True Love Aviary

Emma Playing with UK Treats & Toys

noreply@blogger.com (Tamara) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 03:05:00 +0000

She's actually munching on pieces of the fruit & veggie stick. :)

She likes perching on the climbing ladder too. Hehe. :)

Oh and before you ask, yes she still has her cast on. I took a side shot because she does look a bit dirty because she can't bathe yet. She has an appointment next Saturday. We are crossing our fingers that she can have the cast off then!!

Birdie Goody Box

noreply@blogger.com (Tamara) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 03:58:00 +0000

Lots 'o Goodies!! From Toys to Treats to New Stuff we haven't tried before! This is what I got for our flock from the warehouse!! :)

The flat perch is to help Emma while she has a broken leg. Toys are a necessity and some treats for the birds to try. I'm going to sprout the All-in-one-Seed Mix and bake the Birdie Bread and let you know how they like it! By the way, Emma loves Coconut, which is why I picked up these Goldenfeast Coconut Single Ingredient Bags. We also know that the Power Treats have that important Red Palm Oil in them and wanted our birds to try them. :)

Visited with Debbie's Flock

noreply@blogger.com (Tamara) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 05:04:00 +0000

I went to visit Debbie's wonderful flock tonight! Click the images for a larger view. :)
Jamie
Mojo
Mojo showing off his wings...
Pretty wings!!!
Debbie & Eko
Adorable Ekkies!
Jamie
Diego... big boy!
He's a pretty boy too. :)
Eko wanted to know what we were doing in the other room... *giggle*
Is that a camera? ~Eko
Diego playing
Sugar kisses for Mojo!
Sugar kisses for Jamie
Jamie was a big flirt. hehe.
Pretty Ekkie ~Mojo
It was great fun! I really enjoyed visiting with Debbie and her flock!

Keeping your Bird(s) Warm for the Winter

noreply@blogger.com (Tamara) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:11:00 +0000

You guys inspired our latest Squawk Talk on our store site with your many questions, so here it is!

Winter is upon us!! I've had many people asking me about the best ways to keep their bird warm for the winter. The questions have ranged from tents to covering cages to heated perches, so here is some info!

Heated Perches
This is fantastic technology! I have to say that the person who invented these was genius. The temperature varies up and down the perch so your bird can choose the temperature he/she would like to rest on. Protect your birds from the harmful effects of air conditioning and cold drafts in the winter!

These unique heated perches safely radiate warmth through your bird's feet. They are thermostatically controlled perch using a safe, low-voltage (12 volts) power source to maintain an optimum temperature range of 102°-107°F. They can be left on continuously, so your bird can hop onto it whenever he needs warmth. The durable textured plastic perch has irregular surfaces to reduce foot cramping and pressure sores. For safety, the steel-wrapped cord sits outside the cage.

Tents/Snugglies:
These I recommend for any bird that likes to snuggle for warmth or sleep at night. Beware the nesty female though. Tents can cause a bird to get nesty as it can simulate a nest. This, of course, depends on the bird.

I have to say, I love the Scooter Z's tents personally. Our birds like them and they are easy to clean (machine washable as well!). We always go just a bit bigger than you would think so that there is plenty of room for our birds. A bird that feels cramped in it's tent may not use it.

Preferably, the tents we like are open on both ends. They deter nestiness a bit, but also for birds like parakeets who have longer tails, they don't have to crush their tail in the back of them. Tents are a nice, safe, and warm environment, and frankly they can help protect your birds from drafts as well.

Heating your Home for your Birds:
Having a bird means taking responsibility for their environment. This may mean higher heating bills for you, but this comes with the territory of owning a bird. We typically do not allow our home to get lower than 64-66 degrees Fahrenheit, but to be frank, our home sits at 70-72 degrees throughout the winter. This is optimal for our FIDs and we don't have to worry too much about drafts.

One time, we lost power to our neighborhood and had to keep an eye on the thermostat in case it wasn't going to come back on! If the temperature had dropped below 60 degrees, we would've evacuated out our birds to a warmer location! Thankfully, the power came back on in time!

Covering your Cages at Night:
While we recommend this on a normal basis anyways, covering them at night during the winter can definitely protect your bird from those cold wintry drafts.

Parrot Wrapz:
Not every bird takes to wearing clothing, but for some birds, avian apparel can help with warmth in the winter (not to mention the other benefits). Never force your bird to wear clothing if he/she fights with it or tries to tear it off. Your bird may need to be introduced to it first, as well. The Wrapz also provide protection against the elements of weather, and allows you to dress your Parrot accordingly for those cold winter days.

Personally, I like the idea of Parrot Wrapz for traveling your bird in the winter outside your home especially. We can't always avoid the vet during the cold winter months, and Parrot Wrapz can help keep their core warm!

© True Love Aviary 2009

Is Spider Web toxic to Birds?

noreply@blogger.com (Tamara) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 02:08:00 +0000

I had this very interesting question from one of our YouTubers.

Is Spider Web toxic to birds?
Well, this one had me a bit stumped. At first glance, I would say not. My intuition was right though. When I forwarded this question on to Dr. B, he agreed as he has never heard of a case where it was an issue. Granted, I wouldn't want my bird to go off and just eat tons of it, as who knows how that might feel in their crop and as it digested, not to mention how dirty it might be!!

The question was spurred by our YouTuber whose bird ingested a small amount that had gotten on her tail.

I would like to remind you that you wouldn't want your birds to be bitten by a spider, so I would say web without a spider is ok if your bird accidentally ingests a small amount.

Of course, there is always a bit of uncertainty in any question where not even your own vet has heard of any problematic cases. I will add a disclaimer that Dr. B mentioned: "With spiders, you don't really ever know though."

So, err on the precautious side and dust up those cob webs and check for those creepy crawly guys, and of course, a meal of all web *probably* (being facetious with the "probably" there) isn't a good idea. ;)

Sprouting for Healthier Diets

noreply@blogger.com (Tamara) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:53:00 +0000

Sprouts are an excellent way to add a more healthy and vital part of your bird's diet. Sprouts are a way to get some of the nutrients that birds need while also giving them a "live" diet.

Sprouting is easier than you think. You can make your own mix of "beans" or "seeds" to sprout or you can go the easy route and get an Organic All-In-One Seed Mix.

Seeds get a bad connotation in the bird world because many uneducated bird owners don't realize that feeding your bird an all seed diet is like giving a child a Big Mac for every meal. You can imagine the effects that a diet like that can have on a human, as it is with an all seed diet for birds. However, as a sprouted diet, there really isn't a healthier alternative than sprouted seeds and beans.

They are an easy to digest food and can help with many important aspects of your birds health, including, but not limited to: healing, healthy metabolism, improving immune system function, providing antioxidants, and their anti-cancer effects.

Organic is the way to go as you avoid the potential harmful pesticides that can be found on non-organic products. Also, sprouting your own guarantees you know how old the sprouts are and how clean they are. Knowing that the source of your sprouts is you, really makes them safer for your birds and helps your sanity.

The best way to care for sprouts is to clean them everyday after they have sprouted, let them dry, and refrigerate. Don't keep them longer than 5 days, and check to make sure there aren't any weird smells to them. Fresh and safe sprouts have an earthy smell and are good to eat by not only your birds, but you as well!

We mix in sprouts in their daily diet when we have sprouts available. Our birds love them and can't get enough of them. If we leave them out on the counter, they will get demolished when we aren't looking!

Reap the benefits for yourself and your flock. You won't regret it!

How to:

Check out this article as our "Squawk Talk" for the week here!

Pigwidgeon crossed the Rainbow Bridge today.

noreply@blogger.com (Tamara) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:00:00 +0000

Pigwidgeon passed away today. My heart is absolutely broken. He died just the way I wanted him to though, in his tent in his sleep.

He had had a couple of rough days since the weekend, throwing up his food and the such, which isn't out of the normal since the tumor had gotten so big.

I thought of him as my invincible bird. He was a rescue from our downstairs neighbor who was moving and didn't feel like they would have room for him. When we got him over 2 1/2 years ago, his cancer was in the beginning stages and Dr. B gave him 3-6 months to live. He had really bad fatty liver disease as he had been on an awful seed diet.

Within a month of having him, we got Hedwig and that was the best thing ever for him. He was much more perky.

I took him in for a follow-up 3-4 months after his first check up, and Dr. B showed me how the tumor had progressed and gave him another 3-6 months. However, he just kept chugging along. We did clear up that fatty liver problem and that was a very gratifying experience in not only helping his health but using him as an example of how to change over a bad diet and get a bird's health back on track.

He would occasionally get really sick and then later he'd be himself perky again. In the past year or so, he's gotten a lot more cuddly and needy. He would often fly to us and cuddle with us or just hang out with us.

Funnily, when he was feeling sick, he would go in the bottom of his cage and get fluffy, and Hedwig would have none of that! She would get soooooo mad. She would go flying down there real quick and yell at him and push him back up on to his perches no matter how many times he went to the bottom. They cuddled together in their tent and she would preen him as he would also preen her. She took good care of him.

About 5 months ago, we thought we were going to lose him. He appeared to have a stroke and couldn't use one side of his body. We put him in a hospital cage and kept him warm. The next day, though, he was using both sides of his body and was himself again.

He was a character for sure. He always was getting into trouble. Whether he'd tempt fate by stealing food from the lovies or just try and hang out with them, it was always a wonderment that he didn't get more than just an occasional foot bite. He did lose the end of one toe one time when he just made a bad mistake with our lovebirds! There was blood everywhere when we had to try and get him and clean him up. Eeek. He loved to go into the babies' cages as well. Silly boy.

Rodney found him around 10am this morning. He was in his tent and had been sleeping. He slept a lot generally anyways. He went peacefully. I always said I just wanted him to go in his sleep in his tent rather than us find him in the bottom and that's the way he went. A Mother's comfort for me.

I miss him so much already. He was a joy and God gave us so much extra time with him. That was truly a blessing and I can't be more grateful for the time I had with him as well as his ability to bring light and joy into my life.

The Last of the European Clutch Goes Home: Paris

noreply@blogger.com (Tamara) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:45:00 +0000

This is Nicole! She is Paris's new Mommy! First though, she had to play with the other birdies.Apple and BeBe

Why is BeBe looking at Apple's booty, LOL?

Evee has to kiss all our guest just to make sure they feel welcomed!

Nicole's cool shirt welcoming her new baby.

She wins "The Best Dress Award" out of all our families!

Paris and Nicole

Winnie advertises for us!!

noreply@blogger.com (Tamara) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:10:00 +0000

Winnie just couldn't help but show off our forum to everyone! He loves the stuff he got from our E-Bird store as well... *giggle*

Our New Forum & More!

noreply@blogger.com (Tamara) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:03:00 +0000

I'd just like to take this blog and "officially" announce about our new forum! Yes, True Love Aviary finally has a forum! We've spent countless hours answering your emails, YouTube messages, YouTube comments, Facebook messages, etc, and heard your pleas! So, we took it upon ourselves to finally fill your requests and made a forum. It's free, and we want you to join! It is for people who have parrots of all sizes, not just the little guys!

I'm sure many of you knew about it already since so many of you follow us on Twitter or are a fan on our FB fan page. In fact, if you do follow us or are a fan, you are also getting the most up-to-date real-time info on our flock, store and forum! ;)

I'd also like to promote another awesome community that you should join as well as ours! ;) Recently, a new community called, "Avian Avenue" came on to the scene and they are awesome. We are friends with many people there and think you should join not only our community, but theirs as well.

Just as a reminder, we did officially launch our E-Bird store in September and are looking forward to servicing the needs of your flock as well as you! We are grateful to the many people who have already placed orders with us. It's helping us to take on helping you more full-time than ever before! That's our main mission; to help those of you in the bird community!

Anyways, that's the update!

PS thanks to all of you for your good thoughts and healing prayers towards Emma! We thought she might have to have surgery, but in the end, it's just the cast for another 8 weeks!

Paris' family & fun with our birds!

noreply@blogger.com (Tamara) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:32:00 +0000

We are so happy with Paris' family! Here's a video of Nicole and Jeff playing with some of the flock here at TLA. Nicole is Paris' (the oldest of the European Clutch) new mommy! The birds were all over them even though they just met them. This video shows how sweet Apple can be. Apple is up for adoption.

Great Customer Testimonial!

noreply@blogger.com (Tamara) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 22:13:00 +0000

This will certainly be added to our testimonial page, but I had to share!

"I just wanted to send a big "Thank You" for the excellent service I received when I placed my order with the TLA E-Store.

I placed Wednesday, September 30, 2009 @ 8:18:35 PM and by 8:30:47 PM (12 minutes) I had already received a reply from Tamara which included my order number. Within 24 hours I received a confirmation email that my order had been shipped along with a tracking number from UPS. I'm excited to say that I received my order on Monday October 5th by 2PM, even though there was a weekend in there.

Everything was wrapped securely and arrived in perfect condition. I also want to thank Rodney for his help in choosing some toys for Squeaky.

Once again "Thank You" for the prompt and friendly service. I will continue to do business with TLA and highly recommend anyone else looking for courteous, fast and friendly service to give TLA's E-Store a try!

Lynn B. and Squeaky

You guy's rock!!"

Thanks Lynn for the feedback! It means a lot! :)

Video: Emma's Broken Leg

noreply@blogger.com (Tamara) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 21:58:00 +0000

Here is a video of Emma's broken leg, but that has not stopped her from having fun.

Emma Has A Boo Boo (Broken Leg)

noreply@blogger.com (Tamara) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 23:21:00 +0000

We are asking for prayers and good thoughts for our dear Emma who broke her leg Sunday morning. She wanted to take a bath in the sink, but hit the sink way too hard. Daddy's heart was absolutely broken while missing his "Emma Bean" and feeling her pain.

Rodney’s worst fear was Emma thinking he did it, because he was over her when it happened. When Dr. Burkett updated us on her condition, he said there was bruising, but the fracture was not bad enough for surgery. He made a splint thicker than normal because baby girl chewed off the first one. Since she is a baby she will be good as new in 4-6 weeks, but 6 weeks is the norm. Emma had to learn to drink from a water bottle, because the cast can not get wet. Here is a picture of Emma's "hospital bed" in Rodney's classroom.

Good news also, Dr. B decided not to clip Emma, "Praise the Lord!" He said her wings could help her with her balance, but we need to discourage flying in a large room. Dr. B says that they tend to forgive, but Rodney is just so worried about the emotional state of the baby. Dr. B and his wonderful staff (such as Jessica and Falon) took such great care of her and even gave her two toys to play with while she stayed in their care. "Man, she loves toys!" Jessica had to clean her twice a day because she destroyed her toys so much. "Sorry Jess." :)

Thank goodness Emma did not cause him to go bankrupt though, because she can out eat a macaw!

Now Emma is back home, and she LOVES her daddy!!! She started making baby sounds as soon as she heard his voice. Then, she stepped-up with her beak and flew up to Rodney's hand.

He placed her in her travel cage, left the room, and then she screamed for him. He asked Jessica if Emma had screamed for attention while at Dr. B's? She said no, and that was the first time. "Ah, Emma screaming for her daddy, True Love!"

Look how big that cast is! "Poor baby girl."

Close-up of Emma's "boo boo."

She's still beautiful though and oh so sweet. Rodney took Emma to work with him and gave her cuddles and head rubs all day long. "Our little needy, green cockatoo." Something that might freak you all out, Emma is still a champian flyer and lands on Rodney with just her one leg. She has also learned to step-up with her right foot.

We love you all, and we love that our dear Emma is back. Thank you so much for all the words of encouragement and phone calls this week. We have never seen an amazon so excited to see her lovebird brothers and sisters again (plus Ashlee and the budgies, of course.) Emma is now singing herself gently to sleep on her cageput platform in her cage for the first time since Saturday. She is a happy girl, and we thank Dr. Burkett and his staff again for bringing her home.

The Babies' Last Day

noreply@blogger.com (Tamara) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 01:24:00 +0000

Rodney stumbled across pictures of the babies' last day together. Well, until we have a TLA reunion. Wouldn't that be fun? 50 lovebirds in one room? Crazy!!! "Hey families, can you pick out your baby now? All 6 are in this photo."

Too easy, Dublin and Paris
Sugar Plum (Vienna) and Calais
Capri and Pistachio (London) We just love these little ones so much! "Take care babies." Paris will be going home soon.

Emma Discovers the Hide-N-Peek Ball

noreply@blogger.com (Tamara) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 02:32:00 +0000

When we first got the Hide-N-Peek Ball for BeBe on his 1st hatch day, we told the people that we planned on having a big bird also so give us a big one! Well, we were right. Here's Emma!!!

"I just started my baby molt so I am looking rough baby!""What are you looking at Punk?"

Vienna and London Go Home

noreply@blogger.com (Tamara) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 03:08:00 +0000

Vienna is going to live with Susan and Rex
Vienna's new name is Sugar Plum because he is so sweet!
Vienna (Portrait of a baby)
London (Portrait of a baby)

London's new name is Pistachio. Here is his new family: Erica, Tadd, and Emma!

This clutch was very emotional for Rodney. Here are some of his personal thoughts concerning this beautiful clutch:

So beautiful! Thank you so much Susan and Rex for being the perfect home for Sugar Plum "Baby ViVi!" I raised that baby just for you. I knew from the moment you first called he was your baby. The babies went to the most perfect familes. Your tearful story with the lost of your Soliel, the connection with our Angel, and the Lord sending Sugar Plum the same day your baby became an angel. It had to be planned. I knew Dublin belong to Teal the moment he was born. Teal waited almost a year, and when she visited the babies she picked Dublin! Calais was born on her new Daddy's birthday (I mean come on!) London was my little PHD just like his new Daddy Tadd, and Capri's Mommy wanted a baby from Dewey and Sierra, and guess what, D & S had only one...for her. Cody and Mia have never had a 5th baby. Dewey and Sierra foster your baby from an egg and he was born on the same day of the passing of Soliel. God made that 5th baby for you, and there was truly a reason why you both were drawn toward him. Hugs and prayers, we love you all!

Calais and Capri Go Home

noreply@blogger.com (Tamara) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 02:13:00 +0000

What a beautiful family! (Notice the twins.) Sherri and her family are the perfect family for Calais. Calais was born on the exact day as her new Daddy! Very cool. Can you say destiny?

Portrait of a Baby (Calais)

Yvette is absolutely a ray of sunshine. Baby Capri is going to be a Georgia Peach! Yvette "aka Peachy" wanted a baby from Dewey and Sierra and she got their only one, the baby.
So, Bella Sunshine actually bit Capri through the cage bars one night while Rodney was feeding Emma. Trust us, it was both Capri's and Bella's fought. Capri has too much of her Momma Sierra in her to back down, LOL! You can see the bite on the beak, but Dr. Burkett said it was only superficial and will heal by the time she is one years-old.
Capri: "Hey, but I'm still the baby, and I'm still cute!" Yes you are our little "cry baby!" Portrait of a Baby (Capri.)

Dublin Goes Home

noreply@blogger.com (Tamara) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 14:25:00 +0000

Dublin: "Daddy, Daddy, where are we going? Are we going to buy more bird toys?!?"

Rodney: "No baby, I am taking you to your new Mommy. She's a wonderful person who is going to love and take great care of you."

Dublin: "Alright, but I'll miss you..."
Teal and her new baby Dublin
Portait of a Baby
Dublin was always Tamara's favorite

"Night-night Dublin. We love you so very much our little 'Dubby.' Now, go night-night in your little cozy log and have sweet dreams of years to come with your Mommy Teal." Teal took Dublin to Ohio where she is teaching him all about football. "Go Dawgs!!!" They have bonded already.

Last Night for the European Clutch

noreply@blogger.com (Tamara) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 14:16:00 +0000

This was the last night the babies would be together. We are going to try to have a TLA family reunion so all the babies can be together once again for a day! They look so sweet.

Paris, London, Dublin, Vienna, Calais, and Capri

The Babies Visited Grandma and Grandpa

noreply@blogger.com (Tamara) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 00:41:00 +0000

After the visit with Dr. Burkett, the babies visited their grandparents to wind down. Here's the babies with their grandma. Grandma loves her grandfids!

Calais with grandpa!
Grandpa was being silly...again.
First, the babies and grandpa were singing.

Then, they all took a much needed nap. It was a long day.

European Babies to the Vet!

noreply@blogger.com (Tamara) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 00:21:00 +0000

It's that time again, the babies are off to see Dr. Burkett!
Look at Calais's pretty tail!
Time for a baby wing clip.

"Daddy, something just went up my who-ha!"

Checking London's eyes.

Dr. Burkett is so awesome.

"OK Paris, lets check those eyes."

Checking the preen gland.

Wing clip

Vienna "Sugar Plum" stuck his tail in his water dish. Silly baby!

Checking the heart. All of the babies got a clean bill of health.

Dublin and Paris

noreply@blogger.com (Tamara) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:59:00 +0000

Dublin and Paris are going to live very close to their first Mommy and Daddy so we will get to see them quite often. It is so much fun seeing them grow up and blossom into beautiful birds!

Dublin (Medium Seagreen) and Paris (Olive)

Wow!

Lovebird Buddies Just Hanging Out

noreply@blogger.com (Tamara) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:37:00 +0000

Bella, aka Sunshine, was enjoying her time with the flock in the near the window. Sunshine will be going home September 20 and we will miss her, again. (Left to right: Sunshine, Paris, Cody, and Capri.)

I love in this one how London "aka Pistachio" is snuggled up against Paris. So cute!
Vienna and Calais
"Hello Sunshine! How are you doing?"

Babies Get Stuck in a Vase

noreply@blogger.com (Tamara) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:20:00 +0000

We always have the craziest babies. First Dublin gets stuck in the vase and can not get out.
Next, London jumps in there!
"HELP!!!"
"Vienna, don't even think about it."

"Capri, you don't think about it either."

Capri: "I will go get Daddy and play with him, um I meant to help y'all get out!"

London: "Vienna, why did you jump in too!"

Vienna: "It looked fun."

Paris (on top) "You guys are dorks! LOL! Ha, ha!!!"

Dublin: Seriously Dad, can you please stop taking pictures and let us out? Helloooooo."

*Where was Calais? Calais was being a good baby and playing in the bird room like the others shoud have been.*