I took inspiration from our āForaging in the Produce Aisleā class last month to make some of the birds little āforaging burritosā! These were just made with banana leaves (that we found at Jungle Jimās grocery store), twine, and snacks on the inside. Most of our birds loved these, and I love how it introduces items they would naturally encounter in the wild! We got a whole bunch of these fresh banana leaves for super cheap to use for our birds. We love finding creative ways to help them express their natural behaviors. Kuba had to tell it Hello a few times before shredding š
-Lucy
You know sometimes, you just need your emotional support bell to get you through the grooming appointment. This is Rico, a regular here at the store, and regardless of how many times he comes in after every grooming session he spends a good minute or so ringing his bell to help self-soothe.
-Madison
If you've been in our store, you've likely met some of our store pets that are always taking turns hanging out on the playstands by the register. We likely gave you a quick rundown on the ones that are comfortable being handled and the ones that would prefer to be given space. Same story in our outdoor aviary; some of the birds are okay to pet while others you should leave alone.
The other day, I was asked why we even bring these āmean birdsā out, since no one is allowed to touch them (Stella the African Grey in this video being the āmean birdā in question). Because what is the point of these birds being out if they're not able to hold them?
Some birds are more social and enjoy being out because of all the attention they get from people. Others just enjoy feeling involved and watching the hustle and bustle of the store, but would rather not have fingers shoved in their face (same, same). And most everyone enjoys being outside in the aviary and receiving enrichment through that experience, but some would rather have a quiet afternoon relaxing than dance and sing with people for hours on end.
The birds are out for the enrichment and experience THEY get, not for them to perform and cater to you. Most parrots would not be comfortable being touched by random people for a few hours at a time. Honestly, it's impressive that we have this many that are patient and trusting enough to allow complete strangers to handle them. Some birds don't want to be touched by random people all day, and that's perfectly fine. (Let's be honest, most of our birds have much more patience than I would in their situation š
).
Stella, the African Grey pictured, is one that definitely prefers her space. You may have met her in the aviary by āherā log, or inside on one of the play stands. She is very much an introvert and really needs to know you before she's okay being touched. For me, it took over 4 months of working here and interacting with her several times a week before sh
With the hot weather in full effect, (while hoping for cooler days!), I love nothing more than to cool off with a frozen treat! Turns out our birds love frozen treats, too! We made these āforaging ice cubesā for our birds this year. They are made of avian blend tea, fresh fruit, and flowers we grew here in store. This can be a fun activity to give your birds some enrichment and expose them to different temperatures and textures. Loki loves his āfresh freshā ice cube!
-Lucy
Is your bird a foraging fiend? Or do they stare at fresh produce with a look of disdain? Or my personal favorite of the āpick and chuckā method, then watching it land on the floor with a satisfying thunk. We have all been there with birds who donāt know what to do with fresh veggies, fruits, and sprouts. There is a wide range of ways to present your birds with these items, as well as offering them in different formats: fresh, dehydrated, freeze-dried, etc. Our next class coming up on Sunday, August 25th from 1-3pm will dive into the creative side of foraging for every type of bird. Madison and I will be leading this hands-on class where we will be making items as well as learning how to do a variety of foraging opportunities. Youāll be going home with two foraging items, a chop sample, and lots of ideas! Class is just $20 and is in-person only. Sign up today: https://www.store.sugarcreekbirdfarm.com/events-1/foraging-in-the-produce-aisle
-Bernie
Blondie and Barney are quickly becoming friends (and maybe more eventuallyš). They moved in together a few weeks ago now that sheās big enough to hold her own. They love a nice cool down from the hose on a hot day š„¹š„¹
Morning cuteness from our baby Greenwing Macaw. He is three weeks old now! ā¤ļøšš
Trying to record the adorable shaking baby Quaker but there is always a nosey cage mate trying to steal the show! š
This week I was able to catch this struggling Sun conure hatchling just in time. As I was checking nesting boxes, I found this egg drying out and the chick getting tired, unable to get out of the shell on his own. Assisted hatching is always a miracle to watch! Little one is doing great now and has two more siblings keeping him company in the nest š§”
Our Golden Pheasant male is just finishing up his molt, which means heās showing off his beautiful new head feathers to any lady walking by. He courts the female pheasants as well as our hens, but to no avail. It seems no one appreciates all those beautiful head movements š„
This may just look like a cute video of a Quaker parrot playing with a toy, and while thatās true, thatās only half of the truth. This is a video of a bird who has hardly ever plays with toys unless he wants to build a nest, now fully interacting with and getting enrichment from a new toy we put in his cage not too long ago.
Imagine for a moment that youāre completely unable to communicate to someone your needs and preferences. They give you a few things close to what you desire now and then, but end up just giving up because you arenāt receptive. In reality it just wasnāt what you were interested in, but you had no way of expressing that.
That is why we are so adamant on trying new things with your bird, regardless of how much they have or havenāt played with toys. It can take just one new item to get them interested and enriched. We donāt push this because weāre a store front and are just looking to make money, there truly is good reason as to why you shouldnāt give up on enriching your bird's life with toys of different kinds. They just have no way of telling you what they want, and itās our job to be a detective and find it out alongside them. šµļøāāļø
-Madison
Pool fill up time for a hot day š„
Our baby Rosebreasted Cockatoos were loving their first day in our smaller outdoor aviary. When the one on the right felt the first breeze, he instantly opened those wings up and began showing off. Love these two! ā¤ļøā¤ļøā¤ļø
Happy Friday! Play a game of peekaboo with some of our store pets! šā¤ļø
-Madison
Walking into the nursery to baby macaws always makes me take a double glance š. All our babies sleep in odd positions when theyāre very little, but macaws top the cake! He swears this is a comfortable position and heās just napping!
š
Bernie
Our garden is still flourishing with great produce for the birds! Our baby Cockatiels are LOVING these heirloom variety of radishes called āRat Tail Radishesā. These grow above ground like green beans and are spicy, juicy, and full of flavor. All of our babies are getting a big stalk several times a week and they go nuts for them! When planting your garden, think outside of the ānormā and try heirloom varieties. We love seedsavers.org for checking these out!
ā¤ļøBernie
Itās going to be a scorcher this week!!! Our Emus are so grateful for their personal swimming pool, which they āhelpedā during a fill up yesterday. ā¤ļø
Nero loves showing off his handiwork. A huge wood toy like this can sometimes last a few days, but other times is just an afternoonās worth of fun. When we see toothpicks on the cage floor, we know we have some happy beaks! š¤ā¤ļøš¤
Our little Black Lory baby is growing up!!! Now just over 3 weeks old and getting those wing muscles built up already š¤š
Happy snowy morningāļø! I went to check on the emus and of course our dedicated dad is just looking like a rock, protecting those eggs. Not too much longer and his hard work will pay off! š
