I don’t know why this occurred to me, but it did. I was thinking about zip-loc bags and the integral part of they play in storing Chop. This innocent little sandwich bag has become a big part of my life. And from the email I get, it seems to have become a staple in the lives of many other people and their birds.

Chop in Snack-sized bags

As I was thinking about how to title this post, the phrase, “Zip-loc Life” kept coming  back and with it, the song, “It’s the Hard-Knock Life” from the Musical, “Annie” which shows you the direction my brain wanders every once in a while. So, seeing as we just went down Bizarre Boulevard, let’s take look in a few of the windows shall we?

First of all, I felt compelled to rewrite the first few stanzas of the song, and God forbid, if you want to sing along, here’s the link to music from the original song: Annie: The Musical

It’s the Zip-Loc Life

It’s the Zip-loc life for us!

It’s the Zip-loc life for us!

 ‘Steada Dicin’’
We unzip!

 We get kisses,

 They got no lips!

 It’s the Zip-loc life!

Got no woes to speak of, so,

It’s the Zip-loc row we know!

 Lotsa choices,

 It’s no bull!

 Comfy Bellies

 Aways full!

 It’s the Zip-loc life!

After getting that out of my system, I began thinking about some questions I’ve gotten regarding packaging Chop for the freezer.

I happen to have three Greys, so it’s easy enough to store their meals in a regular zip-loc. But I got an interesting question from a reader who has little, tiny, eensie weensie birds and only a couple of them. What is she to do when she is packaging up little tiny amounts of Chop for her mini-flock?

I ruminated about this and came up with a solution: 2×2 zip-lock storage bags:

You can find these bags at the  “Scrap Rack”

I think they would be perfect for small amounts of Chop and of course they are reusable if you wash and rinse them out, allowing them to dry thoroughly.  Of course, there are other sizes available as well, so you can not only tailor your Chop, you can modify the way you want to package it to suit your particular needs.

I guess what it comes down to is options. And the one thing you always have with Chop, are options- how to make it, what to put in it, how to package it and how to store it. If it works for you, then the more likely you are to continue making it and feeding it to your birds.

I’ve said before that Chop is a solution to the problem Liz Wilson pointed out at one time or another; that people simply have a difficult time managing their schedules to prepare fresh food for their flock twice a day, every day for decades. Chop is more of a response to a behavioral issue of humans. Yes, it’s great for the birds. But the real beauty of it lies in the fact that it sets up the environment for success. It’s difficult for most people to feed fresh food to the flock twice a day. And while making Chop is no walk in the woods, it’s easier in the day-to-day.

You may call me "Small Batch"

I like little birds. I really do! But I’m afraid of them. I’m not afraid of them per se, but I’m afraid of their delicacy.

I know that sounds weird, but when you have a few rather robust African Greys lounging around your living room, the thought of handling these little pipsqueaks puts the fear of God in me. They’re just so delicate! So fragile. I’m afraid that just one wrong move and I’ll end up hurting them somehow.

I know that I shouldn’t feel that way, but I feel like this enormous “Gulliver-like” creature and I’m so afraid I’ll hurt one. This is silly of me. I’m not bothered by big birds at all. I’ve worked with 30 pound penguins and Andean Condors with an 12-foot wing span at the Cincinnati Zoo.

But it’s the little guys that worry me…

Lisa with Buddy and Skittles

Most birds are a luxury companion animal. They’re usually expensive. (If you don’t get one for free or at little cost in an adoption situation.) They’re pretty expensive to keep. (If you don’t  know how to make toys for them and make your own food for them.) And they take a lot of time. (If you don’t have some dandy shortcuts and quickie ways of doing things.) And they need a lot of attention. (They’re not exactly short in the “Demanding” Department.)

I know it sounds like I’ve been wailing away for the past few months, writing about what pains in the keesters they are. Well, I’m sorry, but they are. And I’ve discussed how expensive they are. Well, aren’t they? I’m not lying about any of this. But you don’t see too many of us devoted human types rehoming our feathered families, either. Now I realize many people do give them up. If they weren’t doing this, Phoenix Landing wouldn’t be in business. Nor would Foster Parrots, Bird Lover’s Only or a myriad of other rescue and adoption services. I happen to have two birds that were given up by two different families sitting in my condo as I type.

But I don’t consider the blog readers (or “Bleaders”) here to fall into that category for the most part. “PN” has mostly fairly savvy and devoted parrot families. While I’d like to get more of the novices, it’s kind of tough. And you’ve heard me rant about that too. I guess the one thing I like to do here is to face the realities of having parrots in your family. Once you know what you’re up against, you can work with it. But you have to recognize what that reality is. It’s not all sweetness and light. But it can be an absolute riot at the same time. Despite the mess, the noise and the constant bopping up and down to right some wrong, adjust something askew, or fetch a parrot that has wandered off, I simply love the little dudes.

I suppose the best way to keep a good attitude about your flock is to think of them as a luxury automobile. If I’d thought about it more, I probably should have named my Greys “Ferarri,” “Masarati” and “Alpha Romeo.” But at least my Greys aren’t always in the shop.

Get a “Furrari” here!

Preparing Yourself For Getting a Bird

(Inspired by Amy Lawrence)

Thinking about getting your first bird? This thirteen-step guide will emotionally and physically prepare you for what it’s like to live with one. If you follow this, you will have a fairly good idea what it’s like to have one of these lovely creatures in your house.

Take a big bite of carrot. Chew it up well, but don’t swallow it. Now go out to your dining room and spew it all over the wall. Leave it there until it dries. Get a sponge and a scraper and scrape it off the wall. Repeat at least three times a week.

Go to the bird supply store. Buy everything you need for the month. Then with the leftover money, go to the grocery store and pick up a five pound box of macaroni, some parmesan cheese and some margarine. This should last you about two weeks and it’s about all you’ll be able to afford after all that money you spent at the bird supply store.

Take a newspaper to the bird supply store. Place it in the bottom of an empty bird cage. Read it while it’s laying on the bottom of the grate. This is how you will be reading the newspaper from now on.

Get some pelleted diet, some chopped up vegetables, borrow some bird poop from the bird supply store, (They’ll look at you funny but they probably won’t charge you for it.) some parrot feathers, pieces of bird toy parts, some wood chips and some almond shells. Combine in a one gallon container. Throw some of it on the floor. Now clean it up. Throw more of it on the floor. Now clean it up. Repeat at least twice a day.

Get a screwdriver from your tool kit. Make some gouges in the paint on the wall. And while you’re at it, use it to rip one of your lamp shades and smack up a couple of picture frames.

Make sure you know the meaning of all of these terms: Cloaca, preen gland, PDD, PBFD, choanal papillae, calcium to phosphorus ratio, polyomavirus, E.N.D. and boing. This involves a lot of research so get some reading glasses while you’re at it.

Measure out a cup of flour and place in a sifter. Move about your house and lightly coat all surfaces with the flour. Now dust all the surfaces. Repeat at least three times a week.

Get a copy of a wild parrot DVD. Place in the your DVD player and turn the volume up to full blast. Repeat at least three times a day for 15 minutes.

Take some of that bird poop you borrowed from the bird supply store and place it on a spatula. Now reach over your shoulder with the spatula and rub the bird poop on the back of your shirt. Let dry and then go grocery shopping. Count the number of people who either stare at you or tell you that you have bird poop on your back.

Do a little dumpster diving and collect odd items like water bottle caps, pieces of raffia, tree branches from bird safe trees, pieces of cardboard and old plastic clothesline. With these items, attempt to make an interesting toy. You have 8 minutes. You may begin.

Set the timer on your TV and DVD player for 6 a.m. with the volume turned all the way up so that the Wild parrot DVD starts playing the next morning. Repeat every morning for the rest of your life.

Get some bed sheets. Now take that screwdriver and make various beak-shaped holes in them. Take some of that bird poop and smear it on the sheets. Launder and repeat at least twice a month.

Find a reputable bird Vet and make his car payment for him. Repeat at least once a year for each bird you intend to get.

Do these exercises for as long as you can. If you can keep this up for at least 6 months without losing your mind, you just might be ready for a parrot.

What is fine dining to a parrot? No, this is not a rhetorical question. I’m really asking. I think fine dining  for a parrot is, or should be something that is not only good for them, but is fun for them as well. Now Parker’s idea of fine dining is eating directly off of my plate.  I eat pretty healthy stuff most of the time. Salads with a bit of protein on the top with some hard boiled egg, some beans and some feta cheese. I love that stuff and I tend to eat this way often.

Naturally, the little hog goes right for cheese and the meat, as if to say, “Whoah! Now this is something I can sink my beak into.” while he tucks into it as if I hadn’t fed the little dude for two days. Now I can get away with this occasionally because of their staple diet. They are on a really good diet. Between all of the “Chop,” and their bean mix which has a ton of vegetables in it, my guys eat really, really, well. They tend to be “every other day” heavy eaters. I’ve asked them about that, but to date I’ve received no answers.

They just eat heavily on one day and lightly the next. This has been going on for years and if anyone can explain this to me, I’d love to know why.

When it comes to their food, I don’t screw around. Aside from all that “Chop,” their bean mix, and some of my vegetable leftovers, they also get toppings of bee pollen, nuts, some fruit and milk thistle seed. So they’re in pretty good shape.

Every year their Avian Vet, Sam Backos sort of quietly shakes his head and says, “I wish I could find something wrong with Parker, but he’s in terrific shape.” This makes me smile because I know Sam’s kidding me.

I had what I thought was a great idea a while back. Here’s the idea:

I took some pasta shells and stuffed them with “Chop.” They hit the deck. I guess I’ll have to come up with something else because that little gem struck out. Now if I had stuffed them with cheese, that might have been another story.

Photo Courtesy of My Friend Kent Hammit

Well, it’s almost here. Yup, it’s almost time for Parker to swing into full-tilt “Screaming Little Hellion” mode. I can’t wait for it to be over.

Why is breeding season always so painful? Well, I’ll tell you why it’s painful to me. It’s because Parker makes my ears bleed for about two months. I leave the room, he screams. I come back into the room, he screams. I go to the bathroom, he screams. I try and take him out of his “room,” and he takes a whack at me. Picky, picky, picky. I know he’s just acting the way he should, that he’s only doing what his instincts are telling him to do.

But I don’t have to like it. In preparation for when he’s in full swing, I am currently charging up my iPod and stocking up on the sedatives. We’ll both survive, each in our own way.

I’ve been doing some research on blogging, popular blogs, and the ever-popular “Mommy Blog.” This “Mommy Blog” subject seems to be the type of blog that’s the most popular and gets the most traffic.

“Dooce,” and “Pioneer Woman,” seem to lead the pack, with other blogs written by stay-at-home Moms, (Otherwise known in the business as “SAHMs.” Amazing what you learn…) who will entice you in for other reasons. Some have crap to sell. Some have discounts or coupons for crap or review crap. Some just bitch about crap. I always learn something despite my lack of interest in the genre.

Interesting descriptions for these “Mommy Blogs” include this one:

“The Ramblings Of A Prissy, Primped-to-perfection Belle Turned Neurotic, Obsessive Mama That Barely Has Time To Shower. We Are Living Our Lives For Christ, Going Green And Learning A Lot!”

As my friend Lynn is known to say, “Well, all-righty then!” I simply think that’s a hell of a lot of ground to cover.

There is one titled,

“The Life of a Sippy Cup Mom!”

Good God. And just so you know, the exclamation point is not mine.

Here’s an interesting one:

“Single Mom Talks About Life With A 2 Year Old Super-sidekick…juggling Single Parenthood, Dating After Divorce, Food Allergies, And Trying To Lose 100lbs!”

Whoah! Lots of ground there. And once again, the exclamation point is not mine.

So I began thinking about this. I don’t have kids. Never really wanted kids. Never really occurred to me to have kids. Never got pregnant. Not sure I ever could, actually. (My Father was an only child. My Mother had two kids ten years apart, and that was rough to get to. My cousin only had one daughter. I don’t come from a family where kids were just popping out every five minutes.)

But my birds? My dog? My friends? That’s a pretty nice family.

While I realize that a hell of a lot more people have kids than parrots, I was simply stunned by the sheer number of Mommy Blogs. Yet, many of them are making money through advertising. If I’d known I could write about kids and being a Mom, maybe I would have…Nawwww! That wouldn’t have happened. Who I am kidding?

Now, I haven’t looked at this one, but this is intriguing:

“How I Escaped A Marriage To A Sociopath. I’m Real. I’m Not Always Perfect. I Whine A Lot And I Crush On Guys Like It’s Crack.”

I noticed she didn’t use an exclamation point. Apparently, she wasn’t too thrilled about escaping a marriage from a sociopath. I certainly would be. Actually, I’d probably be happier about that than being a “Sippy Cup Mom.”

I do know that some of these blogs make a lot of money. A LOT of money. Mine does not make a LOT of money. Mine doesn’t even make a little money. It actually costs me money for the media space and video gigabytes, which is not included. (Kind of like batteries.) But I don’t care. I’m really good at cooking beans, and saving money. (See my post about Saving Money.)

As I’ve said before, there’s more to this than income. I’m really interested in getting good information out to people who are unaware of a few things. Like the fact that an all-seed diet for parrots blows. Such as the fact that enrichment and interaction with your birds is crucial for their well-being. You know, subjects that don’t interest those running in the “Sippy Cup Crowd.” But that’s okay. I mean after all, nobody can say I don’t have three “Crumb Crushers” of my own.

I wasn’t done. I got two of the Angels Rest caretakers, Uncle Lenny and Joe to come over to Angels Rest, tell me some stories and film me placing a second stone for Lilo, Amy’s little Galah. It was a wonderful and emotional moment. Those two Galahs, Lilo and Sasha now have a front and center spot for being remembered and they will be seen and honored for as long as those stones last. It was a privilege to place those memory stones for my friends Amy and Terry’s birds. I felt so many emotions and will treasure the thought of the moment when I was able to do something for the remembrance of the birds I never had the privilege of meeting. But at least I had a hand in preserving their memory forever. Fly free at Rainbow Bridge, Lilo and Sasha. I love you. It was an honor.

I’ve been thinking about the culture of aviculture. Not just about what it is that we do to keep birds in our homes and our lives, but how it effects us as a community. It is a specialized world, probably not unlike people who are interested in religion, or insects or  trains.

We have a commonality, and a particular set of attributes that bind us. We have become a “Tribe” of sorts, not unlike the growing community of  “Mac Heads”  who are loyal to the products of Apple. A definition of tribe:

tribe (trīb) n.

1. A unit of sociopolitical organization consisting of a number of families, clans, or other groups who share a common ancestry and culture and among whom leadership is typically neither formalized nor permanent.

2. A political, ethnic, or ancestral division of ancient states and cultures, especially:

a. Any of the three divisions of the ancient Romans, namely, the Latin, Sabine, and Etruscan.

b. Any of the 12 divisions of ancient Israel.

c. A phyle of ancient Greece.

3. A group of people sharing an occupation, interest, or habit: a tribe of graduate students.

4. Informal A large family.

And not only are we similar in many ways, we have managed to find each other and connect through the internet. This has had a profound effect on our “Tribe.” No longer are we as dependent on any “High Priests” as a source of information. Social media has leveled the playing field and useful information is shared freely while total crap is shot down and questioned. The information has become liquid and elastic, changing and bending as it is updated and improved.

In other words, more and more people are getting more solid information, and our birds have become healthier and happier as a result. For instance, my “Chop Recipe” posts alone have had close to 10,000 views. And that’s not counting how many people who have copied, pasted and sent on the blog posts to other people or printed it. This is just one useful bit of information on how to better feed your parrot. Just one concept!

So what are we all doing? What does this all mean?

We’re all connecting with each other, sharing ideas and helping each other through this one weirdly binding similarity: We have birds in our homes. I’m sure we all have other things in our lives that we share, but that’s not what brought us together.

This tribe of ours, the one I call “The Parrot Nation,” is powerful. There are offshoots, subsets, and special interest sub-tribes, such as people who have Quakers, or pluckers or allow their parrots to live cage-free. There are subsets who support a particular parrot  rescue or believe in a certain way of doing things. There are people who love parakeets, canaries, or train their birds using applied behavior analysis. Their are raptor groups, bird clubs, budgie societies and people who breed birds.

But there is one thing that is unshakable, irrevocable and binds us to each other. And that is our birds and our love for them.

This is  very powerful and gives us an immense amount of leverage. Together we can change things. Together we can enlighten, educate and edify. In a sense, we have all become leaders of our own sub-tribes by being able to find good information and passing it on.

Before the internet, the best that existed in finding good information about birds and their care were books, magazines and bird clubs. In other words, “someone else” was deciding if any piece of information was worthy of being passed on. This limited the sources to a specific group of people. Publishers released books that someone wrote based on their reputation of selling books before. This was how some really awful information became cemented in the minds of so many people and became urban legends. Aghhh!  I’ve read so much egregious stuff about birds that it makes my head spin. Like this little gem:

“I am getting married in September and I’d like to have birdseed thrown instead of rice. Hard, dry rice is harmful to birds. According to ecologists, it absorbs the moisture in their stomachs and kills them.”

If this were true, there wouldn’t be a bird alive in China.

“Never shoulder your bird.”

“Never let a bird get higher then your head because he will “dominate” you.”

This is all a load of bird doo-doo. Regarding shouldering your bird: It should read, “Never shoulder an untrained bird or a bird you don’t know.”  And there is no such thing as height domination.

The internet is changing this “Information From On High” concept. Are are there people who know more than others about keeping birds? Of course!  But no longer are they sitting by themselves and hoping beyond hope that someone who needs their skills and knowledge will get the information somehow. Now there are weirdly indirect, yet more effective ways for good information to be passed along.

This blog is just one example. My posts about the “Chop” recipe for instance, have been translated into some languages I didn’t even recognize. I didn’t send these people the posts. Someone else did. Or they wanted the information, googled it and found it. Or they “read about it somewhere” which led them to my original posts. Someone or something led them to the information.

Writing a post about the “Chop Concept”changed many people’s ideas on how to feed their birds. I have tracked the concept down to bird forums, other blogs, even an online newspaper in Texas. It’s making a change. An impact. And it has bettered many birds lives due to it.

And you know why I even wrote about it in the first place? I couldn’t think of anything else to write about that day. I didn’t think it would matter. Writing about “Chop” was originally a “placeholder.” That post was a fluke. I wrote about making “Chop” because it was what I did that day that was about my parrots.  I wrote about it because I just didn’t have anything more pertinent to say.

Then the poop hit the fan. Somehow, the post about “Chop” began getting hits. A lot of hits. Because of this, I wrote a better and more detailed post with photos. Wham! Questions, emails and posts on Facebook about it. It took on a life of its own. I did a podcast about it. And the hits just keep on coming. Is that important? Apparently it is to the people who want the information.

I use the “Chop Concept” as an example only because I know the backstory to it. I know the timeline of it and I know where it’s been.

But other people have done the same thing: Robin Shewokis with her information on enrichment and Barbara Heidenreich’s information on training are just two examples of information on aviculture getting out to the world.

Good information is no longer difficult to find. But of course, neither is bad information.

But with our “Tribe,” we can ferret out the good stuff and discard the crap. We can become leaders, traffic directors, and policemen in our own tribe. We can bond together, support the good ideas, and squelch the bad information.

It is that bond, that structure, that sense of belonging to our culture that can raise the bar of how we keep our birds. We know where we are. We know that we belong. It’s up to us to make our tribe, the “Parrot Nation,”  a smarter, healthier and better informed global community.