Newbie in the UK

**SteveL** · 12-20-2007, 03:53 AM

Hi All

I'm Steve, and I'm in the UK (close to Reading, Berkshire).

I've recently got a Black Headed Caique called Alfie (my 3 year old son picked the name!)

He joins our little clan of two Miniature Schnauzers (Gus and Tia),

two rabbits (Stew and Cassie) and three Goldfish! He lives in a large cage in our living room, where he can see out of the front window and keep an eye on what's happening, and he can also watch the goldfish doing their thing. We both work, so he's got lots of toys to keep himself busy during the day, and then he's out of his cage from when we get home until his bed time. He eats a mixture of a good quilty seed diet (low in sunflower) and pellets. He's also a big fan of fruit and will do almost anything for an orange segment!

He's fully flighted (which I see is a major difference between keeping parrots in the States and in the UK. There appear to be very few clipped birds in the UK). We initially did this because we wanted to give him a fighting chance should anything happen with the dogs, but it appears that we needn't have worried. He's definitely the boss of the dogs! Any time they are together (strictly supervised of course), Tia is fine, until he goes near her, and then she runs away with her tail between her legs. Gus isn't so scared, just curious. Alfie has been running up and down Gus's back when Gus was lying on my wifes lap, and Gus isn't phased at all!

Anyway, that's all about us. Happy Christmas!

Steve

**Birdmad Girl** · 12-20-2007, 04:40 AM

Steve.

Alfie is adorable!! So are your little dogs.

How old is Alfie?

**SteveL** · 12-20-2007, 07:17 AM

He's 8 months old.

Steve

**BareFootAviary** · 12-20-2007, 07:28 AM

Welcome to TF Steve! Glad to see another fellow full-flighted Caique owner! I too keep mine fully flighted, which works out best in our house. My female is a rescue and never did fly before I got her. Thankfully she is showing signs of wanting to try, so she is getting more and more breast muscle everyday! One day I will come on here and say "Zorro finally flew to me!!"

I can't wait to hear more about Alfie! Very cute name BTW!

**pixibubbles** · 12-20-2007, 12:00 PM

hi Steve!
nice to see some new uk parronts here... there arent enough of us!
i know berkshire pretty well as i'm a born and bred southerner... only a midlander now by choice.

bri.. i didnt know your girl doesnt fly. find some stairs and kick her of them. it's what we did with spark lol

**mighty mouse** · 12-20-2007, 02:51 PM

to TF!

**Pootspete** · 12-20-2007, 03:11 PM

Glad to have you on board Steve.

**SteveL** · 12-21-2007, 02:36 AM

Originally Posted by pixibubbles

hi Steve!
i know berkshire pretty well as i'm a born and bred southerner... only a midlander now by choice.

Ah, I'm the other way around. Born and bred in the Midlands (Wolverhampton/Walsall area) and then I moved to Basingstoke 20 years ago for my first job. Been a softy Southener ever since!

Steve

**LovelyNickie** · 12-29-2007, 12:12 PM

Welcome to TF! Cute dogs and Caique!!

**SteveL** · 02-18-2008, 03:21 AM

Hi All

Well, I suppose it had to happen as all of our other pets are in pairs! We've got another BHC! He's 6 years old and called Elmo. He was bought as part of a breeding pair (who were both proved to be male after DNA tests!) but he's been a pet in the past, and from his behaviour, I believe that he was hand reared.

He's been with us for while, living in a cage next to Alfies cage to get them used to each other:

(that's the edge of Alfie's cage on the left, and Elmo sitting in his cage in the centre.

We thought we'd introduce them to each other after they seemed to start mirroring each others behaviour (feeding/preening at the same time) and it went better than we could have expected. They were very calm with each other, occasionally having a little beak-to-beak action, and now Alfie follows Elmo around when they're both out of the cage. They do what looks like a baby bird being fed (beak to beak, one of them looking upwards and moving up and down really quickly) but they seem to take it in turns, so I'm not quite sure what this means!

Tomorrow we're taking delivery of a new cage and then we'll slowly phase them in to living together in the day, and then living together 24/7.

Steve

**Jeff** · 02-18-2008, 04:32 AM

Beautiful birds! Welcome!

**BareFootAviary** · 02-18-2008, 06:33 AM

Oh how great! I have been wondering where you were! Caiques are so much happier in pairs! Congrats on getting Elmo!

**SteveL** · 02-19-2008, 03:40 AM

Well, Alfie and Elmo were out of their cages together yesterday and Alfie started preening Elmos neck! It's amazing to think that Elmo's only been with us for a little over two weeks and they're already getting on so well.

The new cage (a Princess from www.ukparrotcages.co.uk , which is a much larger version of the King which Alfie already has) has arrived and is waiting to be put together tonight when I get home from work (it's either that or Guitar Hero III for the Wii, which has also just arrived! I must love these birds to choose putting a cage together rather than playing my new game!) This is good news, as my wife has just phoned me to tell me that she's just found Elmo sitting on the back of a chair in the dining room. He's found out how to get out of the cage we bought for him as a temporary home! I really need to wire up the little doors which just click closed!

Steve