New to Bird Board and New To Pionus

[lostitinak]

My husband and I just brought home our first BH Pionus on Wednesday night. We previously had 2 cockatiels before but lost one to injury last summer and the other to illness this summer. After much research we fell in love with the BH Pionus and found a breeder locally that had a newly weened clutch available.

We made our visit on Tuesday. There were 2 brothers and 1 sister available. We fell in love with the middle hatch who is a sweet little boy. He instantly bonded to us both. His DOH is 7/8/08. We brought him home the very next day.

After a great deal of thought and debate we have named him Griffin. He is with Daddy at the doctor today getting his check up and making sure everything is ok.

We have him on Zupreem pellet food with dried fruit and some pre-made parrot treats. We have picked up a variety of fruits and vegetables for him but want to make sure I only give him foods that are ok. I know that all pits are bad. What I don't know is are all parts of the avacado bad and should I also quit using my lip balm that has avacado in the formula (Griffin LOVES giving kisses)? Also, can I give him all parts of the kiwi including the skin and seeds or just the green flesh part and pick out the seeds? With lemons and oranges should I slice it up and give him only the flesh and take the seeds out or can I give him the whole thing to pick at/destroy/eat? With Bananas can he have peel and fruit or just fruit? With apples, can I give him the stem to play with or just the fruit and do I take the seed out or leave the seeds for him to eat?

I also want to make sure I'm giving him enough showers but not too much. Here in Alaska we have a very dry climate and in winter it is cold, so understand he will need more showers in the winter than the summer, but I don't know if it should be every day, every other day, or once a week.

I know I have a lot of questions and appreciate all the help and patience anyone can offer us new Pionus parronts.

I look foward to spending a lot of time reading different topics and threads and am excited to help Griffin grow into a happy healthy adult.

Thanks ever so much for any feedback (good or constructive, I'll take both please).

Jennifer

[guest1717171]

no avocado at all to eat but im sure the tiny amount in your chapstick is fine...
no apple seeds...but the rest is fine

welcome to the board!! im jealous of your bh pionus! i definitely plan on getting one of those within next year or so.they're beautiful!!

[lostitinak]

I'm going to take some pictures and get one posted this weekend. I'm also going to start an online photo album to watch his as he matures. I am so in love with him and he is such a sweet heart! He reminds me of my tiel that I lost to injury last summer who was also a little love bug.

Thank you for your help! I am getting so much information too reading different posts and experiences on the board. I love it here!

[KDK241]

Welcome to BB and congrats on Griffin! Pi's are great!

Monty loves taking a shower and I usually give him one once or twice a week but if he had his way he would take one daily.

[Dani#2]

Citrus is not recommended for parrots, I cannot remember exactly why though, sorry. Avoid chocolate, foods high in salt, sugar...whatever isn't "good" for us isn't good for the bird. (a tiny nibble of bird safe foods, in moderation, wont hurt though)

Too many showers can dry out the skin also. Pi's I know have different preferences on how they want to bathe, i know some who will bathe in their waterbowl, and others prefer misting from a spray bottle.....like my Jezebel.

Just be careful and read packaging, I remember a few years ago I bought pitted cherries, from a bird supply store, and in the fine print it said it may contain pits....so, needless to say, I returned them.

[lostitinak]

Got the photo album started, here is the link, I'll ad more as we go, it is going to be so much fun watching him grow up!
Photo Sharing by MyPhotoAlbum.com :: MyPhotoAlbum

[KDK241]

He is adorable!

Citrus is bad for parrots with liver problems or iron storage disease but in a healthy bird it is ok in small amounts occasionaly if they will eat it.

[Buteo]

Very very sweet.
Love them BH pi.

Lots of reds in his head.
They won't be there for long though.
They make great keepsakes &/or special arrangements around Griffin's baby pics in an album.
I saved every one of our Gracie's white & peach tinted baby head feathers that I could find.

[Addicted to Tequila]

Originally Posted by geekasaurus

no avocado at all to eat but im sure the tiny amount in your chapstick is fine...
no apple seeds...but the rest is fine

welcome to the board!! im jealous of your bh pionus! i definitely plan on getting one of those within next year or so.they're beautiful!!

<Decides not to tell Geek that a lady at Petsmart gave her her number... she has a BHPi that she is looking to rehome. Free to the right person.>