Petey Blog

Sorry for the delay

niels (Niels) — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 11:01:05 -0700

I have a small confession to make: I am not who the blog says I am. I created this blog just for fun a little after my roommate got Petey. I write and take the photos and post them under his name. In December he moved across the country for training, and he couldn't bring Petey along with him. The options were for Petey to stay with me or find him a new home. No wanting Petey to end up with strangers, he stayed with me. But in May I was about to start a lot of moving around myself, so I couldn't take care of him properly for a few months. My roommate had gotten a house where he was, and I was going to be on that side of the country for my first trip. It was a punishing 1am flight across the country. I was so filled with anxiety that he was going to scream that I nearly got an ulcer, but he never made a single squawk except when the TSA guy took him. All of the security people were giving him so much attention, commenting on his unusual colors, nobody seemed to care if he had a certificate of health or anything. Anyways, this photo of him was taken the morning I left. It won't be the last post as I plan on visiting, but hopefully this will explain the delays.

Petey doing what he does best

niels (Niels) — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 18:58:44 -0700

Disclaimer: He doesn't have to go in the water, he does it by choice. And if you had to put up with the noise he makes when he hears a shower running that he is not in, then you would do the same.

Damage After About A Month

niels (Niels) — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 13:51:06 -0700

Here is the damage after about a month. We will subtract off the time Petey was away from it and at a friend's house. You can see that he is cheating now, trying to kill the toy by going for its head.

Clipped Wings, But He Can Still Jump

niels (Niels) — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 17:44:34 -0700

Even though Petey's wings are clipped, he loves juice so much that he made a huge leap, without a single flap from his wings, from my shoulder to the glass of orange juice that I had just taken a sip from.

Petey taking destruction to the next level

niels (Niels) — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 10:54:15 -0800

The last palm leaf toy was obviously too small, even though it lasted pretty long, but we had to step it up a notch with the Spiked Pinata by Planet Pleasures, a large one to be exact. After seeing the enjoyment that Petey got out of the little Octopus Pinata, I decided that this would please him even more. It might look big for small bird like a Conure, but he is determined to destroy this thing. Maybe he will stop chewing on my sweatshirt's zipper, oh wait, he broke that zipper already.

The Parrot Pinata Octopus deserves more credit

niels (Niels) — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 09:41:26 -0800

As you can see to the right of Petey, there is virtually nothing left of the Octopus. At first it seemed like it would be destroyed in minutes. But after Petey made it through the initial out layer, it was discovered that it was solid, tightly wrapped palm leafs. After much work he had shredded the upper segment completely and his attention turned to the tentacles, which kept him busy even longer. Overall it has entertained him for about two weeks.

Petey destroys a Parrot Pinata Octopus

niels (Niels) — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 08:30:22 -0800

It was overpriced, especially for something that a bird will shred up in a single fit of rage, but I read (sounds a bit sketchy though without any details, I want numbers, how much do they villagers get of my money?) the back of the tag: "Planet Pleasures takes pride in offering you a unique line of products that are all natural and earth friendly, utilizing only renewable and recycled materials. Handmade by villagers who rely on their handicraft skills to survive. Be good to the environment & your bird, choose Planet Pleasure toys!!"

Video of Petey the Sun Conure Burrowing

niels (Niels) — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 09:29:27 -0800

At the request of certain people, here is the video of Petey.

The Burrowing Sun Conure

niels (Niels) — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 18:41:12 -0800

Petey is content sitting on most people's shoulders, but for a select few he is not satisfied until he burrows down your shirt. This can be a good thing. For example, if you are on the phone, most of the time he is fairly quiet when he is inside shirts. If you have ever had a Sun Conure near you, you know how hard it can be to conduct a phone conversation when the bird wants your attention. For the people who haven't had the pleasure, between the noise he makes when he is not on your shoulder trying to get on your shoulder and attacking the phone randomly when he gets on your shoulder, it makes it virtually impossible. Getting back on topic, sometimes he even peacefully sleeps on your belly for extended periods. But there is an ugly side to bird shirt burrowing, one or two of the follow may occur if you are only wearing one layer. If you are ticklish, expect the bird to exploit that and use his beak to tickle you if he is in a calm but not sleepy mood. Or if if the bird is full of energy expect to have scratches from his claws as he explores, and gets stuck in your sleeves. One solution to the problem is to wear at least two layers and only let the bird in between the layers.

Petey in the shower

niels (Niels) — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 14:03:15 -0800

Petey likes water. There are two choices, let him take a shower or watch every drop of water in his bowl get all over the place.

The big question, to flight or not to flight?

niels (Niels) — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 20:32:18 -0700

Petey is able to fly pretty well now, but his ability to fly is a double edged sword. On one hand he gets quite a bit more exercise and seems very happy. But on the other, he can get in to more trouble than before. Although he only flies between people and his perches, even that can be a nuisance as he does not like to be left behind. Even if you just want to sit on the couch a few feet from his perch without him for a moment. Then there are the obvious arguments against flighted birds. They can have fatal accidents with windows, fans, or other hazards. They can also get loose and lost, although this can happen even with clipped birds too. Some people report that birds also become less social and more independent. Petey does not seem to be any less social or independent than before, in fact other than flying back to the people he is used to when handed off to a stranger, he is more social now that he can fly back to us. I guess the big question has not been answered yet.

Happy Hut

niels (Niels) — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 23:28:23 -0700

Over the summer Petey has been getting used to his Happy Hut Hideaway. For about a week he ignored it. After that week he started sleeping in it after dark until his cage was covered. Lately he can be found sleeping in it when he wakes up in the morning. There have been reports of birds getting snagged in the threads. Just like other objects in the bird's environment, they should be regularly checked and have loose threads removed. Many birds prefer having Happy Huts that match their predominant color.

Petey is back!

niels (Niels) — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 15:56:41 -0700

Petey is back, sorry for not keeping this up to date.

Can your seeing eye dog do this?

niels (Niels) — Sun, 28 May 2006 14:20:20 -0700

Petey is a helpful bird, he likes to do his part around the house.

Petey's Bad Hair Day

niels (Niels) — Sat, 27 May 2006 18:28:37 -0700

Sometimes it seems like Petey does stuff like this just to get attention.

Sleepy Petey

niels (Niels) — Fri, 19 May 2006 19:04:56 -0700

Petey spends a large amount of his time sleeping. He not only goes to sleep early and rises early, but also likes to take midday naps when there is nothing exciting going on. Many sources say that Conures in general need at least 12 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night.

Petey the wet Sun Conure

niels (Niels) — Thu, 04 May 2006 16:48:21 -0700

Petey likes to ruffle his feathers after he takes a shower.

Wing Exercise

niels (Niels) — Tue, 02 May 2006 11:47:48 -0700

Petey often exercises his wings inside his cage. It is very important to have a cage large enough that allows birds to fully extend their wings for exercise. Clipped birds should flap their wings rigorously at least a few times per day in order to maintain their muscles properly. Improperly clipped or weak wings can cause the bird serious injury or death should they fall. The wings should be clipped evenly or the bird will be out of balance. Too aggressive of a clipping will cause the bird to drop like a rock. Whether or not to clip your bird's wings is highly dependent on the environment they live in.

Berry shape?

niels (Niels) — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 14:05:29 -0700

Petey has found one more food that he will get excited for, Lafeber Tropical Fruit Nutri-Berries. The bag explains it can be used as a complete diet for your bird, but Petey has just been eating them in addition to his regular diet. He not only likes the papaya, pineapple, mango and bananas in the food, but he really seems to like the berry shape. At first all he was interested in was breaking them apart; however, he quickly he realized what he was dropping. The description says the shape minimizes wasted food, and claims that 96% of it is eaten. Maybe it just takes some practice because Petey does drop quite a bit of it as he breaks it apart. He has gotten noticeably better at eating them in the past week though.

Petey taking a bath

niels (Niels) — Sat, 22 Apr 2006 21:00:38 -0700

Petey likes to both take baths in his water bowl and go in the shower. In this photo you can also see Petey's new flight feathers are growing in.

Petey perched on a finger

niels (Niels) — Tue, 18 Apr 2006 17:55:59 -0700

People have asked if Petey will let people pick him up. Petey is a very social bird, and is in fact spoiled with attention. He uses his beak only as a tool to help him climb up you or keep from falling off you. The only time he will not step up on your finger from inside his cage is when he is tired or you are new to him, but even then he most likely will step up on your finger. If he is with someone he knows, he will gladly be passed around the room to new people. Right now he is tickling the back of my neck and ears. He is also randomly pulling out small hair he finds that are out of place.

Petey perched on a beer keg

niels (Niels) — Tue, 11 Apr 2006 18:58:55 -0700

Petey likes to protect the beer in the house, he sits, waits and watches to make sure nobody mooches off our beer. He takes his job personally, but usually he squawks before he bites. His bites are similar to an American Staffordshire terrier (pit bull) bite, he locks on with his beak and won't let go. Just kidding, Petey is a very gentle and sensitive bird, and he will share his beer with other people too. It has been almost four and half months since his wings were last clipped, but he still sinks pretty fast when he tries to fly. It doesn't even look like there are any flight feathers that are big enough to clip yet.

Petey hanging upside down

niels (Niels) — Fri, 07 Apr 2006 14:54:27 -0700

Petey likes to climb around. He basically has three arms: his beak and his two legs. Sometimes he shows off to people by hanging with only one leg.

Petey has a mohawk

niels (Niels) — Thu, 06 Apr 2006 10:46:19 -0700

We are making some progress training Petey to do an interesting trick, expect a video of it soon.

Petey from a different angle

niels (Niels) — Wed, 05 Apr 2006 12:13:28 -0700

Nothing new to say about Petey, here is a photo I just took of him. I like it because it isn't from any of the previous angles I've taken.

Overview of his cage

niels (Niels) — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 09:42:34 -0800

Here is a overview photo of Petey's cage. He used to like being on top of it quite a bit, but now he likes to be on people more. His cage is quite large for a parrot of his size. Petey likes to pose for the camera, he is trying to be funny for April Fool's Day.

Needed to find a treat

niels (Niels) — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 17:23:14 -0800

Previously we had no means to quickly give Petey positive reinforcement. He already is a pretty well trained bird; he steps up on anyone's finger just about every time except in the evenings. But we would like to see if he can do more advanced activities. He loves banana chips, but he takes quite some time to finish them. To help with his training, we needed something that he would work to get, and could also finish eating it quickly. We found out that he goes crazy for dried papaya bits. At first he did not have much interest in them, but soon we found him climbing out of his open cage to get the bits left on top of his cage. The brand we used was made by Kaytee and named Healthy Toppings. We had experimented with another Kaytee treat, Yogurt Tropical Mix, but Petey has no interest in those yet. I would recommend that you don't give up too quickly when testing a treat with your bird. I have read that Conures and other parrots may benefit from seeing other birds or even humans eat a food before they have much interest in it.

Hardwood perches

niels (Niels) — Mon, 20 Mar 2006 10:23:38 -0800

Visitors have noted in comments that it is important to have hardwood perches available for your birds. Petey does have natural hardwood perches in his cage. In the background you can see a manzanita branch. Manzanita is one of the hardest woods you can get for parrot perches. Make sure the perch you get has variation in its thickness. Although you can probably find some online, it is best to pick an individual branch out at your local pet store. Each branch is fairly unique and picking your bird's perch out will ensure the best fit possible.

Snowbird

niels (Niels) — Sun, 12 Mar 2006 16:42:36 -0800

Petey wasn't outside for very long, there wasn't any wind, but it was very cold. Petey is almost like a guard dog, he alerts everyone when he sees people come to the front door. He saw everyone outside building a snowman and did not want to be left out.

Petey's cage

niels (Niels) — Wed, 08 Mar 2006 16:17:55 -0800

Petey has a pretty large cage for a bird his size. The interior of the cage is about 22" wide, 22" deep and about 30" tall. Inside the cage, Petey has a few toys that are permanent fixtures for the most part, and then he has the toys that he destroys within days. Anything he can grind up with his beak he does. Progress getting Petey comfortable enough to wear the harness has been slow, very slow. I have been following this guide for the most part, but just like the instructions on the package, it is a lot harder than they make it out to be.

Petey likes his chew toys

niels (Niels) — Mon, 06 Mar 2006 15:45:18 -0800

Some visitors have asked if Petey's wings are clipped. Yes his wings were clipped before he came home. Most people agree that clipping a bird's wings is necessary. It is noninvasive. When done right the bird should not be able to gain altitude, but also should not sink like a rock. If the wings are clipped incorrectly, the bird can injure itself if it falls from a height. Even birds with clipped wings can gain altitude if the winds are sufficient, therefore just because a bird's wings are clipped doesn't make it safe to take your bird outside. A leash or Feather Tether Bird Harness is highly recommended if you take your bird outside. If Petey will not use the Feather Tether, then clipping his wings will be mandatory. So far progressing with the harness has been slow. In the photo, Petey is playing chewing on the Cal Sea Yum Bird Toys I mentioned before. Lately he has begun to chew on the rubber, before he would just crunch up the calcium wafers.

Petey's first birthday

niels (Niels) — Thu, 02 Mar 2006 14:38:34 -0800

Petey is now a year old, but he is still a baby. In the photo, Petey is working his beak on an 8 in 1 UltraCare(TM) Mineral Treat, hopefully it will help trim his beak. So far the calcium wafer toys seem to work best on his beak though. Also while at the store picked up a feather tether, or basically a leash, expect to see progress (or lack of) in the next couple posts.

Petey has almost no interest in his mirror image

niels (Niels) — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 08:38:15 -0800

Whenever Petey sees his mirror image, he barely takes notice of it and loses interest quickly. I've read that birds can become obsessive of their own mirror images if given a mirror toy in their cage. Some cases say that the birds will start to feed their mirror image, even groom it. Mirrors used to be a popular toy for birds, but new opinions are beginning to question its effect of the bird's social behavior. Either way, Petey seems quite content without a mirror and I would suggest avoiding mirrors if your bird is already social with you and other people. The photo with this post is of Petey perched on a food bowl above his cage, it was taken a while ago. He seems to prefer being up there less now, he likes being in his cage to eat or sleep, on his perch in the living room when people are in there, or being on people when he's awake.

Bird Bath

niels (Niels) — Thu, 23 Feb 2006 08:58:04 -0800

Petey enjoys water quite a bit, if he isn't given an opportunity to take a formal bath, he just hops in one of his water bowls. More water ends up outside his cage than on him though. Currently, I use Ultra Care Bird Bath Spray from Eight in One on him and it seems to work pretty well, definitely better than water alone.

Petey perched on a marlin

niels (Niels) — Sun, 19 Feb 2006 20:04:17 -0800

Petey has been quite active lately, if people are in the house, he likes to be out with them. He becomes quite irritated if they leave the room. People say Sun Conures need their alone time, even if they are affectionate, but Petey doesn't seem to like being out of the social circle unless it is past his bedtime. He doesn't mind being alone though, as long as he is not aware that anyone is home.

Video of Petey eating a banana chip

niels (Niels) — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 12:21:04 -0800

Petey's favorite treat is definitely banana chips. Most people are surprised when they see Petey using his feet to hold his food. As you can see in the video he also tries to dip the chip in one of his water bowls, but it is empty. Usually he does not dip the banana chips, but he likes to dip certain colors of Zupreem Fruit Blend for Parrots and Conures in his water before eating them. I've noticed he dips the yellow and green ones the most. Sometimes I wonder how he came up with the idea to dip the pellets in his water bowl on the other side of the cage.

Little beak issues

niels (Niels) — Thu, 16 Feb 2006 17:23:18 -0800

You can see Petey's maxillary beak tip has an issue. Overall playing with toys seems to have improved the condition of his beak without any other action being required yet. Petey crunches up a lot of Cal Sea Yum Bird Toys, and loves to demolish Cuttlebones.

Petey the loud Sun Conure

niels (Niels) — Thu, 16 Feb 2006 15:05:04 -0800

This is Petey, he is a Sun Conure (Aratinga solstitialis). He was hatched on March 2, 2005. I got him in December after doing extensive research. It was between Petey and an African Grey, but the African Grey was sold at the time. Petey is a quite active and social bird. Overall besides waking up early, most of the house gets along with him very well.