Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2013 11:59 am Post subject: New Member needs a few very simple questions answering.
Hi
Many thanks for being so very welcoming. I have a few very simple questions to ask of you lovely learned people. If I may?
We have just become the proud owners of a lovely Kakariki we have named Lincoln and apart from basic care know pretty much nothing about our lovely new friend.
We are told it's a "he", and that he's 11 weeks old, he is Green with some yellow to his chest with a red crown extending across the eyes. He's very pretty, and very friendly if a little quiet but then its very early days.
Anyway my questions are:
1. At what approximate age will he be fully grown?
2. I notice his beak/bill is pink in color at what age does this change and darken as in so many photo's here?
3. He is 9ins or 23cm from top to tail. How much more should I be expecting him to grow? The seller said he was fully grown but everything I read here says not!
4. If indeed (and I hope so) he is still growing should he be getting some protein in his food?
5. Is chatter and singing/ mimicking something that develops with age?
Sorry if these questions have been asked many times before but if they have I can't find the answers!
Many thanks for your kind help and advice and I'll post a couple of photos sometime soon.
1. At what approximate age will he be fully grown?
Grown in size? generally there is not much extra noticable growth once they have come out of the nesting box
Grown as in reach adulthood? 1st 9 months / year they are like a teenager then settle down as adults.
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2. I notice his beak/bill is pink in color at what age does this change and darken as in so many photo's here?
That is not good...this is a very young bird that has (maybe) just left the nest, and the male parent still weaning it off... the selling of such young birds is illegal in many countries.
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3. He is 9ins or 23cm from top to tail. How much more should I be expecting him to grow? The seller said he was fully grown but everything I read here says not!
Kakariki vary in size, depends on diets, enviroment and certain extent blood lines and species...refer back to answers above
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4. If indeed (and I hope so) he is still growing should he be getting some protein in his food?
5. Is chatter and singing/ mimicking something that develops with age?
If I am correct ablout his age, then he will still be making squeaky 'feed me' sounds, and moving to more adult chatter in a week or so, slowly.
As far as mimicking/ talking, that is something he may or may not pick up as time goes on...and the intensity of the sounds. _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
Many thanks for the answers good to get a bit of info.
He really is a sweetheart if indeed he is a he! I have my suspicions!
The breeder as I have said says he is 11 weeks old (well 12 now), and apparently he has been hand reared. I know not why we didn't ask.
Would this age seem in keeping with his beak? Is 11 weeks very young or have we been lied to perhaps?
We have him on a good quality seed mix with a small amount of mixed fresh fruit as a tasty supplement. Were also on the advice of the breeder giving him a small amount of egg food every day.
He's certainly bonded with me. Responding quite well to "step up" commands already and enjoying sitting on my shoulder and running up and down my arms and shoulders. I'm also getting a little playful biting (nibbling) which I will obviously keep in check as best I can. Also the odd little chattering every now and again and come to think of it yes the occasional little squeak.
He has unhindered free flight of the entirety of our downstairs twice a day at present but is still finding his feet. Or should that be wings. Once he's properly settled we will allow him to come and go as he pleases to a certain extent.
A very special little fellow indeed. Damn I feel a long friendship coming on!
Your observations , unwittingly give very good titbits of information
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but is still finding his feet. Or should that be wings.
When a kakariki chick comes out of the nest, it cant fly.. but can clinb rather well and heads up....
It can sort of in a clumsy way fall/ gluide sort of to the ground...
The following day it can sort of flap its way , sometimes successfully from one perch to another...
This improves over the next few days.
The beak is pink, and the eyes dont have the iris formed.
After about 10 to 12 days the beak starts to go the silver colour and abot 14 to 16 days the iris becomes noticable.
It is ar THIS point one can wean the bird off....by moving to a holding flight with other mature birds, including males...Even so these males will still carry on weaning the bird off for another week or so.
Going on the above, pink beak, still not proficent at flying and the diet the breeder recomends... your bird should not have been supplied/ sold yet...for another 2 weeks.
Regardless , read that thread on diet, feed him as recommended by the breeder, ansd start also to wean him onto the diet disscussed in the thread link I gave above. _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
We have a lovely bird that lives in similar circumstances to yours. He was very quiet at first but has since become very vocal and has picked up numerous phrases but this is at the expense of other general singing/chatter which I miss. We were sold a boy and I think this must be correct as I believe they are better talkers. Sometimes I wish he would just sing or chirp. He's always at his loudest when the tv is on or the phone rings or we have visitors. We are definitely part of his "flock".
Got to agree with you Mohum.
I had a Sulphur crested house parrot for many years that talked... like really talk... would even invite people in when they knock on the door, cars outside in the driveway...and real clear....or the alarm clock, and its not even daylight saving, still dark.... wind up the neighbourhood dogs.
Im not a fan of talking pets... yep they are a great noviltey, but that wears off very quickly...
Its nioce to come home, the cat ... or dog , gives a bit of a bark, meow....think about it, what it would be like to come home and find the cat or dog welcoming you with what is really on their minds...."Feed ME, Feed ME!"
Kakariki do talk, but not know as a great talking bird, so if picks up a bit here and there fine, but to loose that chatter/ bark/ meow.... _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
Just wondering do their beaks always develop the black tip? If so when?
Lincolns is now nicely silvering up and the tip seems a little stained for want of a better description.
He's doing very well now. He's in a new home as the first seemed a bit too small. He's loving his flight times and will regularly swoop and dive from room to room at breathtaking speeds. We have our challenging moments when he's a tad defiant but he will certainly answer to his name and will "step up" fairly readily upon demand.
Just wondering do their beaks always develop the black tip?
To be honest, I dont know, never really take notice or had need to.
Thu if the chicks are left with the parents a few weeks too long, it is often very difficult to tell them apart, including the beak.
That diving, as if going to dive bomb u...?
Thats something most birds will do, but more noticable with kakariki...
They generaslly fly at you from a blind spot, evewntually touching u on the hea with a wing as they pass...Im sure it it is a ceck u out sort of thing rather than agreesion.
If u dont flinch, they will tap, if u do, they soon get to know they can intimidate you... _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2013 9:21 am Post subject: Ok so now we appear to have some problems!! HELP!!
Hi
I Have to say having "Lincoln" around has certainly been fun so far. He is just so mischievous. He has shredded most of the dust covers from my wife's favourite books. Decided he loves corn chips. Regularly has a good old natter with me as I seem to have learned most of his chatters and whistles.
We do however now seem to have the feather loss/ plucking/ whatever problem it is so often mentioned on here!
We went away for a couple of days in the caravan leaving him with a neighbour who comes in to feed him and clean him out. He comes out regularly for at very least an hour a day and has a dedicated play perch made from willow branches to satisfy his craving to shred!
I had though he as looking a little more fluffy than normal when we returned and he did seem to be preening quite a lot before we left but upon our return and after his bath in the kitchen sink he does seem to have some almost bald patches! Both in the centre of his back just above where his tail feathers start ( he preens here quite a lot ) and under his neck on his chest. It only became obvious when his feathers were wet earlier on.
He otherwise seems in fine form. Flying well. Chirping away when talked to. Shouting at my wife when she gets the Dyson out. Eating well, etc.
I am a little worried as I wouldn't like to think there was anything very wrong with him. Poor chap.
We do however now seem to have the feather loss/ plucking/ whatever problem it is so often mentioned on here!
I doubt very much if self plucking is the issue... kakariki would be the 1 species least likely to do so ... on the other hand we dont hand raise our birds and do not know if doing so with a kakariki is enough to have them psychologically dependent enough...
I tend to suspect mites...
Do u add apple cider vinegar to the diet on a regular basis and a mist spray of 50/50 water vinegar every couple weeks? cages the bird enough to just dampen. This is a maintenance preventive action for most worms and mites.
They also require aromatic herbs like mint and native NZ manuka, which they extract the oils and prune with, which act like an insecticide.
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Any sage advice would be great.
yes sage is good to.. bit sage, tyme, rosemary, bit of variety.Moulting
We must rem that in captivity our pets cant just nip down to the local wild herb patch for their daily dose of healtheries
OK what to do now... get some invermectin from the local vet, and a couple drops on the back of the neck, and repeat 7 to 10 day later.....And wash down everything with the vinegar/ water and get some apple cider vinegar , a few drops in the daily veggies.
Moulting should be no more than a few feathers laying around... including pairs of the occasional flight feathers, and look a little scruffy, no bald patches.
The issue with mites is not so much the mites but left unattended results in secondary infection in the wounds where feathers have been pulled out, espec around the eyes (they rub because of the itching)... very often once infection gets around the eyes, the feathers dont re grow, and in more extreme cases eye infection and blindness.
For further info on invermection us the quick search block on the left, as the chances are your vet will raise his eyebrows and look at u funny....be informed... 5ml will be heaps... keep it in a dark eye dropper bottle in the fridge _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
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bark, meow....think about it, what it would be like to come home and find the cat or dog welcoming you with what is really on their minds...."Feed ME, Feed ME!"
