Hey everyone! I just wanted to give you all a quick and affordable way to make an incubator for hatching your chicken, quail, or parrot eggs. I've used this several times and I can honestly say that it works quite well.
How to Build a Chick Egg Incubator
Materials
large styrofoam cooler
piece of picture frame glass
screwdriver
dimmer switch
light socket with cord
small electric fan
thermometer
carpenter glue
small plastic bowl
water
65 watt bulb
First, take the light socket and place it on the side of the lid that points into the cooler. Carefully cut out a hole the same circumference as the socket. Place the socket into the hole and secure it with carpenter's glue. Place the 65 watt bulb in the socket
Take the picture frame glass and place it on one side of the cooler. Now cut a hole into the side a little smaller than the area of the glass. Carefully place the glass into the hole and secure with carpenter's glue.
Poke about 8 holes on each side of the cooler near the top using the screw driver. These holes are important for incubation.
Place the small fan into the cooler on the top. Cut a small hole on the top and run the cord through it. Fill in any extra space using carpenter's glue.
Place the plastic bowl into one of the coolers corners. Place roughly one inch of water in it. The evaporating moisture from this water will keep the eggs from drying out and assist the chicks in hatching. When the water gets low make sure you refill it.
Place the thermometer on the side of the cooler that faces the window. Make sure the end that guages the temperature is at the same level as the eggs, any higher and you will not get an accurate reading. You want the temperature to read 100 degrees farenheit. If the temperature is hotter, add some more ventilation holes in the cooler. If the temperature is too cool, cover some of the ventilation holes with tape.
Turn the incubator on a couple of hours prior to placing the eggs inside.
COZY CONURES!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Oh Nila, Nila, Nila...
Nila is seriously a nut! I just returned from a trip to Florida and obviously I couldn't leave my feathered friends unattended so they got to stay with my father for a week.
The first thing he said was that Nila was a spoiled nut! She constantly wants someone to hold her, and she is always trying to snuggle up to your neck while sitting on your shoulder. My father said she was spoiled and that taking care of her was like trying to take care of a toddler. The other birds not so bad, Nila...OMG!
I love my "Nila-Girl" but she can be a handful at times, but then she wouldn't be Nila if she weren't!
Best of Everything!
The first thing he said was that Nila was a spoiled nut! She constantly wants someone to hold her, and she is always trying to snuggle up to your neck while sitting on your shoulder. My father said she was spoiled and that taking care of her was like trying to take care of a toddler. The other birds not so bad, Nila...OMG!
I love my "Nila-Girl" but she can be a handful at times, but then she wouldn't be Nila if she weren't!
Best of Everything!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Some old photos of Nila....
I'll post some new photos soon. She has gained many new colors on her plumage. Depending on the light situations when I take the photos, you can see red, orange, and yellow pastels on her chest and head. Thanks for looking!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
A neat training article.......
Hey everyone, here's a must have article for all novice parrot owners out there. Teaching your bird to "Step-Up" or the command, "Up, are crucial to you interacting well with your pet bird. If you can't create the bond necessary for your bird to step up onto your hand or forearm, then you're probably going to have quite a few problems further down the road. The article below is by a lady named Nora Caterino. She trains parrots to talk, perch, etc. She has much experience in the field and can probably point you in the right direction in regards to a problem you're having if I can't. I hope you enjoy the article:
How to Quickly and Easily Teach Your Parrot the 'up' Command!
Author: Nora Caterino
The "Up" command is the very first behavior you should teach your parrot. Whether you have a tame, loving, hand-fed baby that is just weaned or you have an older, untamed parrot, the process is still important. It's a question of good manners!
Of course, the process for teaching the behavior to a hand-fed, young bird is much, much easier and quicker than teaching an untamed bird. It is, however, nonetheless necessary.
When you work with a parrot that is untamed, you'll find it works best to use a spare perch or untreated wooden dowel which is rather long.
I like to work with the parrot outside its cage, but if that isn't possible, you can perform the process with the parrot inside the cage if you have a large door opening and can move the perch about easily. Be sure the selected perch is comfortably sized for your parrot species.
image used from www.knowparrots.com
Place the perch just above the parrot's feet and just below its breast while saying "Up" clearly. There is no need to be loud or sharp, just say "up".
Move the perch slightly toward the bird so that it will naturally step onto the perch. Once the bird steps on the perch, reward it with loving sweet talk, telling it what a wonderful smart parrot it is. Repeat this process for about 10 minutes per session with two sessions per day if at all possible.
The #1 Element You MUST Know About When Teaching Your Bird This Trick - Or Else You'll Ruin The Training Session!
Consistency is the key!
It is important that you do not allow your parrot to refuse to perform the behavior after it has stepped up the first time for you. You want your parrot to understand that this is something it must do when requested. In return, you will provide love, attention, foods and playtime.
As your parrot becomes comfortable stepping onto the perch, you can slowly shorten the distance from your hand to the parrot. I usually find that with untamed parrots, shortening the perch more than once a week can stress them and actually create a loss of the trust you've built.
image used from http://media.canada.com/idl/vitc/20071116/36292-11938.jpg
==> Don't rush the process! Take your time and be certain your parrot is comfortable with each training level.
Eventually, you will reach a point that the distance from your hand to the parrot on the perch is very small. Once your parrot is comfortable with your hand being that close to it, begin the final step - offer your hand or forearm (depending on the size of your parrot) instead of the perch.
How Long You'll Take In Teaching This Bird Trick!
It depends on you, your consistency and your parrot. If the parrot has been stressed or made afraid through abuse or trauma, it can take a long time.
If your parrot is simply unfamiliar with you and you just have to prove to it that you won't hurt it, the process can occur quite quickly.
If you parrot was hand-fed, you can count on the entire process taking a very short time - in fact, you'll probably start at the final step with the parrot stepping right onto your hand.
I recently brought a budgie home that was just weaning. He was not hand-fed but very young and trusting; he was trained to the "up" command within a week and consistently performs the behavior whenever requested.
Be sure to watch your parrot's body language for clues to the level of trust and level of comfort with the activities you are performing with it.
About the Author:
Nora Caterino helps parrot owners from over 14 different countries in taming and teaching parrots to TALK. If you want to learn more about her parrot training videos - to instantly solve annoying behaviour problems like biting, screaming, or feather plucking - then join the 'Elite Parrots Club' and get super coaching from the 'Bird Lady':
www.eliteparrotsclub.com
How to Quickly and Easily Teach Your Parrot the 'up' Command!
Author: Nora Caterino
The "Up" command is the very first behavior you should teach your parrot. Whether you have a tame, loving, hand-fed baby that is just weaned or you have an older, untamed parrot, the process is still important. It's a question of good manners!
Of course, the process for teaching the behavior to a hand-fed, young bird is much, much easier and quicker than teaching an untamed bird. It is, however, nonetheless necessary.
When you work with a parrot that is untamed, you'll find it works best to use a spare perch or untreated wooden dowel which is rather long.
I like to work with the parrot outside its cage, but if that isn't possible, you can perform the process with the parrot inside the cage if you have a large door opening and can move the perch about easily. Be sure the selected perch is comfortably sized for your parrot species.
image used from www.knowparrots.com
Place the perch just above the parrot's feet and just below its breast while saying "Up" clearly. There is no need to be loud or sharp, just say "up".
Move the perch slightly toward the bird so that it will naturally step onto the perch. Once the bird steps on the perch, reward it with loving sweet talk, telling it what a wonderful smart parrot it is. Repeat this process for about 10 minutes per session with two sessions per day if at all possible.
The #1 Element You MUST Know About When Teaching Your Bird This Trick - Or Else You'll Ruin The Training Session!
Consistency is the key!
It is important that you do not allow your parrot to refuse to perform the behavior after it has stepped up the first time for you. You want your parrot to understand that this is something it must do when requested. In return, you will provide love, attention, foods and playtime.
As your parrot becomes comfortable stepping onto the perch, you can slowly shorten the distance from your hand to the parrot. I usually find that with untamed parrots, shortening the perch more than once a week can stress them and actually create a loss of the trust you've built.
image used from http://media.canada.com/idl/vitc/20071116/36292-11938.jpg
==> Don't rush the process! Take your time and be certain your parrot is comfortable with each training level.
Eventually, you will reach a point that the distance from your hand to the parrot on the perch is very small. Once your parrot is comfortable with your hand being that close to it, begin the final step - offer your hand or forearm (depending on the size of your parrot) instead of the perch.
How Long You'll Take In Teaching This Bird Trick!
It depends on you, your consistency and your parrot. If the parrot has been stressed or made afraid through abuse or trauma, it can take a long time.
If your parrot is simply unfamiliar with you and you just have to prove to it that you won't hurt it, the process can occur quite quickly.
If you parrot was hand-fed, you can count on the entire process taking a very short time - in fact, you'll probably start at the final step with the parrot stepping right onto your hand.
I recently brought a budgie home that was just weaning. He was not hand-fed but very young and trusting; he was trained to the "up" command within a week and consistently performs the behavior whenever requested.
Be sure to watch your parrot's body language for clues to the level of trust and level of comfort with the activities you are performing with it.
About the Author:
Nora Caterino helps parrot owners from over 14 different countries in taming and teaching parrots to TALK. If you want to learn more about her parrot training videos - to instantly solve annoying behaviour problems like biting, screaming, or feather plucking - then join the 'Elite Parrots Club' and get super coaching from the 'Bird Lady':
www.eliteparrotsclub.com
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Nila's first video!!!
I thought you guys might enjoy a new video from Nila the Pineapple Turquoise Green Cheek Conure!
You can also find this video on Youtube.com along with Baby's and Lucky's videos as well. If you guys have any ideas about video footage that you'd like to see of the birds, please let me know and I'll see what I can do.
Thanks and ENJOY!
Green Cheek Mutations
A listing of the known mutations found in Green Cheek Conures...
Green Cheek Conures come in a variety of color combinations that can be obtained by contacting most breeders. Keep in mind that most of these mutations are very expensive still, but some of them can be obtained at quite a reasonible cost.
Mutatuions like the Cinnamon Green Cheek and the Yellow-Sided or Opaline Green Cheek are relatively affordable usually ranging in price from $200-$350 depending on the location, breeder and the splits that the bird may carry in genetic structure.
Photos obtained from www.aracaris.com.
Mutations like Nila the Pineapple Turquoise Green Cheek Conure still range in price from $1000-$1450 depending on the breeder. The plus side to mutations like her are that depending on who the male bird is that she is paired up with, you can end up with practically every color that the green cheek conure comes in!
There are several other mutations that are still not easily obtained by the public such as the American Dilute (follow this link to see photos of them...www.feathert.com)and the pied which is rumored to exist!
Keep in mind that even though these birds come in such a wide range of colors that they are NOT HYBRIDS, they are MUTATIONS. These are two very different things. Two different species aren't combined to create these colors. They occur naturally in the bird and birds displaying the desired colors and traits are then bred to enhance those traits.
I am working on my own breeding project now that involves the blue or "Parblue" genes within the Green Cheek Conure. I can't wait to see what I end up with!
Have a great day and remember to check back in with us for more news and updates.
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