[Cody Dawg]

As some of you know, I'm involved with animal rescue.

Well, last night I had to drive up and get a lory from a man who didn't want his bird any longer. He's a nice guy, but his wife is sick and they don't want to deal with the bird any longer. He said that it was "too messy" and "didn't speak." It is apparently 6 months old. He had it in an 18 inch x 18 inch x 18 inch square parakeet cage to begin with and then when it made a mess outside of the cage so he put it in an aquarium. He said, “It never really does anything, just sits there.” The aquarium it was was on a dining room chair stuck in a corner. Worse than that, their apartment was tiny and filthy and reeked of cigarette smoke. I mean just REEKED. I started coughing and my eyes were watering. Smoking is each persons choice, but it was obvious that they smoked there next to the bird, which is so bad for it, I'm sure. Their apartment was maybe 500 square feet, tiny, and not ventilated. When I got home and took him out of my car I put him up on my kitchen table to get a better look at him, I noticed that he also reeked of cigarette smoke! His poor little feathers were all dull and dingy and they are broken off on the ends, no doubt from living in that aquarium. The first thing I did was to give him a good long shower. From his initial reaction it was obvious he had never had a shower, but after he calmed down he started lifting his wings and playing in the water and thoroughly enjoyed it. I put him in my big parrot cage and he just sat there cleaning and preening his feathers.

I wasn't sure what to expect this morning, but when I opened my eyes I heard his peculiar little squeaks and chirps coming from the cage and when I came in he hopped right over to me, friendly as could be. I thought I even heard him say hello! I never knew that lories could learn to speak? But, I’m hearing what definitely sounds like an attempt to speak words.

I actually got him because I wanted to help him find a better home. I was thinking of giving him to a place that features lories, such as the lory aviary at our local zoo, but maybe we’ll just keep him. He didn't want to be handled at all this morning, but I coaxed him out with a grape and now he steps up and down and even lets me scratch his little head. He's friendlier than I thought. I think he's thoroughly delightful: Not too loud, beautiful to look at, and funny to watch. He likes to hang upside down for one thing!

Here's the thing, though: I have no experience with a lory. I have lots of experience with Amazons, African greys, and cockatoos, but not lories.

Since I know there are a lot of bird people here like Boomstick and eriamjh, maybe you guys can give me some advice? Is the cage too big? He seems to love it. I put lory powder and lory granules in the bowl and water in the other and he's happy eating it. He's now chirping and eating.

I know the cage is for a much bigger bird, but can he stay in it?

And, tomorrow I have another dog flying in for care (the new dog in my signature) from out west (a little Brussels griffon puppy - the French bulldog went to her new home in Miami with the director of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and is very happy) so should I keep the Brussels puppy away from the bird? Will it attack the puppy?

Well, thanks for your advice!

[wallinbl]

Lories are exceptionally friendly birds. I don't think they are prone to attacking. The Busch Gardens near my house has a lory feeding area where people and their kids go in and feed hundreds of lories by hand. It's a large area tented by a net, and the lories are free to mingle with the people. There are a few signs warning that they may bite, but given the wide open access to them, I've always assumed that they must not bite often. You know that someone as large as Anheuser Busch isn't leaving themselves open to any kind of liability.

Sorry, I'm not an expert, I simply play with them once a month at Busch Gardens. But, I think it should be a safe, friendly bird.

[Cody Dawg]

wallinbl, that's exactly why I went to get the bird: There are a lot of places like that here in Florida and I thought that I'd donate him to a place like that.

But, he's very happy right where he is apparently. He's a regular clown and loves to swing and hang around upside down.

[starman]

That birdcage is AWESOME! Where did you get it? I was thinking about getting a bigger cage for my birds (well, I have one bird, and one DEMON FROM HELL that looks like a bird).

Suggestions:

Give the bird a bath a few times a week. My first bird LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the water. We have a heatlamp and she used to dry herself under it afterwards. It's too bad the DEMON FROM HELL never fried under it . It'll get the smell of the smoke off it over time.

Talk to it. The original owner probably never tried. My birds try, but don't. No biggie.

Get the right food for it (but you probably know that already).

Be friendly to it.

A point of debate - get its wings clipped. You don't want it flying around knocking something over or getting itself hurt. I clip my birds wings. It's fun clipping a demon's wings. Whoo! Try biting through those Goretex gloves, DEMON!



Birds are great. I wish my brain-dead demon was a better bird. The other one's very sweet.

Mike

[turtle777]

Anyone with good baby lory recipes ?



-t

[Cody Dawg]

Hi Mike:

The cage came from Michelle, the daughter of the people that own Brenda's Birds in Delray Beach:

Here you go.

If you drive down there and pay cash they'll make you a great deal.

Now, about the wings, they're chewed off! The bird sat in his aquarium for the last six months and had nothing to do so they are chewed right off. No need to clip them. He was starting to work on his tail also.

I've been watching him today and he's not doing any of that, just swinging and talking (and it sounds like real words) to himself, playing. He's not at all what I expected: He's cute and funny and much quieter than I expected. He sits by a huge window so he can look out and watch the trees and birds, also.

He's really quite a wonderful little bird. I would recommend a rainbow lory to anyone.

[RAILhead]

No cage is too big, really, as long as the bars are small enough to prevent the bird from squeezing out (smart will try, I assure you). Lorys are VERY smart, but some people don't like them because they do tend to be messy. They prefer fresh fruit and when they eat, they tend to sling it everywhere. If they have a diet consisting of lots of fresh fruit, they also tend to have extra runny "poops" which are also quite messy.

Regardless, yo can treat him just like any other parrot, and he'll grow and learn with the best of them. He'll never have the potential to speak as a Grey does, but Lorys are just as mentally intelligent.

HTH,
Maury

[wdlove]

Hi Cody,

I'm so sorry about last evening. Will look forward to another chat though.

I'm so excited about you new bird. So happy that you changed your mind. The bird looks awesome. Should provide hours of enjoyment

You are an awesome lady and friend.

[Cody Dawg]

I left a message for you last night, WD.



I'll chat with you today.

Bye!

[Mark Larr]

Wow, what a pretty Rainbow Lori.

[wdlove]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

I left a message for you last night, WD.



I'll chat with you today.

Bye!

Hi Cody,

Yes, I got the message. Thank you for your thoughtfulness, it is greatly appreciated.


For some reason my wife's phone didn't ring to alert her to your call, sorry.

Will be looking forward to a nice chat.

[Cody Dawg]

So, can it all fruits and veggies? Or just certain kinds? Thanks, Mark Larr.

[RAILhead]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

So, can it all fruits and veggies? Or just certain kinds? Thanks, Mark Larr.

Lorikeets have no gizzard, so NO SEED OR PELLETS!!! Even if you see pelleted Lory food, don't use it!

Now, as to what to feed them...

You should give them nectar, for sure, and there are many brands available.

As for fruit, give it to them small, not in chunks. Things like mango, pears, apples and sweet potatoes are great -- just be sure you chop it up really fine. Better yet, puree it. Remember: they have an almost totally liquid diet, so mush is good.

The general rule of thumb is this: if it's not nectar, fruit, or vegetable (fresh and NOT cooked, of course), then don't give it to the Lory. As usual, check the water often, replacing it at least twice a day. Lorys are messy and may get poop in their water as well as their toys.

Speaking of toys, they'll play with anything and it'll get destroyed. Get some jingle balls for them to play with, some chew toys, but I'd recommend getting rid of the large-weave rope. Remember, too, that it'll get covered and stained with poop in no time. Stick with wood and plexiglas since poop won't "adhere" or soak in like it will with rope and leather.

Maury

[Mark Larr]

Loris eat nectar mainly.
Kaytee makes a lori nectar mix.

All of the loris that I have dealt with liked to be the solitary bird in the house.

They will attack smaller birds like budgies and cockatiels.

[JustAnOl'Broad]

Oh Cody,
It's gorgeous!
And the new pooch in the sig is too cute.
P~

[Cody Dawg]

Thanks, Patti, I appreciate it.

He's been eating some kind of powder that he scoops up then goes over and immediately mixes with his water to swallow. Also, teeny tiny granules of something that is similar, but it's tiny granules and not powder. I put some applesauce in there and he seems to like that also. So, I guess food processed fruits like "lory smoothies" are what he needs?

He's very verbal this afternoon and I can hear him say things like, "Atta boy," and I heard him make a wolf whistle twice. I also heard him say - I swear - "You bastard!" He said it twice!

He's cute!

[RAILhead]

Yes, there a food called Lory Powder and he's doing it correctly. Just be sure you add to his diet the things I mentioned so he doesn't only eat the powder.

And smoothies are the way to go. Make it interesting my mixing different fruits and vegetables and see which one he likes best. Like people, some flavors just won't mix for him and he'll refuse it -- so find a variety of combos so he doesn't get bored eating the same ol' thing.

HTH,
Maury

[Cody Dawg]

Maury: Have you had lories also? Do they speak or am I imagining these things? They sure sound like words to me, but I'm not sure.

Thanks.

[ink]

Looks like a great bird. Congrats!

Our cat loves the neighbor's pigeons... but that's another story

[Artful Dodger]

The colors of your bird are amazing. Wow!

Train the bird to perch itself on your shoulder. I always thought that was a cool look....

[RAILhead]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

Maury: Have you had lories also? Do they speak or am I imagining these things? They sure sound like words to me, but I'm not sure.

Thanks.

I've never owned one personally, but I've been around them for years -- and I just know a lot about birds (I currently own a simple, yet cute-as-a-bug Budgie named Twosie Bird).

And yes, Lorys can learn to talk -- especially ones that are raised hand fed (just like most birds).

You probably already know this, but the vast majority of parrot-like birds can learn to talk. A basic parakeet can speak as clearly and with as many words as a grey. However, it's how well they actually know what those words mean that sets the various birds apart. Point being, you can teach a budgie 100 words, but he'll never be able to make sense of them. A grey, on the other hand, will actually learn what those words mean.

Just keep talking to him with a fair amount of repetition and he should start learning quickly if he's "made that way."

Maury

[Cody Dawg]

Yeah, that's cool...except when there is bird poo dripping off your shoulder.



He sure is a happy little bugger. He's been ringing his bells and whooping it up all day long. He's probably happy to be out of an aquarium. I'm surprised he doesn't think he's a fish!

[RAILhead]

If you plan on keeping him in his cage, which I would recommend since he probably isn't potty trained (and Lorys are next to impossible to train, anyway), think about getting a shelf-type thing to attach to the cage wall. Lorys will roll around and do all kinds of playing on their backs with plastic balls or other wooden toys that can get a good grip on. They almost look like a cat the way the use their feet to kick at the ball.

Just see where he spends most of his time so you can position it (if you were to do this) so that he's not pooping all over it -- other wise, he'll be rolling around in his poop!

Maury

[andreas_g4]

What a cute bird! I had a little bird some years ago. I am still sad that he died rather early when I think of it…

[Cody Dawg]

That's sad, andreas.



Yes, Maury, I was thinking the same thing. I just don't know what I'd get, to be honest. I'll have to give that one some thought (a ledge of some type.)

[starman]

Ooh, record him

[andreas_g4]

Originally Posted by isnt that special

hello wdlove,

i sure could use an ichat.

Deja-vus are errors in the Matrix… Miau!

[RAILhead]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

Yes, Maury, I was thinking the same thing. I just don't know what I'd get, to be honest. I'll have to give that one some thought (a ledge of some type.)

You can get a quick n dirty ledge like this:


http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...&N=2003+113649

It's ugly, but it would work -- and it won't gather as much poop since it's not solid. Depending upon how big he is, it may not be deep enough -- but he'd still enjoy it.

Maury

[CanadaRAM]

Dang that's a cool bird....

[Cody Dawg]

Hey Maury, thanks! I'm going to order that! My bird thanks you, actually! Totally awesome.

He got into a fight with a toy in his cage - it was very funny. He was screeching and beating the crap out of the toy. I've never seen anything like it. I thought his foot was caught in something the way he was yelling. I didn't get home from picking him up until about 3:00 AM and I had to get up today at 8:00 AM so I thought I'd take a nap...then he started yelling his head off and now I'm up again.

But, he's worth it.

[Cubeoid]

Hi Cody

He looks great!

Cubeoid

[Eriamjh]

You saved a bird! Good for you!

6 months is young for bird to talk. My grey didn't start speaking until 9 months. Now, superbird won't shut up!

[Cubeoid]

I'm guessing he likes saying "Corn!"

[Eriamjh]

Originally Posted by Cubeoid

I'm guessing he likes saying "Corn!"

That's her favorite word, alright. Along with 100 others.

[Mark Larr]

My cockatoo, Roxy is a regular little chatterbox.

[Cody Dawg]

I LOVE the citrons! How beautiful!

Hi Roxy!

[andreas_g4]

Hey Cody. I think I never mentioned that I find your engagement in animal rescue a very great thing. I hate to think that there are so many animals that suffer from being treated wrong and/or bad. The terrible thing is that animals can't do anything against it…

Back to what I wanted to say in the first place: Would you care to post some higher res image of the little guy? I'd love to have one as a desktop picture… The colors are sooo nice!

[Cody Dawg]

Okay.

Here you go!

(Sorry tooki - but in honor of you maybe I should name the bird after you? Great name! Tooki it is!)

Pictures of Tooki, the Lori

(Tooki - I'll only leave it up a little while then I'll put the other one up, the smaller pic.)

[andreas_g4]

Tooki is so cute!

Thank you, Cody! I love animals that have that "smiling" facial expression.

[Cody Dawg]

Yeah, I always said I'd name an animal after tooki.



Now, I'm not sure that "ThinkInsane" would really fly for a name...but maybe!

[wdlove]

Hi Cody,

When you first told me about the bird and the indecision, thought that you would end getting him. You have such an open heart for animal.

I'm very happy for you, sounds as though he has brought joy into your life.

I think that tooki is a great name for a parrot. Ready to chat anytime Cody.

[Eriamjh]

I'd keep any dog away from the bird because you never know when a dog will just pounce on your little friend to play.

Notice how he looks like the old Apple logo?

[Cody Dawg]

I guess he does look like an Apple logo...funny!

[wdlove]

Hi Cody,

How is tooki doing? Is he settling into his new surroundings? I'm sure that he is providing a lot of company and joy. A chat when you have time.

[Cody Dawg]

Hi WDLove!

He's doing very well.

He's 100% tame now. He LOVES to sit on your chest and "groom" your face. He meticulously preens every part of your face including eyebrows, eyelashes, and even the insides of your ears. Then he lays on your lap on his back and plays with a ball. He also loves to be swung around upside-down. He's cute!

The puppy is doing well also. SO SMALL. He weighs 1.5 pounds! He's the same size as the lory! He sleeps in my lap most of the time. He's cute though!

[wdlove]

Hi Cody,

Thank you for the update. He sounds like a lot of fun. Happy to see that he fits in so well.

Hope to chat soon.

[disgruntled goat]

Originally Posted by wdlove

Hi Cody,

Thank you for the update. He sounds like a lot of fun. Happy to see that he fits in so well.

Hope to chat soon.

good lord, if i was cody, i would be very creeped out by you. kinda on the verge of stalker status there buddy.

[Cubeoid]

Haha

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by disgruntled goat

good lord, if i was cody, i would be very creeped out by you. kinda on the verge of stalker status there buddy.

What ? You must be new here. They have had a platonic relationship for a while. Don't want to get in between their dirty iChat conversations though. You bet WDlove can talk real dirty


-t :

[Cubeoid]

Hi Mark

Roxy looks great. I am sure he is a bundle of joy and/or fun.