Bird Toy Warning

This warning and photo came to us via Face Book. I cannot validate it, but do know that China has poisoned dogs and cats in the USA via pet food with Melamine in it. It tests like protein, but isn't. As my husband said, "If they'd put chicken droppings in the pet food, it would test as protein too and wouldn't poison pets. Dishonest and wouldn't provide any nutrition, but at least it wouldn't have killed them." Not just dishonest and greedy, but cruel.

It would not surprise me if Chinese bird toys are a risk too.

I have two bird ladders that are colored with dyes that run when wet. I'd have been happy to buy them as plain wood without the dyes, which look very much like those in the photo above. I've decided to remove the ladders from my cages. From now on, no painted or dyed wooden toys from China for any of my birds. Better safe than sorry.



One removed. One more to go.

This one was recently cleaned and dyes ran badly.

Zinc and lead are both dangerous for birds. How can we know if paint from outside the USA is lead free?

 



I almost hate to take this away from her. She likes it.





Fortunately Bourke Parakeets do very little chewing.
However, this ladder is coming out anyway.



All my cages have one or more of
these hard plastic mirror & bead toys.
All the birds use them to play with
the beads and even sleep on them.
 

It might be that hard plastic bird toys are safest, along with plain wooden dowels for perches. No dyed or painted things.

Peace & Blessings.

 

Lovely Linnie Aviary

Our beautiful, sweet Cremino Lineolated Parakeet came from  Lovely Linnie Aviary. Susan Kruger is a bird breeder located in Springfield, Oregon. Her charming aviary and flight are, indeed, very lovely.

The entrance to her delightfully cozy aviary.

Surrounded by forest. Notice the skylight in the roof.

Susan invites you to look inside.



Aviary at one end with workspace and viewing area
at opposite end where we're standing.

Birds are through this door.

Opposite end of room with workspace, some smaller cages
and a comfy chair for peacefully enjoying the birds.

Lineolated Parakeets enjoying millet.

Sliding windows let in a cool breeze on warm days.

Tools for maintaining a clean aviary.

View of the skylight from inside flight.
A side window could be a hazard for flying birds,
but a skylight requires them to fly upward, so less dangerous.

Yummy greens grow in hanging pot.

They can't all be Linnies. She has cute owl finches too,
and also a pair of Rosy Bourkes, not pictured.

A few of her Lovely Linnies.

Lots of things to climb and play on.

Friendly Linnies enjoy visits.

More come to look at us as we look at them.

Looking upward at the flight from inside the work area.

A useful work space.

This pretty pair live in the house with Susan and her family.

Linnie poster provides color descriptions.
It is on the wall in the aviary

A view of the left side of the flight.

Pretty handy, attractive storage.

If interested in buying a Linnie, contact Susan Krueger at:

 

susan4182@hotmail.com

 

***** 

Peace & Blessings.

 

Rosy Bourke Parakeet Video and Recent Update

Rosie Bird has many videos downloaded on You Tube. The most recent is attached below this post.

 

We allowed Rosie and Pretty Boy three clutches this year. Rosie laid four eggs each time, hatched and raised all four every time. Twelve baby Rosy Bourkes from my sweetest hen, Rosie. Not all birds are as consistently successful as she is.

 

This year in her first clutch she had two Opaline Fallow Bourkes, so I decided to hand feed them rather than her third clutch, as typically done in the past. I kept those two very sweet, tame Opaline Fallow Rosy Bourkes as future breeders. There is one of both sexes and their new names are Songster and Peaches. As you may guess, he sings and wolf whistles beautifully.

 

Rosie's second clutch of four were all lovely Rosy or Opaline Rosy Bourkes, but no Fallows with red eyes. In her third clutch there was one Opaline Fallow.

 

The video below shows four of Rosie's sweet babies. Two are from her first clutch and the two I'm hand feeding are from her third clutch. All ten of her sweet offspring have been sold and have gone to new homes. The last two, very sweet hand feds shown in the video left today. We met both buyers in Reedsport. One of our babies will live in Florence, Oregon and the other in Forest Grove, Oregon.

Bourkes are among the cleanest and quietest of birds. I highly recommend them. Although I love Linnies, cockatiels and finches of all varieties, Bourkes remain my favorite Small Exotic Bird.

 

Link to all Rosie Bird Videos on You Tube

Peace & Blessings!