June 13, 1998 .....(11 days old)
In combination with my heart beating too fast, the hen making terrible noises at me, the male screetching like Hell and my hands just not being agile enough, I'm having trouble holding the flashlight, managing the "net" (to keep her away) and getting my third hand in the box to pull the babies. I've got a pair of leather gloves which are obviously necessary.
Got 'em !!!!! I hung the flashlight on the wall ... didn't use the net .... and just stuck my gloved hand in the box and pulled each chick. Hen never tried to get me :))
Each chick only took 1 1/2 cc of formula for their first feeding before their crops were full, both taking to the small 3 cc syringe without any difficulty. After a bit of a fuss the chicks have found each other in their new little box and are snuggled and sleeping now :) They'll be on a 2 hour feeding schedule around the clock for the first week or until they begin to draw 2 to 3 cc per feeding, at which time I will then alter their schedule to 4 hour intervals around the clock for the balance of the first week.
Their new home is a small plastic reptile container bedded with the large digestable environmentally friendly "Luv My Birdie" litter.
It's quite easy to tell who is who, inspite of both chicks looking identical to one another. Poop has an aggressive style of eating (and after the first 12 hours easily will take 4 cc per feeding) while Peep, the more demure eater, is only up to 2 cc per feeding. We should be weighing them every morning before their first feedings, but with my gram scale still in another country, I'm relying on visual cues only. Its difficult to observe a few grams difference in body weight, but keeping in mind that both birds' crops are full after their intake, I'd have to say that Poop is the larger of the two chicks.
June 14, 1998 .....(12 days old)
Throughout last night the chicks did very well with the two hour feedings and after the first 24 hours both were taking 3 to 4 cc per feeding. It's hard to be exact with these minute quantities because of spillage ... Poop, being more aggressive, will allow spillage. Peep, on the other hand, allows very little of his formula to go to waste, so I'm pretty sure he's getting at least 3 cc if not a shade more. In any case, this is enough of an intake for both chicks to space their feedings to every 4 hours, still around the clock for this first week.
June 15, 1998 .....(13 days old)
Again, the chicks did well during the night with the four hour intervals. Poop continues to draw 4 cc per feeding, including spillage, and Peep is now taking 3 1/2 cc with virtually no spillage. Their pelletted bed is changed in the mornings, after this first feeding. Note that you can save these pellets for the garden as they are 100% environmentally friendly.
We've cut their Exact formula with Gerber's Mixed Cereal Baby Food Powder to ensure that the chicks continue to experience human foods as the hen was regurging a good healthy diet to her young in the form of fruits, veggies, cereal and pasta that we supplemented her own diet with after the young were hatched.
By the 4th feeding of today I'm now able to actually see a physical difference between the two chicks. There is a much stronger quill definition on Poop's wings than on Peep's. While Poop is still the more aggressive eater, this afternoon's spillage was negligible. To me this indicates that he's got a better rhythm with the syringe than he did on earlier feedings.
June 16, 1998 .....(14 days old)
Both chicks are now up to 4 1/2 cc per feeding and if it were not for the visual differences, I wouldn't be able to tell them apart based solely on feeding activity. They both have an instinct for pecking as well. At this age, these are very easy chicks to feed.
June 17, 1998 .....(15 days old)
On a daily basis you want to increase the chicks' intake. They are now receiving 4 3/4 cc per feeding which is almost enough to hold them until their next feeding (4 hours). We're gearing up so that by the weekend we will be able to eliminate the 2 a.m. feeding. Fully extended, the chicks measure 6 inches now. In the hand, Poop feels heavier than Peep, and again, I wish my gram scale weren't in another country. The bedding litter is now being changed twice a day as their waste products are also increasing in size and quantity.
June 18, 1998 .....(16 days old)
Almost humdrum now, the chicks' formula has again been increased, and they are now taking 5 cc per feeding. One thing to note is that the consistency of the formula on day #1 was proportionately more water than formula, but as we have moved along this week, the formula has become thicker (more like a baby pablum or thick creamy pudding-like consistency). Rule of thumb is one millimeter of formula per 10 grams of body weight, with the mix being 1 part formula to 1 3/4 parts water from age 5 days to weaning (although if you wish, you can go up to 2 parts water). Again, without our gram scale, we are guided strictly by visual cues, looking for a full crop (or until the chick doesn't cry for more food) and being careful not to overfeed (in which case the chick would regurge). We will continue to see a daily weight gain until the weaning process begins at which time we should observe a weight loss as the chick prepares himself for aerodynamics (ie his first flight). If weight loss is detected before weaning, supplement the formula with some baby applesauce. If that does not remedy the situation, then an immediate visit to your avian veterinarian is recommended.
As an indication of how quickly these chicks are growing, for both their 6 p.m. and their 10 p.m. feedings, they each took 6 cc without any problem.
June 19, 1998 .....(17 days old)
When out of their little plastic container, both chicks are beginning to explore the kitchen countertop, admiring the contents of my see-through cannisters, etc. To me, this indicates that they are ready to "play" a little, so I'm going to start some small interaction, one chick at a time, being mindful of their body temperature and avoiding drafts. This sort of interaction goes a long ways towards beginning their training sessions (stepup, stepdown, come, and NO). They are used to my voice and my touch. I am also going to slowly introduce different textures and tastes to their diet by introducing crushed up Zupreme pellets, moistened in juice or water, and some finely cut up greens, corn, and other vegetables, but this won't happen until they are 5 weeks old.
Both chicks took 6 cc all day, and with their 10 p.m. feeding took 6 1/2 cc. The pattern seems to be an increase in their formula with every late night feeding.
June 20, 1998 .....(18 days old)
It was bound to happen. I slept right through their 2 a.m. feeding. Fortunately, so did the chicks. It was to be their last 2 a.m. feeding anyways. For the first feeding of this morning (6 a.m.) I started out with 6 1/2 cc but gave them each another 1/2 cc after that as they were both still crying and the crop didn't look quite full.
The 10 a.m. feeding saw Poop take 7 1/2 cc while Peep remained at 7 cc. Keep in mind that Poop is the one who is more physically mature.
June 21, 1998 .....(19 days old)
With the last feeding of yesterday (10 p.m.) I realized that Poop has outgrown the 3 cc syringe. This observation was made based on the size of his mouth in relationship to the circumference of the syringe. I've upgraded him to a 5 cc model with a larger diameter. Not having the 2 a.m. feeding anymore, Poop is now taking a dramatic increase in formula per feeding, having jumped from 7 1/2 cc directly to 10 cc to fill his crop.
Peep, on the other hand, was still comfortable with the 3 cc syringe this morning, and took 7 1/2 cc but by his next feeding, he easily managed 9 cc and he too is ready for the larger syringe due to beak size.
Both birds have had a growth spurt over the last 24 hours. With the increase in formula, there is also an increase in waste materials. Keeping in mind their increased body size and the abundance of waste they are producing, they've outgrown their 9" x 5" plastic container. I've now transferred the chicks to a large kitty litter box and draped it 80% with a towel.
Both chicks are being taken out of their container at the same time now for feeding and each waits patiently for his turn as the other one is receiving the formula. They are stepping up nicely on the hand, and have increased the perimeters of their exploring area on the kitchen counter.
June 22, 1998 .....(20 days old)
Daily formula increase ... At 6 a.m. Poop took 10 1/2 cc but Peep was given 10 cc. He winced after the last 1/2 cc and will be cut back to 9 1/2 on the next feeding.
At the 2 p.m. feeding I observed a fine down covering the rear ends and spinal areas of both chicks and it's nice to note that today, both chicks responded to their own names .. Peep and Poop :))
6 p.m. feeding has Poop displaying his first feather. It's only 1/16th on an inch long and looks like a tiny paint brush. There is tremendous gratification in hand feeding and hand rearing chicks :))
By the 10 p.m. feeding, a lot more down was observed on the back region, the wings and now the undercarriage of their bodies. Poop has broken several more feathers, on the wings and the tail quills. Peep is still featherless but his quills have grown a great deal during the day.
Poop only took 9 cc for the last feeding, while Peep took 10. I'd mixed the formula a tad thicker than earlier in the day. Not sure if spillage earlier made a significant difference in his consumption. I'll just have to wait and see what the first feeding of tomorrow is like.
June 23, 1998 .....(21 days old)
For the 6 a.m. feeding, I didn't increased the quantity of formula from last night's amounts. Poop was still satisfied with 9 cc and Peep had no complaints with 10. This change in eating pattern could indicate that Poop has reached his maximum intake level. The new spillage that I'm seeing could actually be him spitting out excess not required. The 10 a.m. feeding saw the same results. I'll introduce some small soft cut up greens tomorrow and perhaps Poop is ready to slowly be weaned off his formula.
June 24, 1998 .....(22 days old)
Chicks were fed very late last night (midnight) because of a clash in schedules. They both took 12 cc of formula. With this morning's 6 a.m. feeding they also took 12 cc each.
10 a.m. feeding and Peep's first feather has now broken :)
2 p.m. feeding saw Poop take 8 cc and Peep 9 cc. Both are beginning to wean off the formula. I've decided to introduce the veggies and soft pellets tomorrow so that the weaning can be an easier process for me, the caretaker.
6 p.m. feeding ... Poop 8 cc and Peep 9 cc. It's clear that Poop is beginning to reject this formula, and Peep's not far behind.10 p.m. feeding ... Poop 8 cc, Peep 10 cc. Weaning will definitely begin tomorrow for Poop ... can't wait.
June 25, 1998 .....(23 days old)
I began offering the moistened pellets and soft veggies with the 10 a.m. feeding. Poop took one pellet from my hand and ate it. With the green bean sliver, he chewed but I'm not sure that any of it was swallowed ... again, just one piece. He only took 5 cc of formula. I left the small geribil style bowl in his container and removed it three hours later because of potential spoilage. By the 2 p.m. feeding Poop did much better with these foods, although only took from my hand, not from the bowl. He had a half dozen pellets and a taste of corn, beans, peas and carrot. Again, I've left the bowl in his container. Peep took one pellet from the hand, but he'd just had 10 cc of formula (and isn't showing signs of rejection today). Poop only had 5 cc of formula.
With weaning comes perching. I've introduced a small wooden dowel to their environment as Peep has begun to perch, albeit wobbly, on my finger.
By evening, Peep perches very nicely on the dowel. Poop doesn't show much interest in it, except to trip over it as he makes his way from one side of the container to the other.
June 26, 1998 .....(24 days old)
I'm offering the pellets and veggies with the 10, 2 and 6 pm feedings, supplemented by formula. The 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. feedings are formula only. Poop is back to taking 10 - 12 cc during those non-pelleted hours. Peep is also at the 10 - 12 cc mark and just slightly beginning to show signs of rejection.
June 27, 1998 .....(25 days old)
The arrival of "today" has been greatly anticipated. An additional feeding has been dropped and the balance of the feedings are now spaced out at 5 hour intervals ie 6 am, 11 am, 4 pm and 9 pm. (Could have gone 7, 12, 5 and 10 but right now, the schedule I've chosen fits in better with my own).
First feeding of the day saw Poop take 12 cc and Peep 10 cc. No solids were introduced with this feeding.The chicks are 25 days old today and both are perching well now (Peep for the last two days, and Poop began perching yesterday).
The second feeding of the day did not go well as far as foraging for food goes ... Poop would only take the moistened pellets and soft veggies from my fingers. When I gave Peep some, Poop would then try to take it from his mouth. So, I did it a little bit differently for the third feeding of the day. I removed Peep from the box and lo and behold, Poop began to forage and eat on his own from the little dish! I know that the time comes where you need to separate the chicks. There have been suggestions that eventually I could keep them in the same cage, but with a metal mesh divider between them before ultimately separating them all together. Since they are still in the medium sized kitty litter, what I've done is put up a translucent plastic divider. They now each have their own small crock to eat from, and are both able to use the dowel because of the way I've fabricated the divider, but they are not able to cuddle, or go through the motions of mutual feeding. We don't want this pair to become so bonded that they will no longer be tame to the human touch. In a few days I'll be moving them to a temporary cage and will fabricate another divider there.
June 29, 1998 .....(27 days old)
Peep is the chick who does the best self-feeding. Poop continues to cry out for the human hand, but eventually does forage in his bowl. I wait about an hour before I offer the formula to supplement. Peep has food in his crop, but Poop is empty.
June 30, 1998 .....(28 days old)
The chicks are 28 days old. How can two birds, hatched on the same date, from the same parents, be so very different? I've been told it's just like children. Poop cries constantly and demands more attention than Peep. When these chicks were first pulled from the nest 17 days ago, the only way I could tell them apart was by their eating style ... Poop was aggressive and Peep more demure. Within a few days, the physical differences became apparent ... Poop was larger and his feathers came out sooner. Now, both 4 weeks old, it's getting difficult to visually tell them apart again, except that Poop has slightly longer tail feathers and a darker beak. Peep continues to go about in his demure way, but has been quick to wean off two formula feedings and proudly struts with a full crop before taking his nap. Poop, on the other hand, requires the formula to supplement his pellets and veggies, I'm beginning to wonder if he was being weaned too soon. Well, no harm done ... he does occasionally peck away in his crock, but he's a far more restless chick than his counterpart.
For the final feeding of the night, Poop took 18 cc and Peep 12 cc.
July 1, 1998 .....(29 days old)
First feeding of the day Poop consumed 20 cc of formula and Peep was right behind with 17 cc.
July 2, 1998 .....(30 days old)
The morning started off with formula. Dry pellets, cereal(Cheerios), veggies and water were offered during the day, and formula was given again for the night time feeding. Poop did well with the dry foods.
July 3, 1998 .....(31 days old)
The formula was reduced in the morning and the dry foods were offered at the same time. Both chicks consumed all their dry foods and took to the water quite naturally. Formula was given for the evening feeding when the dry foods were removed.
July 4 & 5, 1998 .....(32/33 days old)
Same procedure as for July 3, 1998
July 6, 1998 .....(34 days old)
Morning formula was not offered. Chicks both ate their veggies and cereal immediately and played with their pellets the balance of the day. They each amused themselves with a plastic chew toy during the day and didn't sleep as much as previous days.
The chicks are both in translucent containers and can view their surroundings from within. They were on the noisy side today so I took each of them out for a cuddle which calmed them both down. A while later, my Blue and Gold Macaw came into the room from the birdroom and when he climbed up on his perch, both chicks were silent as they watched him. It looked like they might have both been impressed with his wingspan. As long as I stayed in the room they were quiet, but when I left the room I could hear them peeping loudly.
July 7, 1998 .....(35 days old)
Five weeks old and both chicks are ready to be transferred to cages. Peep got moved first. The dowel was placed one inch above the bottom of the cage grate. Took about 7 minutes for this chick to master climbing on to it. His previous experience with the dowel was excellent, but it lay on the bottom of his container and he never had to step up. He could get one foot up but his wing flapping didn't give him enough lift to assist with the other foot. Eventually he used his beak for assistance and after that first mounting, he was able to easily get on and off it at that elevation. Peep had no problem walking on the cage grate and found his food and water almost immediately. A couple of hours later he began to play with his cage toy and has been preening himself and enjoying the new surroundings.
Poop's transfer was a bit different. His dowel was also placed an inch from the grate. He was able to get on it immediately assisted by his flapping wings and subsequently by just stepping up. Poop however is not comfortable walking on the grate. His feet are certainly large enough but he is finding this part of his new home very awkward. Poop also had no problem making his way to his food and water or his toy and like Peep, he is preening himself and seems content in the new environment.Both cages were symbolically draped with a thin pillow case before bedtime and it's the first good night's sleep that anyone has had in weeks, myself included.
July 8, 1998 .....(36 days old)
New toys for the cages! One of the toys was a plastic ring and bell set, but after Peep nearly hung himself, it was removed from each of their cages. They were replaced with wooden block and bell toys. Because Peep has been repeatedly knocking over his food crock today, I installed a feeder that attaches to the side of the cage. He can still perch on it, but no more tumbles. Also put in Peep's cage a very small beak and nail trimming dowel which is the highest perch in his environment (about 5 inches from the grate). He's been using it as it's intended :)) Poop's still doing okay with his wooden dowel and food crocks, so no change there, but I did introduce a swing to his cage. He'll be in his adopted home in about a week so the new owner will have to pick out the appropriate accessories for this chick. Both birds were given a slice of apple today. So far, only Peep has been eating it. Poop's been a little stubborn today.
July 12, 1998 .....(40 days old)
No real changes the last few days ... Peep has been doing wonderfully with his pellets and human foods and Poop continues to lag behind, although I've noticed that Poop does well with his veggies, fruit and rice. Perhaps he is still more comfortable with the softer foods. Today I gave him some Gerber's #3 Meat and Lasagna Baby Food. He wolfed that down quite easily which indicates that self-feeding itself is not the problem. I've also spent a fair bit of time weaning him off the idea that my fingers represent food itself. I suspect that I'll have to take a step backwards with this chick and begin to slightly moisten his pellets again.
July 13, 1998 .....(41 days old)
In the end, I did moisten the pellets for Poop yesterday afternoon and again this morning. He's now become an independent eater and doesn't cry out for me all the time :)) Peep, on the other hand, has become TOO independent and displays signs that he just wants to be left alone to enjoy his cage, food, perches and toys. You can never tell what surprises each day will bring!
July 14, 1998 .....(42 days old)
Peep was fully weaned after his last formula feeding of July 11th. He'd only been taking 5 cc and we decided to stop after that evening. He's done really well on his own. Poop also is doing exceptionally well now, albeit the pellets are slightly moistened and his formula has now also been discontinued. The chicks both eat apples, oranges, cereal, pellets and cooked rice and clean their plates. I'd say that Poop is ready to go to his new home. About the only thing I'll have to show his owner is how to help him preen the feathers behind his head. What a wonderful bird this gentleman will be getting!! Both chicks have been socialized with humans and with our other birds and have even met our cat (who they aren't particularily crazy about). I didn't cover the cages last night and have been up now for about an hour with the light on. Neither chick has been bothered by my actions this morning. Peep is sitting on his dowel infront of his food bowl, patiently waiting for breakfast, and Poop is busy preening himself. The cat has decided to sit outside Poop's cage to watch, and Poop doesn't seem in the least bit disturbed. My 42 day old chicks have come of age :)))
July 15, 1998 .....(43 days old)
I've reduced the amount of moisture on Poop's pellets from 15 cc to 10 cc and he is managing well with them. His Cheerios only have 5 cc of moisture added. Based on the volume of food offered, these measurements are the equivalent of just a few drops of liquid. I raised Poop's dowel yesterday to 7 inches on one end, sloping down to about 4 inches on the other. He easily mounts the 4 inch elevation and this morning he got onto his wooden swing. He reminded me of the "Rocking Horse Winner", if you've read that story .... swinging very quickly.
July 20, 1998 .....(48 days old)
Poop was picked up by his new Daddy earlier in the day. That man is getting one heck of a good bird!! Fully weaned. No moisture added to his pellets anymore. While this chick was given away as a gift to this friend, I thought that there should be some "paperwork" accompanying the bird, especially with all the bird thefts, etc. It's important that people can prove ownership. Also, some basic instructions were necessary. In essence, this is the paperwork that I sent along with Poop (who has been renamed Killowheat by his new owner):
Killowheat - Green Indian Ringneck Parrokeet (unsexed)
Hatched June 2, 1998 from clutch of Pete and Petra at Puddy’s Perch
Weaned to:
This chick has not been examined by a licensed Avian Practitioner. To ensure the continued good health of your other bird(s), it is advised that a Well-Being Examination be performed. In the interim, the chick should not be kept in the same room with your other bird(s). Recommended quarantine time is 2 to 4 weeks.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Poop did the "stepup" command perfectly for his new Daddy. As a transitional thing, the cage and accessories went along with the bird until the new owner can get a cage of his own. And as a goodwill gesture, I also sent along a frozen packet of the cooked pasta and bean mix and a 2 1/2 pound bag of Zupreme. Now the new Daddy can really have fun, bonding with his little baby and teaching him everything he can think of. And I have my online journal to remind me of all the fun I had with Poop for his first 7 weeks of life :)
Peep hasn't really expressed any concern that his sibling has flown the coop. Now I can concentrate on having Peep's wings clipped, taking him for his own Well-Being Examination, and then transferring him to a larger cage. How neat though that Poop left the "nest" at the same age that the fledgling RingNecks in the wild do ... 7 weeks.
July 22, 1998 .....(50 days old)
Peep weighs more than his parents! He's a plump little chick but is beginning to lose some weight and should soon begin to display the more sleek and slender lines of his breed as he gets ready to take his first flight.
I've begun to leave Peep's cage door open as he's getting too shy. To entice him to come out, I've hung a small toy (that same ring and bell toy that was so disasterous when he was younger) on the outside of his cage and it dangles infront of the door opening. He's come out to play with it and after a few hours has begun to explore the outside of his cage, climbing all over it :) The cage is only 18 inches off the floor so any loose footing won't result in a severe tumble.
Shortly after writing about a tumble, Peep did loose his footing. He looked back up at his cage, took a second to "think" about it, and then flew back up, (albeit only 18 inches). He's having a ball with his new-found freedom. Hmmm, going to have to turn off the ceiling fans now, for his own safety.July 23, 1998 .....(51 days old)
Peep took his first serious flight this afternoon, from his cage to the top of the curtains, approximately 7 feet above the floor. Within minutes, his primary flight feathers numbers 1 thru 7 were snipped. He can still take a bit of distance, but he's definitely been slowed down now. He was very easy to clip :)
July 24, 1998 .....(52 days old)
Peep is beginning to understand the morning routine here ... how I greet the birds, open all the cage doors and let everyone out for a romp while I change the food and water bowls. He's watched the conure on my shoulder every morning "helping" me with these chores, and today, Peep wanted his turn. As soon as I opened his cage door, he bounced out (rather than cowering in a corner), and when I offered my hand and gave the "Up" command, he obeyed. I let him up on my shoulder to free my hands for this morning routine and Peep got to watch me prepare all the foods. He was pretty excited when I prepared his pasta and bean mix. My little one also begins to understand the "Go Home" command and will retreat to his cage when I instruct him. Inspite of his wings being clipped yesterday, he's still taking flight, now at a greater distance than yesterday, easily going 10 feet from his cage to a chair, in an attempt to get closer to me. Well, since he wants my company so badly this morning, I've got him snuggled as I type today's journal entry. Quite the difference from yesterday's timidness, but I guess all of this is a new experience and it just takes a bit of time for him to get used to living in a world of big people and other birds, co-existing in my 1400 square foot home.
Peep is showing some independence too ... he just flew from my shoulder right back to his cage door to grab a bite to eat!
While this flight is amusing to observe, there is still too much flight for his own safety, so off go the balance of the primary flight feathers. After a few minutes, it was apparent that Peep could still take lift and distance. Sadly I had to remove his secondaries as well. Every chick is different so I'll be checking with Poop's new owner to find out how his wing clipping went.
July 26, 1998 .....(54 days old)
When Peep had been transferred to a cage at Day 35, I estimated that he would outgrow it in about 2 weeks. Wasn't far off ... he outgrew it a couple of days ago. I've ordered a new cage for him that should be arriving tomorrow. The dimensions are 33H x 20W x 20D with a domed top and sits on a wrot iron stand. I know its the perfect size for him because he's already tried it out!! (My conure's cage has become one of his more favorite places to visit, that is, when he's not scaling the side on my Blue and Gold's cage). Was kinda funny today ... Peep went into the conure's cage, the conure took over the Macaw's cage, and my Macaw perched ontop of the cat's scratching post. These birds certainly know how to share :))
As far as cage accessories go, I'll put in a swing and a rawhide and wooden block toy for him to play with as well as two wooden dowels, a roughed up cement type dowel and a different textured, but also roughed up, dowel for inside the door (which doubles as an outside perch when the door is opened). Peep has become very frustrated in his 18H x 14W x 15D cage and he has stopped wanting to "go home". With the larger cage, he's much easier to control .. steps up on command again, and has no problem being returned to the cage.
Food and water bowls might be swapped out though, from the ones that come with the new cage. Peep has begun to intentionally dislodge and knock over his food bowls. I'll try him out with the manufacture supplied ones, but if this becomes a problem, then I'll switch to the screw on type. For now, I'll transfer his fruit flavored mineral block to the new cage just so he has some familiarity but will swap that out with a more appropriately sized one in a few days. Tomorrow is one of those days that we're all going to be looking forward to!
July 27, 1998 .....(55 days old)
The New Cage Cometh ... and so do the problems. Problems with both the cage and the toys. First let's address the cage. The dimensions (as described on the previous day's entry) are perfect and will see this chick through maturity without having to get a larger cage down the road. He loves to climb and the height of the cage offers him this opportunity. My problem lies with the bar spacing at the dome of the cage. Everywhere else, the spacing is exactly 1 inch but at the top of the dome it is 1 1/4 inches and tapers back to 1 inch. That extra quarter inch is just enough for Peep to squeeze his head through, then slide it down to the smaller width, pull back his body and crush his neck bones. I gave the problem of the spacing much thought. Initially, I was swaying towards closing off the dome altogether with some sort of a fabricated grate but I didn't have anything laying around the house that would fit the bill. Then I thought about using an opened-up wire clothes hanger to lace between the bars. Pulled out my wire cutters and went to work, but the result was "Mickey Mouse" (sorry Mick) at best without soldering the wire at each joint. Looked around the house some more and spied a couple of venetian blind valances, 1 inch in diameter. The material was pliable enough that it might just work! I laced it through, and it contoured nicely to the shape of the dome. The chick can no longer slip his head through.
A secondary cage problem was the feeder doors. They opened far too easily and Peep could easily escape his cage through those doors. I attached a couple of dog leash clips to solve that problem and now the doors are "locked".
Perch problems ... with most of my cages, I have discovered that the washers supplied with the concrete style perches are not adequate in size or shape to hold the perches securely in place. I figured out a solution to that problem a while back though and already had the necessary materials on hand for this new cage. I'd purchased at the hardware store some rectangular shaped electrical washers (4 inches x 3/4 inch) that will secure any perch regardless of the bar spacing. The smaller the perch, the smaller the supplied round washers, so even with 1 inch bar spacing, for the size of perch this chick required, the washers were inadequate and I had to use these rectangular shaped ones).
Swing and Rope Toy ... within minutes, Peep had gotten a toenail stuck in the rope portion of the swing. Fortunately, the rope was only attached as decoration and wasn't an intregal part of the swing. I removed the rope and now this toy is safe. I'd also purchased a small wooden swing. Because of the packaging, I couldn't see whether or not it came with a Quick Link to secure it to the top of the cage. After unpacking it I saw that it came with a thin piece of pliable metal as the fastener. One gentle manipulation with my pliers and the fastener broke in half. I'll attach it later on using a colorful heavy plastic link and this way both the swing and the link will be playful additions to his cage.
It didn't take too long for the Conure and the Blue and Gold Macaw to check out this new cage. Well, fair's fair ... Peep had checked out both of their cages on several occasions already, but now he seems content to have a place he can call his own.
One final comment for today ... if you do happen to be purchasing a new cage for your bird, WASH IT before introducing your bird to his new environment. This cage looked clean enough, but after hosing it down, and then wiping all the bars with a cloth, you'd be surprised at how much dirt (dust and grime) came off it. Also wash all your toys, perches and food bowls before you introduce them to the cage.
July 28, 1998 .....(56 days old)
I've had to set up the little cage again. Peep is too much of an escape artist, being able to squeeze his soft little head through even the 1 inch bar spacing of the larger cage. He's out of the cage most of the day anyways, but for his own safety, when I'm not around, I'm putting him back in the little one with all food openings and doors latched tightly. He knows exactly how to open each one of them! Now all I can do is sit and wait for his cranium to harden as his skull grows larger.
July 29, 1998 .....(57 days old)
Peep's handling the idea of two cages quite well, perching ontop of the larger cage during the day, and sleeping in the little cage at night. He is having problems figuring out how to get INside the large cage though, even though the door's wide open. He'll perch on the OUTside next to his food and cry until I escort him to the door, at which time he'll take a bite to eat. Hopefully soon he'll figure out how to get around on his own. I'm only intervening when he begins to stick his head through the bars. Mind you, finding his way back out of the cage doesn't seem to be a problem (haha).
July 30, 1998 .....(58 days old)
Peep loves men! He gets very excited at the sound of a man's voice, be it on the TV, the radio, or in real life, yet he shows little interest when he hears the sound of a lady's voice. A "stranger" came to the house today, someone who had never met this chick before. Peep couldn't wait to perch on his shoulder and play with his hair and make loud "peeping" noises, yet I'm his primary caregiver. Perhaps he sees me with the other birds too much and wants a Momma or a Daddy he can call all his own! At this age he is both very needy and extremely independent depending on what mood he's in. He's given a lot of freedom throughout the day, and since I'm the one who has to keep him out of harm's way, (which probably means "spoiling all his fun"), this might have something to do with it.
Thought I'd try an experiment ... I stayed out of the chick's sight for 30 minutes. When I finally returned, he was all "peeps" and couldn't wait to step up on my hand. I guess the old adage of "absence makes the heart grow fonder" is true even with birds!
July 31, 1998 .....(59 days old)
Nice way to end the month ... took a measurement of Peep's wingspan. It's 11 inches :))
August 1, 1998 .....(60 days old)
I consulted with a couple of breeder friends about Peep's cage. I was beginning to wonder if I should be looking for another cage, this time with 3/4 inch bar spacing. One breeder said to play it safe, yes, go for another cage. The second breeder said that all her Ringnecks are housed in cages with the same bar spacing as what I purchased. Guess I'll just tough it out for a while longer, but will continue to ask "friends in the business". The best ways to learn are through reading, hands-on experience and consultation with one's peers. There are no dumb questions when it comes to learning :)
August 4, 1998 .....(63 days old)
Nine weeks old today and Peep is coming along beautifully. Just one problem (problem for me, that is) ... he prefers men ;( Well, it's only a preference, he does okay with me too, but he responds much more warmly to men. For a while there I thought we'd taken a backward step with his weaning. Peep has been getting alot of extra attention from a MAN including the handfeeding of human foods. It had reached the point where this chick would not eat from his bowls, nor would he drink on his own ... everything had to be fed from the fingers again. Fortunately we have been able to reverse this behavior without too much effort and our little chick is doing great on his own. When he's a tad bit older we'll start giving him tidbits, but for now, to avoid any more confusion on his part, Peep will be feeding himself!
August 11, 1998 .....(70 days old)
Now at ten weeks, Peep is doing very well with both self-feeding and being handfed at the dinner table. He spent his first night in his new larger cage, but it had to be seriously modified to accommodate his size. (Refer to: "Adult" Cage for Chicks on our "Techniques" page for details of the modification).
September 9, 1998 .....(99 days old)
Peep spoke his first words today. They were "Come Here" and "Upstairs", mixed in with all the rest of his chirping. Those two words were very clear, and he's repeating them over and over again !!! This comes after a week of imitating some household sounds (like the sound of pouring water into his drinking cup).
October 7, 1998 .....(127 days old)
The little chick has found his way to the breeders' cage and hangs with his folks for several hours during the day, albeit he's on the outside of the cage. Initially his parents showed a touch of aggression to Peep, but it didn't take long for them to accept his presence and they now quietly enjoy his company. Our chick is still very sociable to us, his caretakers.
