to see what has worked and what has not as well as to help others along the way.

Must Haves for a Hormonal Bird:
Night/Sleep Cage
Lots of foraging items

The two above mentioned were huge on the avenue to improvement. In fact sleep cage alone seemed to cut back on his hormonal ways within days. But that wasn't without some diet modifications as well.

Keeping his beak busy also helped through foraging toys (Paper bags stuffed with treats, boxes with treats, puzzles with treats) Viggo loves almonds so I used slivered almonds to coax him into foraging and allowed him to watch me place the almond in the chosen foraging method. I also weaved kale, lettuce, beet leaves and such through the bars of his cage, put food in whole to keep him busy breaking it up, or on a squere like a kabob.

Viggo is flighted which during hormonal times is good and somewhat of a pain. The plus, I can keep him busy with flight to burn energy but those stunning wings can also carry him with ease to have his way or try with anything or fly at my daughter to strike at her. I chose times for flight where I can have one on one time and keep him active and busy! Prior to bed is a great time.

I repeatedly say diet is key...key to everything when it comes to our feathered friends, especially so with a hormonal bird. I found that cutting out cooked foods all together helped immensly. No warm mashes, rice, cooked/warm veggies....Instead I found that by cutting back on warm foods and fruit and feeding more raw veggies and sprouts that also played a part in cooling hormones.

I change my chopped veggies often but one I love to make and that Viggo loves is:
Kale, jalapeno, green/red/yellow/orange bell peppers, beets, bok choy, broccoli, sweet potato.

All of the above are just pulsed to bite sized bits in the food processor and then mixed in together. I then bag the above into portions for each week. 2TBSP for each morning, so 14TBSP/bag and then freeze those not in use. I just pull and defrost when needed. Having food prepped is wonderful for those of us with crazy busy lives. It's fast to prepare, bag and put away and saves on daily chopping and prep.

Here's a daily run down of food and amounts I feed. I'll give both an idea of when he's hormonal and when he is not hormonal. I feed based on the fact Viggo is flighted and active. If your bird is clipped I would cut back to 1-1.5TBSP of sprouts

Morning Meal:
2TBSP of Sprouts
2TBSP of the above Chop veggie mix (Lots of raw greens)
1TBSP of mixed berries (Black berries, raspberry, blueberry, pomogranate)
*I will also add a sprinkle of flax seed, hemp seed, chia seed on top of his veggies mix.

Mid Day Snack:
2 slices of apple
3 pcs of Slivered Almond

Dinner:
2TBSP of mixed veggies (peas, carrots, green beans)
Leaves of lettuce or kale weaved through the bars
1TSP of budgie seed (no vitamins or anything added) placed in a puzzle to forage.
Slice of Papaya or Mango

When Viggo is hormonal I cut out corn, pellets and cooked foods. I find that with him these tend to trigger hormones.

When he is not hormonal and generally through the winter months I will feed small amounts of Harrison Lifetime pellets (either fine or course). Not daily and just a sprinkle or a couple course fed in the morning.

Here is a run down of a basic non-hormonal daily feed:

Morning (Not Hormonal)
2TBSP Sprouts
2TBSP Mixed Chopped Veggies (lots of raw greens)
2TBSP fruit (Mango, berries, papaya, passion fruit.....)
1TSP Harrisons (Or I will feed this as his afternoon snack in place of the almonds)
*I will also add a sprinkle of chia, flax, hemp hearts

Afternoon Snack (Not Hormonal)
A couple Apple or Banana slices
3 pcs slivered almond

Dinner (Not Hormonal)
2TBSP Mixed veggies in chunks
1TBSP cooked grains (Quinoa, rice, cooked legumes)

Bedtime Snack (Not Hormonal)
1TSP Budgie Seed

Each week I give Viggo a small amount of cooked egg hormonal or not. By Small I mean less than 1/4 of a hardboiled egg. He has never shown much interest in chicken, fish, chicken bones or any other meat.

When he is not hormonal I will also switch out his evening grains for bird bread that I make.

Viggo generally eats everything in his bowl without fail. Sometimes he will toss food to the bottom of the cage but being that I cover the bars with newspaper for easy cleaning it catches the food and Viggo will go down and work on whatever he tosses later. Some foods he doesn't care for but will destroy.

It's been a learning curve for sure, trial and error through the ten years that I have had him. Initially when he first came he toe tapped and wing flipped which got me into journaling and it helped immensely to learn the triggers. In later years I have done the same with his hormones and this is how I have learned what works for him diet wise. I highly recommend journaling to anyone who is struggling with toe tapping, wing flipping, hormones or just behaviors. It truly helps! Sometimes reading back you learn that it's something small that you are doing that triggers on going behaviors and it hits, then through removal...voila the behavior ceases. Joining bird chats and online groups also helps as the abundance of people able to share what they have done for different struggles can assist in our own.

Feeding Eclectus is fun. Be a chef, change it up, make it colorful and vary the sizes of the food fed. Ekkies love to eat...but be aware of what you are feeding and how they respond.

I hope my daily run down of what I feed and the amounts help. Remember, the mentioned fruits and veggies are a guideline, change it up...they do get board like us.

Camping Update

So I've been seriously busy and put off writing this post until I'd been out a couple times with Viggo camping to be able to comment. I wanted to be able to share what I've learned and that wouldn't be from one trip...it takes a few. I will post again in future about our adventures camping when the season comes to an end. By then if we get away as much as we'd like we will be seasoned campers when travelling with a parrot.

We've been out twice now with Viggo. Our initial trip and maiden voyage in the trailer went fantastic! I cannot say that enough. The second trip went much like the first. I transported Viggo in his crate until we got to our site. Once the trailer was unhitched, set up, leveled...you know all the initial stuff, I brought him in his carrier from the truck to the trailer and transferred him into the travel cage we bought. Let me tell you, the whole drive (30ish minutes) he talked and went through his vocabulary. I'd say that is a sign of a happy boy. Once in his cage he looked around the trailer still mumbling away while we settled in. He talked a lot all weekend really. For more of a closet talker this was awesome, especially waking to his quiet chatter at 8am.

The weather was not conducive for Viggo to be outside as it was too cool, (I'm in Canada after all) so he remained inside the trailer all weekend. Our trailer is pretty open with two pop outs so Viggo was still able to fly circles and maneuvered around the trailer with ease to stretch his wings and get exercise. The bugs were also out and I didn't have netting yet on the first trip. Even with the netting the second trip I was iffy as the bugs were bad and I was a little worried about exposure to campfire smoke. We tend to keep our fire going for the duration of the weekend as everyone cooks, does their smokies, smores and what not over the fire. More in the spring, less in the summer. Hopefully the weather is over 14 degrees so he can venture out in his cage in the near future, and the bugs let up. Because it was a bit on the cool side I had blinds up so he could still see the surroundings. He seemed okay with everything, and very observant. I think he may even have picked up new neat sounds from the Whiskey Jacks that hung around the trailer all weekend.

I had to cover half his cage with a blanket during feeding as he throws food far! Even covered I still had to clean up food off the table and floor. Thankfully no food hit the blinds. He ate well though which indicated no stress. He is molting presently and continued to molt through the weekend.

 

 

Having a trailer made it much easier to take him. We had room, warmth and walls! Being that he's flighted I worry all the time and take many measures around that. So over the course of the weekend and since one of my daughters had friends along we had rules right away. Any time I had him out of his cage or was cleaning his cage the doors to the trailer were locked so no one could open the door to come in. My hubby and girls already know rules from home and they just transferred but I was extra cautious with friends along. As we are still working on the harness it stayed at home and I was ok with that. We'll try backyard first before going elsewhere to ensure everything is a-okay!

I have to admit I was much like a mother with a newborn our first trip. Questioning things, wondering if things were ok, for instance...if the temperature in the trailer was ok for him and if he was going to be ok at night. No issue. I was chilly but we had the doors to our room closed off and there's no vent to our room. My kids on the other hand said they were quite comfortable, even warm enough to sleep on top of their sheets.

The only time we even heard a slight scream from him (I wouldn't even call it that) was when we had a short period of rain accompanied by thunder and lightening the first trip. The 3 booms we did hear were close and in a trailer they always sound amplified. He didn't seem shaken or bothered. The second time he was even more comfortable and settled and made more noise but nothing bothersome.

It would not have been as simple if we were still in the tent trailer. I think he would have been louder, colder, I would have fretted more, lack of room...a lot of concerns.

It's nice to be able to get away with him and save money on a bird sitter. He seems to enjoy himself as well. Now if only he would go into his travel crate like a good boy. He's had a fear of crates since he was shipped as a baby and no matter how many treats I offer it's a struggle to get him in. The second time heading out before we even left the house he decided to take off and fly into our foyer on the ledge and hang out as he knows I can't do a thing when he's there. Little brat! I'm sure it will get easier the more we do it and the more he realizes that it means he gets to come along. For safety the crate is far preferred. I do have a celltei carrier pak-o-bird but for longer trips I don't find it works as well, great for walks and outings but travel its nice to have hard secure walls around him.

There's lots more camping to come, more to learn, more to experience and I will be sure to share along the way.

If you are reading this and camp with your parrot I would love tips and tricks. Feel free to comment. Thanks for reading as always!

Have they worked?

Okay...bit of an update. I've posted on diet, sleep cage, foraging and full spectrum light and wanted to do an update, albeit brief.

YES! I have seen improvements in Viggo. The most noticeable has been hormonally. For anyone with a hormonal parrot I highly recommend a sleep cage and ensuring 10-12 solid uninterrupted hours of sleep. What a difference this has made and it was most noticeable when I slipped off our routine when our dog passed away. He reverted almost immediately to the hormonal ass-ho! Like a teenager they need their sleep or bears they can be!

The full spectrum has done wonders and I continue to use it daily, increasing the light a tad for spring. I've noticed renewed vibrancy, and it seemed to help induce a molt. That in addition to diet and we've welcomed new healthy feathers and an even more handsome boy. I look forward to seeing even further improvements all in due time of course.

Diet plays a huge part in the over all health of our beloved feathered friends. Starting them out right will allow for a healthier life, better feathers and happier bird. Fruits and vegetables are key for Eclectus, in combination with good clean seed in moderation, nuts and sprouts and a quality pellet - dye free (in small amounts). Removing cooked foods seemed to also help enormously with Viggo's hormones. I stuck to less fruit, more veggies and sprouts and cut out cooked foods. I also cut back on pellets. Even before the sleep cage and full spectrum light I noticed improvements having done just diet modifications. This is surely a starting point for any parrot, especially a hormonal one.

We've been flight central still. Lots of zipping around the house showing off new maneuvers. First thing he zips up and down the stairs from his cage to the kitchen, back and forth repeatedly until his breakfast is served. Dinner time he again does the same and really pushes himself until tired. After dinner without fail lately he will zip into my room to his sleep cage. Talk about nice...I don't know many pets that pretty much put themselves to bed. Sunday mornings we always do a morning shower as the sun comes through the skylight. He's most talkative Sundays for his showers. He's been flying into the bathroom as well if I delay or put it off at all. I guess we all get set in our ways with age. ;)

I've had lots of foraging and puzzles for Viggo offered in his cage and have been feeding larger pieces of food as well that take time to eat and break down. He seems to get more enjoyment out of his food this way and I think he prefers it this way. Oddly even though he throws the large pieces to the base of his cage he seems to eat more and I have less waste and mess for that matter. He loves when I weave Bok Choy, Kale and other leafy greens through his cage bars as well. If they are wet he plays with them before destruction begins.

As for the harness...we're taking steps...slow steps. Once he gets outside in it I think he will see why I put him through this and he will be okay...even excited. For now that isn't the case. He only seems to allow for so much and to get his treat. More or less he appeases me. So in the interim he's enjoyed a small amount of outdoor time in his new travel crate and enjoyed even just the small amount of nice weather we've had.

So much to come ahead and I cannot wait to share it all! Especially our first camping trip with Viggo. Just around the corner before that though he will go and spend just over a week with one of his favorite people and to one of his favorite places...our bird sitter. Calgary's own Bird Lady! He adores her and enjoys the company of other feathered fids where I am told that he chit chats with and is quite comical. He jumps at the chance to go and gets right into his carrier knowing it means he gets to go socialize.

Camping With Parrots?

 

Spring is...(I don't really want to say it for fear I'll lose it...) here! In Calgary the weather changes every 5 minutes. It was snowing just the other day, now it's a tad windy today but we have sun...the snow has melted leaving puddles and mud in it's place...but there's sun and temperatures I'd rather spend my days outside in...but alas...still not quite warm enough for Viggo. Soon though!

It's been a busy month around here...we scooted through March...part of it in a daze feeling lost having bid our boy Thunder good-bye. Since then it's been vet appointments for the other dogs, picking up Thunders paw prints and ashes and running errands. New boots (tires) on both vehicles, taxes..you know...fun spring stuff.

The best yet has been our trailer!!! We got all the paper work completed, we pick it up tomorrow! Now having said that we are looking to get out camping in May and with the purchase of a travel cage for Vig we hope to include him in our weekend adventures.While not new to camping at all, we are new to bringing a parrot along for the ride. So....fill me in folks! What do I need to know?

We purchased our travel cage on Amazon for a great price. It's an Avian Adventures cage.

We will be in a hard walled trailer and he will be in his travel cage both inside and outside. I can lock the trailer doors when inside cleaning the cage or allowing him out time so he cannot escape. My family is good where communication comes in with a flighted parrot.

I intend to pick up mesh to wrap his cage in when outside to keep mosquitoes away.

We like to do all of our cooking over the fire. Campfire smoke? If we are outside and the fire is going but obviously being outside ventilation is good...do I still have to worry about him being outside exposed to campfire fumes??

From what I've read:
-avoid exposure to bug spray, mosquito coils
-avoid exposure to bugs and wild birds

I have not seen a lot posted in regards to camping with parrots....so we may be going in careful. Any advice would be welcomed or experience or stories...

Just a short touching base update but lots more to come! Stay tuned! Additionally I will do an additional post in regards to camping and what I learn as well as pictures.

Love & Loss & Changes & Plucking

It's been a while since I last posted. Sadly our old dog Thunder passed away March 3rd and it's been something we are all adapting to. Anyone who says animals don't mourn is incorrect.

People will always have opinions on animals and how they cohabitate or shouldn't. I am very aware, careful in how any of my animals interact, especially with Viggo and take extreme procautions much like what we do with him being flighted to avoid escape. That all said, we are one family and for 10yrs Viggo had our dog in his life  and knew the daily routine with him and he noticed immediatly and it effected him for days after with the loss. We have all felt slightly lost in the days since.

I have been slack for the past two weeks since our boy passed. I have not put Viggo into his sleep cage and what a mistake that has been! All that progress to back track so steeply. Our pets all seemed to take the loss pretty tough. Viggo was pretty quiet, wasn't his normal self and our other dogs moped and cat searched the house. Everyone was off so to try and lift spirits I left Viggo in his daytime cage in our family area to be with us during this time. My bad!

Welcome back hormones! He's back to his bratty hormonal self. Growling is abundant, regurgitating, having his way when out of the cage with anything and everything and...flying at my oldest daughter to strike at her, growl at her and pull at her hair. I do not for the life of me understand why he would go at her of anyone. She is a mini me. It's so odd. He hasn't hurt her when acting like this but I wouldn't ask her to handle him right now as I would bet money he would bite her arm for sure!

Viggo is also molting as you can see in the picture above...it's slow and steady but he's starting to look better. Basically it's just the edge feathers around his wings and some on his neck that need to molt out and grow in, as well as a few big flights. Yay for new handsome feathers.

Time to get back on track with his hormones!!!

I had previously mentioned a little fella in a pet shop with a red tip on his tail...Did I mention I was looking at Viggo's baby pictures just the other day and guess who had a Red tip on their tail? My boy! It molted out as I had mentioned in the post that some of these unique feather coloration tend to do. Interesting though none the less. I wonder if any of his brothers had the same red tip now....I'm always curious! Below is a picture of Viggo's parents, Fred & Dusty, two small baby pictures that show his red tip and then a picture of Viggo around age 5 or 6.

Speaking of old pictures and molting or rather feathering in...I found a few pictures I thought I would share. Diet and journaling helped immensely. My recommendation...when you have a bird that plucks 1. Get a vet check and blood work to get a baseline and see if there are any medical reasons behind the plucking. 2. Journal! Learn personality, behaviors and when hormonal times are and if that seems to trigger worse plucking 3. Diet - feed fresh raw and mainly vegetables. Cut fruit back, pellets and seed back. Lots of sprouts and fresh! 4. Watch weight! Weight seemed to be a trigger for hormones and plucking with our female. The heavier she was the more hormonal she got and the more she plucked. 5. Combine and journal so you have something to look back on. It really helps to be able to look back through trial and error and see what worked and didn't.

This is what journaling/diet/weight control did for Sula. When she came to us feathers were few and far between on her chest and she would snip at the feathers on her wings. After a couple years the below results followed. It takes time, so don't expect any over night miracle! Even feathered you can see on her chest a few snipped feathers. It must become habit forming much like biting nails...

Our boy Meisha on the other hand was not quite so easy despite journaling. While we did see progress there was never really a trigger I could pin point through journaling. So the best we got to was this picture.

 

This picture shows Meisha and my oldest daughter years ago and how he was for the most part. Viggo stands watch.

 

 

Feather plucking/snipping is a tough one. Be prepared to just enjoy the company of a nudist ;) Results will completely vary depending on why...anxiety, stress, diet, weight, hormones, frustration...are just a few reasons.

I never tried the socks, or other covers for the two that plucked. Meisha did have a cone and collar though he was a different bird when he wore them. He was unhappy so I removed them and got a happy bird in return albeit a naked boy. I found the collars and cones and such all to be more of a band aid. They didn't fix the underlying issue. He did feather in however when removed what do you think he did right away? If ever again faced with this I would only use a collar or cone if there was a concern about mutilation.

Anyways not much has developed around here since our old boy left us to rainbow bridge. We have not done the sleep cage, harness or clicker training. Spring is around the corner and I feel inner pressure to get my stuff together. Hopefully the next blog post will be more productive.

                                                                    RIP Thunder