Sprouts

Since I really want to offer a healthy and varied diet, I decided to try sprouts! They are very similar to what many birds would be foraging for in the wild, and are very healthy for them nutritionally. After shopping around, I ordered a bag of Lil Bird Sprout Mix from Sprout People which is a mix specifically for smaller birds with 27 (YES 27) different varieties of certified organic seeds! 

I have tons of mason jars around here already, so ordered a BPA free sprouting lid off of Amazon (here) to fit a wide mouth jar to be my sprouter. Once everything came in I followed the very detailed instructions from Sprout People which you can read here. The only thing I did a bit differently is add one or two drops of GSE aka Grapefruit Seed Extract to the water for the initial soak. GSE is a natural disinfectant which is bird safe. *Look for a post on GSE soon!

Anyways, everything went perfectly, and in a few days I had some beautiful sprouts! At first Opie wouldn't touch them, but like with all new foods, he was willing to try them IF and only IF I hand fed him. Once he tried them he was hooked though! I have been offering them about every other day, usually as a topping to his chop. I couldn't be happier with the seeds from Sprout People and will surely buy them again when my pound runs out! 

HQ Flight Cage

After a TON of research and reading reviews, I decided on a "big boy" cage for Opie. I chose the HQ Flight Cage in black and ordered it from Amazon.com. The dimensions are 32x21x60" and it cost $134 when I bought it with free shipping! I got the cage in just 3 days and was sooooo excited to open it and put it together!! I was a bit nervous, since I read the instructions were pretty shoddy,  but it really wasn't that bad at all and took about 30 mins total.

I honestly LOVE this cage! It is very sturdy, has a great finish, and is the perfect size IMO. The bar spacing is 1/2 inch (on center) which is perfect for Parrotlets. The cart is very nice, and the cage sits securely in it. The locks are perfect, and so much easier than the drop pin ones. Below are a list of things I love and a few slight things I wish were better about the cage.

Pros:
-Sturdy, great quality, lovely finis.
-Secure and easy to use locks.
-Perfect bar spacing with plenty of room for flying and toys.
-Great price (especially for the quality and size).
-Comes with two wooden dowel style perches, and two plastic trough feeders.
-Pan is plastic, so no rusting.
-Grate is easily removed for cleaning (slides out like pan).

Cons:
-Would prefer one large centrally placed door to two smaller ones.
-Directions for assembly could be clearer.
-I would prefer there be a locking mechanism so the tray & grate couldn't be so easily slid out.
-I personally am not a fan of the plastic feeders that come with (would prefer metal).

Once the cage was all set up, I brought it upstairs and set it next to Opie's cage. I thought I would just leave it there for him to get used to, but he flew right in to inspect it! He seemed to approve, so I started moving his perches and toys in, and he went to town flying around and playing! Since he had been in this cage he is sooooo much more active, and truly uses every inch of the cage! I am so happy with this purchase and highly recommend it for all of the Bitty Birdies out there! :)

First Week with Opie :)

It is crazy how fast a week has flown by! Opie and I have been doing a lot of bonding and have come a long way! "Step Up" is now mastered, and we are getting much better with "Gentle Beak" also! Opie will let me give him scritches in his cage, and will happily come to me and step up in his cage, but as soon as I try to remove him, he gets nervous. He will happily sit on his play stand (if there is millet attached), for about 5-10 mins, then flys back to his cage. He will sit on me for a few minutes at a time, before trying to fly back to his cage.

I was given some great advice a few days ago, which was to work with him in the bathroom. It is a safe room (once the mirror is covered), and there are little places to fly, or distractions. He also can not see his cage, so there is no temptation to fly back to it. We have had two sessions in there and did really well! Opie learned about my shoulder, and really seems to like to snuggle into my neck now :)

Another thing I am happy to report, is that he is doing really well with trying new foods, and eating in general for that matter! He is no longer only munching on millet, but mainly eating his seed (Volkman's Parrotlet Mix), and pellets (Roudybush crumbles) which are mixed in. He is also willing to at least taste any food I offer him as long as I hand feed it to him. He really seems to like his chop, especially the broccoli, carrots, and quinoa. He also LOVES his birdy bread, so that is mainly offered as a treat. He seemed to like the diced apples the best as far as fruit goes, but did also try banana, strawberries, and grapes. I am really hoping he will be a good eater! I offer 3 meals of fresh foods/day and only leave them in the cage for an hour or so each. The seed/pellet mix is available all day, and the millet only when out of the cage as incentive.

All in all I am so happy with the progress we have made! I can't wait to continue to bond and become better friends with my little Bitty Birdy! I will end with a cute picture, because who doesn't like a cute picture! :)

OPIE IS HOME!!!!

Ok sorry this is a few days late, but I was so excited finally bringing Opie home and helping him to settle in, that this post got delayed! I will try to summarize the past few days in one post! Bear with me though the excitement! ;)

Sunday- I went to the breeders to go pick Opie up at 2:00. We hung out and chatted for a while and I finally got to meet Opie! He wasn't so sure of me at first, and was pretty flighty. The breeder had just clipped his wings that morning, so not sure how much of that had to do with it or not. Opie did pretty well for stepping up, but mainly just wanted to sit on his cage. When it was time to go he went right into the carrier I had set up for him. This was the carrier I got him. I swapped out the perch for a natural one (thought it would be easier to grip and the one that came with slid around a bit). I also added a toy, and a spray of millet. He immediately began snacking on the millet, so I knew he wasn't too stressed! In fact, Opie snacked the whole way home in the car! Once we got home, I put him in his new cage, and gave him the afternoon to settle in. Before bed I hand fed Opie some chop (which he ate some of) and a dried raspberry which he loved!

Monday- In the morning I offered Opie some chopped up grapes, sprouts, and topped them with a few pieces of organic bee pollen granules. He would only try what I offered by hand, but did try the grapes, and LOVED the sprouts! I tried to have him step up, but he bit me so we just practiced a technique called "gentle beak" for a while and he calmed right down. I hand fed him a Nutriberry which he loved as a reward.

At lunch time I swapped out his fresh foods, for a new bowl which included some birdy bread, and chop. Still Opie will only eat what I hand feed him. The only thing he has eaten on his own is his millet spray. At this time Opie was more than happy to come out for a few minutes, and even let me give him some scritches!

After dinner, I let Opie out, and he was happy to step up for me. He did fly around the room a bit, but each time he did, once he landed he was more than happy to step up for me. I brought him over to his play stand which he went right on. He hung out on his play sand for quite a while! I just sat next to him and talked to him. Before bed he ate another dried raspberry and let me give him some scritches again!

Today (Tues)- This morning Opie had a breakfast of cooked oatmeal and mashed up bananas which he went crazy for! I had to eat some too, but he was more than willing to try once I had! Even from the bowl this time!! After breakfast we spent a lot of time out. Him on his play stand while I answered emails. After about a hour, he decided he wanted his cage and flew over. He took a nap for a while, then later I let him out again.

This time I just opened the door and he flew over after a while. Not directly to me, but towards my chair (right by his cage). We have now been hanging out the whole time I typed this! He has enjoyed some more scritches and has gotten really vocal for the first time! I love his chatter!

I am already so smitten by this little guy it isn't even funny! I can't wait to continue to bond with him! He is a bit flighty, but with patience (and short training intervals - he will start looking like he is going to take off when he is done), I think we will be great friends!!!

First Chop Done!

I have been reading a lot about fresh foods and "Chop" and decided to give it a try! Chop is basically a large batch of chopped up and mixed fresh foods. The beauty of chop is that it is a way to prepare large batches of fresh food, that can be frozen and then thawed as needed. I decided to do a chop that consisted of the foods below. I used veggies, grains, and beans, thinking I would top with fresh fruit after I thawed it. All ingredients that I used were organic and washed well to be extra safe. If when thawed the consistency is too runny, I will add steel cut oats to soak up some of the extra moisture.

Greens - kale, collard, & mustard greens.
Quinoa - cooked lightly so that it would soak up a bit of the extra juice from the greens.
Whole grain pasta- cooked al dente.
13 Bean Soup - soaked overnight, then cooked.
Carrots - shredded.
Red, yellow & green bell peppers - diced with seeds.
Canned pumpkin - lightly baked.
Broccoli florets.
Yellow squash - diced.
Peas & green beans - diced.
Corn - off the cob.

Here is what the chop looked like once done:

I then divided the chop into these baby food freezing trays which I had left over from making my son home made baby food (I love that they have lids). Once frozen, the cubes can be popped out and put into large ziplock freezer bags for storage with the date made written on the bag in sharpie. Then to use you can just thaw as needed! Perfect portions for Biddy Birdies!! :)

Birdy Bread - First batch!

Yesterday I made my first batch of birdy bread! I am really trying to keep busy waiting for Opie if you couldn't tell ;) Since this was my first time trying to make it, I decided to go with a mix and bought Momma's Bird Bread in Harvest Loaf. The directions were super simple...just mix in 2 Tbsp oil (not olive, I chose coconut), 1 cup of water or chicken stock (I used water), and two eggs with shells. So I mixed it all up and poured it into a silicone mini loaf pan since with such a little bird, smaller servings will be better. Then I followed the baking instructions, and voila! My first batch of birdy bread! I love how much seed and dehydrated fruits and veggies are in it! If it didn't have the crushed up egg shells baked it, I would have tried a slice for sure!

Since Opie will be so small, I decided to cut each mini loaf in half, wrap each half in saran wrap, then put all of the individually wrapped pieces in a large Ziplock bag to freeze. On the bag I wrote the type of bread, the flavor, and the date I made it in Sharpie. Momma's says that the bread will stay frozen for a year, and is good for up to a week in the fridge, so my plan is to thaw just one piece at a time so that it is always fresh for Opie! I have read Parrotlets really love this stuff, so I will let you know how it goes!

Cuddle Hut for Opie! PS- I love Etsy!

Just had to share this as I just got it in the mail yesterday! I ordered this off of Etsy from SewlyInspired, and couldn't be happier!! She makes the cutest personalized Cuddle Huts, and they are so well made! I just had to share since I opened the package and literally shrieked!!

Cuddle huts are awesome for some birds. Mango my Sun Conure LOVED his and slept in it every night. They are cozy, can help keep your Bitty Birdies snuggly and warm, and they also feel very protected in them. However, there are some dangers associated with them with certain birds. Below are some precautions/tips to follow if you decide one may be good for your bird.

1 - Some females may view this as a nest. If so you should discontinue use. Females may become very aggressive or hormonal in guarding their "nest". It can with some birds be so severe that they may begin to lay eggs. I have only provided these for male birds to be safe.

2 - Heavy chewers may want to chew the fabric. If you notice your bird chewing the fabric, remove it immidiatly. Loose threads or fabric not only pose an impaction risk if swallowed, but can also catch parts of your bird leading to injuries, and in worst case death if they become entangled. *This is also true for rope products or even cage covers.

3 - Inspect your cuddle hut often. If there is any damage, discard it. It is not worth the risk.

4 - Research your materials. Make sure the materials are bird safe. Also, if you wash it, use dye and fragrance free detergent, and do not use dryer sheets.

As with all products, use common sense. Cuddle huts are awesome for some birds, but not for every bird. I hope Opie will like his, but if not, or he is a chewer, his safety will always come first! Stay safe and snuggly everyone! :)